'Hard-pressed to find a more affordable pair of IEMs' Astell & Kern's
cheaper sub-brand just released budget 5-driver wired earbuds

Date:
Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:01:49 +0000

Description:
Astell & Kern's budget arm has unveiled new wired earbuds, the Scoop, which offer five drivers and multiple connection options for under 100.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Astell & Kern unveils new Scoop Activo wired earbuds Five drivers per earbud Multiple connection options for DACs, players, phones and amps You can get your hands on some Astell & Kern tech for a relatively low price now, because the brand's all-new wired earphones are an absolute bargain.

A&K has given a wider release to the Scoop from its Activo sub-brand, its latest pair of wired in-ears which sell for 99 (about $120, AU$200). So what are you getting for that price and might they soon feature in our best wired earbuds buying guide? For one, five drivers per bud: there are three dynamic drivers and two balanced armature ones per ear. That's a lot for such a small little creature, and should offer an impressively versatile sound. Article continues below You may like Soundpeats' new multi-driver earbuds want to
beat the best, and I got five on it Meze's new Astru IEMs would be one way to make your brand-new MacBook Neo sing Im ditching true wireless earbuds for Chinese IEMs in 2026 here's why

The things are also designed to be widely compatible, like the previous
Activo Volcano . It comes with interchangeable adaptors for USB-C, 3.5mm or 4.4mm jacks, so you can use it alongside a range of gadgets easily... like
the Activo P1 DAP, perhaps? Scoop up a bargain (Image credit: Astell & Kern) Scoop is Astell & Kern's budget sub-brand, giving hi-fi fans with limited means a way to enjoy great-sounding audio (although its tech isn't always cheap cheap, as shown by the Activo Q1 IEM ).

That goes some way to explaining the price; if you look at our list of the best wired earbuds , you'd be hard-pressed to find a more affordable pair of IEMs to the new Activo Scoop outside of the specified 'budget' options. Most of those are standard wired buds too, not in-ear monitors like the Activo Scoop are.

So these are a really affordable way for an audiophile to enjoy the magic
that five drivers can offer. Want a cheaper option though? To coincide with the Scoop's release, the aforementioned Volcano buds have seen a permanent price drop by 20 (about $30 AU$40). So Activo has even more options for you. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. The best music players for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best hi-res music players 1. Best overall: Activo P1 2. Best budget hi-res player: Fiio JM21 3. Best step-up hi-res player: Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/hard-pressed-to-find-a-more-affordable-pair-of -iems-astell-and-kerns-cheaper-sub-brand-just-released-budget-5-driver-wired-e arbuds


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