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

• 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.

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

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.

The best music players for all budgets

➡️ 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

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