Astell & Kern has just launched its latest pair of in-ear monitors, and they’re not exactly aimed at the casual listener. Called the Luna, these wired earphones come in at a steep $2,700 / £2,699 / €3,049. That price puts them in serious audiophile territory, but there’s a reason for it.
The Luna is Astell & Kern’s third entry in its IEM (in-ear monitor) lineup, following the AK ZERO1 and ZERO2. What makes this one different is that it uses a single planar magnetic driver, something that’s not very common in IEMs. These types of drivers are usually found in full-sized headphones, mostly because they’re difficult to shrink down without compromising performance.
To pull it off, Astell & Kern teamed up with Japanese audio brand Madoo to develop a custom 13mm driver called Katabiki. Inside that driver is a unipolar magnetic setup with one magnet and a dual ring-shaped yoke, designed to better control how the diaphragm moves. The diaphragm itself is made from an ultra-thin, lightweight film with a printed aluminum pattern, all in the name of speed and accuracy when it comes to sound reproduction.
From the outside, the Luna looks sleek and minimalist. It has a titanium shell that’s both smooth and strong, and its shape, according to Astell & Kern, is inspired by the curves of the moon. Beyond the design language, those curves are also meant to help with how sound flows out of the earphones and into your ears. Comfort was a design focus too, especially for long listening sessions.
Each pair of Luna earphones is handcrafted in Japan and comes bundled with a bunch of accessories. That includes seven pairs of ear tips in various sizes and materials to help you get the best fit. There’s also a carry case (reportedly made from Alcantara), so you’re covered on the portability side.
The cable included with the Luna is also high-end. It uses a combination of silver-coated OCC and copper OCC wiring, which is a popular choice in audiophile circles for balancing clarity and warmth. The cable ends in 2-pin 4mm connectors with aluminum finishes, keeping things in line with the rest of the earphones’ polished look.
Spec-wise, the Luna offers a frequency response range of 20Hz to 30kHz, which is a lot wider than what most human ears can actually hear, but still shows the emphasis on detail and range. The idea here is to capture everything from deep bass to subtle treble nuances.
The Luna’s launch seems to reflect Astell & Kern’s continued push into the high-end IEM space. While some competing brands go with hybrid or multi-driver setups—blending dynamic, balanced armature, and even electrostatic elements—A&K is taking a simpler approach here. By sticking with one planar driver per earbud, the Luna might appeal to those who prefer a more direct signal path without crossover components getting in the way.
Of course, planar drivers in earphones are rare for a reason. They’re tricky to make in small sizes and can be hard to drive without enough power. That makes the Luna a more natural fit for folks who already own a high-end portable audio player—say, something like Astell & Kern’s $4,000 SP4000.
In other words, the Luna isn’t necessarily meant to be a plug-and-play option for smartphones. It’s clearly targeted at a very specific audience: listeners who care deeply about sound quality, already own dedicated listening gear, and are looking to round out their setup with something truly different.
Technical Specifications:
So is the Luna right for everyone? Definitely not. But if you’re deep into the hi-fi world and curious about planar magnetic sound in a compact format, this might be one of the more interesting options to come out this year.
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