Astell&Kern has teamed with US headphones manufacturer Campfire Audio to create a reference grade pair of in-ear monitors for those who don't mind paying for the privilege.

The Astell&Kern AK Solaris X earphones are wired and based on Campfire's own Solaris model. The X variant is tuned especially for the audiophile brand, with a deep and rich yet natural sound signature.

They are hand-assembled with a custom balance armature driver with a dynamic driver hybrid system in each ear. Proprietary tuned acoustic expansion chamber tech is couped with a 3D printed acoustically optimised chamber.

Astell&Kern AK Solaris X in-ears are reference grade and priced accordingly photo 1

Even the balanced 2.5mm cable is made using pure silver, with four 4N conductors for complete transparency and sound extension. The connectors are made from beryllium and copper.

The Astell&Kern AK Solaris X earphones will be available from mid-July, in Harrods and Selfridges in the UK, priced at £1,499.

They will retail for $1,500 and €1,799 in the US and mainland Europe respectively.

The company has also announced that an Urbanely Blue edition of its popular Kann Alpha Hi-Res digital audio player is now available.

Astell&Kern AK Solaris X in-ears are reference grade and priced accordingly photo 3

It supports multiple formats and a sample rate of up to 384kHz (PCM). It's priced at £1,099.