If you’ve recently purchased an Astell&Kern digital audio player, you may be asking, “how do I install Spotify, Qobuz, or other music, podcast, and audiobook apps?” Astell&Kern players don’t come preloaded with an app store or any way to directly install new applications, but you can download select applications to a computer and copy them over to your player.
Installing an App
To get started, you’ll need:
- Your Astell&Kern player
- A desktop or laptop computer connected to the internet
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A USB cable to connect your new Astell&Kern player to your computer.
Basically, you need to download the APK file from an Android app file hosting website, copy it from your computer to your player, and then install it using the Open Service application manager.
Downloading the APK Files
The first thing you need to do is download any apps that you want to install.
- Go to a third party Android marketplace like https://apkpure.com or https://apkcombo.com/
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Using the search bar, enter the name of the app that you want to download. Note that not all apps will be readily available to download from all sources.
- Find the app in the search results (note that some marketplaces may list “knockoff” apps like “Pandroa” or “Panadro” next to the real app).
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Click “Download APK”
- Repeat for any other apps you want to install.
Copying the APK Files to your Player
Once you have your apps downloaded, you need to connect your player to your computer and copy the files.
- Connect your Astell&Kern player via USB.
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Swipe down from the top of the screen and ensure that the USB Mode is set to “Disk.”
- On your computer you should see the device name for the player listed as a USB drive that you can use.
- On Apple computers, you will need to download the Android File Transfer application: https://www.android.com/filetransfer/
- After you install Android File Transfer, it will automatically launch when your player is connected.
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Drag and drop the downloaded *.apk files to the OpenService folder on the player.
- Once the files have finished copying, disconnect the device.
Installing the App on your Player
Finally you can install and launch your new app.
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In your player, tap on the Astell&Kern “A” logo in the top left corner of your screen, then on “Services”
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Tap on the icon for your app, and then on “Install.”
- The app will install, and you can launch it from the Services menu.
- Once you’ve completed installing your apps, you can delete the leftover APK files from your player using your computer’s file manager or Android File Transfer.
Installing TIDAL or other XAPK Apps
Some apps, including TIDAL, use an XAPK file instead of the standard APK file. While TIDAL is bundled with Astell&Kern players, there are some features which are not available in the preinstalled version, so you may want to install the full version. Installing an XAPK file on your Astell&Kern player requires a couple of extra steps. You need to install an additional app on your player which can then process and install the XAPK.
- Download the XAPK Installer: https://apkpure.com/xapk-installer/com.apkpure.installer
- Using the same process as above, install the XAPK Installer on your Astell&Kern player.
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Next, download the XAPK file for the app you need and copy it to your player.
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Tap “Install” next to your XAPK file, and then “Install” again on the next screen.
- Once you’ve completed the installation, you can use the XAPK Installer app to delete any of the APK files on your player. This will not affect the function of the app.
Supported Apps
The following apps are supported on most Astell&Kern Players. Quad-core players (like the SR25, SA700, and KANN Alpha) can only have four apps installed at a time. Octa-core players (like the SE200 and SP2000) can have unlimited apps installed. These options can change as app versions go out of service or device updates create incompatibility. Check the official site for the most up to date compatibility list.
- Amazon Music
- Apple Music
- AWA
- Bandcamp
- BBC iPlayer Radio
- Bugs
- Deezer
- DS Audio
- Foobar2000
- IDAGIO
- Joox
- KK BOX
- KT genie
- Last.FM
- Melon
- Moov
- Music Mate
- myTuner Radio
- Onkyo Music
- Pandora
- Player FM
- Qobuz
- QQ Music
- Sirius XM
- Spotify
- Tidal
- Tune-In Radio
