Astell & Kern is a premium South Korean audio equipment manufacturer founded in 2012 in Seoul as a subsidiary of Dreamus Company (formerly iRiver), specializing in high-resolution portable audio players and audiophile equipment that delivers uncompromising sound quality. The company name combines 'Astell' meaning 'star' in Greek and 'Kern' meaning 'core' in German, reflecting their mission to be 'the center of music.' Founded by seven former Samsung executives who initially created iRiver in 1999, Astell & Kern emerged as the premium successor to iRiver products, launching with the groundbreaking AK100 portable media player in 2013 followed by the AKR01 in-ear monitors. Headquartered at multiple Seoul locations including Gangnam-daero, the company is wholly owned by the $100M+ Dreamus enterprise and specializes in Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) technology delivering 24-bit audio with 44.1kHz to 192kHz sampling rates, providing 6.5 times more detail than conventional CDs through their premium portable players, in-ear monitors, and home audio systems for discerning audiophiles worldwide.