Activo Q1 are the inexpensive wired earbuds made for our favorite budget hi-res audio player

1 week ago 3

Activo Q1 earbuds held in a hand either side of the Activo P1 hi-res audio player, on white background

(Image credit: Activo (Astell & Kern))

Activo Q1 are wired IEMs made for the July 2024 P1 player
The IEMs are a collaboration between the Astell & Kern sub-brand Activo and Singaporean label, DITA Audio
Activo Q1 are priced $349 / £299 (around AU$590)

Love hi-res audio but haven't heard of Activo? That's okay, you'll almost certainly know its parents, Astell & Kern. Last year, the sub-brand's inaugural product, the Activo's P1 music player, truly wowed us for sound-per-pound value, proving that you don't have to pay an A&K premium to get excellent portable sound. It was so good in fact that it quickly made its way onto our best MP3 player buying guide.

And now the South Korean company has announced the hotly anticipated in-ear monitors to go with it. They certainly look the part, which checks out when you know that these wired earbuds are a collaboration with Singaporean brand, DITA Audio.

A&K says the partnership brings together "over 45 years of expertise in the audio industry between Activo and DITA, culminating in the perfect earbud match for the newly released Activo P1 Digital Audio Player."

Activo Q1: specs, pricing and availability

The Activo Q1 is, the company tells us, a hybrid IEM featuring DITA’s new PM1+ 9.8mm dynamic driver with brass housing, plus a single Knowles balanced armature driver.

DITA Audio has a lovely habit of custom-designing cables to suit every earbud model it's had a hand in, which means the Q1 is a unique proposition – and the white coating certainly makes the earbuds look like they're going to be perfect sonic partners to the wallet-friendly Activo P1.

To drill down into that cable a little more, it's the MOCCA2 cable from Cardas, made in the USA. This is custom-built and constructed of 32 strands of Cardas conductors per cable, then twisted to DITA’s own specifications. Your purchase also includes both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended connecting plugs – the P1 has both of these ports, along its top edge.

And in case the earbuds look a little dainty, also included with the Q1 is an Activo x DITA branded systainer mini hard case made by Tanos, plus five different sizes of eartips to help you achieve the optimum fit.

Have the player, now want the earbuds? You're in luck! The Activo Q1 is available to purchase from Amazon today and is priced at £299 / $349 / €399 (around AU$590). Will they join our collection of the best wired earbuds we've ever tested? We're working on it – when we know, so shall you.

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Becky became Audio Editor at TechRadar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.

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