Activo Scoop: Hi-fi earbuds with a low-fi price

The Activo Scoop delivers impressive hi-fi sound, powerful bass, and versatile wired connectivity at an affordable price.

- CLIFF JOSEPH

Astell&Kern is a well-known name in the high-end hi-fi market, but it recently launched a more affordable brand called Activo (fave.co/4u62MVp), aimed at buyers on a tighter budget. Its latest release is the Scoop, a set of wired in-ear headphones (fave.co/4thtNoL) designed for hi-fi and lossless listening. Despite the lower price, the Scoop still delivers A&K’s strong audio pedigree, along with versatile connectivity and a generous set of accessories. A&K even describes the Scoop as an IEM (in-ear monitor), a term commonly used for high-quality earbuds designed for accurate audio reproduction.

Our review covers the Scoop’s sound quality, comfort, design, accessories and multi-device connectivity, while assessing whether its audio performance outweighs the lack of wireless and noise-canceling features.

DESIGN AND CONNECTIVITY

The first thing you notice is the sturdy design of the Scoop, with chunky earpieces and a thick braided cable, which is also detachable. In fact, the cable itself is an impressive piece of engineering as—like many expensive hi-fi cables—it's made of silver-plated copper wire, and uses oxygen-free copper (OFC), which helps reduce distortion that can affect the audio signal.