Return of the remote: ACTIVO BR01 puts tactile control back in your hands

22 September 2026 – ACTIVO has launched the BR01, a pocket-sized Bluetooth remote that brings physical control back to digital listening. Built for Astell&Kern and ACTIVO players as well as smartphones, tablets and laptops, it puts the controls you actually need at your fingertips, without having to reach for your screen. The BR01 has a suggested retail price of £49/$50.

Many users will enjoy the BR01 with docked music players; paired with a phone, tablet or laptop, it gives physical control over streaming services, podcasts, audiobooks and video playback -essentially anything the connected device routes through its standard media controls.

The BR01 features a deliberately limited list of controls, each one where the thumb expects it. A knurled aluminium wheel handles volume, allowing fine adjustment by feel alone. The four-way pad beneath it covers play/pause, next track, previous track and mute. Three further buttons handle screen on/off, home and back* .A power switch and dedicated Bluetooth pairing button sit on the edge, out of the way of everyday use.

The BR01 is at its most useful alongside the players it was designed for. An Astell&Kern or ACTIVO digital audio player sitting in its docking cradle is a fixed object: positioned for the best connectionn, cabled to an amplifier or a pair of headphones, and deliberately not something to be picked up and put down through an evening of listening. The BR01 restores full control from the sofa, the desk chair, or across the room, leaving the player exactly where it belongs.

Multi-pairing stores up to three devices, so the BR01 can move between a docked player at home, a phone on the commute and a laptop at a desk without being re-paired each time. Connection is over Bluetooth 5.3.

A 210mAh battery delivers over 90 hours of continuous use, recharging over USB-C in around two hours. An auto sleep mode powers the remote down after 30 minutes of inactivity,

Pricing and availability

The ACTIVO BR01 is available now direct from ACTIVO UK and from Amazon priced £49 ($50 from US stockists).