The brand Astell&Kern will likely be very familiar to audiophiles, particularly those who like to groove on the move. The company's latest high-end digital audio player comes with a docking cradle that allows it to serve as a home music streamer.
Docking a digital music player for playback through speakers rather than earphones is not a new idea of course, but the PD10 setup from Astell&Kern is designed to play nice with home audio systems or active speakers rather than built-in sound pushers.
The player connects to the mains-powered cradle over USB-C, which tops up the battery and routes the audio signal through to the balanced XLR outputs at the rear. This means that your two-channel hi-fi amplifier or active speakers will also need XLR inputs, with volume controlled via the PD10's controls or set to a fixed level using the line out option. A simple LED character to the front signals bit-rate info of the current track.
The player itself features the same audio circuit design as the flagship SP3000, but represents the first outing for AKM's AK4498EX digital-to-analog converters (DAC). In fact the PD10 rocks four of these chips to handle the analog signals, while two separate AK4191EQ chips take care of digital signal input. There's native support for 32-bit/768-kHz PCM audio as well as DSD512.
This dual-DAC approach also caters for independent processing of balanced and unbalanced output for optimum audio performance. "By physically and perfectly separating digital and analog signal processing, the PS10 delivers an astonishing level of sound that has seldom been experienced before.," says A&K.
The player has also been treated to two distinct amplifiers, each with its own sonic tunings. One is designed for the reproduction of "delicate details and delivers high-purity sound" and the other handles "complex and dynamic sounds" for a more immersive listen with improved clarity. The system checks the impedance of ear candy as soon as the plug hits the jack, and can auto select the appropriate amp.
The PD10 features 802.11ac Wi-Fi for quality streams and DNLA networking, and can be used as an external DAC over Bluetooth 5.3 or USB for Mac/PC computers. There's also support for aptX HD, LHDC and LDAC decoding for 24-bit wireless audio potential.
The player comes with 256 GB of internal storage to keep downloaded tracks safe, plus microSD expansion up to 2 TB. The 5,770-mAh battery is reckoned good for up to 15 hours continuous portable play per charge. And though there are tasty side buttons, a 6-inch 1080p display provides smartphone-like touch control.
The PD10 goes on sale next month for a typically high price tag of US$2,499.
Source: Astell&Kern
