Astell&Kern PD10 - Premium DAP

Delivery time approx. 1 week

Reviews

"Yes, it’s expensive, it’s big, it’s heavy… but it’s also one of the best – if not the best – DAP I’ve listened to in years.

Add to that a sleek-looking design (if you like shiny stainless steel), solid battery life overall, a beautiful, massive screen, and you have one of the best TOTL DAPs available today. Full recommendation, if you can afford it. And so to the Recommended Buy list it goes!"

Astell&Kern PD10 Review - Headfonia

Breaking Away From The Usual

Astell&Kern has long offered a diverse product range tailored to the unique characteristics of each individual product. However, we have realized that breaking away from conventional methods is essential to achieve true innovation.

The PD10 is our first product that goes beyond the boundaries of our existing product range and pursues a new approach. It was developed to offer users an even more comfortable and distinctive experience of "optimal sound," and even the iconic volume knob design of Astell&Kern has been reinterpreted in a novel way. Experience the beginning of "Breaking Away From The Normal" with the Astell&Kern PD10.

Highlights

• World's first use of the AK4498EX in a DAP
• HEXA audio circuit structure: Complete separation of digital and analog signal processing
• Equipped with impedance-adaptive dual amplifiers
• Automatic Amplifier Adjustment Mode: Smart Gain
• Outstanding audio performance through independent dual audio circuits
• Astell&Kern device supporting the full Android operating system
  Advanced DAR technology
• Features a 4.5 generation user interface that combines functionality and emotional design
  
  

First application of the AK4498EX in a DAP

By using the latest AKM DAC AK4498EX, we have achieved a more natural sound. Using a HEXA audio circuit structure with two AK4191EQs for digital signal processing and four of the latest AKM DACs, the AK4498EX, combined with Astell&Kern's TERATON ALPHA technology, delivers sound quality at the highest level.

The PD10 uses four AK4498EX DACs integrated into an innovative HEXA audio circuit design with two separately employed AK4191EQs for digital signal processing, resulting in the highest quality sound.

The HEXA audio circuit is designed so that the AK4191EQ, a separate digital delta-sigma modulator, reduces the noise of the digital input signal, and the AK4998EX, a fully isolated analog DAC, processes only the analog signal separately.

Through the physical and perfect separation of digital and analog signal processing, the PD10 delivers an amazing sound quality you have never experienced before.

Automatic Amplifier Adjustment Mode: Smart Gain

The PD10 immediately checks the impedance of the connected receiver after you connect your earphones or headphones and automatically sets the appropriate amplifier. Regardless of which earphones (headphones) are connected, the player automatically distinguishes between low and high impedance without complicated settings and adjusts the optimal amplifier.

Headphones with an impedance of 32 ohms or less are set to “Normal Gain” and offer a maximum output power of 5.5 Vrms in balanced mode, while headphones with an impedance of more than 32 ohms are set to “High Gain” and provide sufficient output power of up to 8.3 Vrms in balanced mode. The adjusted amplifier matching function (Smart Gain) offers audio enthusiasts who use a variety of earphones and headphones a new listening experience.

Equipped with impedance-adaptive dual amplifiers

To meet the different listening environments of our users, the PD10 is equipped with two different amplifiers. Considering the average impedance of connected earphones and headphones, different sound tunings have been made for each amplifier.

The Normal Gain AMP reproduces fine details and a highly pure sound quality, faithfully delivering the original sound.

The High Gain AMP specializes in processing complex and dynamic sounds and reproduces audio signals more vividly and clearly. Enjoy a variety of sounds from a single player, tailored to your preferences and the earphones and headphones you use.

Outstanding audio performance through independent dual audio circuits

To develop an innovative DAP that goes beyond the level of excellent DAPs, a DAP that no one has tried before, we aimed to push the boundaries of sound by developing independent dual audio circuits for unbalanced and balanced outputs. In most DAPs, unbalanced and balanced signals are used together in the internal DAC structure. Since the signal output from the DAC is split into unbalanced and balanced signals and transmitted to the amplifier, an audio switch is essential.

However, the audio switch has a limitation regarding the signal range it can receive from the DAC. Therefore, it first reduces the signal size and then transmits it to the amplifier to restore it to its original signal size, which leads to limitations in enhancing audio performance. By creating two separate, independent audio circuits, one for balanced output and a second for unbalanced output, Astell&Kern maximizes audio performance regardless of which output is used.

We invite you to experience the high-quality sound produced by Astell&Kern's innovative circuit technology.

Connections 

• 3.5 mm headphone output unbalanced / optical output
• 4.4 mm headphone output balanced
• USB-C (Battery charging, data transfer)
• Bluetooth 5.3 (aptX HD, LDAC, AAC, LHDC, SBC)
• Wi-Fi (2.4/5 GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)

Specifications 

• 4x AKM AK4498EX
• 2x AK4191EQ
• DAC filter for sound adjustment: Super Slow Roll-off, Short Delay Slow Roll-off, Slow Roll-off, Low Dispersion, Short Delay Sharp Roll-off, Sharp Roll-off

• Capacity: 5,770 mAh
• Runtime: up to 15 hours
• Charging time: approx. 4 hours with Power Delivery 3.0

• PCM: 8 kHz ~ 768 kHz (8/16/24/32 bit per sample)
• DSD Native: DSD64 (1 bit 2.8 MHz), stereo / DSD128 (1 bit 5.6 MHz), stereo /
• DSD256 (1 bit 11.2 MHz), stereo / DSD512 (1 bit 22.4 MHz), stereo
• Audio formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA

• Internal: 256 GB (partially occupied by system)
• External: MicroSD slot (up to 1.5 TB)

• Complete Android system
• Installation of apps like Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Apple Music, etc. directly on the device via "Services" possible (or manual installation of the APK file)
• AirPlay
• ROON Ready
• Qobuz Connect
• DLNA

• On / Off
• Volume +
• Volume –
• Play / Pause
• Song Forward
• Song Reverse

• Output power: Gain Normal 2.6 Vrms / Gain High 4 Vrms
• Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.066dB) / 20 Hz – 70 kHz (±0.62dB)
• Output impedance: 1 Ohm
• SNR: 125 dB @ 1kHz
• THD+N: 0.0007% @ 1kHz

• Output power: Gain Normal 5.6 Vrms / Gain High 8.3 Vrms
• Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.066dB) / 20 Hz – 70 kHz (±0.61dB)
• Output impedance: 1.6 ohms
• SNR: 128 dB @ 1kHz
• THD+N: 0.0006% @ 1kHz

• Display: 6 inch touchscreen (1080x2160)
• CPU: Octa-core
• Sound tuning: EQ, DAC filter, and CrossFeed settings
• Crossfeed function: speaker effect when listening through headphones
• ReplayGain function: for consistent volume across all tracks
• AK File Drop: for wireless file transfer
• LED light around volume dial: indicates the bit rate of the current song
• Case: Stainless steel
• Dimensions: 75.4 x 149.5 x 17.3 mm
• Weight: 435 grams

Scope of delivery 

• Astell&Kern PD10 Hi-Res player
• Brown faux leather case
• USB cable
• Screen protector
• Quick start guide (German, French, English)
• User manual in PDF format stored on the player (German, French, English)