Astell&Kern PD10

The Astell&Kern PD10 is a fully-fledged portable high-resolution player with up to 15 hours of battery life, leaving little to be desired. Each PD10 player comes with a high-quality docking station featuring XLR outputs. This allows the PD10 to be used not only as a standalone player but also as a stationary streaming device. This combination makes it a versatile high-end solution for almost any situation. The operating system is based on Android and is specifically optimized for audio playback. It enables streaming music via WiFi from all major streaming services. The necessary apps from Tidal, Qobuz, and others can be easily installed. For personal music collections, there is a 256 GB internal storage available, which can be expanded with a microSD card (up to 2TB). The player is also Roon Ready and features a Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter. For converting to an analog signal, the PD10 uses a combination of four AK4498EX and two AK4191EQ chips from AKM. The digital signal is processed using the HEXA structure developed by Astell&Kern to minimize digital noise. The docking station has a balanced XLR line-out for connecting to an audio system or active speakers. It also includes a USB-C input on the back. This connection is directly routed to the connected player, allowing for both computer connectivity and convenient charging of the player. Headphones can be connected via the 3.5 mm or 4.4 mm jack. Once a headphone or earphone is connected, the player checks the impedance of the connected device and automatically adjusts the appropriate gain. This feature, known as Smart Gain, optimizes the amplifier performance and provides audio enthusiasts with a comfortable, unique listening experience, especially those with a variety of headphones and earphones.