Astell&Kern AK PD20
Our price: £1,799.00
What HFL Thinks
AK PD20 – At HiFi Lounge we are really excited to offer the Astell & Kern portable players to our customers. It was only when I went on holiday recently and took my iPod that I realised actually how poor the sound quality was and that I now have a large 24-bit library that I couldn’t play so that led me to the Astell&Kern players. These really are a revolution in portable music, not only do they look and sound stunning they are also able to drive high end headphones, plus stream wirelessly from your computer or NAS. These players really do offer high end audio in your pocket like has never been heard before.
Craft Your Sound
Finding the sound that truly suits you is the first step toward the essence of music. PD20 is designed to guide you on that journey. Our first step in this journey was to start from the very beginning. Rather than creating a successor to the PD10, we created an entirely new audio device that will redefine your musical experience. Through Personal Sound, you can create a sound signature tailored to your hearing, then precisely refine it to your taste using the Sound Master Wheel. An intuitive control that allows even the amplifier driving mode to be changed with a single touch. Now, music is not just something you listen to. It is something you shape.
- The first DAP to support personalized sound through a hearing test
- 160-step EQ control via the Sound Master Wheel
- Triple AMP Class with real-time switching
- Class A current control with High / Mid / Low modes
- Proprietary ESA (Enhanced Signal Alignment) technology to minimize group delay
- Advanced DAR
Exceptional resolution and high-purity sound, ES9027PRO Quad-DAC
Designed with a singular focus on sound quality, PD20 adopts the ESS ES9027PRO DAC in a Quad-DAC configuration. Four DACs operate independently to minimize inter-channel interference and deliver precise signal separation. As a result, even the finest nuances in sound are revealed with greater clarity, creating a natural, analog-like presentation through clean, distortion-free layering.
Minimizing Group Delay with Proprietary ESA (Enhanced Signal Alignment) Technology
Through its in-house developed ESA (Enhanced Signal Alignment) technology, PD20 significantly improves one of the fundamental challenges in audio reproduction—group delay. ESA precisely aligns frequency signals so they arrive more uniformly, minimizing frequency distortion and enhancing clarity and cleanliness of sound.
To create the ultimate DAP unlike anything experienced before, we went beyond simply adopting the latest DACs and new specifications. We further evolved and applied TERATON ALPHA, Astell&Kern’s Ultimate Sound Solution, incorporating its advanced and innovative audio technologies. Refined through continuous research, TERATON ALPHA represents Astell&Kern’s integrated audio engineering expertise. Through effective power noise reduction, efficient power consumption with stable amplification, and a precisely engineered audio output interface, it delivers sound that remains faithful to the original source.
Triple AMP Architecture
PD20 features three distinct amplifier classes, allowing you to directly choose both sonic character and driving performance. Class A mode delivers rich, high-density sound with minimal signal distortion, expressing a smooth, analog-like texture.
Class AB mode offers excellent balance and efficiency, providing stable dynamics and articulate detail. Hybrid mode combines the refined texture of Class A with the efficiency and power of Class AB, creating a new level of sonic balance. Switching between amplifier classes is achieved through a physical slide key rather than a software menu, enabling intuitive, immediate control based on your listening situation. Choose the amplifier class that best matches your music and listening environment.
Adjustable Class-A Current
In Class A and Hybrid modes, the amplifier current can be adjusted in three levels: High / Mid / Low. AMP Current adjustment goes beyond simple output control. It precisely fine-tunes the energy density and driving behavior of the amplifier, allowing you to further refine sound quality according to the characteristics of your earphones or headphones.
- HighMaximizes power delivery to create a wide soundstage and explosive dynamics. Even high-impedance headphones are driven with unwavering authority and a spacious, stable presentation.
- MidProvides an optimal balance between sound density and resolution. It preserves vocal texture while delivering a well-balanced sound that remains comfortable even during extended listening sessions.
- LowEmploys delicate, precise current control to suppress background noise and enhance sonic purity. Ideal for high-sensitivity IEMs, revealing even the finest nuances and micro-details.
A One-of-a-Kind Sound Tuned to Your Hearing
PD20 delivers optimal sound tailored to your individual hearing.
Developed in collaboration with global audio solution leader Audiodo, Personal Sound is used in a DAP for the first time, creating a personalized profile exclusively for you and redefining how you experience sound.
By precisely analyzing your hearing characteristics and independently compensating for left and right ears, it dramatically enhances clarity and balance. Regardless of genre, volume level, or the headphones or IEMs you use, you can enjoy a consistently optimized listening experience. With a simple hearing test, your personal listening experience is complete.
Audiodo Audiosphere: Immersive Spatial Sound from Any Stereo Source
Audiosphere goes beyond conventional stereo, delivering a powerful sense of spatial immersion. It expands two-channel audio into a virtual three-dimensional sound field and offers four presets: Subtle, Balanced, Immersive, and Echoic. From the expansive resonance of orchestral performances to the realism of video content, you can select the sound atmosphere that best suits your listening preference.
Audiodo Equalizer: Effortless, Intuitive EQ Control
Audiodo’s Equalizer offers intuitive control centered on Bass, Mid, and Treble. Working in harmony with the Personal Sound profile, it operates on an already corrected sound foundation, ensuring stable and consistent performance. With the Tilting function, you can naturally adjust the overall tonal balance toward either the low or high frequencies, while preserving the original sound character.
Sound Master Wheel, Crafting Your Own Sound in 160 Steps
The Sound Master Wheel, a key design element of the PD20, is seamlessly integrated with the Audiodo equalizer. Each band—Bass, Mid, and Treble—can be finely adjusted across 160 steps, from –8.0 dB to +8.0 dB, allowing even the most subtle preferences to be precisely reflected in your sound. Without interrupting your music, you can shape and refine the sound purely through the tactile feel of the wheel.
Bringing You Closer to the Original Sound, Advanced Digital Audio Remaster
Advanced DAR is a second-generation DAR technology designed to deliver a more natural and refined sound.
Rather than sending the audio signal directly to the DAR engine, the signal first passes through VSE (Virtual Sound Extender), where lost harmonics are virtually restored to enhance sound quality.
After this initial enhancement, DAR processing is applied in a second stage to achieve more complete and sophisticated upsampling. Through this process, listeners can experience a deeper, more immersive sound that remains faithful to the original recording.
Real-Time Information Visualized Through Light
The LED light surrounding the power button displays the bit depth information of the currently playing track, while also enhancing the button’s presence with a refined visual accent, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the listening experience.
DESIGN
Sound Lab Control – The design concept of the PD20 is “Sound Lab Control.” It offers an experience akin to working with professional studio equipment—directly shaping, adjusting, and perfecting sound with precision.
The two wheels positioned on the top each serve a distinct purpose: one for sound tuning, the other for volume control. Their symmetrical layout ensures intuitive operation, while the low-profile protectors surrounding the wheels provide both protection and a sense of openness. Top-mounted graphics and LED lighting allow you to instantly confirm the current mode without looking at the screen. The AMP and CURRENT slide switches, along with the lock button, are individually positioned to clearly define their functions, while the multifunction key is placed where the thumb naturally rests, enhancing overall usability. A linear, refined body combined with structurally aligned control elements. The clean design identity pursued by the PD line reaches its fullest expression in the PD20.
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