Astell & Kern PD5 unveiled: Octa-DAC 'Walkman' for high-resolution music enthusiasts
Astell & Kern has unveiled the PD5 octa-DAC digital audio player, a lightweight, aluminum-body DAP offering high-resolution music enthusiasts a wide 20 Hz to 70 kHz frequency response through wired headphones, with support for uncompressed and compressed music files.
The A&K PD5 incorporates eight Cirrus Logic CS43198 audio D/A converters along with the company's Teraton Alpha audio technology to output high-resolution music with low distortion. The player supports 384 kHz, 32-bit PCM, DSD256, FLAC, WAV, MP3, and other common audio files stored on microSD cards up to 1.5 TB in size. The DAP can also stream music over 802.11ac from online sources like Qobuz thanks to its use of Android OS.
The DAP has a stated 20 Hz to 70 kHz frequency range (±0.130dB unbalanced, ±0.143dB balanced), with a S/N ratio above 125 dB and a THD of 0.0006% (at 1kHz). The PD5 can output up to 8 Vrms in balanced mode, easily driving headphones, like the master-grade Audeze LCD-5s or more affordable LCD-X planar headphones sold on Amazon.
The player can also stream high-resolution music to wireless Bluetooth headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 (sold here on Amazon) using the LHDC, aptX HD, or Hi-Res Audio LDAC codecs.
Built-in microphones monitor the ambient noise and automatically adjust the EQ using EnviroTune technology to automatically compensate for masked details, a better approach than simply turning up the volume according to A&K.
The A&K PD5 weighs 6.98 oz. (198 g) and measures 2.74 x 4.71 x 0.63 in. (69.7 x 119.7 x 16.1mm). Its 4,000 mAh battery is rated for 28 hours of runtime, with a 2.5 hour charge time.
The Astell & Kern PD5 DAP is available for $1,049 from authorized dealers. Readers can look through the company's other offerings in the Astell & Kern store on Amazon. Devoted fans of the Walkman can consider the Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP on Amazon
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