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PD10 Digital Audio Player
$2,410.00 USD
Features
World's first DAP application of AKM4498EX DAC chip (quad-DAC configuration)
Impedance-Adaptive Dual Amplifiers with Smart Gain auto-detection
Independent dual audio circuits for unbalanced and balanced outputs
Included docking cradle for home audio use with XLR balanced outputs
6-inch Full HD (1080x2160) touchscreen display
5,770mAh high-capacity battery with up to 15 hours playback
256GB built-in storage plus microSD support up to 2TB
Supports native playback of PCM up to 32bit/768kHz and DSD512
Digital Audio Remaster (DAR) technology for upsampling
Customizable Crossfeed feature for reduced listening fatigue
Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC codec support
AK File Drop for wireless file transfers
AirPlay support for streaming from Apple devices
ReplayGain for automatic volume level adjustment
6 selectable DAC filters for personalized sound tuning
LED indicators showing current bit-rate information
Video
What's in the Box?
Warranty
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.
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.
The PD10 supports native playback of high-res PCM music up to 32-bit, 768 kHz, and DSD512, with Bluetooth 5.3 offering 24-bit audio playback wirelessly for aptX HD, LHDC, and LDAC codecs. Astell&Kern's feature, BT Sink, allows the PD10 to connect to an external device via Bluetooth and function as a Bluetooth DAC, while AK File Drop enables you to freely transfer music files wirelessly through a PC, smartphone, or FTP program located on the same network. Music file management is now possible with Apple AirPlay support and Roon Ready certification.
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.
High
Maximizes power delivery to create a wide soundstage and explosive dynamics. Even high-impedance headphones are driven with unwavering authority and a spacious, stable presentation.
Mid
Provides 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.
Low
Employs 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.
Impedance-Adaptive Dual Amplifiers with Smart Gain
To cater to the diverse listening environments of users, the PD10 DAP is equipped with two distinct amplifiers–Normal Gain Amp and High Gain Amp–because two is better than one! Each amp has different sound tunings applied, so you can tailor the sound based on which headphones or IEMs you're using.
- Normal Gain Amp reduces delicate details and delivers high-purity sound, faithfully reproducing the original sound.
- High Gain Amp excels in handling complex and dynamic sounds, rendering audio signals more vividly with greater clarity for a more immersive listening experience.
- Smart Gain instantly detects the impedance of connected headphones or earphones and auto adjusts the amp
The moment you connect a headphone or IEM to the PD10, the player instantly checks the impedance of the connected device and automatically sets the appropriate amp. Regardless of what is connected, the PD10 automatically distinguishes between low and high impedance and matches it with the optimal Amp, without having to worry about manually changing settings to find the perfect match.
Earphones with an impedance of 32 ohms or less are set to Normal Gain, providing a maximum output of 5.5Vrms when connected to the balanced output. Earphones greater than 32 ohms are set to High Gain, providing ample output of up to 8.3Vrms for balanced out.
The Smart Gain function optimizes amplifier matching, providing those who own a wide variety of headphones and earphones with a unique and refined listening experience.
Features
- HEXA Audio Circuit Structure with complete separation of digital and analog signal processing
- World's first DAP application of AKM4498EX DAC chip (quad-DAC configuration)
- Impedance-Adaptive Dual Amplifiers with Smart Gain auto-detection
- Independent dual audio circuits for unbalanced and balanced outputs
- Included docking cradle for home audio use with XLR balanced outputs
- 6-inch Full HD (1080x2160) touchscreen display
- 5,770mAh high-capacity battery with up to 15 hours playback
- 256GB built-in storage plus microSD support up to 2TB
- Supports native playback of PCM up to 32bit/768kHz and DSD512
- Digital Audio Remaster (DAR) technology for upsampling
- Customizable Crossfeed feature for reduced listening fatigue
- Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC codec support
- AK File Drop for wireless file transfers
- AirPlay support for streaming from Apple devices
- ReplayGain for automatic volume level adjustment
- 6 selectable DAC filters for personalized sound tuning
- LED indicators showing current bit-rate information
What's in the Box?
- PD10 Digital Audio Player
- Docking Cradle
- USB-C Charging Cable
- 4 Screen Protection
- Warranty and Manual
- Leather Case (made with Synt3 eco-friendly polyurethane fabric)
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 the clarity and cleanliness of sound.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Physical Specifications | |
| Model | PD10 |
| Body Color | Silver |
| Body Material | Stainless Steel |
| Dimensions | 75.4mm × 149.5mm × 17.3mm |
| Weight | 435g (15.34oz) |
| Display | 6-inch Full HD (1080×2160) touch screen |
| Operating Temperature | 0℃ to +40℃ (32℉ to 104℉) |
| Technical Specifications | |
| CPU | Octa-core |
| DAC | 2× AKM4191EQ + 4× AKM4498EX |
| Decoding | Up to 32-bit / 768kHz Bit-to-Bit playback |
| Clock Jitter | 25ps (typical) |
| Reference Clock Jitter | 250 femtoseconds |
| Feature Enhancements | Firmware upgrade supported (OTA) |
| Audio Specifications | |
| Supported Audio Formats | WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF |
| Sample Rate | PCM: 8kHz–768kHz (8/16/24/32-bit) DSD Native: DSD64/128/256/512 |
| Output Level (No Load) | Normal: 2.6Vrms (Unbalanced), 5.6Vrms (Balanced) High: 4Vrms (Unbalanced), 8.3Vrms (Balanced) Cradle XLR Out: 5.6Vrms |
| Frequency Response | ±0.066dB (20Hz–20kHz) ±0.62dB (20Hz–70kHz) Unbalanced ±0.61dB (20Hz–70kHz) Balanced |
| S/N Ratio | 125dB @ 1kHz (Unbalanced), 128dB @ 1kHz (Balanced) |
| Crosstalk | -137dB @ 1kHz (Unbalanced), -138dB @ 1kHz (Balanced) |
| THD+N | 0.0007% @ 1kHz (Unbalanced), 0.0006% @ 1kHz (Balanced) |
| IMD SMPTE | 0.0004% @ 800Hz/10kHz (4:1) |
| Output Impedance | 1Ω (3.5mm Unbalanced), 1.6Ω (4.4mm Balanced) |
| Connectivity Specifications | |
| Input | USB Type-C (Charging, PC & MAC) |
| Outputs | 3.5mm Unbalanced (optical capable), 4.4mm Balanced (5-pole) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz) |
| Bluetooth | V5.3 (A2DP, AVRCP, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC, SBC, AAC) |
| Supported OS | Windows 8, 10, 11 (32/64-bit), macOS X 10.7+ |
| Storage Specifications | |
| Built-In Memory | 256GB NAND |
| External Memory | microSD x1 (Max. 1.5TB) |
| Power Specifications | |
| Battery Capacity | 5,770mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer |
| Charge Time | Approx. 4 hours (PD3.0 Charging) |
| Playback Time | Approx. 15 hours (FLAC 16bit/44.1kHz, Vol.50, LCD Off, Normal Gain) |
