Key Features
- Octa-DAC design with eight CS43198 DACs
- Switchable Quad and Octa DAC modes
- Up to 28 hours of continuous playback
- EnviroTune adapts sound to ambient noise
- Roon Ready and Qobuz Connect supported
Astell&Kern PD5 Hi-Res Digital Audio Player Overview
The Astell&Kern PD5 is designed for listeners who want a compact digital audio player with serious decoding, long battery life, and flexible sound control. Its Octa-DAC architecture uses eight CS43198 DACs, with switchable Quad-DAC and Octa-DAC modes to balance efficiency and performance. Quad-DAC mode gives up to 28 hours of playback with 6Vrms output, while Octa-DAC mode increases output to 8Vrms and focuses on maximum detail and separation.
Portability is central to the PD5, with an approximately 200g body and curved 4.1-inch display that sits comfortably in one hand. EnviroTune analyses surrounding noise in real time and adjusts masked frequencies without simply raising the volume, while ESA technology helps reduce group delay for clearer timing. DAR upsampling, four DAC filters, Crossfeed, ReplayGain, dual-band Wi-Fi, BT Sink, Roon Ready, and Qobuz Connect give the PD5 a deep feature set for daily hi-res listening.
Product Ref: 394660
Full Description
"Thanks to its refined, articulate sound and impressive versatility, the PD5 is another class-leading hi-res music player from Astell & Kern"
Switchable DAC Performance
Dual Drive Mode lets you choose between Quad-DAC and Octa-DAC operation depending on how and where you listen. Quad-DAC mode focuses on natural sound while helping extend battery life for longer portable sessions. Octa-DAC mode activates all eight CS43198 DACs, providing greater output, a wider dynamic range and more detailed playback when performance matters most. This flexibility means you can prioritise efficiency for everyday listening or access the PD5’s full DAC configuration when using more demanding headphones or listening in a quieter environment.
Smart Listening For Different Environments
EnviroTune uses the built-in microphone to analyse surrounding noise across different frequency bands, then adjusts playback to compensate for details that may otherwise be masked. This helps music remain clearer when you are commuting, working or travelling in busier environments. By adapting to the noise around you, the PD5 can preserve more of the detail in your music without relying on unnecessarily high volume levels. It gives you a more consistent listening experience as your surroundings change throughout the day.
Portable Control And Hi-Res Flexibility
The compact body, curved 4.1-inch display and lightweight design make the PD5 easy to carry and comfortable to use during longer listening sessions. Roon Ready, Qobuz Connect and dual-band Wi-Fi provide flexible access to network and streaming libraries, while BT Sink adds another convenient wireless option. DAR upsampling, Crossfeed, ReplayGain and selectable DAC filters give you further control over playback, helping you tailor the sound and listening experience to suit different headphones, music libraries and personal preferences.
Features
- Eight CS43198 DACs deliver detailed hi-res playback, with up to 8Vrms output in Octa-DAC mode.
- Dual Drive Mode offers up to 28 hours in Quad-DAC mode or higher performance in Octa-DAC mode.
- EnviroTune analyses surrounding noise and helps restore details that may otherwise be masked.
- ESA technology reduces group delay, helping different frequencies arrive with cleaner and more accurate timing.
- DAR technology can upsample PCM up to 384kHz or convert supported PCM files to DSD128.
- Four selectable DAC filters let you tailor bass response, speed and overall sound presentation.
- Crossfeed creates a more speaker-like stereo image while helping reduce fatigue during headphone listening.
- ReplayGain keeps volume levels more consistent across supported albums, tracks and playlists.
- Roon Ready, Qobuz Connect and dual-band Wi-Fi provide flexible access to hi-res streaming.
- The compact 200g body and curved 4.1-inch display make the PD5 comfortable for everyday portable listening.
Specifications
| Model | PD5 |
|---|---|
| Body Colour | Silver |
| Body Material | Aluminium |
| Display | 4.1" 720 × 1280 Touchscreen |
| DAC | 8 × Cirrus Logic CS43198 (Octa-DAC) |
| CPU | Octa-Core |
| Supported Audio Formats | WAVFLACWMAMP3OGGAPEAACALACAIFFDFFDSF |
| PCM Support | 8 kHz – 384 kHz, 8 / 16 / 24 / 32-Bit |
| DSD Support | DSD64 (2.8 MHz)DSD128 (5.6 MHz)DSD256 (11.2 MHz) |
| Maximum Decoding Resolution | Up To 32-Bit / 384 kHz Bit-Perfect Playback |
| Output Level | Quad-DAC: 3 Vrms Unbalanced / 6 Vrms BalancedOcta-DAC: 4 Vrms Unbalanced / 8 Vrms Balanced |
| USB Input | USB Type-C For Charging And PC / Mac Audio |
| Unbalanced Output | 3.5 mm |
| Balanced Output | 4.4 mm 5-Pole |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-Band 2.4 / 5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Profiles And Codecs | A2DPAVRCPQualcomm® aptX™ HDLDACLHDCSBCAAC |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz – 20 kHz: ±0.011 dB Unbalanced / ±0.011 dB Balanced20 Hz – 70 kHz: ±0.130 dB Unbalanced / ±0.143 dB Balanced |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 125 dB @ 1 kHz Unbalanced129 dB @ 1 kHz Balanced |
| Crosstalk | -145 dB @ 1 kHz Unbalanced-147 dB @ 1 kHz Balanced |
| THD+N | 0.0006% @ 1 kHz Unbalanced0.0006% @ 1 kHz Balanced |
| IMD SMPTE | 0.0003% @ 800 Hz / 10 kHz (4:1) Unbalanced0.0001% @ 800 Hz / 10 kHz (4:1) Balanced |
| Output Impedance | 0.6 Ω (3.5 mm Unbalanced)1.2 Ω (4.4 mm Balanced) |
| Clock Jitter | 25 ps (Typical) |
| Reference Clock Jitter | 250 fs |
| Internal Storage | 64 GB NAND |
| External Storage | 1 × microSD, Up To 1.5 TB |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh, 3.8 V Li-Polymer |
| Charging Time | Approximately 2.5 Hours (PD 3.0) |
| Playback Time | Approximately 28 Hours |
| Supported Operating Systems | Windows 8 / 10 / 11 (32 / 64-Bit)macOS X 10.7 Or Later |
| Firmware Updates | OTA |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C – 40°C |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 69.7 × 119.7 × 16.1 mm |
| Weight | 198 g |
| Product Code | AKPD5 |
| EAN | 8800309901259 |
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