Astell&Kern (A&K), the company that’s known among audiophiles as a leading manufacturer of high-priced, hi-res audio, portable digital audio players (DAPs), has just released its most affordable model to date.
The P1 by Astell&Kern will hit Amazon in August for $430. While that might not strike you as an especially low price for what amounts to a modernized iPod, it’s hundreds less than A&K’s current entry-level SR35 player ($799) and thousands less than the company’s flagship SP3000T ($3,000.)
Despite its (relatively) accessible price, the P1 — which is known in other countries as the Activo P1 — has many of the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect from A&K, like full support for tons of hi-res formats, a touchscreen interface based on Android, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, expandable onboard storage, high-quality digital-to-analog converter(s), and the power to drive a variety of wired IEMs and headphones.
The P1 really stands out from the A&K crowd, with a body design that uses a smoothly curving combination of aluminum and polycarbonate — a big departure from the highly angular, all-aluminum designs the company is known for.
A&K says the buttons on either side of the player are shaped so that users can tell the difference between each button by touch alone, for easy control of the P1 while in a pocket or bag. Three keys (play/pause, next, and previous) are combined to allow users to easily control the device while focusing on the display.
The P1’s specs definitely sound promising:
- 3.5mm unbalanced and 4.4mm balanced headphone jacks
- Two ESS ES9219Q Sabre DACs in a dual-mono configuration
- OctaCore processor
- PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD256
- Full MQA decoding
- A dedicated AMP circuit, based on Astell&Kern’s Teraton Alpha sound solution — the same technology found in the company’s much more expensive models
- Dual-band Wi-Fi
- 64GB of internal memory and support for microSD cards up to 1.5TB
- 4.1-inch HD touchscreen
- Bluetooth 5.3
- A choice of LDAC or aptX HD codecs for 24-bit streaming to compatible wireless headphones and earbuds
- PD 3.0 fast charging
- Crossfeed and Roon Ready support (certification pending)
- USB audio mode, so you can use the P1 as a DAC/amp with Android phones, computers, and the iPhone 15
- Up to 20 hours of continuous music playback
However, the ways that the P1 separates itself from the rest of the A&K lineup are what make it most interesting. One of the biggest changes is Google Play Store support. Unlike other A&K players, which required the sideloading of Android apps (not the most convenient option), the P1 will be able to download and install any streaming music app, much as you would on a regular Android smartphone.
The user interface has also been given a makeover, with all of the main navigational elements represented as triangles, circles, and squares. The intent, according to the company, is to provide a familiar and friendly experience that even first-time DAP users can easily control.
Still, A&K hasn’t dumbed the P1 down. Power users will still find impressive amounts of control like the parametric equalizer, which separates frequency ranges into 20 bands, and allows gain to be adjusted in 0.01dB increments. Q values can also be used to set the precise frequency range, and there are seven DAC filter options.
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