Acclaimed transportable audio model Astell & Kern has engaged in what I’m going to name a “reverse Toyota.” The Japanese hero of inexpensive, dependable motoring wished a bit of the premium automotive motion, and so developed a completely new luxurious model referred to as Lexus. (Enjoyable reality: The model identify stands for “Luxurious Export US.”)
Astell & Kern, having established itself because the planet’s main purveyor of high-performance, high-bling, high-priced, high-resolution digital audio gamers, has developed Activo. It’s a subbrand that permits Astell & Kern to compete in these areas of the digital audio participant promote it has lengthy since deserted in its remorseless drive upward.
Thoughts you, if you line up this P1 machine in opposition to rivals from the likes of FiiO and Sony it doesn’t actually appear all that inexpensive. Entry degree is relative, and the P1 has been pitched into an space of the market that’s, if something, much more aggressive than the quite rarefied areas Astell & Kern is contesting as of late.
However then it’s not as if the Activo P1 hasn’t been geared up to compete; a fast look at its specs is sufficient to affirm it has what it takes. Is it price the additional value for Astell & Kern lite? That is determined by how a lot you care about seems to be.
{Photograph}: Simon Lucas
Nice Converters
The essential digital-to-audio conversion of the P1 is taken care of by an ESS ES9219Q Sabre dual-DAC association that’s capable of deal with digital audio information of as much as 32-bit/384-kHz and DSD256 decision. Amplification comes by way of the Astell & Kern Teraton Alpha system, which the corporate deems adequate for caring for enterprise in digital audio gamers costing 10 occasions as a lot because the Activo P1.
An octacore processor guarantees a slick and responsive consumer expertise, and the interface itself might be acquainted sufficient to anybody acquainted with Android gadgets. The inclusion of the Google Play retailer as an embedded app means it’s straightforward so as to add to the gathering of music-playing apps (Apple Music, Qobuz, Spotify, and Tidal, in addition to a devoted Activo participant). Sixty-four gigabytes of inner reminiscence is low, however the SD card slot can develop that by as a lot as 1.5 TB in case you provide your individual card.
