Astell&Kern’s (A&Okay) HB1 Bluetooth DAC/amp has quite a lot of options that can endear it to followers of hi-res audio, but when these followers are additionally console avid gamers, it might be much more engaging due to its help of USB Audio Class (UAC) 1.0 and its headset-friendly microphone compatibility. A&Okay has additionally introduced its newest high-end transportable media participant, the Kann Extremely, which provides an intriguing and versatile mixture of analog outputs. Each new merchandise shall be out there in November from choose A&Okay retailers. The HB1 has been priced at $259, whereas the Kann Extremely will promote for $1,599.
Astell&Kern HB1 Bluetooth DAC/amp
The HB1 is completely bursting on the seams with options. Along with being a regular hi-res DAC/amp for wired connections to telephones, tablets, and PCs, it additionally helps UAC 1.0 for wired use with recreation consoles just like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Change. Even if the newer UAC 2.0 has been round for years, these gaming machines proceed to depend on UAC 1.0, which few audiophile-grade DACs help.
This isn’t the primary time we’ve seen a dongle-style DAC/amp promote its UAC 1.0 compatibility — the not too long ago launched budget-priced Earfun EA100 has this function too (albeit with an ungainly mode swap). Nevertheless, the $80 EA100 solely helps one-way audio from a UAC 1.0 console — nice for higher sound, however not useful for video games that require headsets. The HB1, alternatively, helps voice audio in two methods: it has a built-in Knowles mic for people who use in-ear screens (IEMs) with no inline cable mic (or who use the 4.4mm balanced output), and a 3.5mm jack that makes use of a four-pole, mic-compatible design for headsets or wired earbuds with inline mics.
So far as its common audio chops go, the HB1 is complete: due to its ESS ES9281AC PRO DAC, it helps native DSD256 and as much as 32-bit/384 kHz lossless audio, together with as much as 8x rendering of MQA tracks if you happen to join the HB1 to an MQA-decoding gadget/app just like the Tidal shopper operating on an iPhone or Android cellphone. Talking of iPhone and Android, the HB1 comes with each USB-C-to-USB-C and a USB-C-to-Lightning adapter cables so you’ll be able to work with nearly any gadget and any platform. There’s additionally a companion app for each iOS and Android that allows you to configure a number of of the HB1’s settings.
It’s laborious to not discover the large devoted quantity knob on the aspect of the HB1. It’s been a stylistic cue of A&Okay’s transportable gadgets for years. Nevertheless, we’re not completely certain if it is sensible for a Bluetooth DAC that is perhaps shoved in a pocket or different locations the place that knob might be inadvertently turned. We’re additionally a bit shocked that the HB1 doesn’t include a clip so you’ll be able to put on it on clothes — an particularly necessary operate if you happen to’re going to make use of it with the built-in mic we talked about.
By way of Bluetooth, you get help for Multipoint, so the the HB1 will be linked to 2 supply gadgets concurrently, and there’s built-in hi-res audio codec compatibility with LDAC and aptX HD. Surprisingly, there’s no aptX Adaptive compatibility, a weird omission provided that A&Okay is utilizing a Qualcomm Bluetooth chipset.
Cleverly, the HB1 will be configured to present Bluetooth precedence, so if you happen to’re linked through USB and the DAC senses a brand new Bluetooth session, it’ll swap routinely. There are additionally choices for the way the DAC recharges through USB. Talking of that, battery life on the HB1 has been pegged at six hours if you happen to use the three.5mm unbalanced port or 5.5 hours if you happen to use the 4.4mm balanced port, at 50% quantity.
Astell&Kern Can Extremely
The newest transportable media participant within the Kann household, the Extremely will look immediately acquainted to A&Okay followers, with its sharply angled aspects and outsized quantity knob. What makes the Extremely stand out is the bizarre assortment of analog outputs — you get 4 in complete: 3.5mm unbalanced and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs and combo preamp/line-out outputs.
The headphone jacks have 4 acquire presets and output that may go as excessive as 16Vrms — which ought to be capable to drive even the best impedance headphones effortlessly. The preamp/line-out outputs run by way of a devoted preamplifier, letting you management the amount when in preamp mode or bypass the preamp fully in line-out mode, with 4 fastened voltage ranges from 1.4V to 4V.
Why so many choices? The Extremely is designed for use with nearly any analog enter you’ll be able to consider, from high-end IEMs and wired headphones to stereo amplifiers, lively audio system, and AV receivers. The intent is for people to run all of their digital audio sources — whether or not they’re streaming music companies or audio information saved within the Extremely’s 128GB of onboard storage — by way of its top-of-the-line flagship DAC from ESS, the ESS9039MPRO, which is utilized in a dual-DAC configuration.
As you may guess, the ESS DAC is ready to decode nearly any digital supply, as much as lossless 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512. It’s additionally a full MQA decoder.
The Kann Extremely additionally gives options that have been launched on the A&Ultima SP3000, together with:
- Digital Audio Remaster Expertise (DAR), which upsamples the pattern fee of the sound supply being performed, permitting extra refined play and “analog-like unique sound.”
- Crossfeed, which mixes elements of the unique sign from one channel and sends that sign to the alternative channel with a time distinction to heart the sound picture, like when listening with audio system. Settings similar to shelf cutoff, shelf acquire, and mixer degree, allow you to modify the extent of crossfeed.
- DAC Filter: seven DAC filters that allow you to fine-tune the sound.
- ReplayGain, which maintains a constant playback degree between tracks.
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