TECHWEEK
The new Astell & Kern ACRO CA1000T headphone amplifier model is designed more for desktop use, but it also has a built-in battery.
It is capable of providing up to 10 hours of continuous playback. The main features of the device are the DAC block, built on top-end ES9039MPRO chips , and an amplifier with three modes of operation – pure tube, hybrid and transistor.
KORG Nutube miniature double triodes are installed in the tube stage . The amplifier has a fully symmetrical circuit and is built according to the Teraton Alpha proprietary topology , which effectively eliminates power supply noise. The maximum output voltage is up to 15 V , which is enough to drive any headphones. To connect signal sources, both digital and analog physical inputs are provided, including XLR and USB-C, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless adapters with aptX HD and LDAC support .
The player works with PCM streams 32 bit / 768 kHz and DSD512 , full MQA support is also announced . The model is Roon Ready certified .
The Astell & Kern ACRO CA1000T headphone player and amplifier sells for $2,300 worldwide .
