The successor to the SR35 takes a substantial technical step forward

Astell & Kern has officially announced the new PD5 and the first confirmed specifications already make this portable music player one of the more intriguing upcoming introductions in its category. The PD5 succeeds the well known A&norma SR35 and was unveiled around the Hong Kong AV Show. Astell & Kern once again aims for a compact player designed to sit comfortably in one hand, but combines that format with an aluminium body and substantially more ambitious internal hardware. The combination of eight DAC chips, extended battery operation and the new EnviroTune function suggests that the PD5 is intended to be much more than a modest update. On paper, it represents a considerable development of the concept that made the SR35 such an important model within the Astell & Kern range.

Eight Cirrus Logic DACs with selectable Quad DAC and Octa DAC operation

The most striking technical feature of the Astell & Kern PD5 is its digital conversion architecture. Inside the player are no fewer than eight Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips, with users able to select either Quad DAC or Octa DAC operation. Quad DAC mode uses four DACs and gives priority to extended battery life, while Octa DAC operation activates all eight DACs to access what Astell & Kern describes as the full sonic potential of the player. This gives the owner a genuinely useful choice according to the situation. Longer journeys can favour battery endurance, while listening at home or at work can make use of the complete Octa DAC configuration. Exactly how significant the audible difference between the two settings will be is something that should be judged through independent listening tests once production units become available.

Up to 28 hours of playback makes the PD5 highly appealing for travel

Battery endurance can determine whether a premium portable music player is genuinely convenient in everyday use, and this is an area where the PD5 immediately attracts attention. Astell & Kern states that the player can provide up to 28 hours of continuous playback in Quad DAC mode from a single charge. That qualification is important because a separate maximum figure for Octa DAC operation has not yet been published in the announcement material. The PD5 also supports PD 3.0 charging, with a quoted full charging time of approximately two and a half hours. For anyone searching for an Astell & Kern PD5 portable music player for travelling, commuting or extended listening sessions, the combination of long playback time and relatively quick charging could become one of the strongest practical reasons to consider the new model.

EnviroTune adapts playback to the sound of your surroundings

Another important new feature is EnviroTune, a system designed to analyse ambient noise and optimise playback according to the environment around the listener. That means the PD5 can take account of the difference between listening in a quiet room, working in a busier location or travelling through an environment with considerably more background noise. Based on the information published so far, EnviroTune should not automatically be treated as the same thing as conventional active noise cancellation built into headphones. The announced function is primarily described as adjusting audio playback after analysing the surrounding noise. How substantial that adjustment will be, how quickly it responds and how much control the owner receives are questions that will become particularly interesting when the finished PD5 can be tested in real situations.

Android, Bluetooth 5.3 and serious high resolution file support

The Astell & Kern PD5 is designed for much more than playing a collection of locally stored music. An octa core processor is paired with a full Android platform optimised for music streaming, while connectivity includes dual band Wi Fi and Bluetooth 5.3. Wireless codec support includes Qualcomm aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC, giving listeners several options for high quality wireless playback. The player also supports bit perfect playback up to 32 bit and 384 kHz PCM as well as native DSD256, making it suitable for substantial high resolution music libraries. Some software details remain to be clarified, including the precise Android version used in the production model, so it is sensible to wait for the final specifications before drawing conclusions about the complete streaming experience.

Price and availability are still unknown, and that makes the next announcement crucial

The real attraction of the Astell & Kern PD5 comes from the way all of these features are brought together. An Astell & Kern PD5 portable music player with eight Cirrus Logic DACs, selectable Quad DAC and Octa DAC operation, up to 28 hours of playback in Quad DAC mode, EnviroTune, Android and extensive wireless connectivity sounds like an unusually complete proposition on paper. Two critical details are still missing, however. Astell & Kern has not yet announced the final retail price or a confirmed release date. The company states that further details about pricing and availability will follow. That makes this one of those introductions worth keeping firmly on your radar. As soon as the final Astell & Kern PD5 price, availability and additional specifications are confirmed, Hi Stands will keep you informed.