A transportable headphone amplifier with streaming and Quad DAC
Astell&Kern ACRO CA1000 combines network playback, DAC and high-power headphone amplification in a desktop chassis with its own internal battery.
It is built around four ESS ES9068AS DACs and provides four gain settings with up to 15 Vrms from the balanced output. Unlike a basic USB DAC/amp, it includes a touch display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and independent playback, so a computer or smartphone is not required for normal use.
Key features
- Quad ESS ES9068AS DAC architecture.
- PCM playback up to 32-bit/384 kHz and native DSD512.
- Four gain levels: Low, Mid, High and Super.
- Four headphone sockets: 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm unbalanced, 2.5 mm and 4.4 mm balanced.
- Up to 15 Vrms through the balanced connection.
- Optical, coaxial and USB digital I/O plus RCA analogue connections.
- 8,400 mAh battery with more than 10 hours stated playback.
- Adjustable 4.1-inch touch display, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0.
Four gain settings from IEMs to planar headphones
The circuit starts at 2 Vrms unbalanced and 4 Vrms balanced in Low Gain, rising to 8 and 15 Vrms respectively in Super Gain. One unit can therefore accommodate very different loads without relying on external attenuators or a separate headphone amplifier.
A digital hub beyond headphone listening
CA1000 accepts USB, optical, coaxial and RCA sources and can also feed an external audio chain. Wi-Fi, streaming support and Bluetooth with aptX HD and LDAC allow autonomous playback, while Crossfeed is specifically intended to make headphone presentation more speaker-like.
CA1000 or CA1000T
CA1000 is the choice when high output, broad connectivity and an entirely solid-state path are the priorities. CA1000T keeps the same overall concept and maximum voltage but adds ES9039MPRO conversion and the Triple Amp valve stage for users who also want selectable analogue character.
