Astell&Kern PD20

Astell&Kern PD20

Craft Your Sound – A New Era of Personalized High-Fidelity Audio

With the PD20, Astell&Kern introduces an entirely new concept in portable high-resolution audio. Rather than following an existing product line, the PD20 was developed from the ground up under the philosophy of “Craft Your Sound.”

This is not simply a music player. It is a personal sound laboratory designed to adapt music reproduction to the individual listener.

Personalized Audio Through Integrated Hearing Analysis

For the first time in a digital audio player, personalized sound calibration is built directly into the device. Developed in cooperation with Audiodo, the integrated Personal Sound system analyzes your individual hearing characteristics and compensates independently for left and right ears.

Using the included precision measurement earphones, users complete a guided hearing test directly on the device. The PD20 then creates a unique listening profile tailored specifically to your perception.

The result is a more balanced, natural, and often more revealing sound signature — precisely aligned with how you hear.

Sound Master Wheel – Precision Control in Real Time

Beyond automatic personalization, the PD20 offers tactile, real-time control over tonal balance via the dedicated Sound Master Wheel.

• 160-step EQ adjustment
• Range from –8.0 dB to +8.0 dB
• Independent Bass, Mid, and Treble control
• Seamless adjustment without interrupting playback

This physical interface transforms fine tuning into an intuitive and immediate experience.

Triple AMP Architecture – Choose Your Sonic Character

The PD20 features a newly developed Triple AMP architecture, allowing instant hardware-based switching between three amplifier modes:

Class A

Rich, high-density presentation with smooth, analog-like texture and minimal distortion.

Class AB

Excellent balance of efficiency and dynamics, delivering precision and control.

Hybrid

Combines the organic refinement of Class A with the power and stability of Class AB.

In Class A and Hybrid modes, amplifier current can be further adjusted across three levels:

• High – Maximum power delivery, expansive soundstage, and authoritative control for high-impedance headphones.
• Mid – Balanced density and resolution, maintaining natural vocal texture and long-term listening comfort.
• Low – Optimized for high-sensitivity IEMs, minimizing background noise and enhancing micro-detail retrieval.

This flexibility ensures optimal synergy across a wide range of headphones and in-ear monitors.

Quad-DAC Architecture with ESA and Advanced DAR

At its core, the PD20 integrates the ESS ES9027PRO in a true Quad-DAC configuration. Four independent DACs operate in parallel to reduce inter-channel interference and maximize signal separation.

Astell&Kern’s proprietary ESA (Enhanced Signal Alignment) technology precisely aligns frequency signals to reduce group delay and improve clarity and spatial accuracy.

The second generation of Advanced DAR (Digital Audio Remaster) — first introduced in the flagship Astell&Kern SP4000 — is implemented here alongside VSE (Virtual Sound Extender). Lost harmonics are virtually restored before advanced upsampling is applied, resulting in deeper immersion while preserving the integrity of the original recording.

Audiosphere – Expanding Beyond Stereo

With integrated Audiosphere technology, the PD20 extends traditional two-channel playback into a virtual three-dimensional sound field.

Four selectable presets allow adjustment of spatial presentation:

• Subtle
• Balanced
• Immersive
• Echoic

Whether recreating the scale of orchestral works or enhancing cinematic content, the soundstage can be shaped to match your listening preference.

Connectivity & Technical Capabilities

• 256GB internal storage
• microSD support up to 2TB
• 6-inch FHD+ display
• Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 / 5 GHz)
• DLNA networking
• USB-C with PD 3.0 fast charging (approx. 3.5 hours full charge)
• USB DAC functionality for Mac and Windows
• USB digital audio output

Supported formats:

• Native PCM up to 32-bit / 768kHz
• Native DSD512

Additional features include ReplayGain, AK File Drop wireless transfer, aptX™ HD, LDAC™, Bluetooth Sink mode, adjustable Crossfeed (Shelf Cutoff, Shelf Gain, Mixer Level), and Roon Ready capability pending certification by Roon Labs.

Sound Lab Control – Studio DNA in Portable Form

Designed under the concept of Sound Lab Control, the PD20 mirrors professional studio equipment in both operation and aesthetics:

• Dual top-mounted wheels for independent sound tuning and volume control
• Dedicated hardware sliders for AMP mode and current selection
• LED indicators displaying bit depth and active operational modes

Every control element emphasizes precision, transparency, and direct interaction with the sound.

Conclusion

With the PD20, Astell&Kern redefines what a digital audio player can be. By combining personalized hearing calibration, advanced Quad-DAC engineering, versatile amplifier architecture, and intuitive hardware control, the PD20 establishes a new benchmark in portable high-resolution audio.

Music is no longer something you simply play. With the PD20, it becomes something you shape — precisely to your own hearing.

Specifications

General Specifications

Model	PD20
Body Color	Silver
Body Material	Aluminum
Display	6″ 2160 × 1080 Touchscreen
Supported Audio Formats	WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF
Sample Rate	PCM: 8kHz – 768kHz (8/16/24/32bit) DSD Native: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512
Output Level	Unbalanced: 5Vrms │ Balanced: 10Vrms (No Load)
CPU	Octa-Core
DAC	ESS ES9027PRO ×4 (Quad-DAC)
Decoding Support	Up to 32bit / 768kHz Bit-to-Bit playback
Input	USB Type-C (Charging, PC, Mac)
Outputs	3.5mm Unbalanced / Optical Out 4.4mm Balanced (5-pole supported)
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz)
Bluetooth	V5.3 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC, LHDC, SBC, AAC)
Dimensions	77.5 × 155.7 × 17.3 mm
Weight	Approx. 313 g
Feature Enhancements	Firmware Upgrade supported (OTA)
Operating Temperature	0℃ – 40℃

Audio Specifications

Frequency Response	±0.005dB (20Hz–20kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.010dB Balanced ±0.020dB (20Hz–70kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.020dB Balanced
S/N Ratio	124dB @1kHz (Unbalanced) │ 127dB @1kHz (Balanced)
Crosstalk	-133dB @1kHz (Unbalanced) │ -140dB @1kHz (Balanced)
THD+N	0.0003% @1kHz (Unbalanced) │ 0.0004% @1kHz (Balanced)
IMD SMPTE	0.0006% (800Hz / 10kHz 4:1)
Output Impedance	3.5mm: 0.7Ω │ 4.4mm: 1.7Ω
* Audio measurements based on AMP Class AB mode.

Clock Source

Clock Jitter	25pS (Typ.)
Reference Clock Jitter	250 Femto Seconds

Storage Capacity

Built-in Memory	256GB (NAND)
External Memory	microSD ×1 (Up to 2TB)

Battery

Capacity	5,770mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer
Charge Time	Approx. 4 hours (PD3.0 Charging)
Playback Time	Approx. 14 hours (FLAC 16bit / 44.1kHz, Volume 50, Class AB, LCD Off)

Supported OS

Supported OS

Windows 8 / 10 / 11 (32/64bit), macOS X 10.7 or later