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Astell & Kern’s New PD10 Is a Innovative Portable Player and Home Streamer in One Beautiful Package


A desk with a sleek lamp, digital music player displaying red screen, earphones, and books. Modern, minimalist setting with neutral tones.


Astell & Kern has always been about delivering extraordinary listening experiences — but with the new PD10, the South Korean audio pioneer may have outdone itself.Designed to be both a high-end portable music player and a home audio streamer, the PD10 offers true audiophile-grade performance, whether you're on the move or relaxing at home.

And it’s all wrapped in a stunning, precision-built body that’s as luxurious as the sound it produces.





A masterpiece built for two worlds


At first glance, the PD10 follows the refined, minimalist look we’ve come to expect from Astell & Kern’s digital audio players. The body is crafted from polished stainless steel, framed around a generous 6-inch Full HD touchscreen. A signature color-shifting LED ring around the power button gives a visual hint of the track’s quality — changing shades depending on the bitrate.


Unlike other A&K models, the PD10 replaces the traditional volume wheel with sleek tactile buttons, creating a more streamlined, futuristic silhouette.


Underneath its beautiful exterior lies a powerhouse of technology. Astell & Kern has packed the PD10 with a HEXA audio architecture, originally developed for their flagship SP3000.It uses dual AKM AK4191EQ chips for digital signal processing, paired with four newly-developed AKM AK4498EX DACs for the analog output. By keeping the digital and analog stages fully separate, the PD10 promises a clarity and dynamic range that rivals true high-end desktop gear.


And with two independent amplifiers — one for "Normal Gain" and another for "High Gain" — the player lets you tailor the sound to your taste and headphones, automatically adjusting gain based on impedance for a perfect match every time.



Hand holds a smartphone showing music titled "Difference in Sound Quality" by Astell&Kern. Background features a Genelec speaker.


Transform your home system with a single click


What makes the PD10 truly special, though, is its clever dual functionality.Drop the player into its custom USB-C docking cradle, and it transforms into a hi-fi streamer for your home system.


The cradle is fitted with balanced XLR outputs, allowing a direct connection to active speakers or a high-end amplifier. Even the volume can be precisely controlled either manually or through a line-out mode, depending on your setup.A small LED on the dock continues the visual theme, changing color based on the music’s bitrate — a subtle but thoughtful touch.





As a streamer, the PD10 offers Wi-Fi, AirPlay, DLNA compatibility, and is Roon Ready, making it easy to integrate into even the most sophisticated modern hi-fi environments.



Two silver music players with screens displaying a red "K" logo and song title. One is docked, the other upright, on a white background.


Engineered for absolute sound


Whether at home or on the go, the PD10 doesn’t compromise.It supports native playback up to 32-bit/784kHz PCM and DSD512 files.Bluetooth 5.3 ensures ultra-high-quality wireless streaming with support for aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC codecs.It also doubles as a desktop DAC via its USB-C port, giving even your computer audio a huge sonic upgrade.

The player comes with 256GB of internal storage, expandable with microSD cards up to 2TB, and boasts a 15-hour battery life for all-day portable listening.





Luxury that performs everywhere


Priced at $2,499 / £2,499, the Astell & Kern PD10 is undoubtedly a serious investment — but for audiophiles who demand uncompromised sound and seamless flexibility, it’s a rare example of a product that truly bridges the gap between portability and permanence.

It’s not just a player. It’s not just a streamer.It’s the future of hi-fi, made real.

The Astell & Kern PD10 will be available starting May 2025.


What Makes the Astell & Kern PD10 Special?


  • Two-in-One Magic: A high-resolution portable music player that transforms into a fully-fledged home streamer when docked — no compromises either way.

  • Flagship-Grade Audio: Built with the same advanced HEXA audio architecture from A&K's top-tier SP3000, using dual AKM AK4191EQ chips for digital and four AKM AK4498EX DACs for analogue signal perfection.

  • Smart Sound Tuning: Features Normal Gain and High Gain amplifiers to customize your listening experience — or let Smart Gain Mode automatically optimize for your headphones.

  • Striking Build: Stainless steel, glass, and a 6-inch Full HD touchscreen packed into a sleek, angular design, with a glowing LED ring that shows your track’s quality at a glance.

  • Flexible Home Streaming: The dock adds balanced XLR outputs to directly connect to your hi-fi system or active speakers, plus Wi-Fi, AirPlay, DLNA, Roon Ready support, and native playback up to 32-bit/784kHz PCM and DSD512.

  • Battery to Last: 15 hours of portable listening time, Bluetooth 5.3 (with aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC), and USB-C for DAC mode, charging, or file transfer.


The PD10 isn’t just a portable player. It’s a pocket-sized flagship experience — that powers your whole home system when you walk in the door. 🎵🏡




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