Astell & Kern PD20 Digital Audio Player

Craft Your Sound

Finding the sound that truly suits you is the first step toward the essence of music. PD20 is designed to guide you on that journey. Astell&Kern's first step in this journey was to start from the very beginning. Rather than creating a successor to the PD10, they created an entirely new audio device that will redefine your musical experience.

Through Personal Sound, you can create a sound signature tailored to your hearing, then precisely refine it to your taste using the Sound Master Wheel. An intuitive control that allows even the amplifier driving mode to be changed with a single touch. Now, music is not just something you listen to. It is something you shape.

Quad-DACs

Designed with a singular focus on sound quality, PD20 adopts the ESS ES9027PRO DAC in a Quad-DAC configuration. Four DACs operate independently to minimize inter-channel interference and deliver precise signal separation. As a result, even the finest nuances in sound are revealed with greater clarity, creating a natural, analog-like presentation through clean, distortion-free layering.

TERRATON ALPHA

To create the ultimate DAP unlike anything experienced before, A&K further evolved and applied TERATON ALPHA, their Ultimate Sound Solution, incorporating its advanced and innovative audio technologies. Through effective power noise reduction, efficient power consumption with stable amplification, and a precisely engineered audio output interface, it delivers sound that remains faithful to the original source.

Triple Amp Architecture

PD20 features three distinct amplifier classes, allowing you to directly choose both sonic character and driving performance. Switching between amplifier classes is achieved through a physical slide key rather than a software menu, enabling intuitive, immediate control based on your listening situation.

Class A mode delivers rich, high-density sound with minimal signal distortion, expressing a smooth, analog-like texture. Class AB mode offers excellent balance and efficiency, providing stable dynamics and articulate detail. Hybrid mode combines the refined texture of Class A with the efficiency and power of Class AB, creating a new level of sonic balance.

Sound Tuned to Your Hearing

Developed in collaboration with global audio solution leader Audiodo, Personal Sound is used in a DAP for the first time, creating a personalized profile exclusively for you and redefining how you experience sound.

By precisely analyzing your hearing characteristics and independently compensating for left and right ears, it dramatically enhances clarity and balance. Regardless of genre, volume level, or the headphones or IEMs you use, you can enjoy a consistently optimized listening experience.

Sound Master Wheel

The Sound Master Wheel, a key design element of the PD20, is seamlessly integrated with the Audiodo equalizer. Each band—Bass, Mid, and Treble—can be finely adjusted across 160 steps, from –8.0 dB to +8.0 dB, allowing even the most subtle preferences to be precisely reflected in your sound. Without interrupting your music, you can shape and refine the sound purely through the tactile feel of the wheel.

Key Features

• Features personalized sound through hearing test
• 160-step EQ control via the Sound Master Wheel
• Triple AMP Class with real-time switching
• Class A current control with high / mid / low modes
• Proprietary Enhanced Signal Alignment technology to minimize group delay
• Advanced Digital Audio Remaster
• Supports Native DSD512 and 32-bit/768kHz playback
• ReplayGain for consistent volume levels
• CrossfeedA speaker-like listening experience through headphones
• Wireless Hi-Fi sound via BT Sink
• Supports USB PD 3.0 fast charging
• 6-inch FHD+ display

Technical Specifications

• General Specifications
  • Model: PD20
  • Body Color: Silver
  • Body Material: Aluminum
  • Display: 6-inch 2160 x 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 per sample)
  • DSD Support:
    • DSD64 (1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo
    • DSD128 (1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo
    • DSD256 (1bit 11.2MHz), Stereo
    • DSD512 (1bit 22.4MHz), Stereo
  • Output Level:
    • Unbalanced: 5Vrms
    • Balanced: 10Vrms (No Load)
  • CPU: Octa-Core
  • DAC: ESS ES9027PRO x4 (Quad-DAC)
  • Decoding Support: Up to 32bit / 768kHz Bit-to-Bit Playback
  • Input: USB Type-C (Charging / PC / Mac)
  • Outputs:
    • 3.5mm Unbalanced / Optical
    • 4.4mm Balanced (5-pole supported)
  • Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)
  • Bluetooth: V5.3 (A2DP, AVRCP, aptX™ HD, LDAC, LHDC, SBC, AAC)
  • Dimensions: 77.5mm (W) x 155.7mm (H) x 17.3mm (D)
  • Weight: 313g (11.04oz)
  • Firmware: OTA Upgrade Supported
  • Operating Temperature: 0℃ ~ +40℃ (32℉ ~ 104℉)
• Audio Specifications
  • Frequency Response:
    • ±0.005dB (20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced
    • ±0.010dB (20Hz~20kHz) Balanced
    • ±0.020dB (20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced & Balanced
  • Signal-to-Noise 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
• Clock
  • Clock Jitter: 25pS (Typ.)
  • Reference Clock Jitter: 250 Femto Seconds
• Storage Capacity
  
  • Built-in Memory: 256GB (NAND)
    External Memory: microSD x1 (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, Vol.50, Class AB, LCD Off)
• Supported OS
  
  • Operating System Compatibility: Windows 8/10/11 (32/64bit), macOS X 10.7+