Astell&Kern ACRO CA1000 Desktop Amplifier & DAC Astell&Kern

Powerful Audio Anywhere, CA1000
The ACRO CA1000 Carryable Headphone Amp is a headphone amplifier that combines the functions and portability of a high-performance amplifier and DAP based on Astell&Kern’s fundamental philosophy of delivering original sound. The ACRO CA1000 sets a new standard for headphone amplifiers, providing powerful and clear sound with the features never available on any other headphone amplifiers.

Perfectly drive any headphone/IEM with 4 levels of gain and up to 15Vrms output
CA1000 supports 4 levels of gain settings so that almost any existing headphones can be driven to an optimal state. The gain setting circuitry implemented in the CA1000 can drive even high-impedance headphones without degrading the sound quality using a max output of 15Vrms. 

Supports a wide range of inputs/outputs
ACRO CA1000 features a variety of outputs that can be used by everyone from general users to audiophiles. 3.5mm, 6.35mm Unbalanced, 2.5mm and 4.4mm Balanced output jacks are available to accommodate a variety of headphones/earphones. The ACRO CA1000 can be used as a Hi-Fi audio system by connecting devices using a variety of digital inputs/output (Optical, Coaxial, Type-C USB) and analog inputs/outputs (RCA). All Input/output settings can be easily and conveniently selected using the CA1000 touch screen.

Quad-DAC with high output and noise-free sound
Equipped with four ES9068AS DACs, providing perfect decoding capabilities with Astell&Kern’s amplifier circuit technology. The clear and overwhelming output expresses the original sound without distortion. 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 4.4mm and 6.35mm output circuits are physically separated by applying tiny, independent relay components. If the signal from each output stage of a high-power headphone amplifier is not blocked properly, this can cause noise interference. ACRO CA1000 boasts a noise-free output with an independent circuit structure by using relays to completely block connectors that are not in use.

32bit/384kHz, Native DSD512 Support
You can enjoy your favorite music to your heart’s content with support for native DSD512 and 32bit/384kHz PCM playback. Bit-to-bit playback is possible up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and 22.4MHz native DSD.

Premium Sound Anywhere
ACRO CA1000 features powerful output with various input and output options that can only be found in a stationary headphone amplifier. A portable amplifier that can operate without an external power source adds utility beyond existing products. A headphone amp should be able to deliver perfectly noise-free sound for an extended period of time. The ACRO CA1000 is equipped with an 8,400mAh large-capacity battery to provide clear, distortion-free premium sound without the need for a separate power connection.
In order to solve the problem of relatively reduced playback time due to the small size and powerful output, all power-related parts were examined and the power circuit was redesigned several times. The result is continuous playback for more than 10 hours. 

Faster charging with USB-PD 2.0 support
The ACRO CA1000 features USB-PD 2.0 charging that supports 9V/3A for faster charging. When used with a USB-C adapter that supports USB-PD 2.0 fast charging, the ACRO CA1000 can charge to 50% in one hour, and fully charge in about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Speaker effect when listening through headphones – Crossfeed
The moment you turn on Crossfeed, the experience of crisp, but comfortable sound begins. Crossfeed mixes parts of the original signal from one channel and sends that signal to the opposite channel with a time difference to center the sound image. Through the use of detailed settings such as Shelf Cutoff, Shelf Gain, and Mixer Level, you can set the level of crossfeed according to your listening preferences.

Silver Plating Shield Can
Astell&Kern products apply shield cans so that noise and electromagnetic interference, which occur when the countless parts are in operation, do not affect the audio block. The CA1000 has taken it a step further by applying highly conductive, hyper-pure silver plating on the existing shield cans for perfect shielding that provides excellent audio performance.

Other features include:

• ReplayGain automatically and uniformly adjusts sound sources with different volumes to an identical level
• Wireless Hi-Fi Sound Through BT Sink
• AK File Drop to enjoy wireless file transfers
• Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and Support for Wireless 24-bit aptX-HD, LDAC Codecs