Astell&Kern, a reference in portable high-fidelity audio, is expanding its range with three major announcements at the start of 2025: the PD10 DAP, the copper editions of the SP3000M and SP3000T, and the future SP4000, unveiled at the Munich High End trade show.
Astell&Kern PD10: combining portable and sedentary listening
The PD10 is a top-of-the-range digital audio player, designed for nomadic and sedentary use. Featuring a 6-inch touchscreen, it integrates HEXA-Audio architecture with four AKM4498EX DACs, offering playback up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512. Output power reaches 8.3 Vrms, with balanced 4.4mm and unbalanced 3.5mm headphone outputs. Connectivity includes dual-band Wi-Fi, two-way Bluetooth, DLNA, and a USB-C port. The PD10 comes with a dock equipped with XLR outputs, enabling simplified integration into a home hi-fi system, either as a source or pre-amplifier.
Astell&Kern SP3000M and SP3000T Copper: luxury materials
Astell&Kern takes particular care with the finishes of its devices, and the new copper versions of the SP3000M and SP3000T are a reminder of the extent to which materials can influence the aesthetics, sound and perception of audiophile objects. The SP3000M is the more compact and transportable version of the SP3000, with which it shares the essential audio architecture, notably the use of the AK4499EX DAC in dual configuration and a discrete amplifier stage. This new Copper Edition, machined from a single block of copper, offers a dazzling visual effect.
Even more unusual is the copper version of the SP3000T, which combines modern technology with analog warmth. This model is based on switchable triple amplification: transistor, tube (Korg Nutube double triode), or hybrid mode combining the two signatures. This approach makes it possible to adapt the sound to the headphones and the music: analytical neutrality for classic transistor mode, or warm roundness for jazz or rock in tube mode.
Astell&Kern SP4000: the new pinnacle of the A&ultima range
The big announcement at High End Munich 2025: the imminent arrival of the SP4000, the latest addition to the A&ultima range. A model that the brand presents as the most advanced ever designed for nomadic listening, with outrageous audiophile ambitions. It inaugurates a new generation of DAPs with an Octa DAC architecture, featuring eight converters, distributed over four stereo channels in a balanced configuration, to maximize channel separation, signal-to-noise ratio and dynamics. This package promises to support the majority of audio formats up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512.
In terms of functionality, the A&K SP4000 retains the key elements that have made the brand’s previous models so successful. There’s aptX HD and LDAC-compatible Bluetooth connectivity, a WiFi link for access to high-resolution streaming platforms, and a generous 256GB of storage space, expandable up to 1.5TB via microSD card. The amplification section, true to Astell&Kern tradition, offers balanced and unbalanced headphone outputs, with an output power that is simply extraordinary. The SP4000 is due to go on sale in summer 2025 at a price that could approach €5,000, confirming its elitist vocation.
Astell&Kern continues to impose its vision of portable hi-fi: the highest technical standards, rare aesthetic refinement and masterful hardware and software integration. With the PD10, the copper versions of the SP3000M/T and the announcement of the SP4000, the South Korean brand is hitting hard in the spring of 2025, ensuring its place at the top of the audiophile DAP market.
