Astell&Kern’s latest digital audio player, the PS10, is stepping out with a new look, a new direction, and some serious tech under the hood. Officially launching at CanJam Singapore (April 5–6, 2025) and hitting stores in May 2025 for $2,500, the Astell&Kern PS10 comes with its own docking cradle—making it just as at home on your desk as it is in your pocket.

This isn’t just another iteration of a familiar A&K device. The PS10 moves in a slightly different direction from the company’s usual approach, offering a fresh design and reworked internal layout that sets it apart from its siblings.

At the heart of the PS10 is something Astell&Kern calls HEXA Audio Circuitry. That means the digital and analog parts of the audio signal are kept completely separate. Instead of letting one chip handle both tasks, the PS10 splits them: two AK4191EQ chips take care of the digital side, while four AK4498EX DACs manage the analog output. By doing this, the PS10 reduces noise and aims for cleaner sound—whether you’re using balanced or unbalanced headphones.

Most digital audio players use a single signal path that splits near the end, depending on the output. The Astell&Kern PS10 takes it further by including two completely independent audio circuits—one for unbalanced output and one for balanced. This means no internal switching or signal downscaling before amplification, which can help preserve audio quality.

One of the PS10’s more user-friendly features is its dual amplifier setup. It includes both a Normal Gain and High Gain amplifier, each tuned for different headphone types. The Normal Gain amp is built for low-impedance headphones or earbuds and is designed to bring out finer details. High Gain is intended for higher-impedance headphones and is better suited for more demanding music or gear.

But here’s where it gets even more convenient: the Astell&Kern PS10 has a feature called Smart Gain. As soon as you plug in your headphones, the device checks their impedance and automatically selects the right amplifier. You don’t need to mess with settings or menus—it just works. If your headphones are 32 ohms or under, you get Normal Gain. Above that, it switches to High Gain. Balanced output tops out at 8.3Vrms on High Gain, which should be more than enough for most headphones out there.

The Astell&Kern PS10 isn’t only about listening on the go. It comes bundled with a docking cradle that turns it into a capable home music source. Drop it into the dock, and you get access to XLR balanced outputs for connecting directly to powered speakers or a two-channel stereo system.

The cradle also doubles as a charging station and USB hub. You can use it to stream music from the PS10 to your home setup, or connect it to a computer and use it as a high-quality USB DAC. There’s even an LED display on the front of the cradle that shows bit-rate info based on color—one of those small touches that helps you stay in tune with what you’re hearing.

As you’d expect from a high-end DAP, the PS10 handles pretty much any format you throw at it. It supports native playback of PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512. You get 256GB of internal storage and the option to add up to 2TB more via microSD card—plenty of space for high-res libraries.

On the wireless side, the PS10 checks all the boxes: dual-band Wi-Fi, DLNA support, Apple AirPlay, and Bluetooth 5.3. It supports a range of wireless audio codecs too, including LDAC, LHDC, and aptX HD, offering high-res listening without the cables. There’s also Bluetooth Sink mode, which lets you stream music from your phone to the PS10 and play it back through its internal DAC.

Other smart features include ReplayGain, which smooths out volume differences between tracks, and AK File Drop, which lets you transfer music wirelessly from your phone or PC. There’s also a Crossfeed setting that tweaks stereo separation to make headphone listening sound more like listening to speakers in a room—a welcome feature for anyone who finds hard left-right separation fatiguing.

The PS10 has a 6-inch Full HD touchscreen that acts as the main interface. In a first for Astell&Kern, the volume wheel is gone—replaced by physical buttons. This change fits with the PS10’s design theme, which the company calls “Contrast Cube.” The stainless steel and glass exterior gives it a modern, minimalist look, and the buttons are designed to make one-handed use easier.

Even with the larger screen and all of these new features, battery life is still solid. The PS10 packs a 5,770mAh battery that promises up to 15 hours of playback. It also supports USB Power Delivery 3.0, so you can fully charge it in about 3.5 hours.

The Astell&Kern PS10 seems aimed at listeners who want flexibility without juggling multiple devices. Whether you're streaming from your phone, plugging into high-end headphones, or connecting to your living room setup through XLR, it’s designed to fit into a lot of different listening environments.

It’s not necessarily meant to replace your desktop DAC or your ultra-portable Bluetooth player—but it offers a little of both worlds. With the dock, it becomes part of your home system. On its own, it’s a high-spec, high-res DAP ready to travel.

The Astell&Kern PS10 will debut at CanJam Singapore this weekend and hit authorized retailers in May 2025.

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