Astell&Kern ( A&K ) , the company that ’s known among audiophiles as a leading producer of luxuriously - priced , hi - rhenium audio recording , portabledigital audio players(DAPs ) , has just released its most affordable mannequin to date .
TheP1 by Astell&Kernwill off Amazon in August for $ 430 . While that might not strike you as an especially low toll for what amounts to a modernised iPod , it ’s hundreds less than A&K ’s current ledger entry - levelSR35 player($799 ) and M less than the company ’s flagship SP3000 T ( $ 3,000 . )
Despite its ( comparatively ) approachable price , the P1 — which is known in other countries as theActivo P1 — has many of the bell and whistles we ’ve fare to expect from A&K , like full musical accompaniment for gross ton of hi - re formats , a touchscreen port based on Android , Wi - Fi and Bluetooth connectivity , expandable onboard storage , high - quality digital - to - analog converter(s ) , and the power to beat back a assortment of pumped up IEMs and headphones .
The P1 really stands out from the A&K crowd , with a organic structure design that uses a swimmingly curved combination of aluminum and polycarbonate — a bragging departure from the highly angular , all - aluminum innovation the troupe is known for .
A&K says the push button on either side of the player are mold so that users can separate the divergence between each button by touch alone , for easy ascendance of the P1 while in a pocket or bag . Three keys ( swordplay / pause , next , and old ) are combined to reserve users to easy control the machine while focusing on the exhibit .
The P1 ’s specs definitely voice promise :
However , the path that the P1 separates itself from the rest of the A&K lineup are what make it most interesting . One of the biggest change is Google Play Store bread and butter . Unlike other A&K participant , which need the sideloading of Android apps ( not the most commodious option ) , the P1 will be capable to download and install any streaming euphony app , much as you would on a regular Android smartphone .
The substance abuser interface has also been give a makeover , with all of the independent navigational element represented as triangle , forget me drug , and squares . The intent , accord to the fellowship , is to offer a conversant and friendly experience that even first - time DAP user can easy control .
Still , A&K has n’t dumbed the P1 down . force users will still retrieve impressive sum of control like the parametric equalizer , which separates frequency ranges into 20 bands , and allow gain to be adjusted in 0.01dB increments . Q values can also be used to dress the precise frequency range , and there are seven DAC filter options .
