Astell & Kern launches PA10 Portable Headphone Amplifier

Astell & Kern PA10 has released the PA10 portable headphone amplifier, a model that it believes has a realistic sound. Literally, Astell & Kern promises with the PA10 “warm, detailed and refined”, as well as “natural, surround analog sound without distortion.”

All this is provided, in particular, by Teraton Alpha proprietary technology that manages power. Powering a portable class A amplifier could be a serious problem, but the solution was found: Astell & Kern applied a three-stage current regulation in the PA10 – depending on the impedance of the connected headphones. As a result, on a single charge, the device will work up to 12 hours – at a volume of 30%, with a low gain level and at an unbalanced output.

The device has 2 headphone outputs – True Balanced 4.4 mm and unbalanced 3.5 mm. The listener can use the Crossfeed effect, which mixes part of the signals from one channel and sends them to the opposite channel with a slight delay. Thus, according to Astell & Kern, the sound of the speakers is recreated in the headphones.

By tradition, the company does not specify the gain power, but writes that the output signal at a low gain level without load will be 2.1 V RMS at an unbalanced output and 4.2 V RMS at a balanced output, and at a high gain level, respectively, 3.1 and 6.2V RMS.

Visually, the PA10 takes a lot from the design of the Astell & Kern PMP. In addition to volume control, there is a power indicator on the case, and rubber mounts have been added to the PA10 kit to connect with an equally portable (by Astell & Kern standards) signal source. At the same time, the novelty weighs 325 grams.

In the US, the Astell & Kern PA10 headphone amplifier costs $550.