The South Korean consumer electronics company Astell&Kern is renowned for its leading research and development into high-end digital sound quality, delivering 24-bit lossless audio with broad frequency sampling rates. They’ve now partnered with another premium music technology brand, Activo, for a digital audio player packed to the brim with impressive specs. The P1 DAP by Astell&Kern draws on the latter brand’s vast experience for truly premium sound in a portable device. 

Presenting bit-perfect lossless music with full streaming support, it’s a compact device with a carefully designed tactile user interface. Incorporating distinctly shaped buttons for the key controls to play, pause, and skip through track listings allows for one-hand use in the palm of your hand.

Tactile button positioning for ease of use is complemented by a crisp visual display for more nuanced control and information, replicating the squares, circles, and triangles of the button system. Compatible with lossless music streaming apps such as Tidal, Apple Music, and Qobuz, the P1 DAP by Astell&Kern further optimizes audio reproduction through the use of DAC filters and sample rate analysis.

This digital audio remastering technology allows the player to push the limits of the source audio, with users able to refine the results through a maximum of twenty unique EQ bands. It also offers full support for Bluetooth 5.3, Crossfeed, and Roon Ready for a complete selection of playback options.

With twenty hours of playback on a single charge and with fast charging support, the P1 DAP by Astell&Kern is a must for music lovers who demand the best portable audio experience at a very reasonable price.

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