Astell&Kern USB-C Dual DAC Cable Receives Roon Tested Certification
Astell&Kern, a global leader in high-resolution audio players and accessories, announces Roon Tested certification of their first USB DAC/Headphone amplifier designed to provide playback of high-resolution audio from your computer or mobile device.
Roon is a rich and engaging way to browse, organize, and listen to music. Artist photos, credits, bios, reviews, lyrics, tour dates, and composers are located automatically, then interconnected by links to build a surfable digital magazine. Roon is also a multi-room, multi-user networked audio platform, it offers features such as bit-perfect playback, DSD and PCM upsampling, multichannel support, and Signal Path display.
What does it mean to be Roon Tested?
All Roon Tested devices are profiled by Roon’s QA Team so that Roon can identify them and automatically configure its settings to be optimized for them. This means that you can now just plug the USB-C Dual DAC Cable in your computer or mobile device running Roon and know you will be able to enjoy the best in high performance.
The Astell&Kern USB DAC Cable features two Cirrus Logic CS43198 MasterHIFI™ DACs which supports native playback of high-resolution audio up to DSD256 and 32bit/384kHz PCM. The dual CS43198 DACs are paired with an independent analog amplifier, designed to provide true audio playback so you can feel the live, warm and clear sound as intended, without distortion. This is made possible based on years of Astell&Kern’s expertise in AMP design. Although it is a small and simple cable type external DAC, it is able to sufficiently drive high impedance headphones with a 2Vrms (Condition No Load) output level.
The Astell&Kern USB DAC cable features a USB-C connection, which can be found on the latest Android-based smartphones and Windows and Mac computers. Since the USB DAC Cable draws power from the playback device it is connected to, there is no need for a separate charger. The USB DAC Cable supports any headphone or earphone with a 3.5mm connector.
The cable used in the USB DAC is a custom-made, 4-core cable designed by Astell&Kern to provide the best sound possible and enhance durability. The cable is reinforced to withstand up to 200N of tensile force using aramid fiber.
The all-metal body of the USB DAC uses the design concept of “light and shadow” that is used in all Astell&Kern products. The USB DAC Cable design is based on a single centerline that boldly crosses from right to left. The faces were arranged by adjusting the angle ratio so that the sharp faces of the upper four faces meet at one point. It is designed so that each side is reflected according to the movement of light.
To make the grip comfortable for one-handed use, the surface was created to be like a pebble that has been smoothly polished by the natural weathering effect of stone, rather than featuring the sharper angles typically found in existing Astell&Kern products. This product design provides a nice, smooth feeling when holding the cable in your hand.
The weight of the metal material used reflects the same durability and solid feel compared to other Astell&Kern devices.
The Astell&Kern USB DAC Cable is compatible with most Android-based smartphones and tablets, computers running Windows 10 and MacOS. iOS-based devices, such as iPhones and iPads are currently not supported.
You can now bring the famous Astell&Kern signature sound to your devices for a reasonable price.
To learn more about Astell&Kern and Roon, please visit the Astell&Kern Roon Partner Page at https://roonlabs.com/partners/astellkern