Astell&Kern Astell & Kern ACRO CA1000

Astell&Kern are no strangers to hi-fi. They've been pushing audiophile boundaries for years with their advanced portable high-res audio players , and more recently with their excellent Dual DAC Cable digital-to-analog converter. Their newest outing, the ACRO CA1000, is another ambitious step forward. This combination high-res music player and headphone amplifier delivers powerful and clear sound, and it includes features that aren't found on any other headphone amplifier. The ACRO CA1000 is a stunning piece to behold. Its all-aluminum chassis is uniquely shaped to make it sit comfortably in your hand. If you'd rather have it sitting on a table, there are feet on the bottom to help keep it from being knocked over (or worse, knocked off). The top of the CA1000 features a tilting 4.1" touchscreen that's used for music selection. The interface is almost identical to what A&K uses on their "A&-" series portable players, so if you're familiar with those, you'll be right at home. The screen is adjustable and can ...