Astell & Kern PD5 review: the most 'sensible' player yet from A&K visually —but sonically it soars above the competition
Astell & Kern’s latest affordable* digital audio player eases up on the aesthetic oddity and doubles down on technology and user input(*everything’s relative, obviously)
Astell & Kern PD5 review: Introduced in August 2026, this digital audio player is priced at £899, $1,049, or AU$1,349. It features eight Cirrus Logic DACs, eight DAC listening modes, balanced and unbalanced headphone outputs, Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD support, and either a microSD card slot or an internal 64GB storage option. The PD5 also supports 32bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 resolutions, Roon Ready, Qobuz Connect, and a built-in mic for real-time noise analysis.
Despite some minor glitches and uninspiring design, the PD5 offers excellent sound quality and is competitively priced for an A&K product.
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