A Portable Hi-Fi Great Just Introduced a First-of-a-Kind Player for Audiophiles

The company claims it’s designed to “transform how music is individually experienced.”

Top view of a digital audio player showing two large silver control knobs, headphone and balanced output jacks, and a screen with music playback interface.

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Published March 3, 2026

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Last month, Astell&Kern introduced a special-edition version of its flagship portable hi-fi player, the A&ultima SP4000. It had a gorgeous copper body (an upgrade from the base model’s stainless steel) and came with a more premium $4,499 price tag.

This month, the renowned audio brand is introducing a brand-new portable hi-fi player. It isn’t as high-end as its flagship model, but it does come with some neat abilities — one that stands out among the rest — that may make it even more appealing to certain audiophiles.

Astell&Kern PD20

Silver Astell&Kern digital music player showing a red album cover and playback controls on the screen. — The PD20 is A&K’s first portable hi-fi player that issues a hearing test and adjusts its audio accordingly.

Like the rest of Astell&Kern’s offerings, the PD20 is a beautifully designed portable hi-fi player that blends premium design (and materials) with high-resolution playback capabilities.

But the PD20 separates itself by being the company’s first portable hi-fi player to administer a hearing test and then adjust its equalizer settings based on your hearing. The feature is called Personal Sound.

Two silver Astell&Kern portable music players, one showing the front screen with music playing and the other showing the textured back. — The top dials are to adjust EQ settings (left) and volume levels.

A personal listening experience

This Personal Sound system was developed in collaboration with Audiodo, a Swedish software company specializing in software-based audio personalization technology.

Audiodo has collaborated with other audio companies — notably Noble Audio, Nothing and PSB Speakers — to deliver a similar personal audio experience in their headphones and earbuds. But this is the first time it’s worked with Astell&Kern.

Digital music player displaying "Difference In Sound Quality" by Astell&Kern with connected in-ear monitors on a sound mixing console. — A&K’s PD20 supports a wide range of wired headphones. It has built-in Bluetooth for streaming audio to your wireless headphones, too.

According to the press release, this Personal Sound system “analyzes individual hearing characteristics and compensates independently for left and right ears to create a uniquely tailored listening profile.”

Astell&Kern includes a pair of earphones that are specifically designed to be used while setting up the PD20 and taking the hearing test.

Top view of a silver audio device with two large textured control knobs, headphone and balance ports, and bass, mid, treble labels. — The headphone jacks: 3.5mm (single-ended) and 4.4mm (balanced).

Further customization

Aside from the new Personal Sound system, Astell&Kern has given the PD20 with other ways that further let listeners fine-tune their sound.

On the top-left of the player is the Sound Master scroll wheel, which offers 160-step EQ control (from -8.0 dB to +8.0 dB) across bass, midrange and treble.

Silver digital audio player on a gray angled dock with black headphones hanging on a stand beside it. — You can also hook the PD20 to your desktop and use it as a DAC/amp for headphones.

Additionally, the PD20 has a triple AMP architecture that lets listeners switch between three distinct amp modes: Class A (for rich, high-density sound), Class AB (a more balanced sound) and Hybrid (a mix between the two).

When operating in Class A and Hybrid modes, users can further adjust the amplifier current to three levels (high, mid, and low) to better accommodate the headphones they’re listening to.

Silver rectangular electronic device with three labeled switches and two knurled knobs on a black background. — On the side are tactile slide switches for amp and current selection.

Of course, the Astell&Kern PD20 is really positioned as an excellent, versatile portable hi-fi player.

It incorporates an ESS ES9027PRO in a Quad-DAC configuration; the brand says the four DACs operate independently “to minimize inter-channel interference and enhance signal separation.” And the PD20 supports native playback of high-resolution PCM music up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512.

The PD20 features 3.5mm (single-ended) and 4.4mm (balanced) jacks for accommodating a wide range of headphones. It has built-in Bluetooth with support for LDAC and aptX HD, so you can stream music to your wired headphones.

Silver portable digital music player with a red geometric design on the screen and two silver control knobs on top. — Available in one silver stainless steel finish.

Availability and pricing

The Astell&Kern PD20 will be available at authorized retailers this month (March 2026). It is priced at $1,970.

Silver Astell&Kern digital music player with textured back and touchscreen displaying music playback.

Astell&Kern PD20

The Astell&Kern PD20 is a beautifully designed, portable hi-fi player that blends premium design (and materials) with high-resolution playback capabilities. It’s unique because it’s the company’s first model to administer a hearing test and then adjust its equalizer settings based on your hearing. According to the press release, this Personal Sound system “analyzes individual hearing characteristics and compensates independently for left and right ears to create a uniquely tailored listening profile.” Basically, it promises to deliver a more personal audio experience than other portable hi-fi players.

About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.

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