Astell&Kern ACRO CA1000T

Desktop Audio System ACRO CA1000T

The world’s first device to feature a dual-tube triple amp system and the latest ESS flagship DAC. Designed for audio connoisseurs the ACRO CA1000T pushes the sonic limitations beyond that of a standalone headphone amplifier with additional terminals for multiple connections.
The versatile ACRO CA1000T provides compatible I/O terminals that can satisfy the diverse needs of audio enthusiasts who want to build a complete head-Fi system. By providing XLR and RCA output Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect external audio devices and speakers the ACRO CA1000T consolidates all your premium audio connections into one device.

Convenient High-Quality Head-Fi Sound

The ACRO CA1000T goes beyond the limitations of a fixed headphone amp with its ideal Head-Fi audio system that can be setup anywhere you want and can run independently from its internal battery supply. The ACRO CA1000T offers detailed headphone sound thanks to its built-in high-power headphone amp that does not require a connection to other devices.

It's an all-in-one Head-Fi audio system that provides great connectivity with external audio devices and speakers thanks to its diverse range of input/output ports allowing you to easily enjoy network audio playback and music streaming.

Extensive Input/Output Options

The ACRO CA1000T offers an extensive range of input/output options that can meet the needs of audiophiles looking to build their ideal Head-Fi system with maximum utility. For greater ease of use you can change the input/output settings using the touch screen on top of the product while multiple cables and devices are connected.

Upgraded Sound

The ACRO CA1000T is designed with dual ES9039MPRO using the newest flagship DAC from ESS for the first time ever to offer more vivid and voluminous sounds that surpass your imagination.

The ES9039MPRO is an additional ES9039PRO model that has a built-in stereo hardware MQA renderer. It has even more advanced modulation than the existing flagship DAC to reduce power consumption noise and distortions inside the DAC for enhanced audio performance. Astell&Kern invented and optimized a new design of amp block to heighten the performance of the ES9039MPRO allowing it to offer more balanced and intense sounds with deeper and richer bass sounds and clear highs.

Full Balanced Circuit with Dual-Tube

The ACRO CA1000T has dual Twin Triode KORG Nutube tubes which were implemented for the first time in our award winning SP2000T offering advanced tube sounds. When a product is equipped with a Dual DAC and one vacuum tube there must be a separate circuit to convert the signal to Balanced right before the output terminal.

This structure requires a process to convert an unbalanced signal to a balanced signal during which noise gets amplified in the process. The CA1000T however offers a complete balanced circuit that separates left and right channels with two vacuum tubes creating even more natural and softer sounds. Both Tube AMP mode and OPAMP provide a powerful 15 Vrms output and the headphone ports allow you to enjoy the unique sounds of vacuum tubes without any limitations.

TRIPLE AMP SYSTEM

The ACRO CA1000T exceeds the standard approach to AMP Mode selection based on the type of music you are listening to. Select between TUBE AMP mode OP AMP mode or the brand-new HYBRID AMP mode. OP AMP mode puts Astell&Kern's AMP technology expertise to use delivering extreme clarity and dynamic sound while TUBE AMP mode provides a uniquely warm and musical sound. HYBRID AMP mode - a first for digital audio players - enhances the resolution and clarity of the existing TUBE AMP mode to express more musical detail.

HYBRID AMP mode combines the advantages of retro analog performance and high-resolution output giving you the pleasure of a brand new tonal characteristic. Experience the unique sound enhancements that this AMP technology has to offer.

Included in the box

• 1x Astell&Kern ACRO CA1000T
• 1x USB-C to USB-A Cable
• 1x Screen Protector
• 1x Quick start guide
• 1x Warranty Card

General Specifications

Model

AC1000T

Body Color

Rich Gray

Body Material

Aluminum

Display

4.1-inch 720 x 1280px touch screen

Supported Audio Formats

WAV FLAC WMA MP3 OGG APE AAC ALAC AIFF DFF DSF

Sample rate

PCM: 8kHz ~ 768kHz (8/16/24/32bits per Sample) DSD Native: DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz) Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz) Stereo / DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz) DSD512(1bit 22.4MHz) Stereo

Output Level:

Headphone Out: [Low] Unbalanced 2Vrms / Balanced 4Vrms (Condition No Load) [Mid] Unbalanced 4Vrms / Balanced 8Vrms (Condition No Load) [High] Unbalanced 6Vrms / Balanced 12Vrms (Condition No Load) [Super] Unbalanced 8Vrms / Balanced 15Vrms (Condition No Load)

RCA Out

2Vrms (Condition No Load)

XLR Out

4Vrms (Condition No Load)

CPU

Quad-core

DAC

ESS ES9039MPRO x2 (Dual-DAC)

Vacuum Tube

KORG Nutube 6P1 x2

Decoding

Support up to 32bit / 768kHz Bit to Bit playback

Headphone Outputs

Unbalanced (3.5mm 6.35mm) / Balanced (2.5mm 4.4mm)

Analog Inputs

RCA (Stereo pair) x1

Analog Outputs

RCA (Stereo pair) x1  XLR (Stereo pair) x1

Digital Inputs

Coaxial x1 Optical x1 USB(Type-C) x1

Digital Outputs

Optical(3.5mm) x1 USB(Type-C) x1

Wi-Fi

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)

Bluetooth

V5.0 (A2DP AVRCP Qualcomm® aptX™ HD LDAC)

Dimensions:

4.12"(104.9mm)[W] x 1.77"(45mm)[H] x 6.13"(155.8mm)[D]

Weight

about 980g (34.56oz)

Feature Enhancements

Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)

Frequency Response

±0.031dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.029dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced / ±0.033dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) RCA / ±0.002dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) XLR ±0.079dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.029dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced / ±0.080dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) RCA / ±0.008dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) XLR

S/N

108dB @ 1kHz Unbalanced / 112dB @ 1kHz Balanced / 121dB @ 1kHz RCA / 128dB @ 1kHz XLR

Crosstalk

-115dB @ 1kHz Unbalanced / -112dB @ 1kHz Balanced / -138dB @ 1kHz RCA / -145dB @ 1kHz XLR

THD+N

0.004% @ 1kHz Unbalanced / 0.002% @ 1kHz Balanced / 0.0005% @ 1kHz RCA / 0.0003% @ 1kHz XLR

IMD SMPTE

0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced / 0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Balanced /0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) RCA / /0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) XLR

Output Impedance

3.5mm 6.35mm (1ohm) / 2.5mm 4.4mm (2ohm) / RCA (4ohm) / XLR (9ohm)

Clock Jitter

25ps (Typ)

Reference Clock Jitter

70ps

Built-in Memory

256GB [NAND]

External Memory

microSD x1 (Max. 1TB)

Battery Capacity

10 100mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer

Charge Time

about 5hours (9V / 3A PD2.0 Fast Charging)

Playback Time

about 11hours (Standard : FLAC 16bit 44.1kHz Unbalanced Vol.40 LCD Off OP AMP Low Gain)

Supported OS

Windows 10 11(32/64bit) MAC OS X 10.7 and up