Astell&Kern ACRO CA1000 is a brand that focuses on home aesthetics, designed to meet a wide range of applications.

This time is a continuation of the DAC/Amp that the brand used to produce and sell like the ACRO L1000, which at that time would only act as a Dac/Amp and would not be able to use it as a music player like this ACRO CA1000. Today, I’m going to introduce you to the ACRO CA1000, what is interesting and what you can do?

What is ACRO CA1000 ?

As for the ACRO CA1000, this AK is placed in the home Audio category, making it larger than a portable DAP.

DAP is restricted by the matter of portability that the size and weight must not be too much. The circuit board and the internal power system can not be designed to be large enough for various devices in the home. Which this ACRO CA1000 is a model that will come out to act in the house instead of DAP, many of you may be wondering if it’s a high-powered player or an amp with a built-in player?

The answer is that both are correct, just that we can use it in any way because it can be used as a player only or can be used as a headphone amp alone as well. So no matter what you call it, it’s not wrong.

The most unique design

The AK’s body has always been acclaimed for its aesthetics and premium feel, and the ACRO CA1000 doesn’t disappoint, as the brand has designed it beautifully as always.

The body is made of Aluminum CNC, using a body design inspired by the Rover Truck. In addition, the Volume Wheel has a large size, beautiful shape, can rotate smoothly and adjust the volume very finely.

The ACRO CA1000’s screen comes in a 4.1-inch 720×1280 vertical with touch. It can also raise the screen to adjust the viewing angle to suit the use of up to 60 degrees.

Various Applications

ACRO CA1000 is designed to be very versatile in use, which can be divided into 5 types as follows:

DAC : ACRO CA1000 can be used as a DAC for headphone amplifier and active speaker with 3 digital inputs USB-C, Optical and Coaxial, with Analog Output option to output signal in the form of RCA Line Out.

Headphone Amplifier : With high power and a complete headphone jack, the ACRO CA1000 can be used as a headphone amp, with an RCA input for taking analog signals from other DACs. ACRO CA1000 and has a choice of power amplification from Low, Mid, High to Super High, with a maximum output power in the Unbalanced channel at 8Vrms and 15Vrms in the Balanced channel.

DAC/AMP : If you want to use the CA1000 as a DAC/AMP for headphones, it can be done as well by connecting via digital inputs including USB-C, Optical and Coaxial and then connecting headphones to the headphone output port on the front of the device, they can be used immediately.

Bluetooth DAC/AMP : If you want to use it via Bluetooth, turn on the Bluetooth Receiver system (or what AK calls the BT SINK system), then bring the smartphone to connect the CA1000 and send music via Bluetooth, it can support both AAC, Aptx-HD and LDAC codecs.

Roon Ready : ACRO CA1000 supports playback through Roon Ready systems. If you’re already using Roon, you can listen to Hi-Res music wirelessly. Improved sound quality with Roon’s RAAT transmission system, the sound quality is not compromised even when playing wirelessly. The system can also enable the ACRO CA1000 to act as a bridge by receiving a signal from Roon Ready and then outputting it to the RCA output for direct input to Active Speakers or an external amplifier.

There are all kinds of headphone jacks.

The headphone jack that AK provides with the ACRO CA1000 is available in both Balanced 2.5 mm / 4.4 mm and Unbalanced 3.5 mm / 6.3 mm. It can be said that it can be used with any type of headphones with any type of jack head, no need to find a adaptor to use anymore.

The power of sound

Powering in the ACRO CA1000 is the ES9068AS Quad DAC and Teraton Alpha, designed by AK to deliver unique sound quality. Although using the same audio chip, Teraton Alpha also eliminates excess noise in the amplifier circuit, resulting in a clearer sound.

It also comes with a Crossfeed system that helps adjust the sound to have a dimension like listening to music through a speaker, making the sound dimension look more enveloping and has a good center stage, the singer’s voice is in the middle. It can reduces ear fatigue from listening continuously for a long time.

Sound

The sound of the CA1000 is tuned in bright tones. The details of the musical pieces are not dull. In the low sound area, the bass holds up well, not too slow or too fast, giving the impact of the bass and percussion clear.

Keep the details of the vocals intact. The voice is clean and clear, and the positioning is slightly ahead of the surrounding music. The sound of string instruments fluttering with clear notes. The sound dimensions are both deep and wide. The sound position is balanced with the size of the stage, so there is no feeling of cramped space.

High range delivers rich, detailed sound, but not overpowering it. The sound at the tip of the treble will not be clouded in the slightest and can float up to the end, not close to the mid-range, thus giving the atmosphere of the high-pitched sound area that is comfortable and not crowded.

However, if we activate the Crossfeed system, it will make the tone warmer with a slight decrease in brightness, the position of the singer’s voice is right in the middle and the wide of soundstage move closer but add more depth to it instead. Considered to provide different sound genres, can listen to music in a variety of genres even more.

Conclusion

Astell&Kern is constantly developing new products to fill the gaps in everyday use and the ACRO CA1000 bridges the gap for those who want high-quality equipment that can be easily used in their homes. It can be compatible with more audio devices in the house.