Astell&Kern AK HB1 (PEM21)

Bluetooth and USB DAC operation in one pocket amplifier

Astell&Kern AK HB1 is a portable DAC/amplifier that receives music over Bluetooth or USB and provides both 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm headphone outputs.

Unlike the HC models it does not always require a physical connection to the source: its Qualcomm CSR8675 platform supports LDAC and aptX HD plus multipoint pairing. When connected by cable, the ESS ES9281AC PRO DAC handles PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz and native DSD256.

Key features

• ESS ES9281AC PRO DAC with a dedicated amplifier stage.
• Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC and SBC.
• USB DAC mode with 32-bit/384 kHz PCM and native DSD256.
• 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm outputs, up to 4 Vrms balanced.
• Multipoint connection for two Bluetooth devices at once.
• UAC 1.0 support for gaming systems and UAC 2.0 for Hi-Res sources.
• Microphone and call support through the CTIA-compatible 3.5 mm socket.
• 600 mAh battery with around 6 hours stated playback.

Wireless for convenience, USB for maximum resolution

Bluetooth playback reaches LDAC at 24-bit/96 kHz, while USB operation supports PCM to 384 kHz and native DSD256. This split makes HB1 practical both with a phone on the move and as a compact computer DAC when a wired connection is preferred.

More flexible than the HC dongles

HC2, HC3 and HC4 draw power directly from the source and work mainly as wired USB DACs. HB1 adds a battery, Bluetooth, multipoint pairing, physical controls and 4 Vrms balanced output, making it the more versatile option when reducing cable dependence matters.