High-quality Bluetooth, AK XB10
Now it's possible to use aptX™ HD, the latest Bluetooth codec of Qualcomm to receive 24bit high-quality data wirelessly, and it's designed to faithfully play back the transmitted high-quality data using Astell&Kern's own sound technology.
Music via Bluetooth without compromise
The AK XB10 delivers a distinctive difference in sound from conventional Bluetooth products. The moment you hear it, you wonder "Does this sound really come from Bluetooth?"
Astell&Kern's outstanding technologies are throughout aptX™ HD to support 24bit/48kHz Bluetooth performance, along with DAC and AMP, essential components of fine audio.
Qualcomm® aptX™ HD
While the AK XB10 is a device that wirelessly transmits audio data from smartphones via Bluetooth, it is quite different from conventional Bluetooth devices, in that it supports the aptX™ HD Bluetooth codec.
Just as the display resolutions of televisions evolved from standard to high-definition to 4K ultra-HD for sharper image quality, we are now in the era in which Bluetooth now supports 24-bit audio resolution. 24-bit HD audio that was simply not possible with previous Bluetooth technologies can now be fully enjoyed with aptX™ HD.
Typically used in professional broadcasting, the original aptX™ audio codec is widely used for 16-bit near-CD quality sound.
The benefits of the aptX™ codec include superior compression, low computational cost, and low transmission delay.
Launched in early 2016, the next-generation aptX™ HD codec is capable of transmitting up to 24-bit/48 kHz audio that is faithful to the original audio file.
Perfect Sound
The AK XB10 is equipped with a Hi-Fi DAC capable of reproducing high-quality sound up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Its analog amplifier was tuned using Astell&Kern's own sound technologies to complete the package.
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) converts digital data into analog signals in a digital media player (DMP). The AK XB10 is equipped with a dedicated DAC for the best digital-to-analog signal conversion that significantly improves Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Total Harmonic Distortion (THD).
While a typical analog amplifier simply amplifies and outputs low level audio signals, the Astell&Kern amplifier in the AK XB10 is different.
Rather than simply amplifying the audio signal, the amplifier was designed with a ”driving” concept to amplify weak signals and power difficult to drive high impedance headphones. A strong signal is required to drive headphones with a high impedance. The AK XB10’s analog amplifier is more than capable of handling the task.
For example: when comparing the amplifier to a camera, using the zoom function to enlarge small objects in a viewfinder is much like how a common amplifier performs. However, the AK XB10’s amplifier is similar to the way a pan focus function clearly focuses blurry images.
Simply put, the Astell&Kern amplifier focuses on the weak signal.
