DAC, headphone amplifier and 15 watts for speakers in one desktop unit
Astell&Kern ACRO L1000 is a desktop DAC/amplifier with dual AK4490 conversion, multiple headphone outputs and terminals for small passive loudspeakers.
It is the most conventional ACRO product in this group: there is no streaming platform or internal battery as found on CA1000 models, with the emphasis instead on USB audio, direct physical control and analogue flexibility. In addition to headphones it can deliver 15 W per channel to a stereo speaker system.
Key features
- Dual AKM AK4490 DACs.
- PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz and native DSD256.
- Multiple headphone outputs for balanced and unbalanced connections.
- Up to 15 W per channel for passive stereo loudspeakers.
- USB input for operation as a computer DAC.
- High Gain mode for less sensitive headphones.
- Selectable Bass Boost filter.
- Large central rotary control for volume and operation.
More than a headphone amplifier
The amplified speaker output separates L1000 from portable DACs and conventional Head-Fi amplifiers. On a desktop it can drive headphones for personal listening and a pair of passive speakers when room playback is preferred, reducing the number of separate components required.
A simpler concept than CA1000
CA1000 and CA1000T add displays, networking, batteries, streaming and output stages designed for very demanding headphones. L1000 is better suited to a fixed system where USB is the main source and the user wants a more direct hardware experience without an integrated software platform.
For headphones, computers and small nearfield systems
Dual AK4490 conversion handles high-resolution PCM and native DSD256, while High Gain adds reserve for harder loads. The format is especially logical for a computer-centred system that alternates between headphones and compact passive desktop speakers through one volume control.
