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Astell&Kern - AK HC3
Portable Balanced DAC & AmpComing soon by end of January
Designed in
Korea
ESS Sabre ES9219MQ
Dual DAC Chip
2Vrms
Power Output
ASTELL&KERN INTRODUCES AN ALL-NEW USB DAC & AMP - THE AK HC3
Astell&Kern has been at the forefront when it comes to designing some of the game-changing audio devices. With their continuous pursuit of perfection, Astell&Kern has always amazed audio enthusiasts worldwide. Driven by a passion for music and a quest for innovation, Astell&Kern products have proved to be the finest in the audio industry. Astell&Kern takes great pleasure in introducing their all-new USB DAC & Amp - the AK HC3. The AK HC3 delivers music that is true to the original sound when it was recorded or performed to touch your hearts and revive them. It is a promising DAC & Amp with dual DACs from ESS Sabre. It supports PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) 32bit/384kHz, Native DSD256 (Direct Stream Digital). Hear the difference in sound quality with the all-new AK HC3 USB DAC & Amp and delve into pure sonic bliss!




EXPERIENCE ULTRA HIGH-RESOLUTION SOUND WITH DUAL ESS SABRE DAC CHIPS AND 8X MQA SUPPORT
To take the performance level of the HC3 to new levels, a team of engineers designed it to be extremely powerful & clean in its delivery. Astell&Kern has incorporated ES9219MQ dual DAC from ESS Sabre for true Hi-Fi sound quality. The AK HC3 is the result of; years of effort and design expertise that provides all the benefits of its predecessor, HC1 (PEE51), while enabling high-quality sound across various settings. The dual DACs enable playback of Hi-Fi sounds in ultra-high quality, excellent noise control, and low power consumption. In addition, it supports Native DSD256 and 32-bit/384 kHz, supporting any high-resolution sound. The Atell&Kern AK HC3 is a renderer that supports MQA 8X playback in ultra-high quality to deliver sound that's much closer to the original sound. With its compact size and uncompromising performance, the AK HC3 makes it easy to enjoy "real" Hi-Fi sound anytime, anywhere.




EXCEPTIONAL POWER MANAGEMENT AND OPTIMAL AUDIO CIRCUITRY FOR UNRIVALLED PERFORMANCE
The AK HC3 is the result of Astell&Kern's ultra-fine audio design technology. Astell&Kern is adored by countless music lovers thanks to their dedication and meticulous delivery of the original sound with their signature portable high-resolution audio players. The team of engineers at Astell&Kern have included cutting-edge technology and know-how accumulated from their DAP designs over the years in the all-new AK HC3. Astell&Kern has used micro resistors and capacitor parts to achieve the small dimensions without compromising performance. Custom ultra-small tantalum capacitors used in AK player products to create a stable system and audio performance by controlling power fluctuations are incorporated in the AK HC3. In addition, the output and audio performance are "enhanced" with Astell&Kern's unique power management technology by minimising power consumption with the connected device.



DUAL NOISE-SHIELDED CABLE WITH NOISE-FREE REAR OUTPUT STRUCTURE DELIVERS DISTORTION-FREE AUDIO
The AK HC3 incorporates a rear audio output design to minimise noise. Most USB DAC products have the DAC positioned in the USB terminal connected directly to the device to process and output audio. The DAC of the AK HC3 transforms digital signals from the device into analogue signals after passing through the dual-shielded cable and the audio circuit. In comparison to other USB DAC products, the outcome of post-processing the digital signal is better and noise-free. The AK HC3 features a dual shielded cable to minimise noise and deliver a more vivid, original sound. The copper core wire is coated with tin to prevent corrosion and strengthen tensile force for enhanced durability. In addition, the entire cable is wrapped in an aluminium film to block noise then the tin-coated copper wire is woven to minimise noise interference.





EASY AND CONVENIENT PLUG & PLAY DESIGN WITH SUPPORT FOR COMPANION APP
Connect directly to a Windows PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet with a USB-C port that supports plug & play without needing a separate conversion adapter, and enjoy high-quality sound. The AK HC3 utilises power from the connected playback device, so it does not need to be charged or connected to a separate external sound card, AMP or DAC. Just plug in the HC3 to experience high-fidelity sound from a computer or mobile device. As common with many USB DACs, compatibility issues arise as different connected devices are set automatically to maximum volume output or playback at too low volume. To resolve this and offer greater control over the "volume" and function of the HC3, Astell&Kern has developed a companion app for Android OS devices. Additionally, Roon examined the AK HC3 to improve its performance and ensure ease of setup and daily use. Roon-tested devices provide the best audio performance, and the AK HC3 is no different.
NOTE: The HC3 is also compatible with iOS devices using the included USB-C to Lightning adapter.




EXQUISITELY CRAFTED FROM ALUMINIUM FUSED WITH MICROPHONE AND CONTROLLER SUPPORT AND LED INDICATOR
AK HC3 is super light with a full aluminium housing and weighs only 20g. The compact and lightweight body embodies Astell&Kern’s design philosophy, emphasising their fundamental ethos toward the music. The design inherits the light and shadow concept, which is the identity of Astell&Kern. All four sides centred around the traversing centerline are positioned proportionally and converge on a single point, making them uniquely reflective and iridescent. The high-quality finish hides everything except for design factors such as the contours and the logo, preventing any visual distractions for a more immersive music experience. The AK HC3 is compatible with 3, or 4-pole 3.5mm plug earphones and headsets, as well as in-line controller and microphone features of 4-pole earphones and headsets. The direct USB connection provides lower latency enabling a sound performance perfect for gaming. The voice chat features enhance your gaming experiences so you can play with others, and the microphone input makes it even more convenient for professional web conferencing. Plus, the rich sound capability adds to the utility of AK HC3 by making your video experiences more realistic and immersive. The AK HC3 also has an LED indicator that displays sampling rates (Standby: White / PCM: Red / DSD: Blue / MQA: Magenta).
NOTE:
When pairing your AK HC3 with iPhones, recording is supported for microphone input, but not supported for calls.
The unit does not have a built-in microphone.





MODEL | AK HC3 |
BODY MATERIAL | Aluminum |
BODY COLOR | Dark Gray |
DAC | ES9219MQ x2 (Dual-DAC) |
SAMPLE RATE | PCM: Support up to 32bit/384kHz DSD Native: DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), Stereo |
INPUT | USB Type-C Input(for Windows 10,11, Android, iOS smartphone & Tablet PC, macOS) |
OUTPUT | 3.5mm (CTIA standard 4-pole supported) |
LED | Standby : White / PCM : Red / DSD : Blue |
WEIGHT | about 20g |
DIMENSIONS | USB Plug : 12.5mm[W] x 21mm[H] x 8.7mm[D] 3.5mm Headphone : 18.2mm[W] x 59mm[H] x 11.5[D] |
FREQUENCY RESPONSE | ±0.013dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) ±0.020dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) |
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO | 118dB @ 1kHz |
CROSSTALK | -130dB @ 1kHz |
THD + N | 0.0005% @ 1kHz |
IMD SAMPTE | 0.0002%, 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) |
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE | 2 ohm |
OUTPUT POWER/VOLTAGE | 2Vrms (Condition No Road) |
BOX CONTENTS | 1. Astell&Kern AK HC3 |
2. USB-C to Lightning adapter |
GENERIC NAME | Headphone Amplifier |
IMPORTER DETAILS | Importers Name: Ferrari Video Address: 63/18, 1st Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Chennai - 600020 Contact No: 044-24420733 |
NET QUANTITY | 1 |


The Ultimate Hi-Fi Audio System
The word Astell means Stars in Latin while the word Kern means Centre and together
Astell&Kern means the centre of music. Astell&Kern products are the perfect pick for Hi-Fi audio
aficionados. Due to the advancement in recording technology, music can be recorded digitally while sounding
as true as a live performance. But most of the time, these high-quality recordings are heard in inferior
audio formats such as MP3 which compromises with the sound quality. Additionally, the soundstage aspect of
the sound is completely lost in the MP3 formats. Therefore Astell&Kern came into existence to address
this issue to revive the amazing sound quality for musicians and audio professionals.
The brand
has core values such as: High-Resolution studio quality sound in
audio device, Audio quality without
compromise, Design & Engineering Excellence, Craftsmanship & High Quality Materials, State of the
art Technology and Innovation at every release.
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Specialist Hi-Fi Brand in Digital Audio Player Market
Astell&Kern dedicatedly works on providing naturalistic sound without any kind of distortion so that listeners can hear even the minutest details of a song which they would have otherwise missed. Furthermore, Astell&Kern prides itself on using only the absolute best DAC chips from AKM, ESS or Cirrus Logic. Each DAP is unique and crafted to the highest quality standards.



A Popular Choice for Hi-Res Audio
AstellKern believes in playing Hi-Res music matching the quality of the recording.
This ability to deliver a sound which is close to the live performance is the highlight of Astell&Kern.
This standard of sound quality has been used in audio exhibitions around the world and is appreciated by
audio lovers across the world including the USA, China, Japan, UK, France among others.
All
Astell&Kern DAPs employ high quality materials from Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Copper, and Brass. Made
in South Korea, all their DAPs provide an overwhelming Power Output based on BAL 2Vrms~12Vrms.

ES9219MQ Dual DAC from ESS for true Hi-Fi quality
Dual-shielded cable
Supports headset microphones
Supports iOS devices
Proprietary app for Android (For Detailed Volume Control)
Compact but powerful
LED display shows song details
Full metal housing design
NOTE: The unit does not have a built-in microphone.
This product is compatible with most Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, Windows 10/11 and macOS products. In some cases, it may not be compatible or may be restricted depending on the hardware, software and/or system of the device that you connect to.
When connecting to a Windows PC, the driver will automatically be recognized and installed. For high-quality sound files, you are required to install a separate USB DAC driver which can be downloaded from the Support — Download section on the website.
4-pole earphones and headphones support CTIA devices, but OMTP is not supported. HC3 may not support call features when paired with iPhones or some Android phone models with a 3.5-mm connector.
To play DSD and high-quality PCM sound files on a smartphone, you must install a separate free/paid player program that supports high-resolution audio playback. (When using the default player app on a mobile device, the file will be downsampled. Please make sure to play it with a different player app.)
Please note that the volume will be fixed to the maximum level if you allow access with Tidal and some other apps on Android devices. Make sure to check the volume on your connected player device before using headphones or earphones. Some devices may automatically set the output level to maximum volume when the cable is connected. Listening to headphones or earphones at maximum volume may damage your hearing. Please verify the volume level before each use.
Do not connect the USB-C Dual DAC Cable to an Astell&Kern player. When connecting the cable to a player and using it as an external DAC, the output volume will be fixed at the maximum volume setting. It is not possible to adjust the volume through the Astell&Kern player. Listening at maximum or a high-volume setting may cause serious damage to your hearing. Astell&Kern, its affiliates and agencies, cannot be held liable for any damage or injuries from negligent or inappropriate use.
Firmware updates may be released periodically for stability improvements. For more information on firmware updates and to check if a firmware update is available, please visit the Support — Download section on the website.
1 Year Warranty
Don't sweat it, this Astell&Kern - AK HC3 comes with a warranty
from Astell&Kern that covers manufacturing defects.
All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.
Read more about Astell&Kern's warranty in India.