Even though the Astell & Kern AK HC3 is made by a company known for its over-the-top approach to portable Hi-Fi, this tiny USB DAC is surprisingly easy to use. It promises a big improvement in sound quality over simpler adaptors, which have become a must-have for anyone with great headphones since smartphones started getting rid of their 3.5mm ports.
Astell & Kern AK HC3: Description
More interestingly, for a company that will gladly charge you almost $2,000 for one of its best digital audio players, the HC3 is not too expensive. For £200, you get 32-bit, 384kHz playback, support for the MQA high-resolution audio format, compatibility with iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, and the ability to use headset mics with your devices.
It’s true that most of the time, Astell & Kern makes digital audio players (DAP) that cost less or more. But the AK HC3 shows that the company has a place in its heart for those of us who can’t spend an arm and a leg (or even just one) on a high-end DAP.
The DAC stands for “digital-to-analog converter.” The DAC is a small, portable headphone amplifier/digital-to-analog converter combo called the AK HC3. It’s meant to do the job better than your smartphone or laptop, which, let’s face it, has more important things to do.
Astell & Kern AK HC3: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Made by hand from high-quality leather, it fits certain Astell & Kern models perfectly.
- You can use all of the buttons and ports.
- Gives the device some protection.
Cons
- It doesn’t work well with all Astell & Kern models.
- Compared to other cases, this one is pretty pricey.
- Might not protect as well as other cases with more sturdy designs.
Specification Table
| Specification | Description |
|---|---|
| Compatible Models | Astell & Kern A&ultima SP1000, SP2000, KANN CUBE, SE200 |
| Color | Black, Brown, Navy |
| Features | Handcrafted, Precision Fit, Full Access to Buttons and Ports |
| Dimensions | 4.4 x 3.0 x 1.0 inches (112 x 77 x 26 mm) |
| Weight | 2.2 ounces (62 grams) |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty |
| Official link | Visit Website |
Design and Build
The AK HC3 is barely bigger than a flash drive, but its all-aluminum construction gives it the satisfying weight you’d expect from a high-end product. Astell & Kern’s trademark geometric shapes are on this dongle. They catch the light and brighten up what would otherwise be a very simple device.
The main section is separated from the USB connector to cut down on signal noise. The braided cable is sturdy without being too stiff. It should be able to bend quite a bit, which is useful if you want to hang it out of a pocket so it doesn’t scratch your phone. It’s also not as rigid as competing DACs that look like sticks, so a bump shouldn’t break your phone’s USB-C port.
We found that the USB-C connector was big enough that some phones with cases or covers wouldn’t let it plug in all the way, so you might have to go without protection while you’re jamming out. Other than a small LED on the front that changes color to show whether you’re listening to PCM, MQA, or DSD audio, there’s not much else to talk about. But you’ll have to look up what each color means because the app that goes with it doesn’t tell you.
Connections and Control
This is a smart plan for more than one reason. First of all, it means that the HC3 has a male USB-C connection and doesn’t need an extra cable to connect to the output of your source player, which would be much longer. And secondly, the digital signal goes through the dual noise-shielded cable before it is processed in the main block. Win/win.
The parts of the AK HC3 that aren’t braided cable are made of aluminum. It looks and feels good, and it keeps the total weight of the product to a very manageable 20g. Astell&Kern even put some of its signature prismatic angles on the surface, which makes it look even better.
When it comes to control, there is not much to it. Android users have access to an app that is, in all but name, a volume control, though it gives you much more precise control over gain than your source player probably does. If not, your phone, laptop, or whatever else is in charge.
Astell & Kern AK HC3: Performance
First of all, the AK HC3 works perfectly with the MacBook Pro, iPhone 14 Pro, and Asus Chromebook that we tested it with Our Nothing Phone Android device, on the other hand, is very hit or miss. Astell & Kern says that “system requirements for some Android devices” could cause problems with compatibility. You can keep saying that. Try something out before you buy it.
If you have a device that the AK HC3 works with, though, it’s a good idea to buy it, even if it’s not a no-brainer. Definitely, it’s a great desktop companion. When you connect a pair of Sennheiser IE600 headphones to it, the sound is a lot better than when you plug the same headphones into the MacBook Pro’s headphone jack.
It’s a change for the better in every way. The presentation gets more and more positive, and people are much more willing to attack and drive a recording. The bass is fuller, deeper, and easier to control, and the high frequencies are more solid, more detailed, and have a lot more bite and shine. The AK HC3 is more dynamic, clearer, and has a bit more insight than your laptop or smartphone’s built-in player.
It makes the soundstage bigger in all directions, clearer, and more organized. It’s more convincing to use tone. And in the midrange, where (almost) all voices are, which is where human hearing is most sensitive, the Astell & Kern is so much more eloquent, so much more sensitive to harmonics and dynamic changes, and so much more musical, that it almost doesn’t feel like a fair fight.
Final Words
Properly portable DACs like the AK HC3 make sense if you’ve invested in a good set of headphones or in-ear monitors but can’t use them because your phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone port. But they are overkill if you just want to use the bundled buds, and they don’t have the connections or power to run the really demanding cans that well-off audiophiles like to use.
But if you’re in the middle, having spent £150 or more on wired earphones and not wanting to switch to Bluetooth audio, there’s a lot to like here. Aside from a few glitches in the software that depend on the device, it’s very good and not too expensive.
FAQs
This is a great all-in-one device that can work with a wide range of high-quality headphones. The CA1000T is a great choice if you like a product like the 2000T but want to use it with a desktop amplifier. If you want a DAP to use only at home, you don’t need to look any further.
Compared to other AK players, the SA700 can compete with the SE100, which is already well-known. The SA700 has the same sample rates as the older player and has less harmonic distortion. Still, the SE100 would have a bigger screen, an 8-core processor, and a Sabre DAC for people who like that sound.
