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Astell&Kern has announced the launch of a new sub-brand, ACTIVO, its first product being the P1 Digital Audio Player. Ergonomically designed to sit in one hand, the compact but mighty P1 boasts a fluid user interface and smooth audio listening experience for up to 20 hours of continuous entertainment. Powered by an octa-core processor, it has been designed as a companion for a run, walk or workout, allowing users to experience lossless music without sacrificing their smartphone battery.

With dual-band wi-fi and a pre-loaded Google Play Store, users can download and install the most popular music apps to stream from their favourite platforms. Boasting 64GB of internal memory with microSD support for up to 1.5TB for both downloading from streaming services or uploading from a personal library, the company says: “there’s plenty of storage space for going off the grid without missing a beat”.

The ACTIVO P1 features two ESS ES9219Q SABRE DACs in a dual-mono configuration, providing a dedicated DAC chip to right and left output channels. Also boasting a dedicated AMP circuit based on A&K’s TERATON ALPHA sound solution, the circuitry of the ACTIVO P1 has been created to ensure sound clarity and broad spatial resonance within its design technology.

Thanks to advanced EQ and seven DAC filter options in the P1, users have a wide range of personalisation and sound profile options. The parametric equaliser options separate frequency ranges into 20 bands and Gain is adjustable by 0.01dB increments for accurate control. Users can also adjust the Q value to set the precise frequency range they prefer.

Additional features of the ACTIVO P1 include a 4.1in HD touchscreen, Bluetooth 5.3 with support for 24-bit wireless playback using LDAC or aptX HD, PD 3.0 fast charging, full MQA decoding and Crossfeed, with Roon Ready support also expected to come soon pending completion.

The body design uses a combination of aluminium and polycarbonate to create a curve for a comfortable grip. This, combined with audio performance module parts, is divided into blocks to maximise contrast. The buttons on either side of the player are shaped so that users can tell the difference between each control by touch alone, allowing adjustments while in a pocket or bag. Three keys (play/pause, next and previous) are combined to allow simple control while focusing on the display.

Preloaded into the internal memory are three sample tracks from NativeDSD to showcase the ACTIVO P1’s native DSD playback chops. Also included in the box is a coupon to purchase additional music from NativeDSD at a discount.

Available to buy now for £400, you can find out more about the ACTIVO P1 here.