Astell & Kern has released a pure headphone amplifier without a built-in music player.
Although Astell & Kern is best known for high-end portable music players, they have now released a pure analog headphone amplifier in the form of the PA10. Internally, a Class A amplifier is employed as well as the proprietary Terraton Alpha technology. The latter technology, according to the manufacturer, ensures filtering of supply noise, efficient power management and stable amplification. The PA10 supports 4.4mm True Balanced inputs and outputs, while the crossfeed function is hardware built. The built-in battery is good for up to 12 hours of playing time when fully charged. The price of the Astell & Kern PA 10 is $550.