Home Technology Activo P1 Review: Great Sound, Uninspired Design

Activo P1 Review: Great Sound, Uninspired Design

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Activo P1 Review: Great Sound, Uninspired Design

The renowned portable audio brand Astell & Kern has strategically developed a subbrand called Activo to compete in segments of the digital audio player market that it had previously moved away from in its quest for higher-end offerings. This move by Astell & Kern is akin to Toyota’s creation of the luxury brand Lexus to enter the premium automotive sector.

Astell & Kern has been recognized as a leading supplier of high-performance, high-end, and expensive high-resolution digital audio players. However, with Activo, the company is now venturing into previously less-targeted market areas. Despite this shift, the Activo P1 device, when compared to competitors like FiiO and Sony, is not necessarily considered affordable. The P1 is introduced in a highly competitive market segment, potentially more so than the niche markets Astell & Kern traditionally targets.

The Activo P1 is equipped to hold its own in this competitive space. A review of its specifications reveals its capabilities. Whether the additional cost is justified depends on consumer preference for aesthetics.

The Activo P1 features an ESS ES9219Q Sabre dual-DAC setup for high-quality digital-to-audio conversion, supporting digital audio files up to 32-bit/384-kHz and DSD256 resolution. Its amplification is powered by the Astell & Kern Teraton Alpha system, regarded by the company to be sufficient for digital audio players priced significantly higher than the Activo P1.

With an octacore processor, the device promises a smooth and responsive user experience. The user interface will be familiar to those accustomed to Android devices, and the inclusion of the Google Play store makes it easy to add music-playing apps like Apple Music, Qobuz, Spotify, and Tidal, alongside a dedicated Activo player. While the device’s 64 gigabytes of internal memory may be considered limited, its SD card slot facilitates expandable storage up to 1.5 TB with the user’s own card.

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