Astell & Kern PEE51: Portable USB-C DAC and Headphone Amplifier for PC, Mac, and Android

The Astell & Kern PEE51 portable DAC cable is now available in the US. The product is directly derived from the popular Hi-Res audio players, such as the KANN ALPHA. The USB Type-C volume control headphone amplifier is built in aluminum and has the appearance of a small dongle that ends at one end with a USB-C connector and the other with a 3.5 mm jack headphone output.

Astell & Kern PEE51 USB Type-C DAC Cable volume control headphone amplifier

The dimensions are 17 (W) x 50 (H) x 10.3 (D) millimeters for the terminal with USB-C and 12 (W) x 20 (H) x 8.2 (D) millimeters for the part that contains the headphone output.

Inside there are two Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs (digital-to-analog converters) in dual mono configuration, capable of supporting PCM songs up to 384 kHz / 32-bit and DSD64, DSD128, and DSD256 natively (without conversion). The mini USB Type C DACs are paired with an analog amplifier capable of handling an output power of 2 Vrms. The datasheet reports a signal-to-noise ratio of 118 dB at 1 kHz, a total harmonic distortion of 0.0004%, and an output impedance of 2 Ohms.

The DAC cable that connects the two sections is made with 4 large section conductors; to ensure better shielding, silver-coated copper has been used which covers the inner part of Technora fiber. PEE51 can be used with PCs running Windows 10, computers with macOS, Android smartphones, and tablets. However, iOS-based devices are not currently supported.

Price and availability

Astell & Kern PEE51 USB Type-C DAC Cable volume control headphone amplifier costs $149 and will be available to pre-order via Bhphotovideo.com from May 17, 2021.

Astell & Kern PEE51 Features

  • DAC: 2 x CS43198
  • Supported Sample Rates: PCM up to 384kHz / 32-bit, Native DSD up to 256
  • Input: USB-C
  • Output: 3.5mm stereo jack
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz (+/- 0.030dB)
  • Signal to Noise Ratio: 118dB at 1kHz
  • THD distortion + noise: 0.0004% at 1 kHz
  • Output Impedance: 2 Ohm
  • Output voltage: 2 Vrms

About Ankeet Solanki

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