Dossier — Astell&Kern AK HC5
The brochure speaks; the silicon answers. What follows is what each has said.
+ Vendor page › +Claims breakdown
| Claim | Bucket | Witnessed | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCM 32-bit / 768 kHz | PCM | Alt 1, Subslot 4 — 32-bit PCM. Sample Rates Supported (kHz): 44.1 48 88.2 96 176.4 192 352.8 384 705.6 768Alt 2, Subslot 2 — 16-bit PCM. Sample Rates Supported (kHz): 44.1 48 88.2 96 176.4 192 352.8 384 705.6 768 | ✓ Match |
| Native DSD512 | DSD | Alt 3, Subslot 4 — Type-1 RAW 1-bit DSD. Sample Rates Supported (kHz): 44.1 48 88.2 96 176.4 192 352.8 384 705.6 768 (DSD64 to DSD512) | ✓ Match |
Remarks
A clean concordance at the top of the range. Astell&Kern specs the HC5 at PCM up to 32-bit / 768 kHz and native DSD to DSD512, and the silicon descriptor witnesses exactly that ceiling — no overshoot to flatter, no shortfall to fault.
Where many vendors leave DSD's transport unnamed, Astell&Kern states native outright — and the descriptor agrees: a raw DSD alt, carried natively to DSD512, not DSD-over-PCM. The claim and the witness meet without a gap.
The descriptor exposes a 16-bit and a 32-bit PCM alt, with no dedicated 24-bit alt — and none is needed. 24-bit content is carried inside the 32-bit container, left-justified and bit-for-bit intact; the wider word is the carrier, not a compromise. The 32-bit alt is where 24-bit lives.
+ See the full Concordance +