AS2200

Acoustune Announces the AS2200 Portable USB DAC
Successor to the AS2002 with Refined Sound Quality and Improved Usability
Tokyo Onkyo Co., Ltd. (Toshima-ku, Tokyo) announces the AS2200, the successor to Acoustune's well-received AS2002 portable USB DAC/headphone amplifier.

■ Product Overview

Building on the AS2002's design philosophy of "bringing out the full potential of earphones," the AS2200 was developed for today's demanding earphones, including models with large-diameter dynamic drivers and those employing multiple driver types. 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced outputs are provided. Revised amplifier circuitry and digital processing improve sound quality, while a new OLED display has been added. The display shows the playback format, sampling rate, volume, and settings, allowing users to check information during operation and select from six PCM digital filters to suit their preferences.

The chassis is CNC-machined from a solid block of aluminum. Carrying forward the design language of Acoustune earphones, the aluminum chassis offers excellent rigidity and heat dissipation. The DAC section uses the ultra-low-distortion, low-power AK4493SEQ and supports PCM up to 32-bit/768 kHz and native DSD512 playback across a wide range of sampling rates. Drawing on Acoustune's years of acoustic tuning expertise, the AS2200 delivers delicate, faithful reproduction alongside powerful, natural, and transparent sound, bringing out the full potential of both the source material and the connected earphones.

■ Refined Amplifier Circuitry and Selectable Digital Filters

In the AS2200, the amplifier circuitry, component configuration, and digital control have all been revised. These changes improve sound quality and provide a more faithful realization of Acoustune's intended sound.

The AS2200 also carries over the AKM AK4493SEQ DAC from the AS2002. It provides both 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced outputs, with selectable LOW and HIGH output levels. In UAC 2.0 mode, it supports PCM playback up to 32-bit/768 kHz and native DSD up to DSD512. UAC 1.0 is also supported.

The AS2200 also lets users select a digital filter to suit the music. For PCM playback, users can choose among six filters, including DYNAMIC, which emphasizes attack and definition; SMOOTH, which emphasizes smooth transitions between sounds; and BALANCED, which balances time-domain response and frequency response.