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A Beautiful Object: Astell&Kern's ACRO L1000 Desktop Headphone Amplifier

The designers knocked it out of the park

By Rain Noe - May 11, 2020

in Object Culture

Technology holds little appeal for me these days, and it's been ages since I saw an electronic object that I wanted to reach out and touch. Then I saw this:

That's hi-fi audio system manufacturer Astell&Kern's ACRO L1000 Desktop Headphone Amplifier. I'm not a professional sound person and have zero need for an object like this, but I find it incredibly seductive. I can practically feel the weight of the object, the knurling on the dial, the precise level of resistance offered when turning the dial.

The angle the dial is set at is the exact angle I'd want for it, if I was interacting with this frequently. And the angle of the often-not-visible back seems ideal for easily plugging and unplugging things.

That being said, if I bought this and it was light in weight, or moved around on your desk when you used it, or if the resistance on the knob was too light, I'd be disappointed. This is a product whose visuals communicate and promise a certain user experience, and it has to follow through.

High-end audio gear ain't cheap, and this is no exception. The L1000 will set you audio pros back $899.

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Sean Horita

4 years ago

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Thanks for including this product on the daily lineup. I like the heft of the aluminum and the big angled knob, and the hint of mid-90's Ziba 'humping block' semantic. There's a bit too much going on however and its not well resolved. The angles on the cylinder don't line up with the LEDs, so what are they good for? They clash with the knurling on the knob itself; like the designer couldn't make up his or her mind of what surface treatment to employ. The inputs aren't aligned in a discernable way, and the rear terminal plate (is that the right name?) is a mess of screw heads. Finally there's no reason for that SolidWorks-101 chamfer. Nice product stance, bet it works and feels great, but I'd expect more refinement for nine bills. Cool product portfolio though.

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- Nathan D.
  
  Sean Horita
  
  4 years ago
  
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  I like how they used the screws that came with the XLR jack even though they don't work at all. That takes some guts.
  
  The only reason anyone buys these things is to put them on their desks at work so they can mansplain amplifier classes and planar magnetic drivers to anyone dumb enough to feign interest in their preferred means of listening to Daft Punk.
  
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Michael DiTullo

4 years ago

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I always love these guy's products... and this is no exception... until I saw how big it is! Whoa, I thought it was going to be half the size!

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