【audio-technica AT-HRD100｜A digital transport to enjoy hi-res audio in your car】

Product Highlights

You want to enjoy audio from a smartphone or digital player a little cleaner, even with in-car audio. You’re using DSP and an external amplifier, but you’d also like to revisit the sound “input” side.

If that sounds like you, consider the audio-technica digital transport AT-HRD100.

It supports PCM up to 384 kHz / 32-bit, and DSD in DSD64 and DSD128. For the USB Audio IC, it uses SAVITECH’s BRAVO-HD SA9123L, and for the DAC it uses ESS’s ES9018K2M. Since it supports not only digital output but also analog output, it’s a model that makes it easy to plan connections that match your current system setup—such as your navigation unit, DSP, or external DAC.

In car audio, the final result can change not only with speakers and amplifiers, but also with how you capture the audio source. By adding the AT-HRD100 to your system, you can aim for a more organized presentation—such as clearer vocal definition, fine instrument details and reverberation, and a wider soundstage. Especially in systems using DSP and/or an external amplifier, it’s not a small matter to properly set up the input side.

For the coaxial digital and square optical digital outputs, it is equipped with AKM’s sampling rate converter AK4137EQ. This makes it easier to design the setup according to the equipment you connect. On the analog output side, it also uses an ESS DAC, a TI LME49720 op-amp, and audio-grade capacitors. It supports switching of the D/A filter and the DAC output level, allowing you to fine-tune the system to match the devices you combine and your preferences.

However, these kinds of components don’t always produce the same results just by installing them. Depending on compatibility with your existing navigation unit, DSP, amplifier, speakers, and playback devices, digital connections may sound better in some cases, while analog connections may come together more naturally in others.

At Logon, we’ll think together about where to incorporate the AT-HRD100 so there’s less wasted effort—while confirming your current system configuration and how you usually listen to music. If it were me, I wouldn’t decide first based on the product alone; I would look at the entire vehicle system, check the connection from the input all the way to the speakers, and then choose.

If you want to enjoy hi-res audio in the car, want to take another look at your current car audio setup, or want to make the most of the performance of your DSP and external amplifier, please feel free to consult us. Let’s organize a reasonable, no-stress configuration together based on your vehicle and the equipment you use.

Main Specifications / Specs

■ Basic Information
Product name: AT-HRD100
Brand: audio-technica
Type: Digital transport

■ Supported Audio Sources
PCM: 32–384 kHz / 32-bit
DSD: DSD64, DSD128

■ Key Parts
USB Audio IC: SAVITECH BRAVO-HD SA9123L
DAC IC: ESS ES9018K2M
I/V conversion circuit op-amp: TI LME49720
Sampling rate converter: AKM AK4137EQ
Audio capacitors: WIMA, NICHICON, OS-CON

■ Connections / Output
Digital output: Coaxial digital, square optical digital
Analog output: Yes
DAC output level switching: Yes

■ Adjustment / Display Functions
D/A filter switching: Yes
Digital filters: 3 types
Sampling indicator: 6-step display

• Organized based on information published by the manufacturer.