Astell & Kern A&ultima Sp3000

Astell & Kern used to be based in 2013 and didn’t take lengthy to transform our go-to logo for transportable track avid gamers. The pile of What Hello-Fi? Awards it has received over that point is sufficient to end up the corporate’s skill. Unusually, A&Ok hasn’t ever long past for the funds marketplace, who prefer to persist with the ‘reassuringly pricey’ trail that has served it smartly. Even its present entry-level providing, the very good A&norma SR35, which retails for £799 / $799 / AU$1299, falls into the top rate class by means of maximum judgements. 

Excellent as this and the corporate’s step-up avid gamers were, we’ve all the time puzzled what would occur if its engineers had been tasked with generating a real cost-no-object providing. The coming of the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 solutions that query.

Construct & Design

This participant could also be across the dimension of a giant field of fits nevertheless it weighs in at simply in need of part a kilogram. Whilst the SP3000 is indisputably sufficiently small to suit into a garments pocket, it received’t really feel comfy there. The pointy-edged angular casework received’t assist that purpose both. It’s manufactured from extremely polished 904L chrome steel, which is understood for being sturdy and immune to corrosion, such a lot in order that the likes of Rolex use it for its watches. There are two end choices: black and silver. We suspect each will end up to be fingerprint magnets of the best order. The provided ALRAN leather-based case is helping after all, and can offer protection to the unit from scratches, if no longer careless drops. 

The SP3000’s major keep an eye on interface is the touchscreen, after all. This can be a slightly crisp 5.46-inch LCD show with a decision of 1080 x 1920. The touchscreen is responsive, although any person used to the slickness of contemporary telephones will in finding this participant a bit of clunky to navigate from time to time.

The bodily keep an eye on rely is minimum with 3 buttons at the aspect dealing with same old play/pause/skip and scan purposes, leaving the crown-like quantity dial to double as an on/off transfer. There are 3 outputs at the best of the participant: a three.5mm that still serves as an optical output, a 4.4mm balanced and a 2.5mm balanced. It’s transparent that A&Ok is attempting to hide all bases right here. The unit is charged by means of a USB-C socket at the base, which additionally acts because the enter when you wish to have to obtain recordsdata into the participant.

Options

There is not any factor with document compatibility. The SP3000 can maintain high-resolution recordsdata as much as 32-bit/768kHz PCM recordsdata and DSD512. It is going to play all of the same old document sorts in addition to MQA. That is all due to using a quartet of Asahi Kasei’s new flagship DAC chip, the AK4499EX. This participant is Roon In a position, too.

In other places, the engineers have labored demanding to cut back the SP3000’s inside noise ranges or even long past so far as to have separate analogue circuits for the balanced and unbalanced outputs, all with the purpose of optimising efficiency. 

Bluetooth is at the menu, so you’ll use wi-fi headphones with this participant, and given the no-compromise nature of this design it comes as no wonder to seek out aptX HD and LDAC formats at the spec checklist. The SP3000 too can circulation recordsdata throughout your own home community and has 256GB of garage in-built. The ones dealing in high-resolution recordsdata would possibly in finding this reasonably proscribing, in particular when you have a big assortment, so can be glad to discover a microSD card slot which is able to upload a most of 1TB of reminiscence.

The A&Ok’s battery is rated at a somewhat hefty 5050mAh. That is claimed to present round 10 hours of taking part in time with a CD-spec document, a reasonable quantity point and the show grew to become off. Underneath commonplace instances be expecting round a 3rd lower than that. Recharge time is round 3.5 hours.

Loading recordsdata onto the SP3000 proves a breeze, being a easy drag-and-drop procedure from our MacBook Professional. Our recordsdata are a mixture of high-res and CD-spec, permitting us to check how the A&Ok participant responds to the other bit charges. There proves no factor because the participant strikes seamlessly from a DSD document of Stevie Marvel’s Innervisions to a 24-bit/192kHz document of Mahler’s Symphony No.4 with CD-spec albums from Kiasmos (Kiasmos) and Leonard Cohen (I’m Your Guy) in between.

We attempt quite a lot of headphones with the SP3000 starting from the closed-back Sony MDR-Z1R to open-back designs corresponding to Focal’s Utopia (2022) and Yamaha’s YH5000SE. Given the cost of the participant, those are the types of top rate headphones any possible buyer will have to believe.

Sound

There are specific characteristics that come thru irrespective of the track performed. The SP3000 is a superbly detailed and insightful performer. It has the facility to polish a mild at the subtlest of element with out shedding monitor of the entire. The organisation of knowledge is very good, with the participant sounding as cohesive and balanced as they arrive. Whilst the main edges of notes are as crisp as you favor, there may be an interesting fullness to the sound that forestalls the A&Ok from sounding cluttered or hard-edged. Tonally issues are effectively judged and this can be a delightful wonder to determine simply how authoritative and muscular the SP3000 sounds. Bass notes have palpable weight and a variety of energy but organize to mix seamlessly with the remainder of the frequency vary with out dominating. That’s a neat trick few organize.

The SP3000 is superb at handing over the size and drama of the orchestra within the Mahler Symphony. Dynamic sweeps are rendered with conviction and drive. Low-level instrumental strands are tracked conveniently and regardless of how dense the track will get, this A&Ok all the time sounds composed and in keep an eye on.

The tale is in a similar fashion sure after we circulation from our Naim NAS over our devoted community. The SP3000 is worked up to ship A Grand Don’t Come For Unfastened from the Streets with the recording’s tough and in a position appeal intact. It unearths the constraints of the recording high quality and manufacturing however nonetheless captures the power, pleasure and on some tracks, the heartache, within the track. Similarly, we’re transported again into time after we concentrate to Coltrane’s 1960 liberate, Massive Steps, the SP3000 rendering the dynamic and rhythmic shifts of the track brilliantly.

Questioning simply how a lot distinction the balanced headphone output makes, we plug our reference Sony MDR-Z1R into each (no longer on the similar time, after all) and shape a transparent choice for the balanced possibility. It sounds extra exact and confident, handing over particularly extra energy and grip at low frequencies. In case your headphones be offering the choice of going balanced that is the direction we’d counsel. That mentioned, we plug each the Yamaha YH5000SE and the Focal Utopia into the three.5mm unbalanced output and the effects are nonetheless very good. 

The tale is in a similar fashion sure after we attach thru Bluetooth the usage of the Mark Levinson No.5909 wi-fi headphones. The relationship is swift and strong. Whilst the sound isn’t as just right because the high-end stressed out headphones in absolute phrases, by means of Bluetooth requirements it’s terrific, and a transparent point higher than the sound we get the usage of our iPhone 12 Professional Max for a similar task. On the other hand, we will be able to additionally say that in case your major means of taking note of the SP3000 is by means of Bluetooth headphones then you’re going to by no means pay attention how just right it if truth be told is.

The A&Ok’s obtrusive rival is the similarly-priced Sony NW-WM1ZM2. Each are superbly made although we really feel the Sony edges it on the subject of precision of construct and high quality really feel. The Sony may be a bit of forward in outright research although the SP3000 counters on the subject of dynamic contrasts, bass muscularity and rhythmic power. General, the A&Ok is the extra musical performer with a richer tonal palette, and in order that’s the place our cash would pass.

Verdict

Some other people won’t ever get previous the SP3000’s worth and we will be able to remember that. This can be a massive quantity to spend on one thing that can be thrown in a bag and used out and about. However put that price judgement to at least one aspect and it’s simple to appreciate Astell & Kern’s success right here. The SP3000 sounds excellent and is full of helpful options. It’s just right sufficient for use as the principle supply in a top rate house machine, which makes that worth just a little extra palatable. To sum up, the SP3000 is the most efficient transportable track participant we’ve heard and the most efficient of anything else infrequently comes cost effectively.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Construct 5
• Options 5

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