Digital Audio Player DAP Series Portable
High resolution DAP digital player. Playable files up to 32bit/768KHz: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF and MQA. Sampling Rate: PCM: 8kHz-768kHz (8/16/24/32 bits per sample), DSD64 (1bit 2.8 MHz), Stereo / DSD128 (1bit 5.6 MHz), Stereo / DSD256 (1bit 11.2 MHz), Stereo / DSD512(1bit 22.4MHz). Ultra-fast Snapdragon 6125 octa-core CPU. Internal AKM AK4191 x 2 and AK4499EX x 4 DACs. Separate Next Generation Amp and Teraton Alpha technology. High quality headphone output amplifier with values of 3.3V unbalanced and 6.3V balanced. Internal memory: 256GB expandable by another 1TB through a microSD slot. 5.46" FHD high definition display 1080x1920 touchscreen. WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5GHz. Bluetooth V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, aptXTM HD, LDAC). Headphone jack 3.5mm jack (also optical) and further balanced outputs on 4-pole 2.5mm and 5-pole 4.4mm jacks USB-C input (PC/Mac and MTP data transfer) Power supply and charging via microUSB cable and battery internal 3.8V and 5050mAh lithium polymer battery with 10 hour duration Supported operating systems: Windows 10,11 (32/64 bit), Mac OSX 10.7 904L stainless steel chassis Protective leather case supplied. Dimensions (WxHxD): 82.4x139.4x18.3mm Weight: 493gr.
SP3000, luxury and innovation Astell&Kern's A&ultima Series has always established the perfect marriage between reference sound and innovative technology. A&ultima SP3000 is the new flagship product of the Korean house and represents the essence of everything learned and designed in the last 10 years of digital music development. A&ultima SP3000 is the first DAP in the world to use dual independent audio circuitry for the two channels and the latest DAC with HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure, implementing all the best audio technologies and the finest materials to let you fully enjoy the overwhelming sound impact of digital music. Salient features
- The first DAP in the world to use a special 904L stainless steel for the chassis
- World's first DAP with full separation between analog and digital signals (uses Asahi Kasei's top-of-the-line AK4499EX DAC)
- Amazing audio performance with dual mono audio circuitry
- It employs a high performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 6125 Octa-Core CPU
- New graphical interface for an even more complete experience
- Support for aptX™-HD and LDAC
- Native DSD512 support, 32bit/768kHz
- MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) support
- Roon Ready certified
- 5.46 inch Full HD display
- AK File Drop for wireless music file transfer
- Qualcomm QC 3.0 fast charge, 3.5 hours for a full charge
- BT Sink function to connect SP3000 to an external device via Bluetooth and play its music via A&K
Innovations in materials A&ultima SP3000 is the first DAP in the world to use a special 904L stainless steel for the chassis. To achieve the goal of the A&ultima series, which is to "stand out from the competition by the value of its products, using innovative design and content without compromise", SP3000 uses 904L stainless steel, never experienced before in a portable audio player . The use of this material enhances the value of the SP3000 from a simple digital device to a luxury item. 904L stainless steel is harder and more difficult to machine than ordinary stainless steel, requiring significantly more time and effort. However, due to its excellent durability and corrosion resistance, it does not lose its luster and that is why it is used in expensive luxury watches where the perfection of all materials and parts must always be pursued.
TERATON ALPHA, the essence of A&K audio technologies, enclosed in the SP3000 TERATON ALPHA is A&K's latest sonic revolution to reproduce audio as faithfully as possible to the original, through effective power supply noise removal, efficient power consumption, and uncompromising sound amplification. What makes the Astell&Kern sound different? Many people have similar ideas about what makes sound better; for example they think that the DAC alone determines the sound of the DAP. And so, in the end you will have only the same DAPs, with the same DACs and the same sound quality, for each product. The DAC definitely plays a big part in the quality of a DAP, but it's not the only factor that determines the sound. TERATON ALPHA technology effectively removes power supply noise and provides efficient power consumption and amplification up to the audio output interface stage where digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) occurs - audio technology that Astell&Kern has been continuously developing and perfected over the years. In addition, for the SP3000, A&K has designed a HEXA-Audio circuit structure and a dual mono channel configuration, which in combination with TERATON ALPHA technology, recreate the ideal sound.
The first DAP in the world with complete separation between analog and digital signals
SP3000 is a top product, employing the most advanced technology and uncompromising design. Astell&Kern has worked since the beginning in collaboration with AKM, to develop the best DAC inserted in the best possible circuitry. Thanks to this cooperation, the first four AK4499EX DACs, the latest flagship of AKM, have been put into the SP3000, as well as the innovative HEXA-Audio circuit structure, in which two AK4191EQs processing digital signals are separated for the two channels, to complete the incredible sound that always distinguishes Astell&Kern. Most digital players process both digital and analog signals within the same DAC. In the SP3000 the HEXA-Audio circuit reduces the noise of the incoming digital signal through the AK4191EQ, a separate delta-sigma digital modulator, while the AK4499EX DAC is designed to process analog signals separately. Thanks to this unique design, for the first time in a digital audio player it has been possible to obtain physically separate digital and analog signal processing and increase the signal-to-noise ratio (130dB), resulting in pristine and never-before-experienced sound. Silver plated shield Shielding is applied to prevent various electromagnetic noise and interference from affecting the audio circuits. The SP3000 goes one step further to achieve excellent audio performance and perfect shielding by applying highly conductive, high-purity silver over the existing shielding package and physically separating the digital and analog signals.
Stunning audio performance with dual independent audio circuitry To create a truly innovative DAP, A&K has tried to overcome the limitations and space compromises of a DAP, imagining a dual independent audio circuit and a HEXA-Audio circuit structure with unbalanced and balanced outputs. Almost all other DAPs, including those from Astell&Kern, use a single DAC for unbalanced and balanced outputs. Since the signal from the DAC is split into unbalanced and balanced and then sent to the AMP, an audio switcher is essential. However, when using a switcher, there is a limit on the range that the signal sent from the DAC can receive, so most DAPs reduce the signal size first and then, when the signal is sent back to the amplifier, it is necessary to restore the original signal size. This results in a limitation of the audio performance. To overcome these limitations, our engineers designed a HEXA audio circuit structure using two AK4191EQs and four AK4499EXs, creating an innovative dual independent unbalanced and balanced audio circuit. The result is that the SP3000 achieves an SNR signal-to-noise ratio of 130dB, the best on the market. With SP3000 it is possible to perceive the cleanliness and delicacy of the sound, like in no other DAP. The latest Octa-Core Snapdragon CPU for A&K's latest flagship DAP The SP3000 is equipped with an Octa-core Snapdragon 6125 processor, allowing you to enjoy immersive sound, faster system response, and a more intuitive and smoother next-generation user interface. Thanks to a high-performance CPU and 8GB of DDR4 memory, double that of commonly used, it is the most powerful system ever built into a DAP. The CPU, memory, and wireless communication parts are configured as a single module, with the digital circuit parts arranged in the same area, creating a single system-on-chip (SoC). This maximizes the efficiency of the overall circuit configuration, providing more headroom for audio-only circuits and reducing the heat and noise of digital circuits. New graphical user interface experience With the new UX/UI, SP3000 focuses on the music listening process and experience. The new theme was designed with a focus on the experience of rediscovering forgotten songs; you can quickly browse music categories with simple gestures. A convenient search function has been added along with album artwork, so you can enjoy a digital display of CD artwork in your music collection. It has been designed to give you not only the pleasure of listening to music, but also the enjoyment of using the device. In addition, the Crimson theme, one of the main features of the next generation user interface, has been designed to bring out the look of the SP3000 on the screen. The graphics are simple and unobtrusive, focused on intuitive use. Three key concepts, Edge, Simple and Dark Mode, have been used to enhance playability and increase clarity with a style unique to the AK. The black and red theme colors have been chosen to reduce eye strain, maximize battery usage, and reduce heat build-up. Sound customization with DAC filters With the SP3000, you can enjoy creating your own sound style by selecting the various DAC filters that come standard with the product. There are 6 filters available.
Digital Audio Remaster technology for an even more punchy original sound The SP3000 features Digital Audio Remaster (DAR) technology, developed to deliver refined sound at higher sample rates. DAR technology was developed to increase the sample rate of the reproduced sound source and overcome the limitations of the source format. The high sampling rate allows for more refined playback and delivers a delicate and analog-like original sound, allowing you to enjoy the richness of the original sound, the subtle differences in the nuances of the music, and the rich sounds to a higher level. Crossfeed, speaker effect when listening through headphones In headphones, where the left and right channels are clearly separated, ear fatigue can increase during prolonged listening. The moment the Crossfeed circuit is activated, the experience of clear and comfortable sound begins. Crossfeed mixes parts of the original signal of one channel and sends it to the opposite channel with a time difference to center the sound image. Through the use of detailed settings such as Shelf Cutoff, Shelf Gain and Mixer Level, you can set the crossfeed level to suit your listening preferences.
Premium goat leather case
The SP3000 is supplied with a precious French goatskin case that protects it and highlights the beauty of its 904L stainless steel chassis. The case is made by the ALRAN company, located in Tarn, in the south of France, a historic tannery founded in 1903 that has been producing leather for over 100 years. It is one of the world's leading tanneries, known for its natural leather production technology since the 1980s. ALRAN is recognized as the best goat leather manufacturer and supplies world famous luxury brands. The case was developed with the exclusive Hand-Boarding technology, a technology that works the leather by rubbing it in various directions with wooden planks, so you can feel the texture of the surface. This process is unique compared to the production of other goat leather cases.
Technical features
- Chassis: 904L stainless steel
- Display: Full HD 5.46” 1080x1920 Touch
- Audio Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA
- CPU: Octa-core
- DACs: AKM AK4191 x2(Dual Modulator) & AK4499EX x4 (Dual + Dual DAC)
- Sampling: PCM: 8kHz ~ 768kHz (8/16/24/32 bits per sample)
Native DSD: DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), DSD512(1bit, 22.4MHz) Stereo
- Output Level: Unbalanced 3.3Vrms │ Balanced 6.3Vrms (No Load Condition)
- Decoding: Support up to 32bit / 768kHz Bit to Bit playback
- Frequency Response: ±0.017dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.021dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced - ±0.022dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.031dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz ) Balanced
- S/N: - 126dB @ 1kHz, unbalanced, - 130dB @ 1kHz, balanced
- THD+N: - 0.0006% @ 1kHz, unbalanced, - 0.0004% @ 1kHz, balanced
- prevented output: - Unbalanced output 3.5mm (0.7ohm) - Balanced output 2.5mm (1.7ohm), 4.4mm (1.6ohm)
- Input: USB C (for charging from PC and MAC)
- Outputs: Optical and headphone unbalanced (3.5mm) / Balanced x 2 (2.5mm 4-pole and 4.4mm 5-pole)
- WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)
- Bluetooth: V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm aptXTM HD, LDAC)
- Internal memory: 256GB (NAND)
- External memory: microSDx1 (Max. 1TB)
- Battery: 5,050mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer
- Charging: about 3.5h (fast 9V/1.67A) | 5.5h (normal 5V/2A)
- Playback: about 10 hours (standard: FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, unbalanced, Vol. 40, LCD off, LED on, Low gain mode)
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 82.4x139.4x18.3mm
- Weight: about 493gr
- Updates: Firmware upgrades (OTA)
- Support systems: Windows 10.11 (32/64bit), MAC OS X 10.7