Astell&Kern continues to set standards and pursue audio technological perfection while achieving luxury status symbol. Their relentless hunger for innovation culminates in the latest flagship portable digital audio player, the A&ultima SP3000. It retails in Singapore at S$5799.
I was in awe after unboxing it and holding the SP3000 in my hand for the first time. People familiar with Astell&Kern DAPs would know that their players are unabashedly block-like with very sharp corners. If you drop them, the corners will be dented for sure. But the SP3000 body is forged using 904L stainless steel material never before found in a portable audio player. It is polished to perfection and reflects everything around it, and looks nothing like stainless steel.
A fingerprint magnet no doubt, the SP3000 includes a French goatskin leather case for protection to the owner from the angular sides, as well as numerous sets of screen protectors that you can stick all around the glossy SP3000 body surfaces to achieve flawless longevity. All the more it gives reasons to handle the SP3000 with utmost care and you certainly would not casually throw it into your carry bag.
Since the launch of the A&ultima SP2000 three years ago, so many improvements have been made, like doubling the DAC from two AK4499EQ to four AK4499EX. The new SP3000 features the HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure in which two dedicated DSP AK4191EQ process the digital signals separately before passing to the DAC to deliver the analog audio.
The user interface has also been overhauled with responsive touch controls and smooth animation. The home page displays cover albums in CD jewel case design, swipe left and right to browse albums, or tap the top right icon to browse other categories, while the top left icon brings up the menu. It is also possible to install streaming apps like TIDAL, Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, KKBox, and more. Another much-appreciated addition is the inclusion of both 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced connectors, as well as the premium Bluetooth audio codecs, LDAC and aptX HD.
Listening with my Sennheiser HD 800 S on balanced cable output, the SP3000 delivers a musical sensitivity that touches me. It has an almost analog quality in how the instrumental sounds are crafted. I should not describe too much on the frequency response because it is dependent on the headphones, but I must give credit to the SP3000 for delivering powerful, confident, pristine audio signals for equally-superior headphones to perform.
With the SP3000, I have finally heard the HD 800 S deliver its full potential for the first time since I bought it. The SP3000 does not exaggerate the output, but yet it amplifies more finer nuances, and therefore unapologetic in revealing recording flaws which my ears pick up much easier than what I usually experience. The sound staging is both intimate yet expansive, wrapping the audio like a cocoon to sooth me with sound waves. It delivers equal footing across the frequency spectrum, neither emphasising the bass nor exaggerating the highs, even keeping the midrange very disciplined. Again, the credit might go to the headphones, but a premium DAP like the SP3000 makes a big difference.
I was equally impressed that the Digital Audio Remaster technology really improves the sound. The DAR technology upsamples the sample rate of the sound source to 384kHz PCM or DSD256 and to deliver more refined output and less “digital”. This mode works best with compressed format like MP3, where the DAR reduces the sibilance and harshness of the treble, improves midrange details, as well as resolving some compression artefacts which sounded obvious without DAR. It also improves the sound staging from a flat plane into one with more depth, and instruments are more distinct. The upsample is genuine as evident from the LED colour indicator around the knob: it shows purple which means the output is DSD format.
Verdict
The A&ultima SP3000 is one of the few premium DAPs that drives my headphone collection very well. It suits my listening profile, which is meticulously detailed, layered instrumentation, close sound stage, clean musical texture, not too sanitized yet not too wooly, at high volumes the music should not be too pushy.
Before committing to buy audio products like the SP3000, we have audio stores in Singapore that welcome consumers to test them. AV ONE has showrooms at The Adelphi and Millenia Walk with conducive environment and knowledgeable staff to help you in your search for the desired headphones or DAP or other audio accessories. Always remember that in the audio world, higher price does not mean better product. What is more important is whether you can hear the difference and whether you feel the price is worth paying for. Do not feel discouraged if you own an entry-level DAP and you read other comments about the “poor performance”. If you thoroughly enjoy the product, then you are good.