Astell&Kern - A&ultima SP3000

ASTELL&KERN INTRODUCES A NEW ADDITION TO THE WIDELY POPULAR A&ULTIMA SERIES, THE SP3000 FLAGSHIP DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER

Astell&Kern is a company based in Gangnam-daero, Seocho-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Astell&Kern means the centre of music and stands true to its name. Astell&Kern products are the perfect pick for Hi-Fi audio aficionados. Astell&Kern is renowned for offering hugely well-liked DAPs that have revolutionised the audio industry. Astell&Kern has achieved great success with their A&ultima series of DAPs. They have been known for their exceptional build and sound quality. Building on the lineage, Astell&Kern brings the all-new flagship DAP the SP3000, into the A&ultima series. The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000 is the newest flagship product that is the essence of everything learned and engineered over the last 10+ years of digital music processing. The SP3000 is the world's first DAP with independent Dual Audio Circuitry and the latest DAC with HEXA structure design. It uses all audio technologies and the best materials that let you feel the overwhelming impact of sound and music. The SP3000 features the latest flagship DAC chips from AKM and has a HEXA DAC structure at its core that deliver pristine digital to analogue conversion without jitter. The A&ultima SP3000 also features TERATON ALPHA which is Astell&Kern's ultimate sound solution to produce audio playback that is close to the original sound through the audio output interface by use of effective power noise removal, efficient power management and amplification with minimal distortion. Experience music at all-new levels that you haven't experienced before with the Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000. The SP3000 supports PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) 8kHz ~ 768kHz (8/16/24/32 bits per Sample) and DSD (Direct Stream Digital) Native: DSD64(1 bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1 bit 5.6MHz), Stereo DSD256(1 bit 11.2MHz), Stereo / DSD512(1 bit 22.4MHz), Stereo.

UNRIVALLED HEXA DAC STRUCTURE FUSED WITH THE LATEST FLAGSHIP DAC CHIP FROM AKM DELIVERS EXCEPTIONAL SONIC PERFORMANCE

The SP3000 is a flagship product with the latest technology and uncompromising design. Astell&Kern worked with AKM from the initial development stage to develop the DAC and circuit structure. Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation (AKM) has developed a new flagship stereo D/A converter (DAC), the VELVET SOUND | VERITATM AK4499EX, which has a complete separation of digital and analogue circuits solution in conjunction with the AK4191. The SP3000 features dual AKM4191EQ (Dual Modulator) + Quad AKM4499EX DAC chips (Dual + Dual DAC). The design uses the latest high-quality sound technology and a separate digital/analogue solution to achieve a sound as if you were their experience. The analogue characteristics also exceed those of the integrated D/A predecessor AK4499, allowing you to experience an unprecedented level of life-like sound. As a result of the partnership, the SP3000 has four AK4499EX DACs. The SP3000 incorporates the novel HEXA structure architecture in which two AK4191EQs analyse digital signals. These independently provide incredible sound. Most digital players process digital and analogue signals together inside the DAC. However, the SP3000’s advanced HEXA structure reduces the noise of the digital signal input through the AK4191EQ, a separate digital delta-sigma modulator, and the AK4499EX DAC processes the analogue signals separately. In a HEXA structure, complete separation of digital and analogue signals is accomplished. It is now possible to experience an astounding degree of sound that has never been experienced before because of the application of this novel design, which enables digital and analogue signal processing to be separate for the first time in a digital audio player.

EXPERIENCE SPECTACULAR AUDIO PERFORMANCE WITH INDEPENDENT DUAL AUDIO CIRCUITS FUSED WITH TERATON ALPHA TECHNOLOGY AND CROSSFEED

Astell&Kern engineers have paid equal importance to the design of the internal components as to the externals. Astell&Kern engineers strived to develop a DAP, never having been engineered or experienced. The engineers at Astell&Kern utilise TERATON ALPHA, AK's Ultimate Sound Solution, which has been enhanced for the SP3000. In addition to most recent DAC and technology available to create the ultimate audio player has been incorporated in SP3000. Through effective power noise elimination, effective power management, unwavering amplification, and a fully converted audio output interface, TERATON ALPHA, Astell&Kern's exclusive technology, has been developed to produce audio playback that is as similar to the original sound as possible. The HEXA DAC structure and independent dual audio circuit, implemented for the first time in the SP3000, are paired with TERATON ALPHA's sound solution to create the purest original sound. To develop an innovative DAP, not just a great DAP, Astell&Kern tried to overcome limitations by envisioning an independent dual audio circuit with a HEXA structure and unbalanced and balanced outputs. Astell&Kern and almost all other DAPs use an inbuilt DAC for balanced and unbalanced outputs. This design prevents the audio performance from being improved. To overcome the limitations, a team of engineers at Astell&Kern designed a HEXA structure using two AKM4191EQs and four AKM4499EXs, creating an innovative unbalanced and balanced, independent dual audio circuit design. The SP3000 achieves an SNR of 130dB, the best of any DAP available. Listening to headphones where the left and right channels are separated may cause increased ear fatigue. The moment you turn on "Crossfeed", the experience of crisp but comfortable sound begins. Crossfeed mixes parts of the original signal from one channel and sends that signal to the opposite channel with a time difference to centre the sound image. With detailed settings such as Shelf Cutoff, Shelf Gain, and Mixer Level, you can set the level of crossfeed according to your listening preferences. You can feel the clean, pure delicacy of sound with the SP3000 that you cannot experience in any other DAP.

FEATURES LATEST SNAPDRAGON OCTA-CORE CPU FOR SMOOTH OPERATION AND OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE AND WIRELESS HI-FI SOUND THROUGH BT SINK WITH BLUETOOTH 5.0 AND WIFI CONNECTIVITY

Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000 is equipped with a Snapdragon 6125 Octa-core processor, so you can enjoy the overwhelming sound, faster system response and a redesigned generation user interface that moves comfortably and smoothly. Featuring a high-performance Qualcomm® Adreno™ 610 GPU, Qualcomm® Kryo™ 260 CPU (Octa-core), and improved 8GB of DDR4 memory, which is twice the amount commonly used, the more powerful system is stable with fast and fluid movement. The CPU, memory and wireless communication parts are configured as one module, with the digital circuit parts arranged in the same area creating a single system on a chip (SoC). This design maximises the efficiency of the overall circuit configuration by providing more audio-only circuit space, reducing heat and noise from digital circuits. BT Sink function connects the SP3000 to an external device via Bluetooth, similar to connecting a smartphone with a BT speaker. Music from an external device, such as a smartphone, can now be played back in high-quality on the SP3000 using the BT Sink function. The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000 with Bluetooth 5.0 supports aptX HD and LDAC codec support. The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000 also supports audio formats like WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, and MQA. It also supports 2.4G and 5G Wi-Fi compatibility to ensure a quick and reliable internet connection. The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000 also supports “Roon READY”, It has Roon’s high-resolution streaming technology built right in. They combine simple setup, daily reliability, and support for the highest level of digital audio performance.

DIGITAL AUDIO REMASTER TECHNOLOGY FOR NATURAL, VIVID AND AUTHENTIC SOUND WITH SOUND DESIGN DAC FILTERS AND SHIELD REDUCED DISTORTION

Digital Audio Remaster (DAR) technology, created to offer excellent sound at greater sample rates, is built into the SP3000. DAR technology is developed to up-sample the sample rate of the sound source to go beyond the limits of the source format. The high sample rate allows more refined play offering delicate and analogue-like original sound, helping you to enjoy the richness of the original sound, subtle differences in the nuance of the music and rich sounds at a higher level. With the SP3000, you can have fun creating your sound style by selecting various DAC filters provided by the DAC manufacturer. Design your sound with six different DAC filters: super slow roll-off, short delay slow roll-off, slow roll-off, low dispersion, short delay sharp roll-off, and sharp roll-off. With this customisation at your fingertips, you can customise the sound as per your preferences. A shield prevents various noises and electromagnetic interference from affecting the audio block. The SP3000 takes it a step further to achieve excellent audio performance and perfect shielding by applying highly conductive, high-purity silver on the existing shield can and physically separating digital and analogue signals.

NEW GENERATION UI WITH THE ADOPTION OF 5.46 INCH FULL HD DISPLAY FOR EASY OPERABILITY

Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000 features a newly developed UX/UI, the SP3000 focuses on the process and experience of listening to music, and Astell&Kern wanted to develop a player for music so that you can feel this process. The new theme is designed; with a focus; on the experience of rediscovering songs that you have forgotten; you can quickly browse through music categories with simple gestures. A convenient search feature along with album art has been featured so that you can enjoy a digital display of CD album covers of your music collection. The SP3000 gives you the pleasure of listening to music and easy operability while operating the device. In addition, the Crimson theme, one of the main features of the new generation UI, is designed so that you can feel the appearance of the SP3000 on the screen. The graphics are simple and unobtrusive, focusing on usability and intuitiveness. Three key concepts, Edge, Simple, and Dark Mode, were used to improve usability and increase clarity. The black and red theme colours reduce eye fatigue, maximise battery usage and reduce heat generation. Experience the SP3000 more conveniently and comfortably with a wide 5.46-inch; 1080 x 1920 touch screen and large-screen Full HD display.

EQUIPPED WITH FAST CHARGING, REAL-TIME INFORMATION, AK FILE DROP, AND REPLAYGAIN THAT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTS PLAYBACK VOLUME AND SUPPORTS WIRELESS TRANSFERS

Inside the A&ultima's beautiful volume wheel are LED lights shaped like a majestic musical sound swirling through the unit. You can check the bit depth information of the currently playing song or the set AMP mode through the LED light that spreads intensely from inside the SP3000. The new AK File Drop function in the SP3000 makes file transfer easy and more convenient. Using AK File Drop, you can freely transfer files wirelessly through a PC, smartphone, or FTP program on the same network. Music file management is now possible with a cableless, wireless solution. The SP3000 supports Qualcomm QC 3.0 fast charging and has a 5,050mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer battery, so you can charge your DAP faster and more efficiently than previous models, reaching a full charge in about 3.5 hours. The playback time is about 10 hours (Standard: FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.80, LCD Off, Low Gain). ReplayGain, which adjusts sound sources with different volumes to an optimal level, has been applied. Now, enjoy your playlists seamlessly through the ReplayGain feature on SP3000. ReplayGain supports up to 24-bit/192 kHz sound sources. With Astell&Kern's superior audio technology, the SP3000 offers Native DSD512 and up to 32bit/768kHz, allowing you to enjoy your favourite music. The battery capacity will give you about 10 hours (Standard: FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.80, LCD Off, Low Gain) of playtime. The SP3000 has a built-in memory of 256GB and expandable support for 1TB with microSD.

EXQUISITELY CRAFTED WITH STAINLESS STEEL 904L BODY WITH THOUGHTFUL INPUTS AND OUTPUTS AND BUNDLED WITH PREMIUM LEATHER CASE

The polished stainless-steel body shines every moment, and the beautifully shimmering LED light and sharply machined ceramic panel further emphasise the luxury. The SP3000 has a thoughtful design and processing and offers the ultimate beauty that matches the ultimate sound. To achieve the goal of the A&ultima series, which is to provide the best value that no one can imitate while using the most innovative and uncompromising design and craftsmanship, the SP3000 uses 904L stainless steel material that has never been attempted before in a portable audio player. Using this material has expanded its value from just a digital device to the realm of a luxury good. 904L stainless steel is more difficult to process than general stainless steel requiring significantly more time and effort. Experience the uncompromising beauty and luxury of the SP3000 produced by Astell&Kern’s experienced craftsmanship. The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000 has a USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC). It is compatible with Windows 8,10,11 (32/64bit) MAC OS X 10.7. It has numerous outputs like unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Optical Out (3.5mm), balanced Out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported | 4.4m, only 5-pole supported) with output impedance as unbalanced Out 3.5mm (0.8ohm) and 2.5mm (2.0ohm), 4.4mm (1.8ohm) for balanced out. The SP3000 comes with a French goatskin leather case to protect and highlight the beauty of the 904L stainless steel body. The premium goat leather case included with the SP3000 is developed with ALRAN Tannery's unique Hand-Boarding technology. This design technology processes the leather by rubbing it in various directions using wooden planks so you can feel the texture of the surface. The premium goat leather case protects the SP3000 from dust, scratches, and bumps.

The Ultimate Hi-Fi Audio System

The word Astell means Stars in Latin while the word Kern means Centre and together Astell&Kern means the centre of music. Astell&Kern products are the perfect pick for Hi-Fi audio aficionados. Due to the advancement in recording technology, music can be recorded digitally while sounding as true as a live performance. But most of the time, these high-quality recordings are heard in inferior audio formats such as MP3 which compromises with the sound quality. Additionally, the soundstage aspect of the sound is completely lost in the MP3 formats. Therefore Astell&Kern came into existence to address this issue to revive the amazing sound quality for musicians and audio professionals.

The brand has core values such as: High-Resolution studio quality sound in
audio device, Audio quality without compromise, Design & Engineering Excellence, Craftsmanship & High Quality Materials, State of the art Technology and Innovation at every release.

Specialist Hi-Fi Brand in Digital Audio Player Market

Astell&Kern dedicatedly works on providing naturalistic sound without any kind of distortion so that listeners can hear even the minutest details of a song which they would have otherwise missed. Furthermore, Astell&Kern prides itself on using only the absolute best DAC chips from AKM, ESS or Cirrus Logic. Each DAP is unique and crafted to the highest quality standards.

A Popular Choice for Hi-Res Audio

AstellKern believes in playing Hi-Res music matching the quality of the recording. This ability to deliver a sound which is close to the live performance is the highlight of Astell&Kern. This standard of sound quality has been used in audio exhibitions around the world and is appreciated by audio lovers across the world including the USA, China, Japan, UK, France among others.

All Astell&Kern DAPs employ high quality materials from Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Copper, and Brass. Made in South Korea, all their DAPs provide an overwhelming Power Output based on BAL 2Vrms~12Vrms.