Luxury meets innovation: SP3000
By utilizing innovative technologies in the A&ultima series, Astell&Kern has once again set the standard for perfect sound. The A&ultima SP3000 is the latest flagship product that embodies all the knowledge and expertise accumulated by the company over the past 10 years and more.
The A&ultima SP3000 is the world's first portable player with an independent dual audio circuitry utilizing the latest HEXA-Audio Circuitry DAC structure, allowing you to experience the stunning impact of sound and music. Experience perfection firsthand with this next-generation flagship. The A&ultima SP3000 is the pinnacle of audio players.
Innovations in materials: the world's first player with a 904L stainless steel body
The goal of the A&ultima series is to provide the best and unparalleled quality by employing the most innovative and uncompromising design and craftsmanship. To achieve this, the SP3000 features a body made of 904L stainless steel, radiating uncompromising beauty and luxury.
This alloy is harder and more difficult to process than regular stainless steel, requiring specialized equipment, additional time, and effort. However, thanks to its durability and excellent corrosion resistance, it retains its beauty over time and is used in the most expensive and luxurious watches.
TERATON ALPHA - A compound of A&K audio technologies, united in the SP3000
In order to develop a perfect audio player unlike anything that existed before it, the company utilized not only the latest DACs, but also the innovative audio technology TERATON ALPHA - the ultimate sound solution from A&K, perfected for the SP3000.
This unique technology, developed by Astell&Kern through endless research, aims to achieve the closest possible reproduction of the original sound source by efficiently eliminating power noise, power control, amplifier stabilization, as well as a completely transformed output audio interface. The combination of TERATON ALPHA with the newly implemented HEXA structure and independent dual sound circuitry recreates the purest original sound.
The first use of the latest flagship DAC from AKM - complete separation of digital and analog signals. Astell&Kern worked closely with AKM from the initial stages of developing the audio circuitry structure for their new flagship, the SP3000. As a result of their collaboration, the SP3000 became the first device to feature the innovative HEXA-Audio Circuitry, which combines four flagship AK4499EX DAC chips and two additional AK4191EQ chips.
The majority of players, including previous A&K models, process both the digital and analog signals within the DAC. Additionally, in standard circuit designs, the signal is split into unbalanced and balanced paths for amplification, requiring the addition of an audio switch to the circuit. These factors impose certain technical limitations on improving sound quality.
To overcome these limitations, A&K engineers developed the HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure, physically separating the digital and analog parts of the circuit. The AK4191EQ chips are responsible for minimizing input noise, digital filtering, and delta-sigma modulation, while the AK4499EX chips handle the analog signal, which is directly fed into the amplifiers without the use of switches. The circuit is divided into two independent parts for unbalanced and balanced outputs. The implementation of this unique design has enabled the SP3000 to achieve a record signal-to-noise ratio of 130 dB for a portable player.
Silver Shielding
The casing shielding is used to prevent the influence of various noises and electromagnetic interference on the audio circuit. A&K has taken another step forward in achieving superior sound quality with the SP3000 by applying high-conductivity silver on top of the protective shielding, physically separating the digital and analog parts of the circuit.
The latest octa-core Snapdragon processor
The A&ultima SP3000 is equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 6125 processor and an enhanced 8GB DDR4 memory, which is twice as much as competing models. This allows you to enjoy stunning sound, faster system response, and an even more convenient and smooth user interface.
The CPU, memory, and wireless communication module are configured into a single system on a chip (SoC). This maximizes the efficiency of the entire circuit configuration, providing more space for the audio circuit and reducing heat generation and noise from digital circuits. The SP3000 has received an updated interface aimed at enhancing the listening experience and providing a unique user interface that allows you to truly feel the music. The new theme is designed with a focus on rediscovering forgotten songs, and you can easily browse through music categories using simple gestures, utilize convenient search functionality, and view album covers.
The SP3000 is equipped with Digital Audio Remaster (DAR) technology, which has been developed to ensure high-quality sound at higher sampling rates. DAR increases the sampling frequency of the played file, allowing it to surpass the format limitations of the source.
Features:
- Housing material: stainless steel 904L
- Processor: octa-core Snapdragon 6125
- Display: 5.46" Full HD (1080 x 1920)
- DAC: 2 x AKM AK4191EQ (delta-sigma modulation) and 4 x AK4499EX (DAC)
- Audio decoding: PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz, DSD512
- Battery capacity: 5050 mAh
- Charging time: 3.5 hours
- Playback time: 10 hours (FLAC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.80, LCD Off)
- Outputs: unbalanced (3.5mm) / optical (3.5mm) / balanced (2.5mm) / balanced 4.4mm
- Amplification: 3.3V (unbalanced) / 6.3V (balanced)
- Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz)
- Bluetooth: 5.0 (aptX HD, LDAC)
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 126 dB @ 1kHz (unbalanced) / 130 dB @ 1kHz (balanced)
- Playback time: approximately 10 hours (FLAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz, volume 80, LCD off)
- Memory: 256 GB [NAND] + microSD card slot
Package includes:
- A&ultima SP3000 player
- Leather case
- USB Type-C cable
- Quick guide
- Warranty card
- 2 x microSD card slot cover
- Protective films (2 x front, 2 x back, 2 x top)
- Suede cloth
- Greeting card