Luxury meets innovation: SP3000
Using innovative technologies in the A&ultima series, Astell&Kern once again sets the standard for perfect sound. A&ultima SP3000 is the latest flagship product that incorporates all the knowledge and expertise the company has gained over the past 10 years.
A&ultima SP3000 is the world's first portable player with an independent dual audio circuit using state-of-the-art HEXA-Audio Circuitry DAC, allowing you to experience the stunning impact of sound and music. Experience perfection firsthand with this next-generation flagship. 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 most unique quality by using 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 conventional stainless steel, requiring specialized equipment, additional time, and effort. However, thanks to its durability and excellent corrosion resistance, it does not lose its beauty over time and is therefore used in the most expensive and luxurious watches.
TERATON ALPHA - the essence of A&K audio technology combined in the SP3000
In order to develop a perfect audio player that is incomparable to anything that existed before it, the company utilized not only the latest DAC technology, but also the innovative audio technology TERATON ALPHA - the ultimate sound solution from A&K, further perfected for the SP3000.
This unique technology, developed by Astell&Kern through endless research, aims to maximize the fidelity of the reproduced sound to the original source by efficiently removing power noise, controlling power, stabilizing amplification, and completely transforming the output audio interface. TERATON ALPHA, in conjunction with the newly implemented HEXA structure and independent dual sound circuit, recreates the purest original sound.
The flagship DAC from AKM is used for the first time - complete separation of digital and analog signals.
For the creation of the new flagship device, Astell&Kern closely collaborated with AKM from the initial stages of audio circuitry development. As a result of their joint efforts, the SP3000 became the first device with the innovative HEXA-Audio Circuitry, which combines four flagship DAC chips AK4499EX and two additional chips AK4191EQ. The majority of players, including previous A&K models, have both digital and analog signal processing inside the DAC. In standard circuits, the signal from the DAC is split into unbalanced and balanced outputs for connection to the amplifier, which requires an audio switch to be added to the circuit. These factors impose certain technical limitations on improving sound quality.
To overcome these limitations, A&K engineers have developed the HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure, which physically separates 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 handles the analog signal, which is directly fed to the amplifiers (without using switches). The circuit is divided into two independent sections for unbalanced and balanced outputs. The application of this unique design has achieved a record signal-to-noise ratio of 130 dB for a portable player.
Silver Shielding
The shielding of the enclosure is used to prevent the influence of various noises and electromagnetic interference on the audio path. A&K has taken an extra step forward to achieve superior sound quality in the SP3000 by applying a high-conductivity silver coating over the protective shielding, physically separating the digital and analog parts of the circuit.
The latest octa-core Snapdragon processor
The A&ultima SP300 is equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 6125 processor and enhanced 8GB DDR4 memory, which is twice as much as that of competitor 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 path and reducing heat dissipation and noise from digital circuits.
A new user experience in the graphical interface
The SP3000 has received an updated interface focused on the listening process and a unique user experience that allows you to feel the music. The new theme is designed with an emphasis on the ability to rediscover forgotten songs. You can also quickly browse music categories with simple gestures, use convenient search, and display album covers.
Technology Digital Audio Remaster for even more vibrant sound
The SP3000 is equipped with DAR technology, which was developed to provide high-quality sound at higher sampling frequencies. DAR increases the sampling frequency of the playback file, allowing it to go beyond the source format.
Features:
- Case 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
- 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: 126dB @ 1kHz (unbalanced) / 130dB @ 1kHz (balanced)
- Playback time: approximately 10 hours (FLAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz, volume 80, LCD off)
- Memory: 256GB [NAND] + microSD card slot
Package Contents:
- A&ultima SP3000 player
- Leather case
- USB Type-C cable
- Quick start guide
- Warranty card
- 2 x microSD card slot covers
- Protective films (2 x front, 2 x back, 2 x top)
- Suede cloth
- Postcard