Astell&Kern A&Ultima SP3000T Digital Audio Player

Introducing the A&ultima SP3000T Digital Audio Player by Astell&Kern. Analogue warmth - digital precision.

Astell&Kern's ethos of producing immersive sound from high-resolution original music stands as a testament to the spirit of innovation and excellence embodied in the A&ultima series.

The goal was to match the impeccable design and high-resolution sound of the previous product - the SP3000 - by crafting an audio player that truly captures the emotion and resonance of music.

Developed with this vision in mind, the A&ultima SP3000T channels the profound emotion and lasting essence of analogue audio. The integration of real vacuum tubes create an authentic analogue sound complemented by cutting-edge audio technology such as TERATON ALPHA for an immersive auditory experience.

A&ultima SP3000T — a portable audio player that defies convention, offering a unique fusion of analogue and digital excellence.

NEW - SP3000T Copper

Released September 2024, the SP3000T COPPER Edition utilizes over 99.98% pure copper with a special multilayer coating that enhances durability, ensuring it maintains its beautiful color and luster without requiring special maintenance.

Copper, known for its excellent sound transmission and resonance properties, typically enhances the brightness and richness of tones in musical instruments. This quality has been repeatedly validated in Astell&Kern products using copper for its outstanding electrical conductivity and high shielding performance.

True Analogue Sound - Real Vacuum Tubes!

The original vacuum tube is known for its warm sound, attributed to its distinctive rich harmonics, which have cemented its status as a cherished component of Hi-Fi audio. However, its impracticality in terms of miniaturization, primarily due to power control and footprint issues, presented a formidable obstacle, rendering it unsuitable for use in portable audio players.

A&K refused to settle for conventional sound and design, and instead worked to bridge the gap between stationary and portable audio by infusing the essence of analogue sound into their devices. These efforts eventually culminated in the pairing of the SP3000T with the RAYTHEON JAN6418 Miniature vacuum Tube. The RAYTHEON JAN6418 is a mini vacuum tube popular among audiophiles for its distinctively warm and soft sound, leading to its integration into regular audio devices.

While in vacuum tube mode or hybrid mode, the vacuum tubes on the back of the SP3000T emit light, enhancing the device's subtle and stylish analog feel.

High-End Leather Case

SP3000T comes with a deluxe case crafted from shrunken calf leather sourced from Perlinger in Germany and Alcantara in Italy, ensuring a level of style and quality that matches the quality of the device. The shrunken method used to craft the leather results in natural wrinkles, creating an irregular, yet distinctive texture that enhances its luxurious appearance. Unlike regular embossing techniques, this process preserves the leather's natural texture and minimizes discoloration, ensuring the color remains vibrant even after pro- longed use.

The case of the SP3000T is fashioned from exquisite leather crafted by the Perlinger tannery in Germany. With a heritage spanning five generations since its inception in 1864, Perlinger stands as the last bastion of calf leather manufacturing in Germany. Renowned for its unparalleled quality, Perlinger's shrunken calf is regarded as the finest in the industry, making it highly sought after by prestigious luxury brands.

Features

• True analogue sound with Dual RAYTHEON JAN6418 MIL-SPEC Vintage Vacuum Tubes.
• Complete separation of digital and analogue signal processing for the purest possible sonic reproduction using AKM’s x2 AK4191EQ / x2 AK4499EX x2.
• Three adjustable levels of Tube Current for nuanced changes in sound signature.
• TRIPLE AMP SYSTEM allows listeners to select the right tone for their music.
• 316L Stainless steel chassis with 99.9% pure silver or copper plating for superior electrical conductivity.
• High-Performance Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa-Core CPU for instantaneous and fluid system response.
• Reimagined, improved and enhanced Graphic User Interface.
• Digital Audio Remaster Technology (DAR) upsamples the sample rate of the sound source being played for an even greater vivid original sound.

Specifications

• Model: SP3000T / SP3000T Copper
• Body Colour: Silver or Copper
• Body Material: Stainless Steel, with Pure Silver or Copper Plating
• Display: 5.5 inch 1080 x 1920 Full HD touch screen
• Supported Audio Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA
• Sample Rates: PCM 8 kHz - 768 kHz (8/16/24/32bits per Sample), DSD Native, DSD64 (1bit 2.8 MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), DSD512(1bit, 22.4MHz) Stereo
• Output Level: Unbalanced 3.3 V rms, Balanced 6.3 V rms (Condition No Load)
• CPU: Octa-Core
• DAC: AKM AK4191 x2 (Dual Modulator) & AKM AK4499EX x2 (Dual DAC)
• Vacuum Tube: RAYTHEON JAN6418 x2
• Decoding: Support up to 32-bit / 768 kHz Bit-to-Bit playback
• Input: USB Type-C input (for charging, PC + MAC)
• Outputs: Unbalanced Out (3.5 mm), Optical Out (3.5 mm), Balanced Out (2.5 mm, only 4-pole supported, 4.4 mm, only 5-pole supported)
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth: V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC, LHDC)
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 84.7 x 141.5 x 18 mm
• Weight: 483 g
• Feature Enhancements: Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)
• Operating Temperature: 0 - 40 C

Included

• 1 x Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000T player.
• 1 x High-End Shrunken Calfskin Case.
• 1 x USB-C to USB-C Cable (1.00 metre).
• 3 x Screen Protectors.
• 1 x Quick Start Guide.

More Information

• SP3000T, by Astell&Kern