Astell&Kern

A&ultima SP3000 Platinum Coated Limited Edition

HK$32,880

The A&ultima SP3000, launched with top-notch technology and craftsmanship, has received the highest praise from audiophiles worldwide for elevating the DAP to a higher Hi-Fi level with its unparalleled sound quality. To add new value to the outstanding SP3000, Astell&Kern has thoroughly reviewed various options and introduces a new dimension of perfection through the use of Platinum, a metal synonymous with luxury.

Platinum, often referred to as 'white gold,' is a unique metal composed purely of a single element, like fine gold. It is highly resistant to corrosion, and it has the characteristic of not tarnishing. Particularly, Platinum is especially known for its natural white sheen, making it a popular choice for high-end precious metals.
To infuse new perfection, Astell&Kern utilized the PVD technique to create the Platinum Coating. This highly precise process involves using an expensive vacuum chamber to create an ultra-vacuum state, vaporizing the Platinum metal at high temperatures to form an ionized gas called plasma, which then uniformly coats the surface of the SP3000 904L Stainless Steel. Finally, an AF coating is applied to prevent fingerprints, completing the SP3000 Platinum Coated 904L Stainless Steel edition. The SP3000 Platinum Coated 904L Stainless Steel, showcases Astell&Kern's unparalleled craftsmanship, by combining the extraordinary sound of the SP3000 with the unique color imparted by the Platinum Coating, representing the pinnacle of luxury Hi-Fi players. The SP3000 SP3000 Platinum Coated Edition comes with a Cordovan case, using one of the most luxurious leathers available.

 

 

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24K Pure Gold · Exquisite Elegance

Astell&Kern have always led the pack with their design language and metallurgical craftsmanship in the industry, consistently maintaining top-tier production and quality standards. Each product is like a perfect piece of art, with every component seamlessly integrated, striving to deliver the most mature and stable finished product into the hands of users.

Gold is not only dazzlingly lustrous but also possesses excellent electrical conductivity and the metallic characteristic of being rust-resistant. Therefore, it is used not only in jewelry but also frequently as a premium component in audiophile disks and high-end audio products, highly valued for its rarity. 24K gold, containing up to 99.9% gold, holds its place in the jewelry world due to its purity and brilliant appearance. Its color, luster, and texture all convey unparalleled luxury and nobility. However, due to the low hardness of 24K gold and its softer texture compared to ordinary gold, the production of the SP3000 24K Gold Limited Edition, which has a larger surface area than typical jewelry, requires an extremely delicate and complicated process to craft a near-perfect masterpiece.

Crafted with Superior Electroplating Technique

To ensure the 24K gold is properly applied to the player's casing, the surface is first enhanced with a nickel plating process to boost the metal's luster and durability. Then, a thick 24K pure gold plating layer of 0.5um +/- 20% is applied, followed by the addition of an AF anti-fingerprint coating. After meticulous polishing, the 24K gold radiates with a soft and bright golden hue, coupled with Astell&Kern's signature light and shadow cutting design, which imbues the SP3000 24K Gold Limited Edition with a sense of classical and timeless elegance.

The 904L stainless steel itself possesses excellent shielding properties, not only effectively blocking external interference and noise from the circuit to keep the sound background pure but also significantly removing the noise floor and impacts on acoustic performance. Combined with the superb malleability and electrical conductivity of 24K gold, it can further reduce resistance and signal loss, thereby improving grounding and achieving an almost "zero noise" background quietness. This contributes to a clearer and more authentic sound quality, creating a high sound density and a sense of being in the presence of a live performance. Furthermore, the high oxidation resistance and outstanding corrosion resistance of pure gold protect the internal electronic components from oxidation issues caused by sweat, humidity, or other environmental factors, maintaining component stability.

First Use of AKM’s Latest Flagship DAC

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. As a result of the collaboration, the world's first four AK4499EX DACs, AKM's latest flagship, were applied to the SP3000, and the innovative HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure in which two AK4191EQs that process digital signals are applied separately, complete the amazing sound that can only be found from Astell&Kern.

Complete Separation of Digital and Analog Signals

Most digital players process digital and analog signals together inside the DAC. However, the SP3000’s advanced HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure reduces the noise of the digital signal input through the AK4191EQ, a separate digital delta-sigma modulator, and the AK4499EX DAC is then designed to process the analog signals separately. By applying this unique design, digital and analog signal processing that is physically separated has been achieved for the first time in a digital audio player, and the overwhelming SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) is maximized, making it possible to experience an incredible level of sound that has never been experienced before.

The Essence of A&K Audio Technologies Merged Into the SP3000

In order to develop the ultimate audio player that has never been experienced before, not only do we use the latest DAC and technology available, but we use the innovative audio technology of TERATON ALPHA, AK's Ultimate Sound Solution, which has been refined for the SP3000. TERATON ALPHA, engineered through endless research, is Astell&Kern's unique technology that has been designed to produce audio playback that is close to the original sound through effective power noise removal, efficient power management and unwavering amplification, and a fully converted audio output interface. HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure and independent dual audio circuit, implemented for the first time in the SP3000, are paired together with TERATON ALPHA's sound solution to create the purest original sound.

New Experience in the Graphic User Interface

With the newly developed UX/UI, the SP3000 is focused on the process and experience of listening to music, and we wanted to become a ‘Player for music’ that one 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 added so that you can enjoy a digital display of CD album covers of your music collection. It is designed to give you not only the pleasure of listening to music, but also to create fun when 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 unintrusive, focusing on usability and intuitiveness. Three key concepts, Edge, Simple, and Dark Mode, were used to improve usability and increase clarity with a style unique to AK. The black and red theme colors are chosen to reduce eye fatigue, maximize battery usage and reduce heat generation.

QC 3.0 Fast Charging Supported

The SP3000 supports Qualcomm QC 3.0 fast charging, so you can charge your DAP faster and more efficiently than previous models, reaching a full charge in about 3.5 hours.

ReplayGain Automatically and Uniformly Adjusts Playback Volume

ReplayGain, which adjusts sound sources with different volumes to an identical level, has been applied. Now, enjoy your own playlists seamlessly through the ReplayGain feature on SP3000. * ReplayGain supports up to 24-bit/192 kHz sound sources.

Crossfeed, Speaker effect when listening through headphones

In a headphone environment in which the left and right channels are clearly separated, ear fatigue may increase during prolonged listening. 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 center the sound image.Through the use of detailed settings such as Shelf Cutoff, Shelf Gain, and Mixer Level, you can set the level of crossfeed according to your listening preferences.

Wireless Hi-Fi Sound Through BT Sink

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.

Sound Design With DAC Filters

With the SP3000, you can have fun creating your own sound style by selecting various DAC filters provided by the DAC manufacturer. Design your own sound with 6 different DAC filters.

SPECIFICATION

Body Color

24K Gold

Body Material

Gold: 24K Pure Gold Plating / Stainless 904L

Display

5.46inch HD 1080 x 1920 touch screen

Supported Audio Formats

WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA

Sample Rate

PCM : 8kHz ~ 768kHz (8/16/24/32bits per Sample)
DSD Native: DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo
DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), Stereo / DSD512(1bit 22.4MHz), Stereo

Output Level

Unbalanced 3.3Vrms │ Balanced 6.3Vrms (Condition No Load)

CPU

Octa-core

DAC

AKM4191EQ x2 + AKM4499EX x4 (Dual DAC x2)

Decoding

Support up to 32bit/768kHz Bit-to-Bit Playback

Input

USB Type-C Input (PC & Mac)

Outputs

Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Optical Out (3.5mm)
Balanced Out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported / 4.4m, only 5-pole supported)

Wi-Fi

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)

Bluetooth

V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC)

Dimensions

3.24” (82.4mm)[W] x 5.48” (139.4mm)[H] x 0.72” (18.3mm)[D]

Weight

About 17.39oz (493g)

Feature Enhancements

Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)

Audio Specification

Frequency Response

±0.006dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.019dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced±0.014dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.026dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced

SNR

125dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 130dB @ 1kHz, Balanced

Crosstalk

-125dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ -131dB @ 1kHz, Balanced

THD+N

0.0005% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 0.0004% @ 1kHz, Balanced

IMD SMPTE

0.0005% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced │Balanced

Output Impedance

Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (0.8ohm) │ Balanced Out 2.5mm (2.0ohm), 4.4mm (1.8ohm)

Clock Jitter

25pS (Typ)

Reference Clock Jitter

200 Femto Seconds Ref

Others

Battery Capacity

5,050mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer

External Memory

microSD x1 (Max. 1TB)

Built-in Memory

256 GB [NAND]

Playback Time

about 10 hours (Standard: FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.80, LCD Off, Low Gain)

Charge Time

about 3.5hours (QC3.0 Charging)

Supported OS

Windows 7, 8, 10 (32/64-bit) / Mac OS X 10.7 and up

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