Astell&Kern SP3000 Review | Ultimate Flagship Digital Audio Player
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- Astell&Kern redesigned the UI, upgraded the performance, and introduced the brand new flagship AK4499EX DAC chip for the SP3000. Does it improve on the sound and UI performance of previous models to deliver the new flagship DAP we've been waiting for?
0:00 Intro
1:24 Build and Design
2:37 User Interface
3:48 Sound Impressions
6:28 Comparison: Astell&Kern SP2000t, iBasso DX320
10:55 Final Thoughts
Check out the Astell&Kern SP3000: bloomaudio.com/products/astel...
Read the written review: bloomaudio.com/blogs/articles...
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It sounds amazing with the Focal Utopia! I’m loving the silver version! 😊
👍
I sure love my AK Kann Max from Bloom. A fraction of the cost, but still $1,299.00. My first DAP and easy to install streaming services.
Very useful video! I just ordered my SP3000 from you based on this. Thanks!
4:14 I like this guy-he does more than use marketing convincing, he talks as if he is a true audiophile. Who does not want the best treble, midrange, midbass, bass, and imaging? 🎶 🎧 🔊
Mine is on preorder and I can’t wait!
Excelente reseña muy buen explicado. Un abrazo 🤗
how is the audio latency when using as usb dac for movie watching.. can you calculate?
🔥🔥🔥
Is this more so focused on produces and other people that make music? I saw this on ToMo and was confused at the price and what it said it was used for. Just curious
... yeah, but what headphones would you use with this? Would the Sennheiser IE900 be under performing with the SP3000?
Hey, im a bit torn between sp300 and se300. Beside one is R2R and the other is sigma, whats the benefit for putting extra for sp3000? Do you think should i go with se300 for better value for money? Or there is something significant that sp3000 can offer that se 300 doesnt? Thanks
How would you compare the audio quality to a MCD12000 to the SP3000? My uncle is telling me to return my SP3000 and get the MCD12000.
When you said truely refrence sound what did you mean? In that what truely refrence headphones speakers and dacs are you compairing the player to? Also how usable are these players by someone like myself that is completely blind? Could I instal talk Back the Android screen reader on it? Or are these things not accessable at all? Do menus rap? That's a problem if they do. For how much of the functionality do you as Kurtus Jud says have to dive threw menus? Another problem if you have to do a lot of menu diving. Especially if you can't put talk back on it.
So how close to studio would you say this is? Or would the DX 320 player be better for a multi track nurd like me? I love listening to the raw indivdual wav files that go into songs.I also then nit pick songs.
The DX320 might be a little stronger for nitpicking, but I'd love to do that kind of listening on an SP3000 as well.
great content how woul this compare to an android phoen with hi res file on throught the same headphone ?
In my experience the difference between a phone dongle or 3.5mm output and a high end DAP or portable DAC is most notable in two things: the way it handles "transients" in things like the decay of cymbals and vocals, and the sense of separation and positioning in the imaging.
In terms of transients, the off the shelf DAC/amp in a phone will typically be (on the one side) harsh or grainy, or on the other side too smoothed out and lacking in details. In terms of imaging, the phone output is typically going to have fairly high "crosstalk" (bleed from one channel in the other) which flattens any sense of space and smears the separation between instruments, and distort more at higher volumes than audiophile products, which further reduces any sense of space.
Even at the $500 level most DAPs will outperform an Android or iPhone on these items, and it scales up even further with flagship products like the SP3000.
@@BloomAudio thanks for the time to answer, the sytem im running is in a car from a n android phone to a Hi Res player Sony GSX 9 then running into Audison amps, Control units an and then Thesis speakers, it sounds great , wanted to find out will the upgrade to a SP 3000 or any DAC be worth the money, as it see it the same FLAC file will be on each unit playing via hi end car hifi system. Reading you r reply does the phoen still effect the output signals of the Flac file ?
@@sailrockpaperscissors8261 In your case, I don't think the player itself vs a phone would make a huge difference. Since the phone is just a "transport" for the files, and the Sony GSX9 is doing the digital to analog conversion (along with any DSP), the difference in the quality of the player from a phone to a high end DAP would be much smaller than when you're using it with a headphone or connected directly to an amp.
There would be some improvement with a dedicated media player, but purely in terms of sound, you'd probably have very large diminishing returns between a Sony, iBasso, or Fiio player in the $500-$1000 range vs a $3500 flagship player.
@@BloomAudioso if i have this right for the set up in the car i wont see that much difference from a Samsung fold 4 to the sp 3000 but with head phone i will?
The Kann Max also has a quad dac. I’d love the comparison to it.
KANN Max uses the ES9038Q2M DAC, while SP3000 is using the new AKM AK4499EX (along with an additional 2x AK4191 they describe as the modulator). KANN Max is much more of a straightforward, reference sound, and provides very good soundstage and imaging, but the SP3000 is just in another class altogether in terms of soundstage and imaging. SP3000 also balances that increased bit of smoothness and musicality with greater level of detail, resolution, and better microdynamics.
@@BloomAudio Thankee!
May I ask how many Gain levels the machine has? L , M , H and higher?
SP3000 just has the linear volume control with no gain settings.
I will get my Astell&Kern SP3000 this month, I am thinking about buying a new IEM as well. I play all kinds of music including jazz, pop music. blues, classical, dance and techno. What do you think will be a better choice with all types of music; "The Empire EVO or the Odin". I only use music that I bought (I own over 35000 euros of music, which I all paid for) on the Internal drive and Scan Disk.
Odin is going to be more accurate and detailed, but EVO is going to be more fun. I think it would also depend on the balance. If you're like 80% pop, rock, and EDM and like 20% everything else, I'd say EVO, but Odin might be more versatile across a wider genre spread.
@@BloomAudio , thanks for the information. I play all genres. But this combo I will use this more for acoustic music and music with a lot of bass. I also own a 300K audio system.
@@bobbykingma4109 I would probably say the EVO then. With acoustic music Odin's highs can feel just a touch brittle at times, while EVO feels more natural overall, and the bass is balanced such that it doesn't impact the timbre of the low mids like many "basshead" IEMs would.
I ordered SP3000 and wait for Empire Odyssey.
Sp3000, new dream
What is the benefit of this device over an iPhone with an iFi Gryphon or Mojo 2?
In terms of the technology inside - the digital to analog conversion process and the amp design in particular - SP3000 is several steps above Mojo 2 or Gryphon. Depending on your specific use, it might also be more convenient to have all your music downloaded to a separate player (or even streamed over wifi with the player) than to do everything from your phone. If you think about the benefit of the Bluetooth in the Gryphon, a DAP gives you very similar functionality but without the loss in sound quality associated with Bluetooth.
Is it easy to replace the battery?
To replace the battery, you'll either need to bring it to a specialized shop or send to A&K for service.
It looks quite appealing, I've gotten so sick of AK players over the years but this one has some UI improvements that are refreshing to see. I also like the wider size of the player.
Still, this player doesn't compare to a much cheaper iBasso DX320 with a modded AMP12 card, more functionality with an actual android and OS mode as well as much more output power for driving headphones too.
How much is the DX320? Also oooo modded amp 12. Tell me more about that. how is that modded how does that sound?
@@MrHamit64
Depending on who mods it and which mod it is, either Whitigir's latest mods from Headfi forums or from Steve from NPAudio, either will give you a different take on tuning signature, improved dynamics, clarity and soundstage.
The DX320 is well under 2k unlike the SP3000 which is over 3k.
The mods for the DX320 will set you back maybe $180-$250ish if you sumbit your own AMP12s otherwise you will include the price of new mods.
@@BopWalk Ah I see. So what do the mods do VS just the raw amp 12 sound? Also how diffrent are the 3 actually?
@@hamitcampos4989
I would recommend the EXN-S mod or the EXN 2 mod by Steve from NP Audio, becuase there is a strong change in clarity, dynamics and soundstage, it changes the tuning a lot and makes it sound as if you were listening to headphones instead of typical IEM staging.
@@BopWalk Ah thanks friend. I'll make note of this. Cause to be honest I'm new to these I don't have 1. But am looking into 1 cause I'm a somewhat new HD Tracks buyer and for the moment have been using an Olympus LS-14 recorder as a player cause it will play HD files. Well of course with Olympus's limiting everything 48 KHZ 24 bits I've had to up sample in SoundForge or with Switch Converter to full 96 KHZ so the Olympus will play it. Oh and same for 44.1 KHZ. Cause yes it will play that sample rate but not at 24 bits. So which of these 2 you suggested is more raw for lack of better words? Meaning more studio gear anolitical raw master track listening quality? I'm a verry nitpicky audio nurd. I'm subbed to UA-cam channals like Pop Deconstructed Sky Scraper and the like so you can see and listen to the raw tracks they have you may like. I also nitpick movies. I listen to them speaker by speaker. But before all that I'll have to look into how much that player is and also more importantly as I'm blind how usable is it by the blind. How open is the OS? Could I install Talk Back? That's the Android screen reader. If not how often does 1 need to touch the screen? Or let me put it another way. Can you just dump files on a card and just play? Or does it have to have a folder structure? Does the machine create folders on the card? Cause if it doesn't give me the ability to install the screen reader then even with the Astell 1 in this vid or the Walkmen I'm screwed.
請問有附皮套嗎？
Yes
finally the UI isn’t as slow as Kindle
This or Fiio M17?
i just got my sp3000 for 2 weeks, i thought it would be huge sound upgrade from my ak240...but i am kinda disappointed. It loses so much details, maybe because of the SNR being so high on the player？？Am i the only person think that way? I think i am gonna return it for sp2000T or sp2000
I have the sp2000 and if there’s any listening difference between the sp3000 it’s definitely unnoticeable. Now it’s just getting ridiculous 🤦🏻♂️. We are pretty much splitting hairs here.
@@dzemoski45 I had the SP2K as well but the SP3K beats the former in all categories. However, the SP2K is still a great player.
If you’re upgrading from SP2000 you will need totl iem to hear dofference. Viking Ragnar is one such iem
For that price I would expect better than near perfect. With IEM,S
For that price tag I better be able to hear the voice of God himself with any pair of iems lol.
sp3000 or dmp-z1?
I haven't had the privilege of demoing the DMP-Z1, but based on conversations I've had with those who have, I don't think it fully delivers an experience that justifies the price difference over SP3000.
Wow, a $5000 ipod.
But way better
If I could afford this I would buy something else. 🤔
ᑭᖇOᗰOᔕᗰ 😱
aka iRiver...
I’ll take my Cayin n8ii over this all day long. The combination of the tubes and Class A modes masters warmth and detail respectively. Incredible DAP.
No offence the amp is still weak. The amp is important to the quality of the sound. But it’s good that it’s using 904L steel.
Who gives a f about the steel when you have a weak amp on a $3500 dap 😅
@@nellatl At least it won't rust but it sounds like sh*t. Cannot even drive a HD800S though.
@@greaterbayareahero1401 Thanks for alluding to this, you are correct. For that price, I would have expected a top-notch amp in the unit. I can buy two FIIO M17s for the price of one AK SP3000!!
Still have to pair it with a good headphone amp or desktop amp then. So absurd.
@@greaterbayareahero1401 what are your thoughts on the ACRO ca1000t? I don’t need a such a tiny amp to bring to the gym but this looks appealing because its small and easily transportable and can run off both battery and AC for amplification. I just want something I can plop right up in bed or on a night stand and get a decent amplified sound out of.
10 hour battery life 🤣
A little too pricey for me .
3700$? With that price this mp3 player better be able to power 300ohm headphones on the go flawlessly for more than 30 hours on end and not just iems don't waste your hard earned money folk wait a several decades until the technology greatly improves which we'll lower the price and increase the features.
Decades!!!?? What ?? Lol