Portable Endgame - Astell & Kern SP3000 Audio DAP Review
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- I spent three months with the Astell & Kern Sp3000 across Europe and I can't wait to tell you all about it.
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0:40 User Experience
1:16 Software Experience
4:08 Build Quality & Hardware Interfaces
6:07 Sound Quality
10:18 Driving Full-Size Headphones
12:10 Conclusion - Розваги
This + my $20 iems = 🔥🔥🔥
💀💀💀
😂
Lovely to hear someone so well spoken!
Loved the intro! Goldensound x Headphone Show 😎 thanks for the nice review! 😊
Nice review. It would have been nice to know how this unit stacks up to previous models like the sp2000. Or even more comparisons with other higher end daps like ibasso or fiio. Thanks!
Thanks for the awesome review
DAPs like these are a 200usd cellphone with a 150 audio section and some insane profits.
You pulled those numbers from your ass. Barbra Streisand effect in full force.
Exactly this, the biggest turnoff from DAPs is how incredibly slow the entire UX/UI gets within months - hell it already feels like using ancient hardware half a decade prior to current gen devices if your daily driver (smartphone) is flagship level.
As for the actual hardware/components/MEMS being used, in addition to the top to botto ECE/mech design aspect (computer architecture mechatronics/control systems etc) involved - I'm sure it's expensive both in terms of supply chain logistics/materials and finding talented hardware focussed ECE's, but I find it hard to believe even enthusiasts would use this on daily basis without needing to upgrade their DAP every quarter or so (purely due to slow and clunky UX, not necessarily as an SQ upgrade).
yeah the problem with that statement is that one AK4499EX chip is 100$
Just trying to work out how many albums I can name behind you... doing pretty well so far. Good taste!
The real problem with buying and owning a $3800 DAP is the fact that its great sounding but don't forget that the battery is not user replaceable and when your $3800 DAP dies and won't charge then its going to hurt when you put the $3800 DAP into the trash bin... so it might be better to just get the $1000 DAP so your not throwing $3800 into the trash bin...
Nothing wrong with a $3800 paperweight.
@@traktorpro10 the sign of a real audiophile is the drawer in the kitchen that has 10 dead DAPS in it... 🙂
I have to say AK is pretty amazing when it comes to customer support. I have a much cheaper model and there was issues with the software that rendered it inoperable. It was 1 year out of warranty but I sent it in for repair and they sent me a new one, at no cost, not even shipping. Had a similar situation with a cowon MP3 player. Korean customer service in this space is different.
@@truiz5049 are you saying it took over 1 year to figure out a software error that killed the DAP ?
@@dixter1652 more like it was a year past warrenty when the software issue killed the DAP..
A super professional review as usual, thanks Golden Sound.
you wouldn't believe how this DAP sounds with the American Airlines ear buds I got for free during a flight last year... ;-)
Ahah it’s like putting an Arri lenses on a really cheap camera or something like that
Question. The battery on my phone is probably good for 3-5 years. Is there any reason to believe the battery in this device will extend beyond that? Or is it replaceable? It's an expensive device to treat as a temporary portable player.
If one is to charge it as often as a phone (once a day) no there is no reason to believe the battery will last more than a phone.
And at 10hours specified playback time I think it will need to be charged once a day. Battery can be replaced (as on phones), but replacements will likely never be available.
However, the market for such DAPs is so small and so niche (it's a luxury item) that people who buy such probably won't care too much about these aspects.
In practice, for most people, the $500 DAPs are the sweetspot where affordability, features, sound and repairability (new battery) all come together nicely.
@@valentinc22the only expensive equipment I own besides by headphones is the cayin c9, which has user replaceable batteries, which are common sony camera batteries. I intend of using it for decads, and wouldn't of bought it otherwise. Im sure as he'll not going to spend that on a dap that has Firmware and a sealed battery.
Pretty sure Astell & Kern will change the battery for you when it gets old and if you care about the money you'd need to spend on a battery replacement its just not a product for you
@@Amphibax
It’s a product for people with spending problems, let’s get real 😅 We can carve out a ‘niche’ for every product if we try hard enough, but dude nobody has so much money that they freely give it for junk to clutter their space. At that point they laugh at your little niche and just invest the extra $4k and have an ungodly streamer setup with speakers.
@@sephondranzer do you need to to some more lying about how it has 1v of power, when it actually has 7v to satisfy your sociopathic ego?
I'm good with plugging my $10 apple usb c to 3.5mm into my phone 😂
not bad at all
Is there a big difference between the Apple and Google C to 3.5 ?
@@TheVeganVicar campfire andromeda 2020
@@Kunu_
There’s a pretty substantial difference - the Apple Dongle has like no distortion even at its max voltages whereas the Google one not so much. You should be able to use the Apple one on a Google device for audio no problem, though.
@@sephondranzer Appreciate it. I have a dac/amp stick for my phone but it's about the size of my thumb and sometimes is cumbersome. Had the Google dongle that came with my Pixel but it definitely didn't sound good.
New subscriber, great review! Can the SP3000 drive my SD800 cans?
It’s a dream as a SR35 user. Marvelous review!
Great video what the best over ear headphone would you recommend?
Hi, how does it compare to AK SE300 (aside to R2R vs Sigma)? Is worth the extra $$ ? Thanks
Hi Cameron! I'd love to hear which one do you prefer: AK SP3000 or Luxury & Precision P6 Pro, since you've had the pleasure of reviewing both of these? 😊😊
Would really be interested to see a comparison between this and the FIIO M17, or a review of the M17 in general.
The M17 is hard to treat as a DAP. It’s not very mobile due to heating issues which necessitate a stand for prolonged use and its large size.
The M17 ends up being made kind of obsolete by Fiio’s own R7, which ends up functioning almost the exact same as the M17 - a stationary all in one device.
Fiio’s M15 would be a good comparison, though honestly it’s solidly just so much better than anything A&K puts out.
It's either Hiby or iBasso for midfi DAPs
I wonder if taking a scotch-brite pad and giving it a decent rub would render the fingerprints a non-issue? Or perhaps only ever operate the unit with some of those lovely white mittens.
Anyway, a full day of battery is, in my book, no feat to write home about. So tired of whiny and needy electronics constantly yearning for the daily suckling of the electricity teet.
Top-shelf content from you guys, as usual!
thanks for the review. I've just ordered the black version and I had a quick question: sp3000 supports Spotify downloading offline music so that you can listen to music without any internet, correct?
Yes you can
I would like to test it someday XD I do have a SE200 and I'm very happy with it. I wouldn't change really. Love the sound with my Vision Ear 5 and Denon Ahd 9200 ^^
But once test it to check how it sounds, would be fun!
How's would these work with Diana 2 headphones ?
Great video
Where do you find the customized version of Tidal? Also does it work better than other services apps?
You could review grass, you just have such a delightful voice.
Are any of the other AK DAPs going to get an update to allow them as a ROON endpoint?
for 3,500 you can build an entire audiophile system with speakers, amplifier, the whole shebang, so spending over 3,000 on a DAP doesn't make any sense, I would never.
It's not that it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense for your use case. Someone that doesn't have all that space, this might fit their wants just fine
@@djhmax09 3000 is still asking too much tbh, kinda an overkill
@@czyu3361 well then you're probably not the target audience for this. Value will be extremely subjective, although if its performance doesn't compare to other daps in the same price range then yeah it might not be worth buying
@@djhmax09
For WHOSE use-case? Who needs something that performs like the Apple dongle at $4K? This is the most dishonest argument - people with that kind of money don’t waste it on tinkered s#!t that wastes space for no reason. They’d spend the extra 6k for a godly speaker-set even, cause you’re not understanding how ridiculous this proposition is. This isn’t about income, it’s about being gullible or having a problem with money.
Seriously if you had the $4K to blow on this, you’d start to ask the guy if they have the money to spend on anything else that is pristine? You could make this ‘target audience’ excuse for any product - actually give me a reason they should buy something this trashy? And also tell me exactly who ‘they’ is. If you mean people with real money, you don’t at all get what you’re suggesting here.
I would like a comparison to the Tanchjim Space Portable Headphone Amplifier which measures very well and costs £60.
The one and only 4 me 🎉❤
I hate how great you are at this, marvelous review 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Is there any sound difference between the copper, black, and stainless steel units?
You have to compare it to the new SE300👌
what is astell&kern sp3000 can't streaming ?
Whats the difference between A& K SP3000 black ultimate and the Copper version ?
Je viens de le recevoir!! J'avais le SP2000T et je puis vous assurer que les différences sont énormes!!! J'écoute avec le Focal Clear MG: pour le moment, Loreena Mc Kennitt, avant JM Jarre et BabyMetal: A pleurer tellement c'est beau!!! Dès que j'ai vendu ma chaîne, je me paie le Focal Utopia et après, ben après, ça sera tout ok!!!
I have chord mojo 2 I was wondering how much difference will sp3000 for iems ? (my main iem is jerry Harvey contour xo and 64 audio u12t )
Not much, stick with your Mojo 2.
Serious question, how does this compare to something like an iPod classic?
There is no comparison.
Ipod plays music. This transports you there(with high-end headphones/IEMS).
Phone with a dac tonggle is the way to go.
If I stream through Tidal or Roon Arc, will there be a massive difference in SQ vs local ripped files?
Wondering if I give this a try I might be missing a lot since I do not have a music lib of my own and would be better off with much less expensive DAPs. Hope someone can help or share their insights about this matter, would really appreciate it 🙏
$ 3800........................ I am not really sure who is the target of this, like for golden toilets or diamonds iPhone covers.... but I realise this device is amazingly optimised
Do people listen to open back headphones on this or closed back? Are there any closed back expensive or good enough to even justify this?
Whatever a brother wants to spend😊
In audiophilic land nothing is justified when it comes to prices.
For example:
If people spend more on cables than the price of the device they're connecting...who's stopping ya?
Is this a huge upgrade from the Mojo2 DAC /amp?
Probably not? I’m honestly not familiar with the Mojo 2, but a good modern DAC/AMP will walk circles around this.
Besting most DAC’s out there as a modern $3800 device is in no way a big accomplishment, and a lot of DAC’s can still boast the same thing.
You could get an RME ADI along with a Forge Amplifier for this price. This thing is in the same power delivery league as an Apple USB-C dongle ffs, I really want to guess ‘no’ to your question.
@@sephondranzerdo you have literally any evidence at all to back up what you just said?
@@sephondranzer Thanks. I have the RME DAC with original DAC chip set before the factory fire in Japan changed this. I also have and like the Mojo 2 which was great for the price. Cheers
@@Hahmier
Did you watch the review and listen to those power specifications? Dude, that thing is not meant to compare with an actual DAC/Amp. Maybe some old crappy one, but any good DAC/Amp is better than that.
@@sephondranzer so you've never heard it then nor have you compared it to other daps in the same price range?
Bruh, how is this device more than 10 times more expensive than my phone?????
No unethical chinese labour and small production runs.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775
Okay first of all, they’re probably just as likely to be using unethically sourced materials. Secondly, maybe they’re limited because they’re overpriced scams that only so many people fall for?
@@enjoshi-godrez8775honestly, yeah, unfortunately 😅
@@enjoshi-godrez8775how much labor could there possibly be on a device like this? Modern boards are all populated by pick and place machines, and wave soldered.
@@abrahamevangelista4215 the individual components can add up considerably if they are particularly rare. If you didn't know already, phone manufacturers skimp on a lot of essential components to save cost which is why they break so easily. Expecially apple products.
Or... for the same money you could buy a cheaper DAP, a car and tickets to every major music event in the country as well as fuel to drive to each one. 🤷♂
Facts😂
Good luck with that
Sure but some people don't want to 🤷♂️
Thanks for this but why was this not compared to similarly priced DAPs?
Great video, very informative 👍
As for me ..too expensive and another piece of expensive technology ( iPhone ) that I’ll probably wind up dropping or just banging it up.
Take care 👍☕️🔥🍕
Mate, I respect your work so so much, but saying that battery life is great means that you have not tried many TOTL lately.
Especially in standby battery life is quite shocking...
Comparison to Se300?
Convince me audio spoke about the comparison between the 2
I did try this out in NYC. At the time a little out of range for what I wanted to spend on a DAP!
Brother, why are you comparing its OS with Luxury and precision’s? Better than L&P’s awful anti-human OS is not exactly an achievement. Everyone can do that.
Unfortunate design decision for the playback buttons. Putting the price aside, that’s a significant oversight.
Phones have supported LDAC for a while though.
What people don't understand is that once you reach a certain level of wealth, you don't ask yourself if a specific thing is worth it anymore. Instead, you ask yourself if it makes you happy. It's why people buy DAPs like this and why there are people who are ready to depart with their $300k for a set of speakers.
I can have a flagship DAC in my pocket for $10.
Hilarious
Skable sighted!
Please try to find the smallest best dap all the good ones are bricks 😢 and I use iems on the go
i got the sony nw-a306 and it’s pretty slick. the sound is pretty much completely neutral but you can eq or do other things. it works with power amp EQ too.
@@Indy4Cookie thank you I will check it out!
I'm eyeing on the upcoming Hiby R3 Gen II; it'll be the update from the R3 Pro Saber 2022 but with the design language of the smaller R2 Gen II but with a larger screen and a 4.4mm balanced
I'm suspecting pricing around the 200 range. Maybe you should keep an eye out for those in the near future
You may also consider the Shanling M1S for something similar that's already on sale
Anyone who buys this this has more money than sense
Dunno what I would've done without that huge white arrow on the thumbnail if I had $3800 for a DAP. I know, so many DAPs on that photo, so confusing. At least it's not red, I guess, thanks?
JasonNYC Astell&kern on Head-fi said:
"Yes, side-loaded apps bypass Android's SRC and play at full resolution, including Tidal Masters"
It seems that not only does Tidal "custom" play audio bit by bit... isn't that also why A&K's Android OS system is modified?
ua-cam.com/video/gybKteopdm8/v-deo.htmlsi=ozM_PfE4JC4S6NOH
I hope you could also do a comparison with these kind of high end daps against the yesteryears hifi smartphones like lg v30/50 or vivo xplay6.
DAPs are so cringe. just get an apple dongle
Better get tanchjim space
@@dagnisnierlins188
He’s right, this thing is really similarly spec’d to the USB-C dongle from Apple as an amplifier… Holy hell this is the most obnoxious brand.
@@sephondranzer it's a bit more powerful than the Apple dongle. But at lower impedances it's only at a similar level to $60-70 dongles like the Moondrop Dawn or Truthear Shio, and has higher THD (not to the point it would be audible). At higher impedance (300Ω like the Sennheiser HD800S) it does have more power than those, it seems to be capable of higher voltages (most balanced dongles max out at 4V into higher impedance) but runs out of current at lower impedances.
I agree, to me, it looks crazy. That it's SO much money and it can't even drive low impedance planars, that's just nuts to me.
Why do you find it cringe? Just curious. I use my dap to separate my files. I dont want 500GB of flac on my phone.
@@blorg8206
Actually by the description he gives at 11:28 - I think it’s slightly weaker. The Apple Dongle has no drop in quality at 1v. That’s an atrocious product.
there should be an experiment... have the reviewers actually have to pay $3800 out of their pocket and then do the review after the battery dies and cant be recharged... after a few DAPs in the kitchen drawer I wonder if the review would change a bit... might or might not.. I could do a great review of a Lambo if I didn't have to pay for it and the maintenance cost.. just sayin..
It's really hard for me to imagine who the buyer for this thing is going to be. The situations that necessitate a mobile device generally aren't Ideal conditions wherein someone might notice the subtle difference between this and a $100 dongle DAC/Amp. Who is this for, the guy who Wants to listen to his Focal Stellias on the bus?
For IEMs, not headphones. Someone who wants excellent audio quality without lugging around a dongle or portable DAC. Someone who can hear the difference between a dongle and something more exotic like this. And probably someone who wants kind of a luxurious experience in a well designed and refined package. There’s not a lot of portable hifi options like this that are actually well designed aesthetically, most are bricks.
For me personally, I have a chronic health issue that means I have to spend a lot of time lying down on the couch waiting for it to pass. It’s nice to be able to pop in some IEMs and just listen to high quality audio without extra wires and dongles all over the place which take extra time to set up and may take up a lot of space on a couch. I can’t really go to concerts and so listening to music through a portable device is like 80% of my listening, and so a device like this starts to make a bit more sense, but I realize it’s a very specific use case.
@@CookieCurls lugging a DAP around is favorable to lugging a dongle?
@@kevingest5452 Absolutely. No extra cables, no worrying about the dongle draining my phone battery, or not being able to charge the phone when connected to the dongle without another dongle, or I can even just leave my phone at home if I want. DAPs have EQ that can be applied to any app not just one, which is an iPhone limitation. Expandable storage, more control over the DAC and Amp settings, Significantly better volume control. The list is quite long!
The amount of money for something as bulky as this is insane, I'll never understand why would people spend so much money on something like this..
I mean its the same size as any other dap, unless you suffered some severe brain rot and forgot what a dap looks like or is.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 I've never said anything about other daps. What I want to convey is that at this price point, it shouldn't be as bulky as it is now. Yea the sound might be better than other lower priced daps, but 3000 dollars just for it to be as big as the others? That's what I don't understand, idk why you are so offended lmao
@@czyu3361 its quite powerful. At least far more so than equivalent daps of its size. There are only a very select few daps on the market more powerful than it, and they're all larger. This is from trying it out at Munich High End this year. The other problem is to make it less bulky, would be to use thinner materials, which can make it feel cheap. I will never justify why this cost $3800, but you cant shrink an op amp, and all dap manufacturers are under that restriction. Texts instruments has been making audio chips for 40 years, for the past 20 they have been the same size, it might well be that they simply can't get any smaller, and since the sp3000 uses 4 dac chips, thats what you get.
@@czyu3361 also, the battery. More expensive daps are expected to have longer battery. We are still a long way off from solid state batteries, so there is nothing a manufacture can do. This device is already ridiculously optimised as is.
Because when you start making a lot of money you'll realize that 4000 isn't a lot of money
I just want a dap with the features of the $120 qudelix. Its absolutely inexcusable how people are ok paying this much for a dap, but refuse to acknowledge how much larger the difference PEQ will make no matter the headphone. You clearly want uncompromising performance for that price, so why are you settling for your iems or headphones not being perfectly tuned to your tastes as well? I don't get the mentality of not being content with any reasonably priced source equipment, but being perfectly content with default tunings. Its illogical.
You don’t need to get it. It’s not your business what other people spend their money on, so when you jump on here and essentially say, “all you need is…” you’re being critical of a product you’ve not even heard. If you’re happy with the Qudelix, as I am, then just be happy without harshing other people’s buzz.
I’m also super happy with a DAC and amp that are price appropriate to my headphones and it really does matter. $2k ‘phones driven by a $200 amp is not the same as a well matched $2k amp. It also makes me realise what a bargain the Qudelix is.
@@michaellichnovsky8397 there is no possible way a source device can defeat a flawlessly tuned iem. PEQ is absolutely game changing in the most literal of ways. It literally transforms your headphone. I cant take anyone seriously if they want perfection, but deluded themselves into thinking the defult tuning of their iems is somehow already perfect.
@@michaellichnovsky8397 its genuine m3ntal illness.
3:46 doesnt it have peq maybe a bit finicky but still there or do you mean the qudelix eq presets thing?
@@fatigued its fixed band. Completely useless.
How does Gojira sound on this thing 😅😂
Glad i bought the evenso overpriced Sony Walkman NW-ZX707/MIKU Hatsune Miku model Series 64GB
It even drives my heavy weight Focals and Meze cans with no sweat at all🎉
Such a waste of money. Expensive daps are pointless
Just get a qudelix and whatever amp you want to power planars. The benefits of PEQ will eliminate whatever benefits the dap has.
One day ...i sure you will spend $10000 or more if you keep view.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 exactly
@@goldhill840 I’ve owned 3k daps before. Sold them all as they aren’t worth it
Just buy a Samsung phone with a headphone jack. This product sounds idiotic for the price. Definitely for people with more money than brains.
You lie, I have a samsung phone, and doesn't sound as good 😅
Questyle dongle day works great 👍 👌 😀 👏 🙌, don't know how ASTELL justifies the price,,,, makes a good paperweight 😅
It makes a great paperweight 😂
Surely you would say that, you liked it, because you received it for free and haven't paid for ot 4-5k 😅
AK players have some really odd shapes man.. 😅
It is not available anywhere now
What makes these things so fkn expensive?
Thank you for the review. However, the sound impressions part is kinda useless. I mean, I have never heard such an expensive source with iems and if you say it sound more detailed or separated, then it is very difficult to understand how much of a difference in sound quality to cheaper things it makes. In my experience sources with iems don’t make big differences. Maybe a comparison to a widely available and cheap product such as the apple dongle would be of great value.
Probable too expensive.
Man, I guess I'm just not fit to be an audiophile. I def appreciate good sound and I love and listen to music all the time, but devices like this just make me laugh. North of 3 grand?? With IEMs, 99.9% couldn't pick it blind vs a $10 Apple dongle, it's just silly. Yea the measurements are insane, our ears aren't measurement rigs though. Whatever makes you happy I guess...
It's an excellent dac. Sadly, there is still lacking flagship portable wired headphones in the market to match sp3000's performance. Since companies are making ultimate wired IEMs. Besides meze lric or aeon noire, there are not so much options for portable foldable audiophile wired headphones.
I wish focal make a wired version of Bathys that look as good ad b&o hx, sound as good as radiance.
@@liujun050612you can "wire" the Bathys also and it's magnificent.
@@tdmduc I tried dac mode before. Still miles behind even Celestee.
Bruh, the comment section is quite toxic innit.
I think they’re partially just trying to look out for people who are susceptible to predatory antics. This reeks of it.
@@sephondranzersomething being expensive doesn't make it predatory. You are m3ntally unwell.
@@jameskegen6812
Something being $3800 and having similar specs to an Apple USB-C dongle is kind of predatory. I’m fine, thank you.
@@sephondranzerit doesn't have specs simular to a apple dongle. You've not heard it, and the person that has, AND passes all double blind source equipment tests he done said this 6:40 . You are a path0logical li3r.
@@sephondranzer what measurement do they perform similarly?
imagine spending so much money for an iem to sound better
"the same metal used by rolex"
that doesnt matter try harder at shilling
This guy gives me vibes that Astell have paid him to advertise. I dont trust him.
Wrong place
I prefer the FiiO M17 to this. Not worth the money. It's good but not THAT much better in sound.
Astell are bloody rip offs
Cayin n8ii is miles better than this one bc it's actually unique. Also the DX320 Max
Can we just have GoldenSounds take over and do every review?
Why?
They abandoned sp2000....no more support....great device but support will end in like a year. I own 2 devices.
I HIGHLY SUGGEST TO: STAY AWAY!!!!thank me later
That’s funny I just updated it a few days ago with a new update.
What a joke
Audio is getting ridiculous and targeting for the rich only.
Spotify?