Luxury Meets Innovation

SP3000

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Luxury Meets Innovation, SP3000

Astell&Kern has set the standard for perfect sound using the latest innovative technology with the A&ultima series.
The A&ultima SP3000 is the newest flagship product that is the essence of everything learned and engineered over the last 10+ years of digital music processing.

A&ultima SP3000 is the world’s first DAP with independent Dual Audio Circuitry and the latest DAC with HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure, and uses all audio technologies and the best materials that lets you feel the overwhelming impact of sound and music.

Experience perfection firsthand with the true next-generation flagship, A&ultima SP3000, the pinnacle of audio players.

  • World’s first use of Stainless Steel 904L for DAP body material
  • World's first DAP with complete separation of digital and analog signal processing (Using latest Flagship DAC chip AK4499EX from Asahi Kasei)
  • Stunning Audio Performance with Independent Dual Audio Circuitry
  • Equipped with High-Performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 6125 Octa-Core CPU
  • New Experience in the Graphic User Interface
  • Support for aptX™-HD and LDAC

AK4499EX Quad-DAC

Octa-Core Snapdragon

TERATON ALPHA

bt-5-0-apt-x™-hd-ldac

NATIVE DSD 512

SNR 130dB

SP3000 Platinum Coated 904L Stainless Steel

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.

* The CORDOVAN Case uses leather from the hindquarters of horses, known as the 'diamond of leather,' produced by a Cordovan tannery in Japan. This leather is tanned from the dense, glassy layer of the horse's hindquarters, resulting in a glossy finish that resembles a coating. It boasts unmatched beauty and exceptional durability not found in other types of leather.

The Monument for Masterpiece – SP3000 24K Gold Limited Edition

Based on its innovative technology and perfect design, the A&ultima SP3000 received the highest praise from audiophiles and media outlets worldwide, for ‘opening a new horizon with overwhelming sound that reaches the pinnacle of digital audio players.’ Astell&Kern sought to commemorate the monumental success of the SP3000 by introducing the SP3000 24K Gold Limited Edition crafted with gold, the most valuable metal in human history.

Astell&Kern started with the innovative Stainless Steel 904L material used for the first time in the SP3000 and plated it with 24K pure gold to capture the pinnacle sound of the SP3000 in a metal of extreme luxury and value.
Gold has a beautiful luster, does not rust, and has excellent electrical conductivity, so it is used not only in jewelry, but also as a top-quality component for semiconductors and high-end audio, and is highly valued due to its rarity. However, the highest purity 24K gold is difficult to handle due to its low hardness, so extremely meticulous processes and work were required to complete the SP3000 24K Gold Limited Edition, which has a much larger area than jewelry, into a flawless product.
To deliver the highest quality product without compromise, Astell&Kern used a wet process for pure gold plating (plating thickness of 0.5um+/- 20%) rather than simply a surface treatment. To fully highlight the SUS 904L material and gold plating, nickel plating was first applied, followed by the 24K gold plating, and then an AF coating was applied to harden the surface and prevent fingerprints.

The SP3000 24K Gold Limited Edition is a monumental design that fully expresses Astell&Kern's brand philosophy.
Discover a new horizon for premium audio players with the unique beauty of timeless metals, and the amazing sound of the SP3000. The SP3000 24K Gold Limited Edition includes a special leather case and package exclusive to this limited edition.

Immerse into Perfect Harmony – SP3000 Copper Limited Edition

A&ultima SP3000 incorporates Astell&Kern's belief in creating the best sound from material to design. The SP3000 Copper is a limited edition model that reaffirms Astell&Kern's philosophy of exceptional sound to the very last detail.

Copper material is regarded as the most musical expression of the original sound of the instrument due to its excellent electrical conductivity and shielding properties. Due to the complicated manufacturing processes required to prevent oxidation and contamination it is a very difficult raw material to work with and use for the production of our players. Astell&Kern uses a stringently selected copper material of 99.98% purity or higher to produce the best SP3000 Copper. A complex Multilayer coating is applied for corrosion resistance and longer term durability. In addition, the product's three-dimensional lines and beautiful watch-style volume crown are further processed using a delicate and very sophisticated hand-crafted metal process, without dulling the copper shine that reflects Astell&Kern’s exquisite attention to detail and manufacturing excellence.

The SP3000 Copper Limited Edition, created by Astell&Kern’s experienced craftsman, as well as having a stunning finish, brings technical benefits including excellent electrical conductivity and shielding, which contributes to outstanding audio performance. The SP3000 Copper has a harmonious and elegant sound that allows you to feel the emotion and rhythm of the audio connecting you deeply to the music you’re listening to.

Uncompromising Design and Craftsmanship

Material Innovations,
World’s First Use of Stainless Steel 904L for DAP Body Material

To achieve the goal of the A&ultima series, which is 'to provide the best value that no one can imitate while using the most innovative and uncompromising design and craftsmanship', the SP3000 uses 904L stainless steel material that has never been attempted before in a portable audio player. Using this material has expanded its value from just a digital device to the realm of a luxury good.

904L stainless steel is harder and more difficult to process than general stainless steel requiring significantly more time and effort. However, due to its excellent durability and corrosion resistance, it has a characteristic that does not lose its beauty and is why it is used in expensive luxury watches where perfection in all materials and parts must be pursued with an irreplaceable and wonderful luster.

Experience the uncompromising beauty and luxury of the SP3000 produced by Astell&Kern’s experienced craftsmanship.

Sound, Infinite Possibilities

TERATON ALPHA, The Essence of A&K Audio Technologies Merged Into the SP3000M

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.

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 to the SP3000 was completed with TERATON ALPHA's sound solution, to create the purest original sound, and was inherited to the SP3000M.

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First Use of AKM’s Latest Flagship DAC,

Complete Separation of Digital and Analog Signals

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.

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.

Silver Plated Shield Can

A shield can is applied to prevent various noise and electromagnetic interference from affecting the audio block.
The SP3000M takes it a step further to achieve excellent audio performance and perfect shielding by applying highly conductive, high-purity silver on the existing shield can, and physically separating digital and analog signals.

Stunning Audio Performance with Independent Dual Audio Circuits

In order to create a truly innovative DAP, not just a great DAP, we tried to overcome the limitations of sound by envisioning an independent dual audio circuit that has never been attempted by anyone featuring a HEXA structure with unbalanced and balanced outputs.

Almost all other DAPs, including Astell&Kern, use an internal DAC for both unbalanced and balanced outputs. Since the signal from the DAC is divided into unbalanced and balanced then delivered to the AMP, an Audio Switch is essential. However, when using a switch, there is a limit to the range that can receive the signal sent by the DAC, so most DAPs reduce the signal size first and then when the signal is transmitted back to the amplifier, it is necessary to restore the original signal size. This causes a limitation in improving the audio performance.


To overcome the limitations, our engineers designed a HEXA structure using two AK4191EQs and four AK4499EXs, creating an innovative unbalanced and balanced independent dual audio circuit design. As a result, the SP3000M achieves a SNR of 130dB, the best of any DAP available. You can feel the clean, pure delicacy of sound with the SP3000M that you can't experience in any other DAP.

Features
SP3000M
SP3000
A model
B model
C model
SNR
130dB
130dB
122dB
128dB
125dB

*SP3000M and SP3000 are based on the condition no-load, Balanced, and there may be differences depending on the measurement method.

*Third-party models are the specifications listed on the official website.

Typical Dual DAC Audio Circuitry Structure

SP3000 HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure

Music That Touches Your Heart

Drive Your Music, Latest Snapdragon Octa-Core CPU

A&ultima SP3000M is equipped with a Snapdragon 6125 Octa-core processor, so you can enjoy the overwhelming sound, with faster system response and a redesigned generation user interface that moves comfortably and smoothly.

Featuring a high-performance CPU and improved 8GB of DDR4 memory, which is twice the amount commonly used in other digital audio players, the more powerful system is stable with fast and fluid movement.

The CPU, memory and wireless communication parts are configured as one module, with the digital circuit parts arranged in the same area creating a single system on a chip (SoC). This maximizes the efficiency of the overall circuit configuration by providing more dedicated audio-only circuit space as well as reducing heat and noise from digital circuits.

Sound Style Designed By Myself

Digital Audio Remaster Technology for Even More Vivid Original Sound

The SP3000M is equipped with Digital Audio Remaster(DAR) technology, which was developed to deliver fine sound at higher sample rates.
DAR technology is developed to upsample the sample rate of the sound source being played to go beyond the limits of the source format.
The high sample rate allows more refined play and offers delicate and analog-like original sound,
helping you to enjoy the richness of the original sound, subtle differences in the nuance of the music and rich sounds at a higher level.

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.

Real-Time Information Confirmed by Light

SP3000 features a LED volume wheel which displays various playback information, including volume level and bit-rate of the track currently playing.

  • * LED can be turned on or off according to user setting.

Premium Leather Case

The SP3000M’s bundle case is crafted from soft cowhide by GRUPPO MASTROTTO, boasting a superior level of craftsmanship that befits the A&ultima SP3000M.
The leather case features a soft touch and has undergone a proprietary patented "anti-bacterial" and "anti-virus" process.

Using chrome tanning and dyeing with high-quality pigments, the leather maintains a uniform surface quality and showcases the distinctive vibrant colors characteristic of Italian leather. The rear pattern of the case expresses the same pattern as the SP3000M, providing a perfect sense of unity.

GRUPPO MASTROTTO is a leather specialist manufacturer that continues a tradition of over 60 years since the Mastrotto family established 'Conceria Mastrotto' in Arzignano, Italy, in 1958. With more than 2,200 employees worldwide, they produce high-quality leather through 18 rigorous processes across 15 factories. They are one of Italy's most authoritative groups in the leather industry.

Design

The interpretation of light and shadow shown in the SP3000 is expressed as “wrapped in light” whereas the previous SP1000 and SP2000 expressed light as spreading and scattering. The concept of the SP3000 depicts how light gathers and wraps around the wheel.

This symbolizes that the SP3000 is the all-consuming culmination of all the technologies and capabilities that Astell&Kern has accumulated over the years. The polished stainless-steel body shines every moment, and the beautifully shimmering LED light and sharply machined ceramic panel further emphasize the luxury.

The SP3000, which was created through thoughtful design and processing, offers the ultimate in beauty that matches the ultimate sound.