Astell&Kern (A&K) has released a new version of its flagship portable digital audio player that is even more portable and more affordable. The A&K A&Ultima SP3000M takes virtually every feature found on the top-of-the-line A&Ultima SP3000, and puts them in a smaller chassis that weighs 46% less. It’s also significantly less expensive (though still pricey): The SP3000M costs $2,299 versus the SP3000’s $3,699 price. It will be available starting in November.
Some sacrifices have been made to achieve the SP3000M’s smaller size and price, but audiophiles needn’t worry, as the internal architecture remains the same. The touchscreen is now smaller (4.1-inches versus 5.46-inches) and it only has a 720 x 1280 resolution (the SP3000’s screen is 1080 x 1920). There’s also one fewer output options. The SP3ooo has a standard 3.5mm unbalanced headphone jack, plus two sizes of balanced output (2.5mm and 4.4mm), whereas the SP3000M ditches the 2.5mm balanced output.
A&K has also reduced your finish options on the SP3000M. Instead of being able to choose from exotic materials like copper, 24-karat gold, or platinum-coated stainless steel, you can now have any finish you want as long as it’s aluminum.
If you’re not familiar with the level of obsession A&K applied to its best portable, here’s a recap of what you can expect from the SP3000M.
The company claims that most digital players process digital and analog signals together inside the DAC. The SP3000M keeps them separate via its Hexa audio circuit design, which uses four of AKM’s flagship AK4499EX DACs and two separate AK4191EQ chips that handle digital signals. A&K claims this architecture reduces the noise of the digital signal input and results in a 130-decibel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
This concept of separate signal processing extends to the two outputs. The SP3000M uses independent dual audio circuits for its unbalanced and balanced outputs. Most players use the same DAC for both outputs. This necessitates the use of an audio switch, which, according to A&K, limits the range of signal sent by the DAC. This ultimately acts as an impediment to improving audio performance.
The computational brain of the SP3000M is a Snapdragon 6125 Octa-core processor — a chip that has been used to power smartphones as recently as 2020 — with 8GB of DDR4 memory. A&K says this combo, along with its redesigned user interface, gives the player “a more powerful system that is stable, with fast and fluid movement.”
If you’re a fan of retro, analog VU meters, the SP3000M has you covered with a dedicated VU Meter display that lets you monitor sound levels while viewing album art.
Want more specs? Here’s a deeper look:
- 256GB of internal memory with support for microSD cards up to 1.5TB
- Dual-band 2.4/5Ghz a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
- DLNA networking
- USB digital audio output
- USB-C for data transfer and charging
- USB DAC functionality for Mac or Windows-based PCs
- Native playback of hi-res audio PCM up to 32-bit, 768kHz
- DSD512
- Two-way transmit and receive Bluetooth 5.0
- aptX HD, LHDC, and LDAC codecs
- Roon Ready support pending
- 10 hours of playback, with Qualcomm QC 3.0 fast charging for a full charge in about 3.5 hours
In the box, you’ll get a matching case made of soft cowhide that has undergone a proprietary patented “antibacterial” and “antivirus” process.
