Astell & Kern SP3000T Review: An Audiophile's Dream DAP or Tube Hype?
Real Tubes, Real Versatility, and Really Great Sound
In the forever pursuit of innovation and one-upping the competition, Astell&Kern has released their most versatile DAP music player to date. It's their unwavering pursuit of sonic perfection that has resulted in a music player that I'm truly excited about – the Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000T. Built upon the legacy of the remarkable SP3000, this audio player transcends the boundaries of digital and analog, offering an unparalleled fusion of cutting-edge technology and timeless warmth. Embodying the spirit of innovation and excellence that defines the A&ultima series, the SP3000T is a testament to Astell&Kern's commitment to capturing the profound emotion and resonance of music in its purest form.
At the heart of the SP3000T lies the integration of a real vacuum tube, meticulously engineered to create an authentic analog sound experience. This auditory marvel is further elevated by the incorporation of cutting-edge audio technology, including the TERATON ALPHA system, which delivers an immersive and resonant auditory experience. Expanding upon the immense popularity of its predecessor, the SP3000T introduces the revolutionary Triple Amp System, allowing users to customize their sound profile by seamlessly blending tube amplification, a digital op-amp, or a hybrid combination of both. With this unparalleled versatility, the SP3000T redefines the boundaries of portable audio, offering an unrivaled listening experience that transcends conventions.
Perhaps the real value of a music player like this is the ability to listen to your music the way you want to hear it. In the world of Audiophilia, there is no right or wrong answer because everyone hears differently. But having a manufacturer give you the option to tailor your sound from complete tube saturation to op-amp clarity? Now that's priceless. Let's take a deeper look at this revolutionary DAP.
PROS
- The ability to completely tailor your sound
- Performance gap with the flagship is getting smaller than last generation!
- High-end components
CONS
- Pricey
About the SP3000T DAP Music Player: Introducing the latest addition to Astell&Kern's prestigious A&ultima flagship player line: the SP3000T. This cutting-edge Digital Audio Player (DAP) boasts a revolutionary Vacuum Tube Amp, setting a new standard for portable audio excellence. Astell&Kern, renowned for their commitment to delivering uncompromising sound quality and exceptional design, has once again pushed the boundaries of portable audio with the SP3000T. This high-end DAP features a state-of-the-art Vacuum Tube Amp, harnessing the rich, warm sound signature that audiophiles covet. This exciting new DAP represents the pinnacle of portable audio technology, embodying Astell&Kern's dedication to innovation and craftsmanship.
- Dual Raytheon JAN6418 MIL-SPEC Vintage Vacuum Tubes
- Astell&Kern's Triple Amp System allows listeners to select the right tones for their music
- Three levels of voltage with Tube Current option
- Stainless steel with 99.9% pure silver plating
- Separate digital and analog signal processing (AK4191EQ x2 / AK4499EX x2)
- VU Meter
- High-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU
- 8GB of DDR4 memory
About Astell&Kern
What makes AK different? Astell&Kern creates the best music players in the world as our customer reviews note plus their technology is easy to learn and navigate as a newbie or a technology wizard. Our founder, Drew Baird, P.E., and the staff at Moon Audio recommend Astell&Kern high-resolution music and media players for people who love “mobile audio.” Astell&Kern (A&K) music players are "iPods on steroids". If you love to listen to music “on the go” and want hi-fi sound AK Digital Audio Players (DAPs) are essential listening gear with Mastering Quality Sound (MQS). You will not believe what your ears were missing once you've tried AK music players!
Design
As with all things Astell&Kern, the design of the music player is one of the best things about it. If you are somehow unfamiliar with Astell&Kern DAPs, then welcome to the iPod or MP3 player from the future for audiophiles. AK is known for its sharp angles and modern aesthetic. It’s an absolutely stunning piece of machinery. Almost the entire front of the music player is a 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 Full HD touchscreen. Astell&Kern has upped their game when it comes to screens in recent history. Sure the entry-level SR35 is still on the small size, but they’ve managed to minimize the bezels to maximize space and the screens themselves are sharper, more vibrant, and more responsive. The new Crimson UI is a sight to behold and features great UX updates as well as navigation improvements.
The right side features the solitary volume adjustment knob. This is always one of my favorite moments with a new Astell&Kern DAP music player as each one is a little different. They might be designed a little differently, or have a different tactile experience, but each one is unique to that model. You’ll find an LED ring around the volume adjustment as well that indicates additional track or song information such as sample rate or volume level.
The thing that makes the SP3000T really unique however is the tube circuitry. On the back of the music player is a glass panel that Is typical of all Astell&Kern music players, but the SP3000T has a nice see-through section to the tube. It glows a lovely red when in use – and you can set the tube current as well (which we’ll get into more later in the sound section). This is about as premium as you can get without paying a flagship price.
Sound
Now for the meat and potatoes. The thing that I absolutely LOVE about the “T” series of DAP music players from Astell&Kern is the ability to tailor your sound according to your listening preferences. How? The ‘T’ stands for tube, and inside the SP3000T, you’ll find dual Raytheon Jan6418 Mil-Spec vintage vacuum tubes. There’s a reason you don’t find tubes in every portable music player on the market: they’re difficult to implement for portable setups, but Astell&Kern has cracked the code with the help of their Triple Amp System to not only include a tube circuit in their audio design but allow the user to adjust the amount of tube warmth they want in their signal.
The real star of the show however is the Triple Amp System. Clicking into the amp settings, you can see that you have three main options: tube amp mode, op-amp mode, and hybrid mode. Tube amp mode gives you the full power and warmth of the tube circuit, providing an analog presentation that shows off the musicality of the portable music player well. Op-amp mode switches that to the detail and resolution of the solid-state circuitry, with a tightened bass response and full clarity across the frequency range.
Pictured: The Astell&Kern SP3000T DAP and the NOVUS IEM
Hybrid amp mode is where the fun begins. Here, you can select from five settings ranging from more tube-warmth to more op-amp detail. It’s the best way for you to set the sound according to your listening preferences, and make sure you are hearing exactly what you want to hear from your favorite music. This is also a great way to mix settings with different gear, depending on its sound signature. If you have warmer headphones, then you might want to experiment with the op-amp side of things, and vice versa. Having choices is great, and in a world where everyone hears differently, it’s critical that we have devices that allow us to adjust our sound signature without having to worry about the overall sound quality.
You can also change the current of the tube when you’re in the tube or hybrid mode. This effectively translates to the saturation you’ll hear from the circuit. When listening to “I’m Waiting for the Day” on Pet Sounds, there’s noticeable depth to the organ, when usually it’s presented like a texture in the background with no 3rd-dimensionality in op-amp or solid-state presentations. It’s a subtle difference with far-reaching effects for those who love big musicality and layering to the sound. It’s almost as if older recordings like this were meant to sound better through a more analog sound. Don’t get me wrong, newer remasters of Beatles and Beach Boys sound great, but I feel like there’s an emotive quality that goes missing in today’s digital and solid-state world. The SP3000T fixes that.
I find myself switching the amp settings based on the kind of music I’m listening to. It’s most effective for specific genres, and depending on the kind of headphones you are listening to (full-size or open-back/closed-back, etc), the amount of warmth or detail needed will provide a more satisfying listening experience time and time again. If I’m listening to a live album like Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm Live, I find myself setting the SP3000T leaning more to the op-amp setting in hybrid mode due to the way that the bass and drums are mixed. It’s a snappier and tighter presentation that sounds better to my ears. Someone else could prefer the warmth and body provided by the tubes if they want to feel more of the low end. It’s all a matter of preference and there is no right or wrong answer.
The other element that needs highlighting here is the way the DAC is implemented. If you read my review of the Astell&Kern flagship SP3000 DAP music player, then you’ll be familiar with the HEXA-Audio circuitry structure, or the DAC circuitry that is was first for a DAP music player. The SP3000T uses the latest AKM flagship DAC, the AKM AK4499EX, and like the SP3000, is designed with completely separate digital and analog signal processing. Both music players reduce the noise of the digital signal input using an AK4191EQ DAC, a separate digital delta-sigma modulator, and then the signal is sent to the AK4499EX to process the analog signal separately. It’s an equally impressive design that translates to an equally impressive sound through an incredibly low noise floor, layering, and depth of sound.
Fallout is all the rage right now due to the new show on Amazon, but the popularity of the game franchise has existed for years. Battle for the City is a dynamic and syncopated orchestration by Inon Zur - composer of all things Fallout. Despite the busyness of the track, there is a lot of empty space between instrumentation. The SP3000T’s dynamic muscles really flex here, creating layers to the staccato instrumentation. Imaging is superb and the low-noise floor shines on higher volumes even with the high current of the tube circuit. Think of it like an OLED panel - the colors are more vibrant and the blacks are deep and dark. This is how I perceive the sonic palette of the SP3000T. If you like tube saturation you can still achieve it on this portable music player, but if you like pristine digital sound, it’s there for your choosing as well. And that’s the beauty of the SP3000T DAP music player: you can listen how you want and switch it up for new musical experiences all the time.
by Beach Boys
by Inon Zur
by Bloc Party
by Duke Ellington Orchestra
Features
Triple Amp System - Expanding on the extremely popular SP3000, Astell&Kern combines the best of Astell&Kern's current flagship player with the warm sound of tube amplification. The SP3000T features Astell&Kern’s Triple Amp System, first debuted in 2021 with the A&ultima SP2000T, which allows users to customize their sound profile using tube amplification, a digital op-amp, or a hybrid combination of both tube and op-amps. All three modes are available when using the 2.5mm, 3.5mm, or 4.4mm outputs.
Tube Amp Mode - The SP3000T features Dual Raytheon JAN6418 MIL-SPEC Vintage Vacuum Tubes. Tube Amp Mode provides a uniquely warm and soothing tone, typically seen with vintage tube amplifiers.
Op-Amp Mode - The SP3000T also contains a separate op-amp. This proven op-amp technology was developed over the years for Astell&Kern’s digital audio player lines and has proven time and again to be the culmination of Astell&Kern’s expertise in amp design, delivering extreme clarity, low noise floor, and dynamic sound that Astell&Kern is known for worldwide.
Hybrid Amp Mode - First debuted in the SP2000T, Hybrid Amp Mode enhances the resolution and clarity of the existing tube amp mode to express more musical detail. This mode, which combines the advantages of retro analog sensibility and high-resolution output, gives you the pleasure of a new tonality, bringing together the best of vacuum tube and op-amp design and technology.
Three-Step Tube Current Adjustment - While in tube mode, users can adjust the current flow to the tubes, allowing nuanced changes in the sound profile.
Use of AKM’s Latest Flagship DAC with Complete Separation of Digital and Analog Signals - Like the A&ultima SP3000, the SP3000T uses Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) latest flagship DAC, the AKM AK4499EX and features a complete separation of digital and analog signals. Most digital players process digital and analog signals together inside the DAC. However, the SP3000 and SP3000T reduce the noise of the digital signal input using the AK4191EQ, a separate digital delta-sigma modulator, and then the AK4499EX DAC processes the analog signals separately. By applying this unique design of independent dual audio circuits where digital and analog signal processing is physically separated, it is possible to experience an incredible level of sound that has never been experienced before.
Snapdragon 6125 Octa-Core CPU - The A&ultima SP3000T is equipped with a Snapdragon 6125 Octa-core processor and 8GB of DDR4 memory, which is twice the amount of RAM commonly used in DAPs. Along with the current Astell&Kern 4th generation, Crimson user interface, the player features a more powerful system that is stable with fast and fluid movement. More power, better battery life, Bluetooth 5.0, full touch screen, micro SD card slot for expandable storage (compatible with most memory card brands like Sandisk): what more could you want or need?
316L Stainless Steel with 99.9% Pure Silver Plating - A Stainless Steel body, with 99.9% pure silver plating, gives the SP3000T a classic look that fully complements the vintage tube amp used in the player. It’s a whole lot nicer than your Apple iPhone or Android mp3 music player, that’s for sure.
Comparisons
The SP3000T is the latest generational update of the “T” series of DAPs from Astell&Kern which feature the integrated tube circuit and their proprietary Triple Amp System. The natural comparison to make here is with the SP2000T music player. The SP2000T was the first iteration of the Triple Amp System, and at the time of its release, it was a revolutionary product because it was the first AK player with a tube circuit. The T series is not meant to be replacements or even on par with their respective generational flagship music players (SP2000 & SP2000T, SP3000 & SP3000T). The SP2000 and SP3000 are still the flagship music players.
Astell&Kern uses magnetic forces to actually float the amp – minimizing contact points and noise from the tube itself. This tube noise is caused when contact is made with other mechanical pieces or objects, as well as movement and vibration. So of course, in a portable music player, you’re going to run into issues with movement. Well with the addition of magnets and shielding, noise and interference from the tube is not an issue.
Does the SP2000T make the flagship SP2000 obsolete? No. But it does give the listener more options than the SP2000 to find the right sound for their music. The quality-of-life improvements also make the overall user experience more efficient and enjoyable. The SP2000T is a great option for those who want warmth – and it sounds especially great for classical, jazz, folk, and even EDM and pop for music lovers who want a good thump in their ears. The vintage sound from the tube isn’t for everyone, but Astell&Kern gives you 7 options to find the right balance, making the SP2000T a great DAP for everyone.
The SP2000T is still a great high-end music player, but in comparison to the SP3000T, it’s still a first-generation product. The SP3000T raises the bar in every way. Taking a lot of cues from the latest flagship, the SP3000, the SP3000T adopts its design for completely separating digital and analog signals through multiple stages of conversion. It also uses the same AKM flagship DAC chip, resulting in stunning audio fidelity for such a small and portable package.
As much as the SP3000 is one of, if not the best flagship DAP on the market, if you’re someone who wants variety in your sound and being able to drastically change the way your music sounds from song to song or album to album, then the SP3000T is our top recommendation. It is a jack-of-all-trades and closes the performance gap between the “T” series and the flagship music player. In the words of our customer service representative here in the office: “Man, I can’t wait to see what the SP4000T is going to be like.” I don’t want to get too ahead of myself here, but me too. If you’re looking for the best of the best, then it’s hard to beat the Astell&Kern SP3000 at the time of this review. But if you want to save some money and gain more flexibility in the sounds you’re able to get from a single hi-fi device, then the SP3000T DAP music player is the choice for you.
Dragon Audio Cables
For my testing session, I paired the Astell&Kern SP3000T DAP music player with the Meze Audio Elite Headphones and a Black Dragon Premium Headphone Cable for Meze Audio. The SP3000T has plenty of power for most full-size headphones and includes 3.5mm unbalanced, 4.4mm balanced, and 2.5mm balanced headphone jacks. This means more compatibility for more people and who can be mad at that? The Black Dragon is the perfect compliment for a versatile music player like the SP3000T because it boosts the low end without adding bloat and it retains the terrific detail of the player no matter what setting it's on.
The Black Dragon Headphone Cable warms bass and midrange tones, giving more depth and resonance to the low end with a midrange that sounds more musical. Copper strands in the Black Dragon enhance the body, shape, and immediacy of your music for more of that "I'm there" feeling. This cable also smooths out the top end without compromising detail. It's a great cable for vocals and a range of genres, especially Rock and Roll, Electronica, R&B, Pop, and other music with a big, bold presentation.
Silver Dragon Sound Signature: The Silver Dragon is the original cable. Silver strands clarify instrument separation, increase the soundstage, and find previously lost high and mid-frequency sounds. Transients appear more cohesive and the bass is tighter for a more controlled sound. The detail and clarity of the Silver Dragon make it a perfect match for classical music and other genres with many nuanced instruments.
Black Dragon Sound Signature: The Black Dragon is warm and smooth with a musical presentation. Copper strands enhance the body, shape, and immediacy of the music. The detail and expansiveness of the Black Dragon make it a flexible fit where a broad range of musical genres are played. It can also improve bass frequencies on bass-light headphones. The smooth, musical quality makes it a perfect fit for headphones that tend to sound a bit edgy or bright. Despite its warmth, the Black Dragon does not have a laid-back, lush sound. It is much closer to neutral, making it a very natural-sounding cable. For more information on finding your signature sound, visit our Sound Signature Guide.
Why Dragon Cables?
You’ve heard the saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, right? Well, the same applies to your brand new audiophile-grade headphone or other audio components. The weakest link, in this case, is your stock audio cable or the cheap interconnects the manufacturer threw in the box just to get you up and running. Why is the audio cable always an afterthought, when it’s just as important as the rest of your system? At Moon Audio, we use the purest and best raw materials in our cables to unveil your music. We believe that materials matter and your audio cables should have the same care and craftsmanship that manufacturers put into their audio components and headphones. Audio cables are ultimately the connection to your music. The fact remains that cabling is often considered the last priority to that of the main product and a means to cut down the overall production costs. It’s as simple as that. Dragon Cables elevate every note - as if you were hearing your favorite music for the very time.
Verdict
There's no denying that the Astell&Kern SP3000T DAP music player is an impressive piece of tech. After testing it for about a week it seems more like it's two generations ahead from the SP2000T. There have been substantial improvements made to the overall design of the audio circuit, including the adoption of many of the techniques and components used in the flagship SP3000 DAP music player. The inclusion of the tube circuit brings countless possibilities for tailoring your music the way you want to listen to it and experimenting with new presentations to hear your music like never before. The premium DAP features completely independent digital and analog signals, using the flagship AKM AK4499EX DAC for the analog signal and the AK4191EQ DAC for the digital signal. This results in incredible fidelity, layering, and imaging for a portable sonic palette; a level of sound reproduction I would have only expected from a flagship music player.
I feel like that's the big takeaway for me with the SP3000T. In an audiophile world where the next best thing is usually the most expensive thing, Astell&Kern continues to innovate and trickle down their best tech to other non-flagship DAP lineups. The SP3000T is one of their best music players to date both sonically and aesthetically. Versatility is the other big takeaway here. You have a tube circuit, an op-amp circuit, and every other possibility in between. Audiophiles like choices, and Astell&Kern is giving them to us. Kudos to Astell&Kern for their music players and the values they stand for.
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What's in the Box
-Leather Case
-USB-C Charging Cable
-User Guide and Warranty
Specifications
- Model: SP3000T
- Body Color: Silver
- Body Material: Stainless Steel with Pure Silver Plating
- Display: 5.5 inch 1080 x 1920 Full HD 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), DSD512(1bit, 22.4MHz) Stereo
- Output Level: Unbalanced 3.3Vrms │ Balanced 6.3Vrms (Condition No Load)
- CPU: Octa-Core
- DAC: AKM AK4191 x2 (Dual Modulator) & AKM AK4499EX x2 (Dual DAC)
- Vacuum Tube: RAYTHEON JAN6418 x2
- Decoding: Support up to 32bit / 768kHz Bit to Bit playback
- Input: USB Type-C input (for charging & 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, LHDC)
- Dimensions: 3.33" (84.7mm)[W] x 5.57" (141.5mm)[H] x 0.70" (18mm)[D]
- Weight: about 17oz (483g)
- Feature Enhancements: Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)
- Operating Temperature: 0℃ ~ + 40℃ (32℉~ 104℉)
- Frequency Response: ±0.005dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.003dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced || ±0.006dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced │ ±0.024dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced
- S/N: 120dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 124dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
- Crosstalk: -136dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ -145dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
- THD+N: 0.0005% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 0.0004% @ 1kHz, Balanced
- IMD SMPTE: 0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced │ 0.0007% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Balanced
- Output Impedance: Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (1.5ohm) │ Balanced Out 2.5mm (1.5ohm), 4.4mm(1.4ohm)
- Clock Source: Clock Jitter: 25ps (Typ)
- Reference Clock Jitter: 200 Femto Seconds
- Storage Capacity: Built-in Memory: 256GB [NAND]
- External Memory: microSD x1 (Max. 1TB)
- Battery Capacity: 5,050mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer
- Charge Time: about 3.5 hours (QC3.0 Charging)
- Playback Time: about 10 hours (Standard: FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Unbalanced, Vol.50, LCD Off, LED On, OP AMP Mode)
- Supported OS: Windows 7, 8, 10 (32/64bit); MAC OS X 10.7
