Astell&Kern SP3000 Review

Sound – Intro

For this test we have used the Astell&Kern SP3000 with a wide range of (mostly) IEMs and headphones, streaming music from Tidal, Qobuz as well as local files.

As mentioned earlier, I depending on the music and the IEM/headphone used, tend to switch all the time between the DAC filters. The one I end up using most however, seems to be the “Short delay Sharp Roll-Off” one. This of course can be completely different to you, but I do recommend playing with this setting when switching IEMs and headphones.

Before going in to the SP3000’s tuning specifics, I do want to say that the SP3000 is quite different from the previous Astell&Kern flagship players. It now in style is more like the Cayin Audio N8II and HiBy Music RS8 tuning. It’s fuller and not as light as before, and it now has a tuning which easier to like by most people. More about this later in the comparison section of this article.

Sound – General

The SP3000 is AK’s flagship player and then you just know that you will get a super strong technical performing DAP. The SP3000 is highly revealing and very precise but it never goes to the analytical side (which was more the case with the SP1K and SP2K).

The dynamics here are the best I have ever heard from AK, and if you’re familiar with the higher end AK dap performance, you know this is a big thing to say. Together with the excellent dynamics and engaging character, you get a fuller sounding player, which a lot of people will appreciate. Those who found the top AK players a bit flat or boring before, will now absolutely dig it.

The SP3000 of course is still a very balanced player. It has a linear presentation and a neutral tuning, though that in the previous flagship players was even more the case. AK has gone a bit softer on it this time. If you like a wide and deep sound stage, with excellent layering, spaciousness, separation and airiness, the AK SP3000 will blow you away. It’s super impressive in these regards. Vocals are still presented in the same way as before, but the vocals sound a bit fuller this time.

The new SP3000 has excellent PRaT and the positioning, stereo imaging and 3-dimensonality are as good as it gets. So yeah, the SP3000 is a technically very strong performer but it also is very musical. It’s a perfect marriage of technical performance and musical excellence.  For some AK fans, especially those who liked the lighter presentation of the SP1K and SP2K, the new SP3000 will take some getting used to. I had the same feeling when switching to the SP3000, but I now really like the SP3Ks tuning.

Let’s dive in further

Sound – Classics

Bass always has good presence, but it’s never too much either. For my personal taste, there shouldn’t be any more body-wise. Bass is tight and fast, and it comes in with a good kick and punch. Bass also reaches down very low to sub-levels and it – depending on the IEM used – will be very impressive in this area. The bass detail and layering are also at a top level, but it’s especially the bass control which is exemplary. The Astell&Kern SP3000 does is effortlessly, no matter what music try it with. If you like a good bass presence but with high technical qualities, this is it.

The mids body-wise connect perfectly to the bass region and they again have this effortless and musical presentation. The micro detail, layering and note extension here are exemplary, and the perfectly black background, spaciousness and airiness help accentuate that. The vocals are a bit fuller when compared to the previous AK flagships, but it in this tuning it’s only normal to have the vocals displayed this way. As before there do is a vocal focus and they are positioned slightly more to the front. All-in-all a natural vocal presentation. I wouldn’t call the vocal delivery soft, but it has that hint of smoothness, making them softer on the ear but also realistic. Vocal timbre is unique.

The SP3000’s top end extends well and like the bass and mids, it’s fuller sounding. Treble is spacious, precise, and energetic. It’s never sharp or aggressive but it perfectly matches the bass and mid tuning. I really like the note extension in the upper regions together with the effortless and musical delivery. Treble is technically strong but always musical and never offensive.

Sound – Vs Competition

The IEM used for this comparison is the Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor. It’s one of UM’s flagship IEMs, and my version is the CIEM one. The balanced output was used with all DAPS, streaming music from Tidal.

SP2000

The SP2000 was AK’s previous flagship player, and it was my favorite AK up to now.  The SP2000 uses dual Asahi Kasei AK4499EQ DAC chips and as said it runs on the older software and it has a different UI. The SP2000 is still selling for $3,499 USD, only $200 USD less than the SP3K.

The SP2000 is more energetic and dare I say a bit sharper sounding, at least it gives that impression because of the more forward vocals. The technical level of the SP2000 is great, but that of the SP3000 is even better. The SP3K is more spacious, immersive, airy and extended. The sound stage of the SP3000 is both wider and deeper. The SP2000 is the more neutral tuned of both DAPs, with a less smooth delivery and vocal presentation. The SP2000 also has that typical lighter but precise AK house sound, which in the SP3000 has changed somewhat. The SP3K’s mid timbre is even more impressive than in the SP2000.

You can’t go wrong with either DAP. The user experience is different and the SP3000 has the SP2000 beat on this. On a technical level I feel the SP3K also is the winner (3-dimensinality), but then again, the SP2000 has the more neutral tuning and typical AK House sound. I perfectly understand why AK keeps offering both DAPs. They’re more complimentary and different, then they are competitors.

Cayin N8ii

The Cayin N8ii (selling for $3,499 USD) features both tubes as well as solid state, but for this comparison we’ll focus on the ss output. The DACs used are Dual ROHM BD34301EKV. I Prefer the CLASS A setting with the UM IEM as it offers the best precision and extension.

The Cayin N8ii has more tuning options, and it of course has the CLASS A/AB and Nutube option. The N8ii also is the more powerful player, especially with the P+ setting activated. The N8ii runs on full Android, so that means you can play around with it a whole lot more. UI wise, the full Android experience is great, but I prefer working with the SP3000 when listening to music. I also prefer all the outputs being on top of the player.

Sound-wise the Cayin has the advantage that it has the multiple tuning options, but here we’re focusing on the solid state output in CLASS A. The SP3000 is the more neutral DAP, and it has a lighter tuning than the N8ii. The N8ii has more body from top to bottom and it has a more “in your face” presentation. The SP3000 is more natural and effortless. The bass presence in the Cayin is elevated compared to the SP3000’s presentation, more like that of the RS8 and for me it’s just a bit too much (even though your ears get used to it). The N8ii is warmer and smoother sounding overall. Same goes for the vocals which at the same time blend in more with the Cayin (less to the front). Overall, both DAPs have an excellent technical level, but the AK is more energetic and neutral in presentation. Great but very different players. A difficult choice.

HiBy Music RS8

The RS8 is an R2R DAC based portable player and it’s selling for $3,299 USD. Upfront I expected these DAPs to be very close and they indeed are.

These DAPs share the same tonality and they both have balanced presentation. The RS8 has a little more bass presence and perhaps is a little warmer in the delivery in the bass and mids. The RS8’s vocals are slightly more to the front. The note extension on the RS8 is even more impressive than on the SP3K and that combined with the extra energy the RS8 has, it’s the most expressive and musical sounding.

Sound stage wise both players impress, and the RS8 might have the advantage when it comes to airiness and naturalness. Anyway, both great DAPs with a top-level sound and a very high technical level. The differences here are clearly present, but they’re not immense. It’s difficult to say which one of these is the best, it’s more what you prefer personally.

For my ears I love the extension and energy of the RS8, but I prefer the weight and bass presentation of the SP3000. Can these 2 DAPs have babies please? You can’t go wrong with either of them.

End Words

What a great DAP the Astell&Kern SP3000 is! It’s a true flagship and engineering marvel. Each time when you think it’ can’t get any better, AK comes in and strikes again. On a technical and user experience level, the SP3000 is a step up from the previous SP2000 flagship, though we still like that one very much as well.

The SP3000 is an expensive portable player, and it doesn’t always offer the same tuning options as its competitors, but it’s very good in what it does. With the SP3000 you get a very high-end portable player with a unique design, perfect build quality and excellent performance. The new UI is much better than before, but it of course isn’t a full android experience you get.

Looking purely at sound quality, the keywords to remember are: dynamics, extension, precision, musicality, engagement and effortlessness.

The Astell&Kern SP3000 receives our “Recommended Buy Award” and it is now listed in our DAP Best Buy list where it is in good company. I am keeping the SP2000 in that list as well, as the SP2000 still is available, and it still is very good.

Pro’s

• Sound quality
• Build quality
• Hardware level
• Multiple audio tuning option

Cons

• No full Android
• Price
• Power

Page 1: Astell&Kern, SP3000, Internals

Page2: Design & Lay-out, Box & Accessories & Price, Firmware/UI/Usability

Page3: Sound – Intro, General, Classics, Competition, End Words