Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T Review
Verdict
Yes, information technology'south expensive. Yes, it's relatively beefy and heavy. But equally far equally unadulterated sound excitement goes, yous get what yous pay for (and subsequently conduct around)
Pros
- Endlessly revealing, utterly musical sound
- Extensive specification
- Nicely made, finished and presented
Cons
- Punishingly expensive
- Big and heavy by 'portable' standards
- Bombardment life is zippo special
Key Features
- 4x ESS Sabre ES9068AS DACs Two DACs per aqueduct for dedicated decoding
- Balanced and unbalanced headphone outputs Choice of outputs for your headphone fix-up
- aptX-HD and LDAC Bluetooth Supports hi-res audio over a Bluetooth connection
Introduction
Astell & Kern is far from a stranger to the idea of the lavishly specified, witheringly expensive portable music player. Just with the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T (I know, I know… simply I didn't name information technology so yous tin't blame me), the company may simply near have outdone itself.
Yes, the SP2000T is a portable digital sound thespian – simply it has quite a few points of deviation. Its distension options are remarkably numerous, every bit are its DAC chipsets and its headphone outputs. There isn't a digital audio file type it can't handle, nor a Bluetooth codec worthy of the clarification.
Then it's non like Astell & Kern has just slapped an optimistic price-tag on one of its players and hoped for the best. Just when a portable music player costs two 1000, simply how adept can listeners expect 'the best' to be?
Availability
- Uk RRP: £1999
- United states RRP: $2399
- Australia RRP: AU$3599
The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T sells for a not-inconsiderable £1999. Over in the Usa this translates to $2399, while Australian customers should expect to fork over a chunky AU$3599.
That makes the SP2000T a pricey production, no two ways about it. Of the portable music players Trusted Reviews has enjoyed lately, nix comes shut in terms of asking price – and that includes products both from Astell & Kern itself and its parent company, iRiver.
Design
- Quite elaborately sculpted
If you've encountered an Astell & Kern production – any Astell & Kern production – before at present, you'll know what to expect. The company invested in some mightily complex automobile-tools some time agone, and as a result in that location's a very specific A&K aesthetic. It's edgy and asymmetric, featuring a lot of quite circuitous angles – and hither, but equally on every other Astell & Kern device, it's striking to look at and not peculiarly comfortable to hold.
A glance at the weight and the dimensions of the SP2000T volition tell you it'south big and heavy enough to a) experience like a deeply premium product and b) non be mayhap as portable every bit is platonic. But it'due south difficult to freight a product like this with real perceived value – merely weight is ane mode to do information technology, so I guess it's understandable.
Features
- Many amplifiers
- Many DACs
- Many headphone outputs
There's specification, there's all-encompassing specification and then there's the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T. It may be on the large side, but that could conceivably exist because A&K had to find room for all the things information technology wanted to include.
Most notably, the SP2000T is a tri-amp device. This ways that as well as Atell & Kern's usual OP AMP amplification circuitry, it'south also fitted with dual-triode KORG Nutube amplification (in instance you want a bit of the classic vacuum tube lushness to your digital audio sound). Select one or the other, depending (says A&K) on the audio you lot adopt and the music you're listening to. Or go with one of the five (count 'em!) hybrid positions between OP AMP and Tube. Choices, choices.
Wireless connectivity is available via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The latter option features AAC, aptX-HD and LDAC codecs, and then (once more) you've options. There isn't a digital file worth mentioning the SP2000T tin't bargain with, and once the info is onboard it's dealt with past four ESS Sabre ES9068AS DACs. That'south four DACs, two per aqueduct – and they tin can handle file sizes from a few kbps to 32bit or DSD512. The analogue signal is then fed to your choice of three headphone outputs: the 2.5mm or 4.4mm counterbalanced socket, or the iii.5mm unbalanced alternative.
The 5-inch, 1920 x 1080p capacitive display is as articulate and responsive as anything A&K has ever turned out, and battery life is a fairly decent nine hours (with a leisurely iii hours needed to become from 'flat' to 'total'). The internal retention of 256GB can exist boosted by up to 1TB using a microSD bill of fare.
I could go on. There are more enough more big numbers attached to this device. But you get the moving-picture show.
Sound quality
- Extraordinarily detailed and refined sound
- Informative, dynamic and musical
- Some latent treble issues may go apparent
What if, afterward all that, the A&ultima SP200T wasn't much cop to listen to? What if information technology was a let-downwards? That would exist quite something, right?
Happily (and, let's be fair, predictably) enough, though, the SP2000T is far from a let-down. In fact, it's a brilliantly accomplished player, and an exciting and engrossing listen. Ix hours of battery life suddenly looks a bit iffy, given how easily the Astell & Kern can steal your time away.
Information technology's immediately impressive on almost every level. Mind to a bog-standard 16bit/44.1kHz file of Burying'south Crush of Light or a huge DSD64 copy of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and the effect is just the aforementioned. Boggling powers of analysis, the ability to reveal the most transient details in full (without overstating them), a soundstage that's expansive and organised, and the sort of tonal fidelity that can brand the listener quite dizzy. All the stuff, in fact, that tin can make a muso weak at the knees.
At the bottom of the frequency range there'south weight, momentum and real solidity. Forth with that fanatical level of particular concerning texture and timbre, there'due south 18-carat pace and impeccably straight edges at the entry into bass sounds.
At the opposite finish of the frequency range in that location are similarly extensive levels of detail revealed, plus admittedly as much bite and crisis to treble sounds as is permissible – pair the A&K with unsympathetic headphones and in that location'southward no doubt the SP2000T might audio a bit hard and unforgiving. In between, the amount of data that's made available through the midrange makes every vocalizer audio characterful, and every recording audio like an event.
Dynamic headroom is never in doubt, and information technology doesn't matter if the Astell & Kern is describing a large output switch from 'unaccompanied voice' to 'full-on orchestral assault' or making the differences between 'guitar strum A' and 'guitar strum B' obvious. This player just easily over the information, in full and in the most organised, natural-sounding manner imaginable.
Downsides are very few indeed, and none of them intrinsic. Equally already mentioned, yous'd be sensible to brand certain your favourite headphones aren't likewise treble-happy. And although the SP2000T sounds very skilful indeed with 'ordinary' file sizes, it really shines when given some properly high-resolution stuff to deal with.
Other than that, you only need to justify the outlay to yourself and you're in concern.
Latest deals
Should you purchase it?
You desire truly high-end portable sound Simply add truly loftier-terminate headphones and away you go
You more often than not listen to Spotify'south free tier Even the SP2000T tin't make a silk pocketbook out of those digital files
Final Thoughts
Judged purely on a pound-per-cm² basis, the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T doesn't make an awful lot of sense.But as a portable (ish) source of extremely high-quality audio, it's difficult to argue with. Simply make certain your headphones are up to it…
How we test
We test every portable music player we review thoroughly over an extended menstruation of fourth dimension. We use manufacture standard tests to compare features properly. We'll e'er tell you what we discover. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we examination in our ethics policy.
Tested with a variety of audio formats
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FAQs
Does the SP2000T support expandable storage?
Yes it does. A microSD up to 1TB tin be slotted in.
Full specs
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USB charging
Bluetooth
Sound Formats
Touch Screen
Ports
Connectivity
Colours
ASIN
Release Date
Model Number
Resolution
Weight
DAC
USB DAC Mode
Battery
Size (Dimensions)
Screen Size
Manufacturer
Storage Capacity
CPU
AUD RRP
U.s. RRP
United kingdom RRP
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Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/astell-and-kern-aultima-sp2000t
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