[Palpatine79]

Question:
I heard a few times the SP2000T has or had issues with a crackling sound when streaming ?
Is that still the case ?
Any of you still noticing it today when on WiFi ...

I have tried three units, all with the same problem: hissing, buzzing from tube even in offline mode. It depends from sesivity theadphones

 

[kel77]

Do you allready made the 1.50 firmware update and them the soft reset on your sp2000cu?

I have done the update but not reset.
The difference in sound is attributed by the 2 different DAC used.

At end of it, it just depends if you prefer the ESS or AKM sound signature. No right or wrong choosing which side.

 

[denis1976]

I have done the update but not reset.
The difference in sound is attributed by the 2 different DAC used.

At end of it, it just depends if you prefer the ESS or AKM sound signature. No right or wrong choosing which side.

I only noticed the sou d improve after the reset

 

[nihalsharma]

Hello friends, need a help here. There is a sudden scarcity of high-end daps in the market. A&K has stopped manufacturing SP2K. So, I am planning to buy a SP2KT, though it's not a flagship but it is the best I can get right now. Just want to understand few things.

How good is it as a device - is there any lag/ui slowness?
Is there any compromise on soundstage and tonality? I have heard it is neutral but my concern is it should not sound thin.
Is it too bulky? SP2k has some weight.

And last and serious question - Is is a worthy upgrade over Kann Max?

 

[RIGATIO]

Hello friends, need a help here. There is a sudden scarcity of high-end daps in the market. A&K has stopped manufacturing SP2K. So, I am planning to buy a SP2KT, though it's not a flagship but it is the best I can get right now. Just want to understand few things.

How good is it as a device - is there any lag/ui slowness?
Is there any compromise on soundstage and tonality? I have heard it is neutral but my concern is it should not sound thin.
Is it too bulky? SP2k has some weight.

And last and serious question - Is is a worthy upgrade over Kann Max?

It will have similar tonality to the Kann Max but with slightly bigger stage and less bass (neutral, more towards reference, with sharper transients in pure ss mode).
The only way to change the timbre will be engaging the tube amp.
I have sent back the Kann Max because of its analytical, slightly digital timbre. The other aspects of the sound were very nice tho.
All i know is the fact that the AK tuning combined with ESS dacs arent the most natural sounding IMHO.
If you are looking for more natural, wet and organic tonality, i would say the dx320 with amp13 or the Shanling M9 is the way to go.

 

[JasonNYC]

Need some recommendations please!

For CanJam SoCal this year, we are looking to demo our players with a variety of headphones from different manufacturers. In the past, we always demoed with AK-branded headphones and IEM collaborations. Looking for recommendations for headphones you have used that you feel are a good fit for the SP2000T or would like to demo with our players if you are attending the show. Please feel free to PM me with any recommendations so we do not clog up the thread.

Appreciate the help and looking forward to hopefully seeing some of you at CanJam SoCal in September!

 

[nihalsharma]

It will have similar tonality to the Kann Max but with slightly bigger stage and less bass (neutral, more towards reference, with sharper transients in pure ss mode).
The only way to change the timbre will be engaging the tube amp.
I have sent back the Kann Max because of its analytical, slightly digital timbre. The other aspects of the sound were very nice tho.
All i know is the fact that the AK tuning combined with ESS dacs arent the most natural sounding IMHO.
If you are looking for more natural, wet and organic tonality, i would say the dx320 with amp13 or the Shanling M9 is the way to go.

I was going through your posts on DX320 thread and a Kann Max thread. Enjoyed how you switched sides on which of these two are better. I assume, you eventually did not enjoy the Kann Max. Have you spent enough time with SP2Kt? I have tried Kann Alpha for a very brief time, but did not enjoy it that much. Not a lot to complain on the sound quality but the device was laggy. I come from a non-Android Lotoo Paw 6K background where there is nothing but music. The minimal UI in LP6K is super fast and plays any song in couple of clicks. So, along with sound, I need a device where there is no lag. So, one reason I am inclined for SP2Kt as the device has higher RAM.

 

[RIGATIO]

I was going through your posts on DX320 thread and a Kann Max thread. Enjoyed how you switched sides on which of these two are better. I assume, you eventually did not enjoy the Kann Max. Have you spent enough time with SP2Kt? I have tried Kann Alpha for a very brief time, but did not enjoy it that much. Not a lot to complain on the sound quality but the device was laggy. I come from a non-Android Lotoo Paw 6K background where there is nothing but music. The minimal UI in LP6K is super fast and plays any song in couple of clicks. So, along with sound, I need a device where there is no lag. So, one reason I am inclined for SP2Kt as the device has higher RAM.

Sp2kt is nowhere near to the dx320 when it comes to the UI smoothess. IBasso has android 11 and is almost as smooth as my Samsung s20 but without 120hz screen refresh rate.
It's probably the fastest UI on a dap market right now.
When it comes to the sound, i really liked the sound of the Max. All my impressions are still valid. But the dx320 does most of this stuff and it has way more realistic timbre. I specifically mean the dx320 with tube amp13.
It sounds like live performance. No other dap I've tried came close to this level of realism in timbre and analog softness. The Shanling m9 was the closest (haven't tried the Cayin n8ii tho).
I spent 4 days with the sp2kt half year ago and i really liked it's sound. From my memory it was very similar in tuning to the Max but slightly brighter, crisper, with better holography and less sub bass impact. I liked the hybrid mode the most. Didn't like full tube mode as much due to a thicker and slightly blended sound.
What i have problem with is an AK tuning mixed with analytical ESS DACs. AK has very neutral and reference like approach and the ESS timbre doesn't go well with it IMHO. The Max was too edgy and digital sounding in upper mids/lower trebles. After 3h of use i had an impression that it softened a bit but this boosted clarity came back and annoyed me.
Overall i think that the ROHM DACs used on the dx320 and Cayin n8ii are superior to any other dac on the market right now. They have amazing microdetail dynamics, very fast transients but they dont sound analytical at all due to the very "wet" feel to the notes.
I liked the AK house sound with AKM dacs more but they were still bit too thin and splashy on top.
But remember, all these impressions are basing on my personal preferences.

 

[mungster]

SP2000T Copper Nickel.

 

[Deferenz]

I’m really interested in the SP2000T but I’m concerned about the buzzing / hissing noise being described while streaming. I stream Tidal and it's my only source of music and so not being able to use tube or hybrid mode is not great. Are there any further developments to try and fix this issue? At the moment it seems like a bit of a lottery whether it will affect you or not.

 

[JayF]

I've had my SP2000T for a couple of months and only stream Tidal and have never encounter buzzing.

 

[dennisgerrard]

I've had my SP2000T for a couple of months and only stream Tidal and have never encounter buzzing.

Even in Hybride mode or Tube mode?

 

[nihalsharma]

I’m really interested in the SP2000T but I’m concerned about the buzzing / hissing noise being described while streaming. I stream Tidal and it's my only source of music and so not being able to use tube or hybrid mode is not great. Are there any further developments to try and fix this issue? At the moment it seems like a bit of a lottery whether it will affect you or not.

I have been using Tidal and Apple Music on SP2Kt for last couple of weeks. There is no issue whatsoever. The apps open and stream decently and they don’t crash or sound any different.

 

[JayF]

Even in Hybride mode or Tube mode?

Correct and I almost exclusively use hybrid mode.

 

[parabellum777]

I've had my SP2000T for a couple of months and only stream Tidal and have never encounter buzzing.

That’s also my experience. No buzzing at all in tube or hybrid mode.