[William1955]

Black and I guess Silver look lovely but gathers fingerprints in seconds. So I use the case and who cares what colour it is as you cannot tell.

Fair point, minor issue. However I hope a clear TPU case will become available at some point.https://www.ebay.com/itm/224915222696 as my SP2K

 

[ChicagoRiggses]

now my silver sp3 is here. first impressions - 1tb sd card with 532gb own music (1050 albums and 180 playlists) took 25minutes to scan in the sp3-library. the scan starts automaticly when put the card in. theres no chance to scan individual folders. when you scroll fast through the albums, there is no alphabetical letter run through like the sony walkman. the processing quality and the material feel ist great and not to compare with my Cayin n8ii or Sony nwm1am2. the buttons on left side are reacts perfect - better than my old sp2ss - the wheel an right side reacts in the same way like sp2. the screen ist brighter and the colours are greater than sp2. Sound with more details and in my opinion better separation than sp2 but is it more relaxed listening. Better presentation of the voices than n8ii and better separation of the mids, the overall picture feels more brillant. in all respects better than nwm1am2. bass not pronounced, it feels very realistic. i hear with PMX with Superbax Linum balanced 4.4 cable. Greatest sound improvement in opposite to sp2 with live music albums in hires - guitar strings from angus young in 24bit 192khz Live-Album sounds absolute amazing! i am very satisfied so far. next i testes sp3 with my prophile 8burlwood with Dunu Hulk Pro 4.4. i have a lifetime roon-account an will test the roon integration also soon. SP3 IS THE NEW KING (even is the are still small imperfections).

 

[arftech]

now my silver sp3 is here. first impressions - 1tb sd card with 532gb own music (1050 albums and 180 playlists) took 25minutes to scan in the sp3-library. the scan starts automaticly when put the card in. theres no chance to scan individual folders. when you scroll fast through the albums, there is no alphabetical letter run through like the sony walkman. the processing quality and the material feel ist great and not to compare with my Cayin n8ii or Sony nwm1am2. the buttons on left side are reacts perfect - better than my old sp2ss - the wheel an right side reacts in the same way like sp2. the screen ist brighter and the colours are greater than sp2. Sound with more details and in my opinion better separation than sp2 but is it more relaxed listening. Better presentation of the voices than n8ii and better separation of the mids, the overall picture feels more brillant. in all respects better than nwm1am2. bass not pronounced, it feels very realistic. i hear with PMX with Superbax Linum balanced 4.4 cable. Greatest sound improvement in opposite to sp2 with live music albums in hires - guitar strings from angus young in 24bit 192khz Live-Album sounds absolute amazing! i am very satisfied so far. next i testes sp3 with my prophile 8burlwood with Dunu Hulk Pro 4.4. i have a lifetime roon-account an will test the roon integration also soon. SP3 IS THE NEW KING (even is the are still small imperfections).

Thanks for your 1st impressions. Many of us are living through the folks that have already received their devices. Keep the impressions coming! Again, thank you!

 

[cheznous]

Fair point, minor issue. However I hope a clear TPU case will become available at some point.https://www.ebay.com/itm/224915222696 as my SP2K

Oh that’s a good idea. Would go for that.

 

[arftech]

Review from Addicted To Audio. Enjoy: https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/blogs/reviews/astell-kern-a-ultima-sp3000-digital-audio-player-review

 

[vonBaron]

Susvara driven at 105 volume? Sorry not buying it...

 

[arftech]

Susvara driven at 105 volume? Sorry not buying it...

Don’t shoot the messenger.

 

[cheznous]

Susvara driven at 105 volume? Sorry not buying it...

Utopia works fine at around 65. However I do feel SP3000 works better with IEM. Prefer my Odins to Utopias.
If I want to use Headphones I would probably do via my Cayin C9.

 

[PhilW]

Utopia works fine at around 65. However I do feel SP3000 works better with IEM. Prefer my Odins to Utopias.
If I want to use Headphones I would probably do via my Cayin C9.

Indeed this. A few clients are using the C9

 

[Nomax]

I am with Utopia 4.4mm balanced at 100-105 at the volume Scale..great combo


NOMAX

PS.you can drive Liric...Clear MG...Empyrean...Elite..Stellia
Everything else you can forget with SP3000
(Susvara...Diana Phi...Ab1266...Stealth...Expanse)

 

[Burakk]

I am with Utopia 4.4mm at 100-105 at the volume Scale

NOMAX

PS.you can drive Liric...Clear MG...Empyrean...Elite
Everything else you can forget with SP3000
(Susvara...Diana Phi...Ab1266...Stealth...Expanse)

I have / had all items you mentioned except Expanse, I don't see any reason to drive such power hungry HPs via DAP. There are other alternatives on market to use. Many of them dac/amp or portable amp.You're right, It should have more power at least as LPGT. Even if it has, I wouldn't use my Susvara with a DAP. I fully agree with your concern but you should find some other arguments ; ) I can't drive my Susvara with sp3k is not fair. There are plenty numbers of desktop amps on the market and they are not able to drive Susvara even. = )

 

[Nomax]

I have / had all items you mentioned except Expanse, I don't see any reason to drive such power hungry HPs via DAP. There are other alternatives on market to use. Many of them dac/amp or portable amp.You're right, It should have more power at least as LPGT. Even if it has, I wouldn't use my Susvara with a DAP. I fully agree with your concern but you should find some other arguments ; ) I can't drive my Susvara with sp3k is not fair. There are plenty numbers of desktop amps on the market and they are not able to drive Susvara even. = )

You always have to see it in relation to the price and the competition

NOMAX

PS.What do you say to the fact that he needs 49 seconds to start when i turn on?
(You can talk up a lot of things..but not everything for 4300 Euros in 2022 )
Maybe they will manage to improve the firmware to reach 25 seconds

(As pure interest,now I have times stopped at the Fiio M17...here the time amounts to 28 seconds for the start...this,the M17 however is nearly two years
back and costs 1800 euro)

 

[cheznous]

Onto my third day with the SP3000 and I am enjoying it more and more.
My ears aren’t sensitive enough to tell much a difference with the various digital filters. However the DAR feature is rather good. Van Morrison - The Healing Game wav file sounds tremendous. The depth and separation are the best I’ve heard to date.
Still bloody slow to start up though and show folders menu. But nothing is perfect.

 

[wj18]

You always have to see it in relation to the price and the competition

NOMAX

PS.What do you say to the fact that he needs 49 seconds to start when i turn on?
(You can talk up a lot of things..but not everything for 4300 Euros in 2022 )
Maybe they will manage to improve the firmware to reach 25 seconds

(As pure interest,now I have times stopped at the Fiio M17...here the time amounts to 28 seconds for the start...this,the M17 however is nearly two years
back and costs 1800 euro)

Could a large number of files on memory disk prolong startup time? I use my N8ii only for streaming and it starts up in 16.25 secs.

 

[arftech]

Onto my third day with the SP3000 and I am enjoying it more and more.
My ears aren’t sensitive enough to tell much a difference with the various digital filters. However the DAR feature is rather good. Van Morrison - The Healing Game wav file sounds tremendous. The depth and separation are the best I’ve heard to date.
Still bloody slow to start up though and show folders menu. But nothing is perfect.

Any difference is the sound of Flac versus Wave file?