[Tanalasta]

Finally got around to a proper listen with the SP3000 and Utopia 2022 (ROON, DAR on max PCM for its forward presentation). Volume on 90.

Initial impressions are a softness to the presentation that would appeal to those who prefer the 'low' gain settings on their amplifier. I've always enjoyed the A&K Ultima house sound. Especially with DAR, more forward and engaging than the SP2000. Thoughts take me away to an open amphitheatre. Ethereal yet musical comes to mind. Dynamics are fine although don't have the punch or vocal dynamics of a desktop amplifier (e.g. the Naim Headphone Edition). Relaxed and less fatiguing than the Utopia OG. Tonality is decidedly solid state (as opposed to the analogue, laid back organic tube presentation).

There's very little to fault with the tuning or tonality with this pairing.

Technically excellent as we've come to expect from the A&K Ultima series. Can I call Utopia under driven? Probably not. Could it be better? Yes. The Utopia can be more dynamic. The soundstage could be wider, with more air between the instruments. Layering could be improved. I've heard my Utopia be technically better. But am I unhappy with it Utopia straight from the SP3000? No. And it's quite a bit better than the SP2000 was.

Having spent most of the past few days listening to IEM's and the last few months going back and forth re: whether to buy a SP3000 ... I'm glad I did. SP3000 bloody magical with the MEST III and I'm looking forward to hearing Spartacus again tomorrow.

 

[MSwiss]

Finally got around to a proper listen with the SP3000 and Utopia 2022 (ROON, DAR on max PCM for its forward presentation). Volume on 90.

Initial impressions are a softness to the presentation that would appeal to those who prefer the 'low' gain settings on their amplifier. I've always enjoyed the A&K Ultima house sound. Especially with DAR, more forward and engaging than the SP2000. Thoughts take me away to an open amphitheatre. Ethereal yet musical comes to mind. Dynamics are fine although don't have the punch or vocal dynamics of a desktop amplifier (e.g. the Naim Headphone Edition). Relaxed and less fatiguing than the Utopia OG. Tonality is decidedly solid state (as opposed to the analogue, laid back organic tube presentation).

There's very little to fault with the tuning or tonality with this pairing.

Technically excellent as we've come to expect from the A&K Ultima series. Can I call Utopia under driven? Probably not. Could it be better? Yes. The Utopia can be more dynamic. The soundstage could be wider, with more air between the instruments. Layering could be improved. I've heard my Utopia be technically better. But am I unhappy with it Utopia straight from the SP3000? No. And it's quite a bit better than the SP2000 was.

Having spent most of the past few days listening to IEM's and the last few months going back and forth re: whether to buy a SP3000 ... I'm glad I did. SP3000 bloody magical with the MEST III and I'm looking forward to hearing Spartacus again tomorrow.

Thanks for posting your thoughts , I’m currently going backwards and forwards if the SP3000 is right for me. I have the Utopia and use a Hugo 2 which I’m quite happy with but it’s not great for travelling. I have just bought the 23 anni’s also which are harder to drive apparently. How do you think the SP will synergise with the Anni’s?

Thanks

M

 

[Tanalasta]

Without looking up the exact specifications, I think the SP3000 is 6.3Vrms and isn't any 'less' powerful than the Hugo2 on paper. SP3000 is a little large and heavy to put into a pocket. I assume you'd be using the balanced line out.

I don't have a set of Anni's 2023 on hand (if Elysian made them with a 2-pin connector so I could cable-roll I'd seriously consider buying one).

I'll default to my gut feel is that it would synergise ok if you like the SP3000 sound. But may improve with a headphone amplifier (e.g. MK465, C9). If you want something warmer, a top of the line R2R may be a better option. Or perhaps the R8ii which I haven't personally heard but was my second consideration behind the SP3000.

The Hugo2 is more dynamic and faster pace than the SP3000. Instruments are closer together. Paradoxically I would say I prefer Utopia with Hugo2 over the SP3000. (edit: maybe). SP3000 is more relaxed in comparison. It also has that DAR magic. The soundstage is more 3D. I actually think layering is better in the SP3000. Details and subtleties are more nuanced. That pinpoint triangle tinkle on an orchestral track. Hugo2 is more mid prominent.

I'm using a PWA RCA to 4.4mm adapter (so I can use the same 4.4 cable).

My recommendation would be to stick with the Hugo2 and definitely audition before buying the SP3000. However, I do think the pairing will work well. I'm not the authority on the Anni. @Damz87 is.

 

[MSwiss]

Without looking up the exact specifications, I think the SP3000 is 6.3Vrms and isn't any 'less' powerful than the Hugo2 on paper. SP3000 is a little large and heavy to put into a pocket. I assume you'd be using the balanced line out.

I don't have a set of Anni's 2023 on hand (if Elysian made them with a 2-pin connector so I could cable-roll I'd seriously consider buying one).

I'll default to my gut feel is that it would synergise ok if you like the SP3000 sound. But may improve with a headphone amplifier (e.g. MK465, C9). If you want something warmer, a top of the line R2R may be a better option. Or perhaps the R8ii which I haven't personally heard but was my second consideration behind the SP3000.

The Hugo2 is more dynamic and faster pace than the SP3000. Instruments are closer together. Paradoxically I would say I prefer Utopia with Hugo2 over the SP3000. (edit: maybe). SP3000 is more relaxed in comparison. It also has that DAR magic. The soundstage is more 3D. I actually think layering is better in the SP3000. Details and subtleties are more nuanced. That pinpoint triangle tinkle on an orchestral track. Hugo2 is more mid prominent.

I'm using a PWA RCA to 4.4mm adapter (so I can use the same 4.4 cable).

My recommendation would be to stick with the Hugo2 and definitely audition before buying the SP3000. However, I do think the pairing will work well. I'm not the authority on the Anni. @Damz87 is.

Thanks for the excellent response!

I use the PW audio for 4.4 also, which was a really good decision in my opinion. I’ll keep the Hugo2 for home use but so the sp is really for when I travel on long haul or sitting in the garden relaxing.

Roon is a big part of this and it seems A&K have implemented this in the right way.

It will be interesting to hear @Damz87 thoughts too

Thank you again.

 

[nfandi]

Finally got around to a proper listen with the SP3000 and Utopia 2022 (ROON, DAR on max PCM for its forward presentation). Volume on 90.

Initial impressions are a softness to the presentation that would appeal to those who prefer the 'low' gain settings on their amplifier. I've always enjoyed the A&K Ultima house sound. Especially with DAR, more forward and engaging than the SP2000. Thoughts take me away to an open amphitheatre. Ethereal yet musical comes to mind. Dynamics are fine although don't have the punch or vocal dynamics of a desktop amplifier (e.g. the Naim Headphone Edition). Relaxed and less fatiguing than the Utopia OG. Tonality is decidedly solid state (as opposed to the analogue, laid back organic tube presentation).

There's very little to fault with the tuning or tonality with this pairing.

Technically excellent as we've come to expect from the A&K Ultima series. Can I call Utopia under driven? Probably not. Could it be better? Yes. The Utopia can be more dynamic. The soundstage could be wider, with more air between the instruments. Layering could be improved. I've heard my Utopia be technically better. But am I unhappy with it Utopia straight from the SP3000? No. And it's quite a bit better than the SP2000 was.

Having spent most of the past few days listening to IEM's and the last few months going back and forth re: whether to buy a SP3000 ... I'm glad I did. SP3000 bloody magical with the MEST III and I'm looking forward to hearing Spartacus again tomorrow.

Are you using the SP3000 as a Roon endpoint? If you are you could “mess about” with Muse settings. You could even consider getting the convolution filters from Mitch at Accurate Sounds. I haven’t done this for my Utopia but I do use them with my Raal’s. I also have the AK PA10 which offers a slightly different presentation from the Class A amplifier. The PA10 adds some extra weight to classic rock recordings.

 

[MSwiss]

Are you using the SP3000 as a Roon endpoint? If you are you could “mess about” with Muse settings. You could even consider getting the convolution filters from Mitch at Accurate Sounds. I haven’t done this for my Utopia but I do use them with my Raal’s. I also have the AK PA10 which offers a slightly different presentation from the Class A amplifier. The PA10 adds some extra weight to classic rock recordings.

I’m using it as an end point so Muse could offer an extra bit of flexibility.

Thanks for the other information, I’ll look into these.

Best

 

[Tanalasta]

Are you using the SP3000 as a Roon endpoint? If you are you could “mess about” with Muse settings. You could even consider getting the convolution filters from Mitch at Accurate Sounds. I haven’t done this for my Utopia but I do use them with my Raal’s. I also have the AK PA10 which offers a slightly different presentation from the Class A amplifier. The PA10 adds some extra weight to classic rock recordings.

Yes. I preferred the DAR on the SP3000 to the Roon upsampling MUSE. Especially the PCM mode.

I'm actually very happy with the Utopia 2022 stock tuning. I do use the MitchB convolution for LCD-5 and it's the best I've tried.

 

[bussola]

DAR doesn’t have as deep bass and refined treble as standard playback does

 

[nfandi]

DAR doesn’t have as deep bass and refined treble as standard playback does

Genuine upscaling/oversampling is supposed to add refinement not remove it. I’m wondering if they’re using some DSP trickery rather than upscaling? Do you hear the same result with all of the DAC filters?

 

[IgeNeLL]

Start to burn the SP3000 Gold.
From the initial testing, my friend and I noticed a significant difference between the Gold and Silver SS versions. As it is still new, there is a need for refinement in certain aspects and an expansion of the handling capabilities. The difference in tonality is noticeable, even after configuring the same options for digital filter and DAR.

• The impulse of the gold version is slightly slower, which can be perceived in piano, cymbal, and drum sounds. The drum lacks solidity and impact compared to the SS version.
• The tonality of the gold version is warmer and more colourful in the mid-range and treble sections. It has a softer and mellower tone, particularly for brass instruments.
• The SS version leans more towards the strict and precision side, while the Gold version is more pleasing and mellow.

 

[Tanalasta]

Interesting ... thank you. Would you happen to have the copper one on hand to do a 3 way comparison?

 

[IgeNeLL]

Interesting ... thank you. Would you happen to have the copper one on hand to do a 3 way comparison?

I have another friend who has a Cooper, so it could be possible. Let's complete the burn-in process first. I didn't focus on Cooper at this time, so it's hard to compare with my memories. If I have time, I will share a three-way comparison later.
The gold version always gives me the impression of a golden sound presentation, like an album cover.

 

[Tanalasta]

I had been loaning the Black SP3000 from the store whilst waiting for my copper unit to arrive. And today it did.

Absolutely beautiful unit.

I can confirm the screen protectors are seperate (there are two included for the front and back ; as well as side ones). There's no frame and they're somewhat stiff plastic, not tempered glass. I accidentally peeled the protector off the glass when removing the cover layer so had to use the second one. I only bothered with the front screen protector. Please include dust removal stickers in the SP4000 package.

Subtle, initial impressions confirm Copper unit is warmer (especially in the mids) than the black one. It's more subtle than a cable or tip change. The black SP3000 neutral and balanced. Copper being brand new vs the store black SP3000 with many hours I'll reserve judgement.



As for unboxing experiences. We almost thought it was bricked. Absolutely flat out of the box. Not great for Li-ion batteries.

Taking notes on the MEST III and Spartacus whilst sipping on cask strength whisky. I'm pretty happy.

 

[Dionysus]

Congrats on your cooper pickup the most beautiful of the bunch in my opinion.
I just can’t with my OCD. I had the AK380 and spent more time trying to keep the copper from patina than listening. But I love the look.

 

[CharlyBrown]

I really like the new orange cover that seems to come with the gold version. Can you buy this separately @JasonNYC ?