[JasonNYC]

I Loaded a 1.5TB card and it always says 'scanning media' since that time, about 1.5 weeks ago. normal?

Not normal. The first time you insert a card, it will do a media scan which can take some time. When you turn the player on each time, it will do a short scan to look for any changes. Are you saying it constantly scans all the time when you have the player turned on?

Two possibilities that can cause the media scan to hang:

1. Card is formatted in a different file format other than FAT32, such as ExFAT or NTFS.

2. There is a corrupt file or unsupported file format such as an MP4 file, which will cause the player to continuously scan the card, trying to index it.

 

[ipaddy]

I think it’s partly a function of the IEM. With power-hungry IEMs I can tell the SP3K’s amp section is lacking vs. some other DAPs. But with a more sensitive IEM like the Chronicle, the SP3K does great.

Did I just read that a top of the line current DAP has an issue with providing enough power *FOR AN IEM*?

 

[phiemon]

Did I just read that a top of the line current DAP has an issue with providing enough power *FOR AN IEM*?

No, you've got it wrong: with many IEMs ...

 

[ipaddy]

Agree software wise they are behind, very behind… soundwise they are way beyond competition of other daps. Heared many flagships of other brands, none of them except a few are on the same level. Certainly not ibasso or shanling.

So you would think that it's miles ahead of their own Kann Max, or as competition ahead of the DX320?

 

[ipaddy]

No, you've got it wrong: with many IEMs ...

How can that be? I thought an IEM requires much less power.

For example, amps like the Gryphon actually have attenuators so that one can at least have the filters for iem's going, but reducing the power.

 

[phiemon]

How can that be? I thought an IEM requires much less power.

For example, amps like the Gryphon actually have attenuators so that one can at least have the filters for iem's going, but reducing the power.

I don't know, it probably has to do with the quality of the amp. The volume definitely goes up, but the sound is comparatively flat, not dynamic (enough), at least for me and compared to other daps. The DX320Max is a league or two above.

 

[twister6]

Just spent half an hour listening to SP3000 vs SP3000M. 3k has probably hundreds of hours on it while 3kM just reached the 100hr burned-in mark. I will put together a more detailed write-up after spending more time with both, but for now, with DAR disabled and while using Jewel (my reference IEMs), I hear the tonality to be not too far off, actually pretty close, only the soundstage of 3k sounds a little wider with more expanded imaging. The gap in sound quality widens once you enable DAR. 3k implements DSD128 oversampling which expands the soundstage, makes imaging more holographic, and makes the sound more transparent while improving the retrieval of details. With 3kM, once DAR is enabled (3000M implemented DSD64 oversampling), the tonality doesn't change as much, but I noticed the soundstage becomes a bit narrower.

Again, these are just initial impressions after a short listening session, and based on what I'm hearing with this one particular SP3000M unit. Don't think A&K would make a cheaper version of their flagship to kill the sales of SP3000 But based on what I'm hearing above, if you don't care as much about the DAR filter, and are looking for a cheaper, lighter, smaller, more compact version of the SP3000, the SP3000M is it.

 

[makbrown]

Don't think A&K would make a cheaper version of their flagship to kill the sales of SP3000 But based on what I'm hearing above, if you don't care as much about the DAR filter, and are looking for a cheaper, lighter, smaller, more compact version of the SP3000, the SP3000M is it.

I've been waiting for this review for weeks. And as far as I understand from this short summary, the miracle didn't happen. 3km didn't get the same sound as 3k, only in a smaller size.

 

[timeslip]

Just spent half an hour listening to SP3000 vs SP3000M. 3k has probably hundreds of hours on it while 3kM just reached the 100hr burned-in mark. I will put together a more detailed write-up after spending more time with both, but for now, with DAR disabled and while using Jewel (my reference IEMs), I hear the tonality to be not too far off, actually pretty close, only the soundstage of 3k sounds a little wider with more expanded imaging. The gap in sound quality widens once you enable DAR. 3k implements DSD128 oversampling which expands the soundstage, makes imaging more holographic, and makes the sound more transparent while improving the retrieval of details. With 3kM, once DAR is enabled (3000M implemented DSD64 oversampling), the tonality doesn't change as much, but I noticed the soundstage becomes a bit narrower.

Again, these are just initial impressions after a short listening session, and based on what I'm hearing with this one particular SP3000M unit. Don't think A&K would make a cheaper version of their flagship to kill the sales of SP3000 But based on what I'm hearing above, if you don't care as much about the DAR filter, and are looking for a cheaper, lighter, smaller, more compact version of the SP3000, the SP3000M is it.

I agree with your findings, when I tried chronicle & macbeth with ambition on it. It seemed more compressed than sp3kt in op mode in staging and overall note size. I felt these trade-offs were acceptable for being such a small device, although a bit overpriced given how many years A&K had to try and make a smaller sp3000. When I finally got my fugaku and tried LO, is when reality hit that the sub-bass drop is huge between sp3kt (op mode) and sp3k. I could not unhear it and ultimately sold it, as my hope was to have a small dap for fugaku and PO.

 

[godlikegamer]

I've been waiting for this review for weeks. And as far as I understand from this short summary, the miracle didn't happen. 3km didn't get the same sound as 3k, only in a smaller size.

I think with smaller and lower price, that is quite equal to same sound as SP3000... but if you are talking 100% same SQ, not sure why you would have this thought at the beginning...

 

[lramirez1959]

Small foot print with reference level SQ: Winner ! I love my SE300, but it was a brick ! This thing is small and light; and paired with my Stellias is a true gem. Very happy man.

 

[voltmeter]

I’m currently trying to decide between sp3000 & the sp3000m. I currently have both. In my opinion the sp3k sounds marginally better than the sp3km. The over all user experience is much better on the sp3k. I travel full time for work, so I’m willing to overlook the UI differences as the sp3km sounds great.

Yesterday I ran some battery tests. I played FLAC files 24/96 with DAR on, wifi off, from the hard drive at volume 60 from 82%(full with battery saver) until 10% on both devices. Sp3k made it 6 hours while sp3km made it 4 hours.

My next test was streaming qobuz over wifi, DAR on, volume 60, 16/44 quality from 82% to 10%. Sp3k made it 5 hours, and sp3km only made it 2:45. For all these tests, I set the device down, and left them alone. I came back and checked battery life every 45 minutes or so & turned the screen back off.

Does anyone have any experience with this? The sp3km numbers seem really poor.

 

[aaf evo]

I’m currently trying to decide between sp3000 & the sp3000m. I currently have both. In my opinion the sp3k sounds marginally better than the sp3km. The over all user experience is much better on the sp3k. I travel full time for work, so I’m willing to overlook the UI differences as the sp3km sounds great.

Yesterday I ran some battery tests. I played FLAC files 24/96 with DAR on, wifi off, from the hard drive at volume 60 from 82%(full with battery saver) until 10% on both devices. Sp3k made it 6 hours while sp3km made it 4 hours.

My next test was streaming qobuz over wifi, DAR on, volume 60, 16/44 quality from 82% to 10%. Sp3k made it 5 hours, and sp3km only made it 2:45. For all these tests, I set the device down, and left them alone. I came back and checked battery life every 45 minutes or so & turned the screen back off.

Does anyone have any experience with this? The sp3km numbers seem really poor.

Could you elaborate a bit more on what differences you hear between the SP3000 and 3000M? When I tested the M at CanJam Dallas I compared it to the SP3000T OP amp mode and SP3000 and I didn’t feel they were marginally better, but significantly so especially in stage size and end to end extension. I’m starting to wonder if maybe the MusicTeck demo unit was faulty in one way or another. It sounded quite compressed to me and lacking in sub bass depth. Sort of like a warm/mid range focused tuning.

I am too scared to buy a unit and take the risk of it being the same as what I heard in Dallas.

 

[LFC_SL]

Does anyone have any experience with this? The sp3km numbers seem really poor.

Would you mind repeating the battery life test(s) with DAR turned off? Thanks! (Appreciate if owners want DAR turned on for daily use)

 

[voltmeter]

Would you mind repeating the battery life test(s) with DAR turned off? Thanks! (Appreciate if owners want DAR turned on for daily use)

ok, I just started the sp3km test at volume 60, no DAR, screen off, wifi off, 24/96 FLAC from hard drive, I will report back later tonight. I'm hoping to claw back an hour with DAR off, so hopefully 5 hours from now.