Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000T

[sk57rus]

Yes, unfortunately, the AK 3000t doesn't come with a more powerful battery. High-resolution recording, especially in conjunction with the tubes, consumes a lot of power, so if you really want to take advantage of the device's quality, it's never possible to achieve the 10 hours of battery life claimed by the manufacturer. Realistically, you can expect 6 to 7 hours.

The question also arises: if the battery is worn out, can AK replace it? I can't find any offers for this.

Replacing the battery bothers me the most, I would like to hear from A&K representative, and since I am in Russia, this may be a big problem.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

All batteries can be replaced. I replaced my AK240 battery after 8 years.

I'd be more concerned with the tubes.

 

[paramac]

All batteries can be replaced. I replaced my AK240 battery after 8 years.

I'd be more concerned with the tubes.

Did you change it yourself or did the service take care of it?

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Did you change it yourself or did the service take care of it?

I changed it myself. Bought battery off Amazon.

 

[Rozeqloud]

The player is good for everyone except for the autonomy, the additional battery has become a faithful companion.

Could you please tell me more about that specific battery pack and how you use it? Is that plugged right into the A&K like that in the pic? Or just sitting close for this pic?

Do you play music while charging? If so is that not hard on the DAP to drain and charge at same time?

And in this case what do you mean by "autonomy"?

@

Daniel Johnston

You were able to take apart the SP3000T and change the battery yourself? (Hats off sir to you)

Any chance of explaining here how you did that?

So just standard screws/drivers etc? I know getting my N8 apart would have been a nightmare

Is the battery soldered? (I suck at soldering,I mean real bad)

What battery is that? What would I search for to be sure I get the right battery?

Cheers​

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Could you please tell me more about that specific battery pack and how you use it? Is that plugged right into the A&K like that in the pic? Or just sitting close for this pic?

Do you play music while charging? If so is that not hard on the DAP to drain and charge at same time?

And in this case what do you mean by "autonomy"?

@

Daniel Johnston

You were able to take apart the SP3000T and change the battery yourself? (Hats off sir to you)

Any chance of explaining here how you did that?

So just standard screws/drivers etc? I know getting my N8 apart would have been a nightmare

Is the battery soldered? (I suck at soldering,I mean real bad)

What battery is that? What would I search for to be sure I get the right battery?

Cheers​

No. I changed the battery on my AK240. It was easy to source the battery for it. Battery was not soldered.

The SP3000 looks like it is glued. Still possible to replace battery. It's only been out for a couple years. I still think the tubes will wear out before the battery.

 

[sk57rus]

Could you please tell me more about that specific battery pack and how you use it? Is that plugged right into the A&K like that in the pic? Or just sitting close for this pic?

Do you play music while charging? If so is that not hard on the DAP to drain and charge at same time?

And in this case what do you mean by "autonomy"?

@

Daniel Johnston​

​

You were able to take apart the SP3000T and change the battery yourself? (Hats off sir to you)​

​

Any chance of explaining here how you did that?​

​

So just standard screws/drivers etc? I know getting my N8 apart would have been a nightmare​

​

Is the battery soldered? (I suck at soldering,I mean real bad)​

​

What battery is that? What would I search for to be sure I get the right battery?​

​

Cheers​

The battery is directly connected to the player without any wires

 

[paramac]

This device is plugged into the bottom of the device instead of the data/charging cable and left there, just like I do with my power bank at home.
During use, it's practically constantly charging, and the charge level is maintained at, for example, 80%-85% if you've activated the battery saving mode on the device.

https://de.ugreen.com/collections/p...w-eingebaute-usb-c-power-bank-mit-led-anzeige

 

[Rozeqloud]

The battery is directly connected to the player without any wires

So is it charging the AK battery at the same time or is it bypassing the internal battery and using the ugreens charge/power?

I have thought that charging a battery at the same time it is draining is not good for the battery?

@

paramac So the "battery saving mode" prevents any damage of draining while charging?

If that is even a thing anymore?

It may be outdated thinking in 2025,but I have read it is bad to charge a battery while draining it

I am not quite understanding this process

Thank you both for your patience

PS I need to say that my Cayin N8 battery still gives me many hours,and it is way older.I suspect that the battery in SP3000T being newer tech is likely better based on its age?

Also,I doubt I would outlive either battery at my age,but if it did give up and die I suspect that charge port you use with green is passthrough and even w/out an internal battery that battery or wall plug would keep it running?

Cheers​

 

[paramac]

The battery protection mode actually has nothing to do with this device; it simply prevents the battery from being fully charged to 100%, thus slowing down wear and tear.

But as I mentioned at the beginning, the power supply is always provided by the device's internal battery; there's no separate power connection that excludes the battery. The latter might be desirable if I wanted to use the device in pure DAC mode

If I connect a power bank or use an external charger at the same time, and leave it connected to a computer, it's constantly recharging when I use the device. Either to 100% or, if the protection mode is activated, to a good 80%.

Hence the question of whether such constant micro-charging might be harmful in the long run.

In principle, however, I believe that a device like the Green could be quite useful, especially if I don't have a power source available for an extended period. But it might only happen when the charge drops below 40%, for example, and only then will I connect it.

 

[sk57rus]

So is it charging the AK battery at the same time or is it bypassing the internal battery and using the ugreens charge/power?

I have thought that charging a battery at the same time it is draining is not good for the battery?

@

paramac So the "battery saving mode" prevents any damage of draining while charging?​

​

If that is even a thing anymore?​

​

It may be outdated thinking in 2025,but I have read it is bad to charge a battery while draining it​

​

I am not quite understanding this process​

​

Thank you both for your patience​

​

PS I need to say that my Cayin N8 battery still gives me many hours,and it is way older.I suspect that the battery in SP3000T being newer tech is likely better based on its age?​

​

Also,I doubt I would outlive either battery at my age,but if it did give up and die I suspect that charge port you use with green is passthrough and even w/out an internal battery that battery or wall plug would keep it running?​

​

Cheers​

This is a regular powerbank, I use it mainly on the road when it is not possible to charge the player from the mains.

 

[JasonNYC]

Yes, unfortunately, the AK 3000t doesn't come with a more powerful battery. High-resolution recording, especially in conjunction with the tubes, consumes a lot of power, so if you really want to take advantage of the device's quality, it's never possible to achieve the 10 hours of battery life claimed by the manufacturer. Realistically, you can expect 6 to 7 hours.

The question also arises: if the battery is worn out, can AK replace it? I can't find any offers for this.

We do offer battery replacement service for a small fee.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

We do offer battery replacement service for a small fee.

What about replacing the tubes?

NOS pencil tubes should have a long life depending on how hard they are driven, but it's not nearly as long as NuTubes. So, tube replacement would be a reality in this product's usable life.

I still have my AK240 I bought in 2014 and it is going strong after a battery change. I would expect no less from the SP3000T. I have not found AK products to be "disposable".

 

[JasonNYC]

What about replacing the tubes?

NOS pencil tubes should have a long life depending on how hard they are driven, but it's not nearly as long as NuTubes. So, tube replacement would be a reality in this product's usable life.

I still have my AK240 I bought in 2014 and it is going strong after a battery change. I would expect no less from the SP3000T. I have not found AK products to be "disposable".

In theory, the tubes can be replaced, and we would replace them if under warranty if they failed prematurely. Since we haven't actually had a scenario where the tubes have reached their rated useful life and needed to be replaced, we do not have an official cost or procedure to replace them through our service centers out of warranty, but if the situation came up, we would certainly work with the owner to do so.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

In theory, the tubes can be replaced, and we would replace them if under warranty if they failed prematurely. Since we haven't actually had a scenario where the tubes have reached their rated useful life and needed to be replaced, we do not have an official cost or procedure to replace them through our service centers out of warranty, but if the situation came up, we would certainly work with the owner to do so.

That's a fair response. Thank you.