[raypin]

Mm..interesting successor to the ak380/380 cu.

 

[xxx1313]

1313, please give of some impressions if you do get an opportunity to audition the SP1000 thx.

I will, but keep in mind that ambient noise will not be helpful to make real judgements.

 

[LouisArmstrong]

Well, not sure. I will try the SP1000 in Munich this weekend.

Look forward to your review. Please remember to try the SP1000Cu if it is available and let us know whether there are similar differences.

 

[bmichels]

On my way to MUNICH .

 

[Eroica4th]

Umm i cant see ak380cu on moon audio, bit it is getting rare now.

https://www.moon-audio.com/astell-kern-ak380-copper-digital-music-media-player.html


It says it is discontinued

 

[xxx1313]

Ultima SP1000: some listening impressions
https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/new-tol-a-k-dap-the-ak-ultima-sp1000.850061/page-8#post-13500048

 

[Quadfather]

And they know there are a couple of thousand people who will throw their money at any new flagship AK DAP, regardless of price, regardless of specs. It's like a never-ending cash-cow for them.






Many will think I'm joking about this, but I'm not: I predict the AK380 won't sound substantially better than the PAW 5000.

A&K are so busy price-gouging, that they're forgetting that the sub-$1000 audiophile DAP market is rapidly improving. Gone are the days (not so long ago) when SQ differences were larger between mid-market and high-end DAPs.

---

Actually. I was idly thinking about something else yesterday...

If a company had, say, a few hundred DAPs manufactured, but sales were slowing and the company had a new, unannounced, model nearing completion and release (which would inevitably slow sales of the older model even further), what could they do to stimulate sales of the older model, a few hundred units of which they were struggling to shift, just a couple of months before the new model was due out?

Well, it 'suddenly occurred' to me that one simple idea could be to simply repackage those few hundred DAPs in a shiny new casing, to appeal to bling-seekers. Stainless steel could be one material option.


Then, once those units had been shifted, the new model could be announced.

It would leave a few hundred customers feeling aggrieved, but hey - they're only faceless individuals with yet more money to throw at their audiophile obsessions when the newer model is released, just around the corner...


Anyway, this was all just day-dreaming in my mind, yesterday. I'm sure no real-life company would be so cynical as to do something like that.

I sent the AK240SS back for a refund. I still have my Questyle QP1R, which was 1/3 of the price. Very happy with it.

 

[Samuel777]

AK380 cu + amp cu still remain the best of all. Time and listening will show and tell.
I kept myself ne preciously. That think will come to miss on the market very very soon. And the few elected owners will start appreciate their cu combo more and more.

 

[bflat]

AK380 cu + amp cu still remain the best of all. Time and listening will show and tell.
I kept myself ne preciously. That think will come to miss on the market very very soon. And the few elected owners will start appreciate their cu combo more and more.

I would agree with you from the context of the total end to end chain. At this level of spend and performance, I find it quite an effort and cost to get everything "just right" to my personal tastes. When you consider the chain of audio file to DAC to amp to headphone cable to headphone, changing any one of the links comes at the risk. Alternatively, one could spend a lot of dollars on "upgrading" one of the links and get no tangible benefit. If I were to consider upgrading to the new SP1000, I would only do it if I were prepared to revisit everything in my current chain.

 

[Eroica4th]

Umm i wonder how is the patina on ur ak380cu these days

 

[LouisArmstrong]

Is the copper on the SP1000Cu different? I heard it is stainless copper so I presume it won't rust so fast as my AK380Cu right?

 

[ChrisSC]

Are there any other Ak380 mods besides the Red Wine Audio, which is no longer being offered?

 

[raypin]

Is the copper on the SP1000Cu different? I heard it is stainless copper so I presume it won't rust so fast as my AK380Cu right?

Mm...according to @bmichels, the info from A&K during Munich is that the new copper version is tarnish-proof. So, no polishing needed.

 

[justin07]

Hi guys... Quick question. Anyone found a way to maintain AK380cu shine after polishing. Does copper protector e.g., tarnish blocker, help? or would these chemical affects the sound quality? Or should I just give up on polishing? Lol
Thanks

 

[raypin]

Mm..none. You can retard the tarnishing by protecting your cu with a case (I use Aesopica pueblo blue). Other than that, it requires tlc.