[dhc0329]

Verdict has it SP1000M sounds better..Wow! time to sell my SP1K and take SPIKM train??? or wait for new and improved SP1K
slated for next year as noted in this video.

 

[twister6]

Verdict has it SP1000M sounds better..Wow! time to sell my SP1K and take SPIKM train??? or wait for new and improved SP1K
slated for next year as noted in this video.

A single data point from a non-audiophile website that covers everything in smartphones and other "digital trends", at the noisy show. I don't even know what headphones they used for testing or what else this guy reviewed before to reference his previous audio review work.

Sorry, don't want sound so negative, but in the last few days I talked to so many people who sent me messages asking if they should sell their original SPK to "upgrade" to M. And many referenced this video. This is just a single data point. Let's wait for RMAF show impressions and other more qualified reviews

 

[Van Gogh]

I tried an A&K player for the 1st time (SP1000) and compared it with my phone (HTC10) through a bunch of high-end IEM's.
Honestly I couldn't tell much of a difference between my phone and A&K...

Maybe because HTC10 is one of the better sounding phones out there.
Or maybe because these player make more subtle differences that are not too apparent right away and these differences you start noticing over long-term listening?
Or maybe I am just deaf haha?

 

[denis1976]

We are entering in the joke zone....htc10 and sp1000 ....i go for the last hypothesis...

 

[Van Gogh]

We are entering in the joke zone....htc10 and sp1000 ....i go for the last hypothesis...

Haha I actually really want to buy it don't get me wrong.
I will give it another listen next week. I was actually kind of sick on the first test day and that might have actually literally affected my listening lol.

 

[lights]

Why shouldn't be possible that the M sounds better? I guess someone who spent a lot for the ultimate device is disappointed if something better for less is coming along. That things get better for less was happening constantly in the digital camera market and there were a lot of customer complaining that they were just buying a camera and then more megapixels with more functions are available just a short time after they got their toy.
There will be a better one a few month after one gets the SP1000M but does that matter if that player is enjoyable and has the functions one wants.

I agree. I guess only in the audiophile world you will find people actively complaining that a company releases a product that is smaller, lighter, better performing and cheaper. Imagine if Apple announced the next iPhone except they told us it will be $500 cheaper, I doubt anyone would be unhappy.

If it really sounds better and is cheaper, surely we should be giving A&K some praise. Hoping that they release a product that sounds worse (than it is capable of) because some older products exist is an incredibly regressive mentality.

A single data point from a non-audiophile website that covers everything in smartphones and other "digital trends", at the noisy show. I don't even know what headphones they used for testing or what else this guy reviewed before to reference his previous audio review work.

Sorry, don't want sound so negative, but in the last few days I talked to so many people who sent me messages asking if they should sell their original SPK to "upgrade" to M. And many referenced this video. This is just a single data point. Let's wait for RMAF show impressions and other more qualified reviews

To be fair the reporter did say it was Astell & Kern who told him that the SP1000M sounded better. There's little reason to disbelieve them, especially as they also told him about the new SP1000.

 

[twister6]

... To be fair the reporter did say it was Astell & Kern who told him that the SP1000M sounded better. There's little reason to disbelieve them, especially as they also told him about the new SP1000.

Maybe I need to re-watch that video clip, but I could have swear the guy was specific about listening and comparing to SP1000 himself. I just don't buy it that A&K will go on the record by saying they released a cheaper ($1.1k cheaper) version of the product that sounds better than their current flagship.

Btw, I think you are missing my point. In no way am I discrediting the guy in the video, and I do believe he compared both and based on what he heard finds M to sound better than original one (to his ears). My point, this is an opinion of a single person, a single data point. Whathifi also mentioned about SP1000M and the only thing about the sound was how much they liked one or two songs played on it (which means absolutely nothing in terms of relative comparison).

I'm only bringing this up because a number of people asked me if they should upgrade their SP1000 to SP1000M, and I fail to see how at the current moment based on a single video clip you can draw a definitive conclusion that M version will sound better and going to be an upgrade in sound performance. Who knows, if I get a chance to test and to compare M version, I might end up eating my words. But I don't want people to jump to wrong conclusions now and start selling their SP1000 (because they think market will be flooded with used SPK?!?), and instead just wait to hear other opinions from RMAF show where many will have a chance to a/b. Plus, hopefully we will see more of the actual SP1000M reviews, in addition to product reports.

 

[twister6]

Haha I actually really want to buy it don't get me wrong.
I will give it another listen next week. I was actually kind of sick on the first test day and that might have actually literally affected my listening lol.

You should count your blessings man. You know the official greeting on Head-fi? Welcome to Head-fi, sorry about your wallet. If you can't hear a difference between your smartphone and SP1000, you are one lucky guy who doesn't have to worry about 2nd part of that greeting

 

[Van Gogh]

You should count your blessings man. You know the official greeting on Head-fi? Welcome to Head-fi, sorry about your wallet. If you can't hear a difference between your smartphone and SP1000, you are one lucky guy who doesn't have to worry about 2nd part of that greeting

Hahahaha lol

 

[szore]

Amazes me how many "audiophiles" out there base everything on "specifications". If you cannot hear the difference in burn in, or balanced vs unbalanced, etc. You have a tin ear and you shouldn't be calling yourself an audiophile.

 

[Zhanming057]

Maybe I need to re-watch that video clip, but I could have swear the guy was specific about listening and comparing to SP1000 himself. I just don't buy it that A&K will go on the record by saying they released a cheaper ($1.1k cheaper) version of the product that sounds better than their current flagship.

Btw, I think you are missing my point. In no way am I discrediting the guy in the video, and I do believe he compared both and based on what he heard finds M to sound better than original one (to his ears). My point, this is an opinion of a single person, a single data point. Whathifi also mentioned about SP1000M and the only thing about the sound was how much they liked one or two songs played on it (which means absolutely nothing in terms of relative comparison).

I'm only bringing this up because a number of people asked me if they should upgrade their SP1000 to SP1000M, and I fail to see how at the current moment based on a single video clip you can draw a definitive conclusion that M version will sound better and going to be an upgrade in sound performance. Who knows, if I get a chance to test and to compare M version, I might end up eating my words. But I don't want people to jump to wrong conclusions now and start selling their SP1000 (because they think market will be flooded with used SPK?!?), and instead just wait to hear other opinions from RMAF show where many will have a chance to a/b. Plus, hopefully we will see more of the actual SP1000M reviews, in addition to product reports.

Meh. All this discussion over splitting hairs on performance of a portable DAP.

Want real improvement to the SP1000? Run it with a Mass Kobo 404 with a separate 3.5mm ground

 

[Zhanming057]

Amazes me how many "audiophiles" out there base everything on "specifications". If you cannot hear the difference in burn in, or balanced vs unbalanced, etc. You have a tin ear and you shouldn't be calling yourself an audiophile.

TBH, I've been at this game for a decade, and can't really tell the difference between the 2.5mm trrs and 3.5mm on the SP1000 with most IEMs. It's only obvious on the LCDi4...

 

[szore]

TBH, I've been at this game for a decade, and can't really tell the difference between the 2.5mm trrs and 3.5mm on the SP1000 with most IEMs. It's only obvious on the LCDi4...

Well then you are missing out, my friend.

 

[catalystcc]

There is definitely noticeable improvements between 3.5mm unbalanced and 2.5mm balanced on SP1000 CU with my IE800S.

 

[piphil]

There is also definitely noticeable improvements between 3.5mm unbalanced and 2.5mm balanced on SP1000 OB with my Jomo Flamenco.