[twister6]

SP1000M loaner incoming early next week. Will share how it compares to SP1000SS based on how I hear it.

 

[Obscene0324]

maybe they sold more 1000 units than predicted or have a new smaller design foot print that they prefer to move forward with so not interested in keeping the larger 1000 out there or having to have the machinery to produce more.

This could line up a whole new range of models with smaller foot print. who cares about the whys and what ifs......just enjoy the ride.

I've heard that the actual reason why AK announce the spkm is that they, though it would sound anti-intuitive, doesn't want people to buy more full-size Spks. This weird decision is the result of a sudden and intense increase in the price of steel and copper, which the chassis of the full-size Spks are made of. It was estimated that in the end AK would need to add an extra

I feel so funny seeing people doubting any hearing impression or comment that a lower cost dap may be of “better” than a older generation more expensive (ex-) totl product. Are we being spoilt by vendors in believing more expensive = better?

Rather than to be critical and doubtful, I suggest that we should adopt a open mind when receiving these info.

1) it’s a new product so what’s wrong with being improved and better despite of costing lesser?

2) as a consumer , isn’t it better if ak can make it better, smaller and cost lesser ?

3) forget about sounding better, even if it’s going to sound the same, to me it’s already better value

Personally I will still go for a audition and try it out to see if it’s sound signature is up to my preference.

It may be a marketing thing or just a small handful of people citing different observations , but who buy dap based on pure observations now ? I know it’s going to be generally available soon so let’s wait and go try them whenever you can spot one


Ps : i think it’s nothing wrong for a company to put out lesser cost , better product than previous but asking for a official statement that it sounds better? Eh. I don’t think so.

There is no doubt that AK is capable of achieving better sound in a smaller chassis than the Spk. But the problem is that it is hard to believe that AK will be willing to do it. Because if AK really did that, hardly anyone will go for the Spk anymore, which also means that the Spkm will reasonlessly dilute prospective customers who would buy the Spk, which is more expensive and most likely more profitable for AK.

 

[yong_shun]

I have a chance to listen it for a short while and will do a more comprehensive audition soon!

First impression:

Physical Appearance:
The Blueish colour is very attractive! The size is even smaller than my portable kit - Opus #3.
The leather case looks so premium.

User Interface:
Smooth, responsive.
This model has included a virtual back button for easier navigation.

Sound:
Soundstage: I find it a little narrower as compared to SP1000. Might be caused by the different amp integrated.
Bass - Deep with fast decay. The punch will satisfy most of the people including those bass heads.
Mid: Rich and Full. I like the smoothness of the mids as I always appreciate good mids. I like vocals a lot.
High: Well extended but not fatigue-causing.
Overall: Very dynamic and some kind of "forward". It is a fun DAP.

 

[jasonho]

There is no doubt that AK is capable of achieving better sound in a smaller chassis than the Spk. But the problem is that it is hard to believe that AK will be willing to do it. Because if AK really did that, hardly anyone will go for the Spk anymore, which also means that the Spkm will reasonlessly dilute prospective customers who would buy the Spk, which is more expensive and most likely more profitable for AK.

there are a few (own) assumptions here :
1) it may not necessary be better sound, so lets not jump into conclusion.

2) SPK is more profitable - consider sales volume vs costs. whoever likes SPK would have already bought one. To those who didnt for whatever reason especially size, SPKm is quite a viable option.

3) vice versa, those who prefer bigger screen, SPK is a good option. On top of that, i thought I read there's a upcoming AMP for SPK ?

4) product range offering : if you cant understand, maybe take a look at iphone Xs, Xs Max, etc... similar or same CPU, same OS, but different screen size & resolution. and of course different pricing

My personal advice, if you already own a SPK and are perfectly happy with it, there's no need to fret over SPKm. If you dont, give SPKm a try when its available before you make the purchase. if you are in neither group, the more you should care less if there's going to be a SPKm, n, o, p, q. thats AK product and marketing strategy job

 

[DarginMahkum]

Actually many companies do that: Short before they go for the next full update of their product, they release a "kind of" updated model of the current generation and name it <current model>[+ plus ng se x] where ng is "next generation", se is "second edition" etc. This way they get rid of the components they already purchased. It would be kind of a hardware bug fix edition, or some small updates the customers have been asking for. They also check the response of the customers to smaller form factor, aluminum casing etc. Software-wise, I think A&K did it by bringing in application side loading support. Hardware wise, more power from balanced output, smaller form factor etc. I have never seen a company giving the customer "less quality" with this approach.

This might be what A&K did.

 

[lights]

WHY would a company make a newer, cheaper device and undercut the more expensive one? Anyone can say anything, but no one is going to convince me that a canny company like AK would say "hey, here's a newer cheaper version of the SP1000, it sounds better than the SP1000, you should buy it for $1K less and leave all the SP1000's to be remaindered on eBay for discount prices because, well, we really want you to save a grand." Seriously?.

What company wouldn't want to sell a higher volume of devices and grow their market? Even Iriver mentioned that the market for A&K was limited when they issued new stocks for SM Entertainment (now their second largest shareholder) in late 2017:

The main brand of IRIVER is Astell&Kern, which has the strengths in product planning and design, but Astell&Kern, the flagship product, stayed in the niche market with limited growth potential.​

You can already see SM Entertainment pushing them to target a younger (less wealthy) K-pop audience with the Astell & Aspr sub-brand / marketing campaign:



http://www.astellnaspr.com/

I noticed in the Digital Trends SP1000M video the demo unit had a lot of K-pop music on it, Blackpink, BTS etc. They even announced a shoe collaboration with EXO and SNSD:

https://hypebae.com/2018/7/exo-girls-generation-baekhyun-kpop-sneaker-collaboration-official

It's no secret that SM have been trying to expand the audience for A&K players.

 

[bmichels]

SP1000M loaner incoming early next week. Will share how it compares to SP1000SS based on how I hear it.

That. I’ll be very interesting. I start to be bothered by the weight of my SP1000 SS

 

[JasonNYC]

More info on the upcoming OpenAPK service, as well as official confirmation of MQA and Roon support coming soon to AK players can be found on the AK US blog here - https://us.astellnkern.com/blogs/ne...atures-to-high-resolution-portable-audio-line

 

[Kunio]

More info on the upcoming OpenAPK service, as well as official confirmation of MQA and Roon support coming soon to AK players can be found on the AK US blog here - https://us.astellnkern.com/blogs/ne...atures-to-high-resolution-portable-audio-line

MQA baby finally!! tnx for the info Jason

 

[Kunio]

More info on the upcoming OpenAPK service, as well as official confirmation of MQA and Roon support coming soon to AK players can be found on the AK US blog here - https://us.astellnkern.com/blogs/ne...atures-to-high-resolution-portable-audio-line

Also - if i understand correctly: Deezer Music Streaming service will be added as an embedded app on Astell&Kern players. Deezer features more than 53 million tracks available for streaming in over 180 countries and supports CD-quality audio streaming. - Does this mean Deezer HI-FI mode?

 

[JasonNYC]

Also - if i understand correctly: Deezer Music Streaming service will be added as an embedded app on Astell&Kern players. Deezer features more than 53 million tracks available for streaming in over 180 countries and supports CD-quality audio streaming. - Does this mean Deezer HI-FI mode?

I assume Deezer hi-fi will be available. I just found out on Monday that it was coming, haven't seen the embedded app yet or gotten additional info. Should have more info on that hopefully next week.

 

[Kunio]

I assume Deezer hi-fi will be available. I just found out on Monday that it was coming, haven't seen the embedded app yet or gotten additional info. Should have more info on that hopefully next week.

Tnx. Looking forward to your info. Tidal Masters is insane, but if Deezer HIFI is enabled this will become one killer DAP for all music generes.

 

[aaf evo]

So excited for all of this. Can’t wait to see the reviews at RMAF of the SPK-M and the new firmware.

 

[DarginMahkum]

I sent an email today to Qobuz, and here is the response:

"Thanks for your message. You ask at the perfect time ; we are currently thinking about remove those dependancies. It should be the case in the near future."

So, things are progressing in every direction!

 

[lithiumnk]

Great news for AK DAPS ( SP1000, SP1000M, SE 100, SR15) .... TIDAL MASTERS, MQA SUPPORT COMING SOON. ROON READY & DEEZER SUPPORT AS WELL.......











https://us.astellnkern.com/blogs/ne...atures-to-high-resolution-portable-audio-line

EDIT: GOT TOO EXCITED!