bflat
Headphoneus Supremus
Just tried the SP1000 SS with my Laylas in balanced. It sounds great! My prior AK240 and AK380 were not a good pairing as the sound was thick, veiled, and rolled off. It was only after I added the amp to the AK380 that the Laylas sounded right. SP1000 also sounds right and no need for any amps. The SP1000 I tried is relatively new (friend just got one 24 hrs ago) so not fully burned in like my AK380 CU stack, but my impressions comparing SP1000 to the fully amped AK380 CU stack and using balanced out:
Lows - a little thicker and richer on the SP1000. Not as textured as Cu amp.
Mids - about the same, slightly more forward on SP1000. Similar tone.
Highs - SP1000 is not as extended and airy as CU amp.
Soundstage - hard to make a judgement. SP1000 sounds more intimate, but still a very nice soundstage which the Laylas like to show off.
Based on other impressions, I did not think the CU amp would sound more neutral than the SS SP1000, but with my Laylas is does. If the Cu version of SP1000 sounds more relaxed and warm than the SS, it would be too much for my preferences. I'm going to have to try the Cu just in case. As for the new DAC chips, I honestly can't tell if those make any difference beyond what I noted above. Still a good ways off my R2R DAC.
Overall - the differences are subtle but the key thing is that I find the Laylas sound really close between the 2 setups whereas the AK380 CU on it's own sounded pretty bad. I would easily go with SP1000 for the superior portability and no polishing needed in SS chassis. But would I take a massive financial loss selling my CU stack to buy the SP1000? Certainly not for just the sound quality. But the new UI is so much better and logical imho. Single button/wheel is also easier to use. Larger screen is really nice. USB C rocks. An actual rectangular design is welcome and stacks nearly perfectly with my CDM if I wanted to go that route.
Issues - WIFI reception is just as bad as AK380, the case does not fit flush on the top edge (could be just a one off), still damn heavy, randomly rebooted in mid music play of an ALAC file once, heard some static for a sec in between gapless play once. Suspect firmware still not fully production ready.
Hmmmmm I really don't need to upgrade. I really don't need to upgrade. I really don't need to upgrade. Ok well maybe.....
Edit - sub bass is same on SP1000. I realized that my bass adjustment on the Laylas was off.
Lows - a little thicker and richer on the SP1000. Not as textured as Cu amp.
Mids - about the same, slightly more forward on SP1000. Similar tone.
Highs - SP1000 is not as extended and airy as CU amp.
Soundstage - hard to make a judgement. SP1000 sounds more intimate, but still a very nice soundstage which the Laylas like to show off.
Based on other impressions, I did not think the CU amp would sound more neutral than the SS SP1000, but with my Laylas is does. If the Cu version of SP1000 sounds more relaxed and warm than the SS, it would be too much for my preferences. I'm going to have to try the Cu just in case. As for the new DAC chips, I honestly can't tell if those make any difference beyond what I noted above. Still a good ways off my R2R DAC.
Overall - the differences are subtle but the key thing is that I find the Laylas sound really close between the 2 setups whereas the AK380 CU on it's own sounded pretty bad. I would easily go with SP1000 for the superior portability and no polishing needed in SS chassis. But would I take a massive financial loss selling my CU stack to buy the SP1000? Certainly not for just the sound quality. But the new UI is so much better and logical imho. Single button/wheel is also easier to use. Larger screen is really nice. USB C rocks. An actual rectangular design is welcome and stacks nearly perfectly with my CDM if I wanted to go that route.
Issues - WIFI reception is just as bad as AK380, the case does not fit flush on the top edge (could be just a one off), still damn heavy, randomly rebooted in mid music play of an ALAC file once, heard some static for a sec in between gapless play once. Suspect firmware still not fully production ready.
Hmmmmm I really don't need to upgrade. I really don't need to upgrade. I really don't need to upgrade. Ok well maybe.....
Edit - sub bass is same on SP1000. I realized that my bass adjustment on the Laylas was off.
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