New TOL A&K DAP : the AK Ultima SP1000
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Woyaudadong
New Head-Fier
Never happened in my 240ss and 320.
Of course not, those type of things are delegated to ME.
If it makes you happy that happened to me as well on my AK120ii, never on the 380 though...
Rei87
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Today was a good day....need I say more
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mthaynes
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I did have pause / lockup problems with my 240 and 380.
the 380's problems were attributed to a corrupted drive. I returned the 380 and did not invest in a new one until last year. I found loading with the AK cable is a must
on the 240 again it was a drive problem. not the players drive but the SD card I was using. I replaced the sd card with a new one and the problem went away.
kind of why I don't want to be an early adopter of this new model.
the 380's problems were attributed to a corrupted drive. I returned the 380 and did not invest in a new one until last year. I found loading with the AK cable is a must
on the 240 again it was a drive problem. not the players drive but the SD card I was using. I replaced the sd card with a new one and the problem went away.
kind of why I don't want to be an early adopter of this new model.
SD Card was my first suspicion. Random pauses generally happen from read errors and if it's not consistent, it's probably an issue with the medium not the firmware. This is probably more noticeable the higher rez files you use since you need to read more data in the same amount of time. I suspect paying a few extra bucks for one of the "good" SD cards (especially if you like hi rez or DSD) is worth it in general...
rushofblood
100+ Head-Fier
Alright, let's talk SP1000.
Firstly, mad props to the local distributor for hosting the launch event, and bringing Alex An from AK down from Korea just to attend and run through the SP1000 with all of us here.
I'll be writing this as a sort of stream of consciousness thing as I try to recall everything from the event - it's going to be a long piece so I'll stick a TL;DR at the bottom.
Astell&Kern's direction
The event kicked off with a product introduction by Alex; key points raised include the following:
- Their new naming scheme which they are kicking off with the SP1000; A&Ultima is a name reserved for their flagships, and two more sub brands/names will serve as monikers to the upcoming AK320 and AK300 replacements. SP1000 = SuperPerformance1000, and future flagships will follow this scheme as well (SP2000 etc)
- Unlike the older AK380 and AK240 generations where the design theme was "Light and Shadow", the SP1000 is inspired by "polished gemstones", as put by Alex.
- SP1000 uses the Snapdragon 820 as its CPU - same as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, as stressed by Alex. None of the explosion issues, he assured to laughter.
- The increase in processing power allowed for a complete redesign of the UI - with the Now Playing screen as the main screen of sorts, swipes in all 4 directions reveal sub menus (library, play history, up next and quick toggles).
- The SD card slot design with the tray and the pin (which I think is a horrible idea) came about as a response to user complaints that previous AKs often caused people to lose their cards when ejected.
- The SP1000 uses the "limited edition" materials from the AK380, so there will be no limited edition SP1000s for "customer confidence in their purchase"- his words (I personally don't buy this lol). He mentioned something about a 2 year product cycle; Freudian slip, perhaps?
After all of this, I had a chance to speak to him and ask after some things that were looked over by most of the available info sources:
- SP1000 uses a new amp dock connector compared to the AK380, with one extra pin for increased grounding. (The new USB-C connector also removes back-compatibility anyway). They have no plans to make an amp, as reported, since "an amp was only made for AK380 as it did not have enough power standalone for HD800, Audezes and similar headphones", a problem he feels is resolved in the SP1000. Also, he expressed the opinion that amps are also used to change the sonic signature of the setup, and wanted other amp brands to deliver their own take on sound as opposed to developing another amp with the "AK signature".
- Here's something contentious - chassis materials. Asked why copper and stainless steel was used, his answer was that they have different grounding properties which improve the sound quality (this is something I do hear too, not just in AKs but other copper based players with aluminium counterparts). Both the AK380-AK380Cu-AK380SS and SP1000SS-SP1000Cu families share all components within each generation and no special tuning has been done to bring differences; they are all the result of the chassis material.
- SP1000Cu uses a different coating to that of AK380Cu, and that will protect it from tarnish without the need for polishing. He did say that he would completely remove it for his personal unit though (which is apparently doable with simple abrasives), since he likes the patina formation.
SP1000 - Design and User Experience
The SP1000, in my eyes, is by far the most gorgeous player AK has produced. I've never been a fan of their Light and Shadow design DAPs - the AK240 and AK380 look like overdesigned angular messes next to the clean and functional lines of the SP1000.
The 5 inch display has small bezels which do lend to a great look reminiscent of the latest phones - I still do contend that stuffing in such a massive screen ends up in a device that is too large and isn't pocketable (which is my definition of "portable"). With that said, everything feels well built and the hybrid lock button/volume wheel has tighter tolerances than that of the AK380, resulting in a much better feel.
Also to be lauded is the packaging of the SP1000. It's the first flagship DAP that feels like one when unboxed - the gorgeous Oak wood box and awesome veg-tan leather case (which feels MUCH better than every case they've made for the 380 and has the lovely, intoxicating scent of leather oils) lend the impression of luxury that no other DAP brand has managed to pull off.
The UI is butter smooth; users upgrading from 380s will find this to be a huge improvement. DSD files play instantaneously without delay and scrolling is extremely responsive and fast. The redesigned UI, though, does take some getting used to as the pages are arranged in a slightly different manner from the old flagships. Astell&Kern can never seem to get their launch firmware perfect, either - I faced bugs in launch AK380 units, and similarly, the SP1000s on display did hiccup multiple times, refusing to read memory cards, skipping every 3-5 seconds in playback and betraying its Android roots by way of its default Player app crashing a few times on both myself and my friends.
Sonics
These new flagships use the latest AKM AK4497EQ DAC chips from AKM and run a completely different amp architecture from the old models. All comparisons done with a balanced PWAudio 1960s on a U18Tzar and adaptors for single ended for testing.
If you've had the chance to compare the AK380's single ended and balanced outputs, you'll find scant differences between them; outside of the doubled output impedance, the balanced outputs of the 380 barely sound different or better than the single ended output. Not so with the SP1000. SP1000's balanced output spits out twice the power as compared to the single ended output, making a balanced cable the way to go with this DAP.
And boy, what an output it is.
Both SP1000s handily trounce the AK380 in dynamics, note weight, treble realism, clarity, resolution and soundstaging. A/Bing back and forth between the players makes the AK380 sound hazy and cramped, with poorer delineation between the bass and the other frequencies. SP1000SS carries an energetic midrange and rumbly, somewhat hard-edged bass with note impact and weight throughout the bass and mids on the heavier side which fades to relatively quick decay. Couple that with the sparkly treble presentation which ups the ante on realism (less digital sounding, to my ears) and a bright tone to the midrange which lends it apparent resolution, SP1000SS hits hard but remains nimble and speedy in its sound, offering up gobs of microdetail across a vast soundstage that is slightly wider than it is deep.
SP1000Cu, on the other hand, offers a mellowed out rendition of the same house sound. With some of that midrange energy of the SS dulled out and the highs rendered in a more subdued manner, the end result is more euphonic and with a longer decay, dropping the clarity just a touch to offer more richness in the mids, a softer bass tone and highs which have a touch less sparkle but is still as clear as a bell.
On both players, the single ended outputs bear the same signature but just sound less finessed - bass gets mixed in with the other frequencies as a result of less separation, soundstage shrinks, and resolution takes a hit. Very much so like the WM1Z, then, in that balanced is very much the way to go for these new DAPs.
From memory, both SP1000s easily outperform the stock WM1Z, and even compared to my wire swap modded version manages to eke out a slightly blacker background and a touch more clarity, although it loses significantly to the modded WM1Z's absolutely cavernous soundstaging and positioning.
Conclusion/TL;DR
These things aren't cheap. Good thing, then, that they are easily some of the best sounding players around, with heightened power output, smoother UI and a more agreeable design (personal preference, I know) all coupled to world-beating sound quality. Is it enough to draw me away from my modified 1Z? Nope, they sound too close in performance for me to bother swapping over, and the battery life and 4.4mm jack (I've broken multiple 2.5mm jacks before despite careful handling so I'm of the opinion that it's a rubbish design) keep me from these players, and I do honestly think that requiring a pin to eject the SD card is kind of daft. With that said, the A&Ultima SP1000 is something I would recommend without reservation to AK380 owners - it's simply the most complete package AK has put out thus far.
Firstly, mad props to the local distributor for hosting the launch event, and bringing Alex An from AK down from Korea just to attend and run through the SP1000 with all of us here.
I'll be writing this as a sort of stream of consciousness thing as I try to recall everything from the event - it's going to be a long piece so I'll stick a TL;DR at the bottom.
Astell&Kern's direction
The event kicked off with a product introduction by Alex; key points raised include the following:
- Their new naming scheme which they are kicking off with the SP1000; A&Ultima is a name reserved for their flagships, and two more sub brands/names will serve as monikers to the upcoming AK320 and AK300 replacements. SP1000 = SuperPerformance1000, and future flagships will follow this scheme as well (SP2000 etc)
- Unlike the older AK380 and AK240 generations where the design theme was "Light and Shadow", the SP1000 is inspired by "polished gemstones", as put by Alex.
- SP1000 uses the Snapdragon 820 as its CPU - same as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, as stressed by Alex. None of the explosion issues, he assured to laughter.
- The increase in processing power allowed for a complete redesign of the UI - with the Now Playing screen as the main screen of sorts, swipes in all 4 directions reveal sub menus (library, play history, up next and quick toggles).
- The SD card slot design with the tray and the pin (which I think is a horrible idea) came about as a response to user complaints that previous AKs often caused people to lose their cards when ejected.
- The SP1000 uses the "limited edition" materials from the AK380, so there will be no limited edition SP1000s for "customer confidence in their purchase"- his words (I personally don't buy this lol). He mentioned something about a 2 year product cycle; Freudian slip, perhaps?
After all of this, I had a chance to speak to him and ask after some things that were looked over by most of the available info sources:
- SP1000 uses a new amp dock connector compared to the AK380, with one extra pin for increased grounding. (The new USB-C connector also removes back-compatibility anyway). They have no plans to make an amp, as reported, since "an amp was only made for AK380 as it did not have enough power standalone for HD800, Audezes and similar headphones", a problem he feels is resolved in the SP1000. Also, he expressed the opinion that amps are also used to change the sonic signature of the setup, and wanted other amp brands to deliver their own take on sound as opposed to developing another amp with the "AK signature".
- Here's something contentious - chassis materials. Asked why copper and stainless steel was used, his answer was that they have different grounding properties which improve the sound quality (this is something I do hear too, not just in AKs but other copper based players with aluminium counterparts). Both the AK380-AK380Cu-AK380SS and SP1000SS-SP1000Cu families share all components within each generation and no special tuning has been done to bring differences; they are all the result of the chassis material.
- SP1000Cu uses a different coating to that of AK380Cu, and that will protect it from tarnish without the need for polishing. He did say that he would completely remove it for his personal unit though (which is apparently doable with simple abrasives), since he likes the patina formation.
SP1000 - Design and User Experience
The SP1000, in my eyes, is by far the most gorgeous player AK has produced. I've never been a fan of their Light and Shadow design DAPs - the AK240 and AK380 look like overdesigned angular messes next to the clean and functional lines of the SP1000.
The 5 inch display has small bezels which do lend to a great look reminiscent of the latest phones - I still do contend that stuffing in such a massive screen ends up in a device that is too large and isn't pocketable (which is my definition of "portable"). With that said, everything feels well built and the hybrid lock button/volume wheel has tighter tolerances than that of the AK380, resulting in a much better feel.
Also to be lauded is the packaging of the SP1000. It's the first flagship DAP that feels like one when unboxed - the gorgeous Oak wood box and awesome veg-tan leather case (which feels MUCH better than every case they've made for the 380 and has the lovely, intoxicating scent of leather oils) lend the impression of luxury that no other DAP brand has managed to pull off.
The UI is butter smooth; users upgrading from 380s will find this to be a huge improvement. DSD files play instantaneously without delay and scrolling is extremely responsive and fast. The redesigned UI, though, does take some getting used to as the pages are arranged in a slightly different manner from the old flagships. Astell&Kern can never seem to get their launch firmware perfect, either - I faced bugs in launch AK380 units, and similarly, the SP1000s on display did hiccup multiple times, refusing to read memory cards, skipping every 3-5 seconds in playback and betraying its Android roots by way of its default Player app crashing a few times on both myself and my friends.
Sonics
These new flagships use the latest AKM AK4497EQ DAC chips from AKM and run a completely different amp architecture from the old models. All comparisons done with a balanced PWAudio 1960s on a U18Tzar and adaptors for single ended for testing.
If you've had the chance to compare the AK380's single ended and balanced outputs, you'll find scant differences between them; outside of the doubled output impedance, the balanced outputs of the 380 barely sound different or better than the single ended output. Not so with the SP1000. SP1000's balanced output spits out twice the power as compared to the single ended output, making a balanced cable the way to go with this DAP.
And boy, what an output it is.
Both SP1000s handily trounce the AK380 in dynamics, note weight, treble realism, clarity, resolution and soundstaging. A/Bing back and forth between the players makes the AK380 sound hazy and cramped, with poorer delineation between the bass and the other frequencies. SP1000SS carries an energetic midrange and rumbly, somewhat hard-edged bass with note impact and weight throughout the bass and mids on the heavier side which fades to relatively quick decay. Couple that with the sparkly treble presentation which ups the ante on realism (less digital sounding, to my ears) and a bright tone to the midrange which lends it apparent resolution, SP1000SS hits hard but remains nimble and speedy in its sound, offering up gobs of microdetail across a vast soundstage that is slightly wider than it is deep.
SP1000Cu, on the other hand, offers a mellowed out rendition of the same house sound. With some of that midrange energy of the SS dulled out and the highs rendered in a more subdued manner, the end result is more euphonic and with a longer decay, dropping the clarity just a touch to offer more richness in the mids, a softer bass tone and highs which have a touch less sparkle but is still as clear as a bell.
On both players, the single ended outputs bear the same signature but just sound less finessed - bass gets mixed in with the other frequencies as a result of less separation, soundstage shrinks, and resolution takes a hit. Very much so like the WM1Z, then, in that balanced is very much the way to go for these new DAPs.
From memory, both SP1000s easily outperform the stock WM1Z, and even compared to my wire swap modded version manages to eke out a slightly blacker background and a touch more clarity, although it loses significantly to the modded WM1Z's absolutely cavernous soundstaging and positioning.
Conclusion/TL;DR
These things aren't cheap. Good thing, then, that they are easily some of the best sounding players around, with heightened power output, smoother UI and a more agreeable design (personal preference, I know) all coupled to world-beating sound quality. Is it enough to draw me away from my modified 1Z? Nope, they sound too close in performance for me to bother swapping over, and the battery life and 4.4mm jack (I've broken multiple 2.5mm jacks before despite careful handling so I'm of the opinion that it's a rubbish design) keep me from these players, and I do honestly think that requiring a pin to eject the SD card is kind of daft. With that said, the A&Ultima SP1000 is something I would recommend without reservation to AK380 owners - it's simply the most complete package AK has put out thus far.
Last edited:
Dionysus
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
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Alright, let's talk SP1000.
Firstly, mad props to the local distributor for hosting the launch event, and bringing Alex An from AK down from Korea just to attend and run through the SP1000 with all of us here.
I'll be writing this as a sort of stream of consciousness thing as I try to recall everything from the event - it's going to be a long piece so I'll stick a TL;DR at the bottom.
Astell&Kern's direction
The event kicked off with a product introduction by Alex; key points raised include the following:
- Their new naming scheme which they are kicking off with the SP1000; A&Ultima is a name reserved for their flagships, and two more sub brands/names will serve as monikers to the upcoming AK320 and AK300 replacements. SP1000 = SuperPerformance1000, and future flagships will follow this scheme as well (SP2000 etc)
- Unlike the older AK380 and AK240 generations where the design theme was "Light and Shadow", the SP1000 is inspired by "polished gemstones", as put by Alex.
- SP1000 uses the Snapdragon 820 as its CPU - same as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, as stressed by Alex. None of the explosion issues, he assured to laughter.
- The increase in processing power allowed for a complete redesign of the UI - with the Now Playing screen as the main screen of sorts, swipes in all 4 directions reveal sub menus (library, play history, up next and quick toggles).
- The SD card slot design with the tray and the pin (which I think is a horrible idea) came about as a response to user complaints that previous AKs often caused people to lose their cards when ejected.
- The SP1000 uses the "limited edition" materials from the AK380, so there will be no limited edition SP1000s for "customer confidence in their purchase"- his words (I personally don't buy this lol). He mentioned something about a 2 year product cycle; Freudian slip, perhaps?
After all of this, I had a chance to speak to him and ask after some things that were looked over by most of the available info sources:
- SP1000 uses a new amp dock connector compared to the AK380, with one extra pin for increased grounding. (The new USB-C connector also removes back-compatibility anyway). They have no plans to make an amp, as reported, since "an amp was only made for AK380 as it did not have enough power standalone for HD800, Audezes and similar headphones", a problem he feels is resolved in the SP1000. Also, he expressed the opinion that amps are also used to change the sonic signature of the setup, and wanted other amp brands to deliver their own take on sound as opposed to developing another amp with the "AK signature".
- Here's something contentious - chassis materials. Asked why copper and stainless steel was used, his answer was that they have different grounding properties which improve the sound quality (this is something I do hear too, not just in AKs but other copper based players with aluminium counterparts). Both the AK380-AK380Cu-AK380SS and SP1000SS-SP1000Cu families share all components within each generation and no special tuning has been done to bring differences; they are all the result of the chassis material.
- SP1000Cu uses a different coating to that of AK380Cu, and that will protect it from tarnish without the need for polishing. He did say that he would completely remove it for his personal unit though (which is apparently doable with simple abrasives), since he likes the patina formation.
SP1000 - Design and User Experience
The SP1000, in my eyes, is by far the most gorgeous player AK has produced. I've never been a fan of their Light and Shadow design DAPs - the AK240 and AK380 look like overdesigned angular messes next to the clean and functional lines of the SP1000.
The 5 inch display has small bezels which do lend to a great look reminiscent of the latest phones - I still do contend that stuffing in such a massive screen ends up in a device that is too large and isn't pocketable (which is my definition of "portable"). With that said, everything feels well built and the hybrid lock button/volume wheel has tighter tolerances than that of the AK380, resulting in a much better feel.
Also to be lauded is the packaging of the SP1000. It's the first flagship DAP that feels like one when unboxed - the gorgeous Oak wood box and awesome veg-tan leather case (which feels MUCH better than every case they've made for the 380 and has the lovely, intoxicating scent of leather oils) lend the impression of luxury that no other DAP brand has managed to pull off.
The UI is butter smooth; users upgrading from 380s will find this to be a huge improvement. DSD files play instantaneously without delay and scrolling is extremely responsive and fast. The redesigned UI, though, does take some getting used to as the pages are arranged in a slightly different manner from the old flagships. Astell&Kern can never seem to get their launch firmware perfect, either - I faced bugs in launch AK380 units, and similarly, the SP1000s on display did hiccup multiple times, refusing to read memory cards, skipping every 3-5 seconds in playback and betraying its Android roots by way of its default Player app crashing a few times on both myself and my friends.
Sonics
These new flagships use the latest AKM AK4497EQ DAC chips from AKM and run a completely different amp architecture from the old models. All comparisons done with a balanced PWAudio 1960s on a U18Tzar and adaptors for single ended for testing.
If you've had the chance to compare the AK380's single ended and balanced outputs, you'll find scant differences between them; outside of the doubled output impedance, the balanced outputs of the 380 barely sound different or better than the single ended output. Not so with the SP1000. SP1000's balanced output spits out twice the power as compared to the single ended output, making a balanced cable the way to go with this DAP.
And boy, what an output it is.
Both SP1000s handily trounce the AK380 in dynamics, note weight, treble realism, clarity, resolution and soundstaging. A/Bing back and forth between the players makes the AK380 sound hazy and cramped, with poorer delineation between the bass and the other frequencies. SP1000SS carries an energetic midrange and rumbly, somewhat hard-edged bass with note impact and weight throughout the bass and mids on the heavier side which fades to relatively quick decay. Couple that with the sparkly treble presentation which ups the ante on realism (less digital sounding, to my ears) and a bright tone to the midrange which lends it apparent resolution, SP1000SS hits hard but remains nimble and speedy in its sound, offering up gobs of microdetail across a vast soundstage that is slightly wider than it is deep.
SP1000Cu, on the other hand, offers a mellowed out rendition of the same house sound. With some of that midrange energy of the SS dulled out and the highs rendered in a more subdued manner, the end result is more euphonic and with a longer decay, dropping the clarity just a touch to offer more richness in the mids, a softer bass tone and highs which have a touch less sparkle but is still as clear as a bell.
On both players, the single ended outputs bear the same signature but just sound less finessed - bass gets mixed in with the other frequencies as a result of less separation, soundstage shrinks, and resolution takes a hit. Very much so like the WM1Z, then, in that balanced is very much the way to go for these new DAPs.
From memory, both SP1000s easily outperform the stock WM1Z, and even compared to my wire swap modded version manages to eke out a slightly blacker background and a touch more clarity, although it loses significantly to the modded WM1Z's absolutely cavernous soundstaging and positioning.
Conclusion/TL;DR
These things aren't cheap. Good thing, then, that they are easily some of the best sounding players around, with heightened power output, smoother UI and a more agreeable design (personal preference, I know) all coupled to world-beating sound quality. Is it enough to draw me away from my modified 1Z? Nope, they sound too close in performance for me to bother swapping over, and the battery life and 4.4mm jack (I've broken multiple 2.5mm jacks before despite careful handling so I'm of the opinion that it's a rubbish design) keep me from these players, and I do honestly think that requiring a pin to eject the SD card is kind of daft. With that said, the A&Ultima SP1000 is something I would recommend without reservation to AK380 owners - it's simply the most complete package AK has put out thus far.
Thank you for your impressions, great contributions, I was going to wait for the copper but I'll grab the Stainless instead and not have to wait.
SoundBytes
100+ Head-Fier
Very nice review. I am looking forward to getting mine. Ordered yesterday and AK shipped the SP1000 yesterday so should have early next week. Can't wait.
Status check: "Expected Delivery Day: Saturday, June 10, 2017"
Last edited:
Schmeisser
100+ Head-Fier
Starting today @ moon-audio :
SP1000 in Stainless Steel in stock!
SP1000 in Stainless Steel in stock!
Thank you for the description above, nice.
I understand that they don't want to depart with the balanced out and implement new 4.4 mm , but what about more internal memory?
A 512 GB will be more easy to digest considering the price they sell for.
For who doesn't mind stacking the new Hugo 2 is out of this world and can play DSD 512 natively.
I understand that they don't want to depart with the balanced out and implement new 4.4 mm , but what about more internal memory?
A 512 GB will be more easy to digest considering the price they sell for.
For who doesn't mind stacking the new Hugo 2 is out of this world and can play DSD 512 natively.
I agree, i think 512GB internal storage should be standard for the crazy price.
its over £1,000 more than the Hugo2 and i highly doubt it would be better (i havent heard them both so i cant say for 100% sure) just like there is some people still think mojo is better than AK380.
I wouldnt worry about it too much musicday you have a bleeding edge portable dac.
SoundBytes
100+ Head-Fier
my SP1000 is coming tomorrow and I just picked up a pair of UE 18 Pros...going to be a sweet rig....
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