[Caruryn]

Thanks for the heads-up. The Andromeda Gold are balanced and very musical IEMs.

They should sound great with SP1000M if they are warmer than my Andro S.

 

[Luisonic]

Anyone has an answer to this?

Also, anyone has a comparison of the SPKM / SP1000M with Sony’s ZX300 low-end and warmth? I’m afraid to loose them as I don’t like analytical / clinical / neutral sound.

To be paired with the Andromeda Gold if it helps.

Thanks!

Well, I have two things:

- never heard the zx300 but owned the wm1a. I thought it added too much beef to the music, and found it tiresome. Got rid of it.
- the spkm is fair and fabulous. It gives you exactly what you put in, only improved. Thing is, put in quality, and you’ll get more back. If you ask it to play crappy recordings or streaming...

I recently got the denon ah d9200, which by most definitions is balanced to bright. To me, the pairing spkm-9200 sounds wonderful and even through all registers, always elegant and controlled.
This to say that I doubt very much that quality iems or headphones can sound anything less than great with the spkm.

 

[NewEve]

Well, I have two things:

- never heard the zx300 but owned the wm1a. I thought it added too much beef to the music, and found it tiresome. Got rid of it.
- the spkm is fair and fabulous. It gives you exactly what you put in, only improved. Thing is, put in quality, and you’ll get more back. If you ask it to play crappy recordings or streaming...

I recently got the denon ah d9200, which by most definitions is balanced to bright. To me, the pairing spkm-9200 sounds wonderful and even through all registers, always elegant and controlled.
This to say that I doubt very much that quality iems or headphones can sound anything less than great with the spkm.

Good to know — thanks

Any experience with Spotify ?

 

[Maximiliano Campo]

I wouldn't say the SP1000M is a trebly DAP. It's far from it. If anything, it presents with more emphasis on the Astell and Kern's signature mids. Perfect for most modern music, as well as music which demands both vocals and bass. HipHop, EDM, Reggae, Jazz all play superb with this DAP.

The SP1000 is more of a neutral sounding DAP. However, the SP1000M is perfect for anyone who wants a warm and clear sound.

 

[olddude]

AK's sound sig (at least for the TOTL players) is very neutral (naysayers would say technical). The AK sound hides nothing. If a track is recorded/mastered/mixed well, you will hear the well in all its glory. If it is done poorly, you will definitely hear the poorly. Pair it with high-end iems and glory will be upon you. Lesser iems may not be so glorious. I sold my Angie when I got my SP1000 because it was just not enough. With my Zeus, glory glory. Keep in mind that the SP1000 and its variants are not warm, so if you like warm, a warmer iem may be called for. If you don't like a lot of treble, a much warmer iem may be called for.

Note: I have not heard the M versions, so can't say if all adhere to the 1000 sound sig. I think I read that the gold version had more oomph.

 

[arftech]

AK's sound sig (at least for the TOTL players) is very neutral (naysayers would say technical). The AK sound hides nothing. If a track is recorded/mastered/mixed well, you will hear the well in all its glory. If it is done poorly, you will definitely hear the poorly. Pair it with high-end iems and glory will be upon you. Lesser iems may not be so glorious. I sold my Angie when I got my SP1000 because it was just not enough. With my Zeus, glory glory. Keep in mind that the SP1000 and its variants are not warm, so if you like warm, a warmer iem may be called for. If you don't like a lot of treble, a much warmer iem may be called for.

Note: I have not heard the M versions, so can't say if all adhere to the 1000 sound sig. I think I read that the gold version had more oomph.

Isn’t it funny how each of us define how something sounds. I know this is the SP1K thread but I assume the SPK1 and SP2K share the same sound signature or at least is similar.

To my ears I find the AK house sound to musical with a leaning towards warmness but you’re correct the right IEMs are a must to reap the benefits.

 

[NewEve]

And for those of you listening to the SP1000M daily or almost, is it for actual enjoyment or critical listening and you use something else on a daily basis?

I ask because, while I can appreciate details etc. after a while — usually 10-15m — I found it to be excruciatingly annoying... I need to get lost in my music, which doesn’t mean it shouldn’t grab my attention, make my head bob or my feet tap — but I’d like to avoid spending 2k to hear an extra cymbal on song X.

 

[mvvRAZ]

And for those of you listening to the SP1000M daily or almost, is it for actual enjoyment or critical listening and you use something else on a daily basis?

I ask because, while I can appreciate details etc. after a while — usually 10-15m — I found it to be excruciatingly annoying... I need to get lost in my music, which doesn’t mean it shouldn’t grab my attention, make my head bob or my feet tap — but I’d like to avoid spending 2k to hear an extra cymbal on song X.

I pretty much split my listening between the Chord Hugo 2 and the SP1000M. The SP is significantly more detailed than most DAPs on the market, but I would definitely not call it overly analytical and clinical. It definitely has very forward treble, but also a smooth and balanced presentation.

The Hugo2 on the other hand is an extremely analytical source, and while I do prefer it to the 1000M, I'd say it's the opposite of the SP in many ways.

 

[olddude]

There are subtle differences between the Copper and Stainless Steel SP1000's. I found the Copper a slight bit warmer than my SS. Again, can't say about the M's, but from what I've read, the only one that has a different housing composition is the gold one.

I've never heard anyone call the AK sound warm before. That's certainly not my experience. And I've had three of them.

If detail is going to tire you out, probably go for a different DAP. The Sony WMZ might fit the bill. The AK is all about detail.

 

[NewEve]

There are subtle differences between the Copper and Stainless Steel SP1000's. I found the Copper a slight bit warmer than my SS. Again, can't say about the M's, but from what I've read, the only one that has a different housing composition is the gold one.

I've never heard anyone call the AK sound warm before. That's certainly not my experience. And I've had three of them.

If detail is going to tire you out, probably go for a different DAP. The Sony WMZ might fit the bill. The AK is all about detail.

Thanks.

The reason I’m looking at the SP1000M is first and foremost a question of form-factor, battery life and side-streaming capabilities all within a UI focused on music (I hate quasi-vanilla Androids DAPs) otherwise I’d keep my ZX300.

The logical way forward would be the SP1000M Gold but it’s difficult to find at a good price. Oh and it’s weight is an issue as well.

Hence my interest for the standard SP1000M.

 

[Maximiliano Campo]

I dont think the gold sounds that different to the standard. In a blindfold test I couldn't tell the difference. From what I've seen the gold is around a grand more than the standard. Unless you're a millionaire or something with cash to throw away, it's not worth the difference in money.

For what you are looking for, you will be more than pleased with the regular blue SP1000M

Thanks.

The reason I’m looking at the SP1000M is first and foremost a question of form-factor, battery life and side-streaming capabilities all within a UI focused on music (I hate quasi-vanilla Androids DAPs) otherwise I’d keep my ZX300.

The logical way forward would be the SP1000M Gold but it’s difficult to find at a good price. Oh and it’s weight is an issue as well.

Hence my interest for the standard SP1000M.

 

[bidn]

And for those of you listening to the SP1000M daily or almost, is it for actual enjoyment or critical listening and you use something else on a daily basis?
I ask because, while I can appreciate details etc. after a while — usually 10-15m — I found it to be excruciatingly annoying... I need to get lost in my music, which doesn’t mean it shouldn’t grab my attention, make my head bob or my feet tap — but I’d like to avoid spending 2k to hear an extra cymbal on song X.

Hi NewEve,

My SP1000M produces a very high fidelity, neutral sound. If you are not looking for high fidelity but for an "artificially" thickened sound (with added harmonic repetitions of the many signals, i.e. what is called "harmonic distortion" in electronics), then you might be more interested by a DAP with tubes.
For me the SP1000M allows both actual enjoyment and critical listening, it is just a question of my mindset.
I find that different kinds of experiences depend actually a lot on the kind of music (e.g. relaxed like ambient, post-rock, post-metal vs intense like most metal genres) or on the kind of transducer (more or less dynamics, details).

While my SP1000cu is great for listening in bed or taking on vacation, for daily use at work it was too clumsy and heavy, I was in the end taking my old AK240 much more often! A bit absurd, and my big finger don't allow me to properly interact with the small and outdated touchscreen of the AK240. I recently bought a (black) SP1000M and I am so happy with it, because I can use it daily at work, and now with scandisk 1 TB micro sdxc cards I can have a lot of music stored in it. The touchscreen is for me as easy to use as that of the SP1000, and it is so much lighter and smaller, just the perfect size. When I think that the SP2000 is even heavier than the SP1000... I will pass on that one.
So, in addition the SQ aspects (all excellent and only with very subtle differences between the SP**** products), in the end due to the practical aspects for my use I find the regular (black or blue) SP1000M by far the best product of the SP***** Ultima line. It is a pity it wasn't there right at the beginning before the SP1000**. I think that it must be the best DAP around and it is difficult for me to imagine that someone would be wasting his money with it (unless one buys the golden version or one is not looking for high fidelity).

Hoping this may help you,
bidn

 

[NewEve]

I dont think the gold sounds that different to the standard. In a blindfold test I couldn't tell the difference. From what I've seen the gold is around a grand more than the standard. Unless you're a millionaire or something with cash to throw away, it's not worth the difference in money.

For what you are looking for, you will be more than pleased with the regular blue SP1000M

Thanks — I’m indeed no millionaire and actually made the decision to pay with my money all the gear I review on my site and over here at Head-Fi.

 

[NewEve]

Hi NewEve,

My SP1000M produces a very high fidelity, neutral sound. If you are not looking for high fidelity but for an "artificially" thickened sound (with added harmonic repetitions of the many signals, i.e. what is called "harmonic distortion" in electronics), then you might be more interested by a DAP with tubes.
For me the SP1000M allows both actual enjoyment and critical listening, it is just a question of my mindset.
I find that different kinds of experiences depend actually a lot on the kind of music (e.g. relaxed like ambient, post-rock, post-metal vs intense like most metal genres) or on the kind of transducer (more or less dynamics, details).

While my SP1000cu is great for listening in bed or taking on vacation, for daily use at work it was too clumsy and heavy, I was in the end taking my old AK240 much more often! A bit absurd, and my big finger don't allow me to properly interact with the small and outdated touchscreen of the AK240. I recently bought a (black) SP1000M and I am so happy with it, because I can use it daily at work, and now with scandisk 1 TB micro sdxc cards I can have a lot of music stored in it. The touchscreen is for me as easy to use as that of the SP1000, and it is so much lighter and smaller, just the perfect size. When I think that the SP2000 is even heavier than the SP1000... I will pass on that one.
So, in addition the SQ aspects (all excellent and only with very subtle differences between the SP**** products), in the end due to the practical aspects for my use I find the regular (black or blue) SP1000M by far the best product of the SP***** Ultima line. It is a pity it wasn't there right at the beginning before the SP1000**. I think that it must be the best DAP around and it is difficult for me to imagine that someone would be wasting his money with it (unless one buys the golden version or one is not looking for high fidelity).

Hoping this may help you,
bidn

Hi bidn,

Thanks a lot for the small write-up.

It does help, especially the comparison with a tube signature.

It seems clear now that I can expect something interesting although perhaps a bit different than originally expected.

I’ll soon make my decision and post the outcome/review here.

 

[Luisonic]

Hi bidn,

Thanks a lot for the small write-up.

It does help, especially the comparison with a tube signature.

It seems clear now that I can expect something interesting although perhaps a bit different than originally expected.

I’ll soon make my decision and post the outcome/review here.

Yeah!
While you' thinking, just to answer a couple of your questions...

Spkm is a very fun sound in my experience, and can be used as analytical in the peace of your home with silence, where you can enjoy all detail it can give. Of course, as said before by me and many others, what you feed is what you get, so make sure you use high def music, hopefully minimum 24 bit, and high end headphones or iems to hear the detail and musicality it delivers (in my opinion also use the balanced output, more 3d and stage) then you'll get bliss and music heaven.
Portability is great and my daily commute is quality listening, where pumping the volume to overcome the outside noise gives me more detail, but no harshness or unpleasant effects. This is in my opinion one of the great perks of owning quality components.

I don't enjoy so much spotify, tidal, etc. I can hear the difference in detail and quality and it bothers me.
In this same thread however, I've read that Qobuzz works very well, so I'm about to give that a try to listen to classical and jazz, to see how it goes.
I'll post impressions when I have some.

Hope it helps and happy choosing...