Crap, sounds like a direct upgrade and not a sidegrade to the SP3K Cu....thanks for the detailed impressions. Luckily I am not into UM stuff in the slightest so I don't have to spend a few thousand more, I guess.
I haven’t heard the Cu of the SP3000 so I honestly have no clue. Compared to the SS (from memory, which I heard again a few weeks back) the N30 (in solid state mode) is going to pack a quite bit more punch and sound density but not be as soft or laid back. It’s more in your face but does so while remaining very open and 3-dimensional, which is what really drew me in. The immersion with music I felt is so hard for me to describe. Let me know if you get to try it, I am eager to see other people’s thoughts on it!
These were my initial reactions to some Head Fi’ers I chat with on WhatsApp… as you can see it had me by the balls from the start.