Astell&Kern SP3000T Digital music player

Uncompromising Audio Design and Craftsmanship

Astell&Kern's dedication to delivering immersive sound through high-resolution music is exemplified in the A&ultima series. We aimed to replicate the superb design and high-resolution audio of our previous model, the SP3000, with a player that truly conveys the depth and emotion of music.

The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000T embodies this vision by channelling the profound emotion and timeless quality of analogue audio. Its incorporation of genuine vacuum tubes provides a true analogue sound, enhanced by advanced audio technology such as TERATON ALPHA for a deeply engaging auditory experience.

The A&ultima SP3000T is a portable audio player that redefines expectations by offering a unique blend of analogue and digital excellence.

True Analogue Sound with Real Vacuum Tubes

The classic vacuum tube is celebrated for its warm sound, known for its rich harmonics that have made it a beloved component of Hi-Fi audio. However, its practical challenges in miniaturisation—due to power control and space requirements—have historically made it unsuitable for portable audio players.

Rejecting conventional sound and design, we aimed to bridge the gap between stationary and portable audio by integrating the essence of analogue sound into our devices. This led to the pairing of the Astell&Kern SP3000T with the RAYTHEON JAN6418 Miniature vacuum Tube, a component renowned among audiophiles for its warm, smooth sound, and now featured in our portable audio devices.

Sound Craftsmanship for the Ultimate Vacuum Tube Sound

Due to the variations in noise and amplification inherent in original vacuum tubes, Astell&Kern implemented a meticulous selection process to uphold our commitment to precise sound quality.

Each JAN6418 tube is carefully measured and matched, a demanding process requiring time and precision. This rigorous approach reduces output deviations between left and right channels, ensuring a more natural sound reproduction. Additionally, each vacuum tube undergoes meticulous hand shielding to minimise potential noise interference.

Minimising Microphonic Noise

Integrating vacuum tubes into compact, portable devices presents a significant challenge: maintaining low noise levels while ensuring high resolution and robust output. For the SP3000T, we developed a custom solution to address this issue, focusing on reducing microphonic noise. Our team invested considerable effort into enhancing the structural integrity of the vacuum tubes to minimise noise from minor shocks or vibrations.

We employed an independent modular PCB design, separate from the main PCB, and a silicone module case to absorb primary shocks. Silicone tubing, tailored to the vacuum tube leads, reduces shock transmission, while silicone dampers suspend the tube, mitigating noise from movement.

99.9% Pure Silver Plating

In designing the SP3000T, we sought a material that harmoniously integrates high-resolution digital sound with the rich warmth of analogue audio. After thorough research, Astell&Kern chose to use 99.9% pure silver plating, known for its superior electrical conductivity compared to copper and gold, making it ideal for premium audio components.

The SP3000T's body is coated with 99.9% pure silver plating over 316L stainless steel, celebrated for its exceptional corrosion resistance. To combat silver's tendency to tarnish over time, we applied a special multi-layer coating to enhance durability and protect against air exposure.

Features

• Dual RAYTHEON JAN6418 MIL-SPEC Vintage Vacuum Tubes
• TRIPLE AMP SYSTEM allows listeners to select the right tone for their music
• Three levels of voltage with Tube Current option
  
• QC 3.0 Fast Charging Supported
• High-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU
• Separate digital and analog signal processing (AK4191EQ x2 / AK4499EX x2)

Specifications