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A&ultima SP2000T

Acoustic innovator

Triple Amp System takes portable music listening to a new acoustic level.
Vacuum tube amplifier compatible with 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm output jacks.
Equipped with an ESS ES9068AS Quad-DAC for balanced and ultra-detailed sound.
New TERATON ALPHA Sound Solution technology.
Replay Gain function uniformly adjusts volume playback from sound sources up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
Dual-Band Wi-Fi Support for improved wireless connection.
Unique interior mechanical design to minimise internal resonances.

£1,999.00

Sold out

Color:

Copper Nickel

Variant

Find your optimal sound

The newest member of the A&ultima series, the SP2000T builds on the class-leading sound of the A&ultima SP2000 and is the first player to feature an innovative Triple Amp System allowing music fans to switch between the different sonic characteristics of a normal OP-AMP (operational amp) mode, a vacuum TUBE AMP and a HYBRID AMP mode that combines the tube amp’s warm analog performance and the Op-Amp’s high-resolution clarity.

Next generation amplifier technology

Boasting the most advanced amp technology of any portable player, SP2000T owners can toggle between three-amp modes to find the optimal sound to suit the music they are listening to. Based on the set-up from the original SP2000, the OP-AMP configuration offers ultra-clarity and a dynamic playback. Switch to the TUBE AMP mode and the uniquely warm and musical audio associated with vacuum tube amplifiers will be revealed.

Best of both amps worlds

The culmination of Astell&Kern’s rich amp design heritage and expertise, the new innovative HYBRID MODE brings together the distinctive sonic DNA of the detailed OP-AMP and expressive TUBE AMP modes, while providing five options with different mix ratios of each amp’s sound characteristics to best serve the music being played.

Quad DAC for superior sound

The SP2000T comes equipped with four ES9068AS DACs, with two DACs per channel dedicated for decoding. The result is a more detailed and balanced sound with great depth and spatial realism.

Seamless playback volume

This latest model is also the first to feature Replay Gain functionality that automatically and uniformly adjusts volume playback from sound sources up to 24-bit/192 kHz so playlists can be enjoyed throughout without reaching for the volume.

TERATON ALPHA technology

The first player to harbour TERATON ALPHA technology that effectively removes power noise and provides efficient power consumption and amplification right through to the audio output interface stage where the digital-to-analogue signal conversion (DAC) takes place – audio technology Astell&Kern has consistently developed and perfected over the years.

"As you'd expect from a flagship DAP, the A&ultima SP2000T aims to offer everything. Sure, its 'tube' modes aren't a reason to choose this player over another, but its clean and insightful sonics are, while the Roan Ready status is a real boon for at-home users. Its excellent build quality and sophisticated design also sets the SP2000T apart from many rivals, even in this upper echelon of the head-fi market."

Hi-Fi News, Highly Commended Award, June 2022

"I very much enjoyed my time with the SP2000T..;The ergonomics worked well, the screen is sensitive, fast reacting and produces a vibrant image. The build quality is flawless and exudes quality...Most of all, I enjoyed the vibrant, spacious musical performance, which proved non-fatiguing yet always engaging...The SP2000T is an essential audition for any audiophile seeking a DAP at this price point. "

The Ear, 5 Stars

"The amount of enjoyment the Astell&Kern offers is prodigious, as is its capacity to reveal facets of recording you might previously have imagined yourself familiar with. It manages to balance a borderline-forensic analysis of a recording with a deep understanding of the same recording's primary purpose as a piece of entertainment."

Hi-Fi +, February 2022 issue

"The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T portable music player boasts a distinctive look, impeccable sound, and extensive specifications…A portable pièce de resistance...It’s as good a portable audio player as you can buy. "

Techradar, 4.5 Stars, Editor's Choice Award

"Endlessly revealing, utterly musical sound…It’s immediately impressive on almost every level…. Extraordinary powers of analysis, the ability to reveal the most transient details in full (without overstating them), a soundstage that’s expansive and organised, and the sort of tonal fidelity that can make the listener quite giddy. All the stuff, in fact, that can make a muso weak at the knees."

Trusted Reviews, 5 Stars, Highly Recommended Award

Included in the box

1x Astell&Kern A&ultima SP2000T player
1x USB-C to USB-A cable (1 metre)
3x screen protectors
1x Quick start guide

General Specifications

Model

SP2000T

Body Color

Onyx Black

Body Material

Aluminum

Display

5.0-inch touchscreen, FHD 1920 x 1080 pixels

Supported Audio Formats

WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF

Sample rate

PCM : PCM: 8kHz ~ 384kHz (8/16/24/32bits per Sample)
DSD Native: DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), DSD512(1bit, 22.4MHz) Stereo

Output Level

Unbalanced 3Vrms │ Balanced 6Vrms (Condition No Load)

CPU

Quad-core

DAC

ESS ES9068AS x4 (Quad-DAC)

Vacuum Tube

KORG Nutube 6P1

Decoding

Support up to 32bit / 384kHz Bit to Bit playback

Input

USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC)

Outputs

Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Optical Out (3.5mm)
Balanced Out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported / 4.4m, only 5-pole supported)

Wi-Fi

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)

Bluetooth®

V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC)

Dimensions

3.07" (78.1mm)[W] x 5.55" (141.1mm)[H] x 0.68" (17.5mm)[D]

Weight

about 10.89oz (309g)

Feature Enhancements

Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)

Audio Performance

Frequency Response

±0.024dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.038dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced
±0.027dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.052dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced

Signal to Noise Ratio

121dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / 123dB @ 1kHz, Balanced

Crosstalk

-137dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / -142dB @ 1kHz, Balanced

THD+N

0.0003% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / 0.0003% @ 1kHz, Balance

IMD SMPTE

0.0004% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1), Unbalanced / 0.0003% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1), Balanced

Output Impedance

Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (1ohm) / Balanced Out 2.5mm (1.5ohm), 4.4mm (1.5ohm)

Clock Source

Clock Jitter

25ps(Typ)

Reference Clock Jitter

70ps

Battery

Capacity

4,200mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer

Continuous Playback Time

About 9hours (Standard: FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Unbalanced, Vol.50, LCD Off, LED On, OP AMP Mode)

Charge Time

About 3.5hours (9V / 1.67A Fast Charging) | 5hours (5V 2A General Charging)

Memory

Built-in Memory

256GB[NAND]

External Memory

microSD (Max. 1TB) x1

OS

Supported OS

Windows 7,8,10 (32/64bit), MAC OS X 10.7 and up