Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000's Octa-Core CPU Makes Everything Faster

Most consumers are probably content with the audio output of their smartphones when listening to streamed music. Audiophiles, however, won't settle for anything less and are often willing to pay the price for quality listening experience. They will definitely have to pay that price if they opt to get the new and oddly-named A&ultima SP1000 from Astell&Kern, because they will be paying nearly five times as much as an LG G6 that boasts of 32-bit Quad DAC and other premium audio features.

Of course, the SP1000 has its own DAC, better than what can be crammed inside the restricted space of a smartphone. In fact, it has two of them, one for the left audio channel and another for the right. But the real thing that A&K is proud of is that the SP1000 is their first hi-res audio player that runs on an octa-core processor. In theory, this translates to faster boot times, faster processing of audio data, better audio reproduction, and a smoother user interface.

Speed is perhaps the name of the game for this model. With a USB 3.0 port, it can support file transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, provided the other end also supports USB 3.0. It can charge faster too, at 9 V/1.67 A rates. In fact, it can charge while transferring files as the same time.

Speed also translates to the new design in terms of speed and ease of access to features. A volume wheel patterned after the crown dials on watches also has the power button, making it easier to turn the screen on or off at will. The overall design of the media player, inspired by gemstones, exudes both sophistication as well as a sense of immediacy.

The Astell&Kern A&ultima SP1000 comes in a stainless steel design as well as a copper variant. For the promise of a classy hi-res media player, you will have to set aside $3,499 of your savings. For audiophiles, however, those might be worth the cost.

SOURCE: Astell&Kern