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Astell&Kern has introduced a new portable audio player: the A&Ultima SP3000M. A smaller and lighter device than previous models, the SP3000M uses what the company is calling an: “innovative unbalanced and balanced independent dual audio circuit design, removing the usual limitation in audio performance and giving listeners clean, pure delicacy of sound with no lag or delay”.

Equipped with the same HEXA audio circuit design first found in the SP3000, despite the new player’s smaller size it contains four flagship AK4499EX DACs and two separate AK4191EQ chips that handle digital signals. A&K explains: “most digital players process digital and analogue signals together inside the DAC. However, the SP3000M’s advanced HEXA structure reduces the noise of the digital signal input through the AK4191EQ, a separate digital delta-sigma modulator, while the AK4499EX DAC processes analogue signals separately and freely, producing crystal clear sound with no lag or delay while physically separating digital and analogue signals.”

The SP3000M uses shielding to prevent various noise and electromagnetic interference from affecting the audio block and highly conductive, high-purity silver has been applied to physically separate digital and analogue signals. It also features audio technology from A&K’s Ultimate Sound Solution, TERATON ALPHA, which means it’s designed to produce audio playback as close to the original sound as possible.

In addition, the A&ultima SP3000M is equipped with a Snapdragon 6125 Octa-core processor, which the company claims provides faster system response with a redesigned generation user interface. Featuring a high-performance CPU and improved 8GB of DDR4 memory, the more powerful system is claimed to be stable with fast and fluid movement.

It’s made of charcoal grey aluminium with a 720 x 1,280-pixel touch screen, weighs 184g, runs for circa 20 hours from one charge and takes about 2.5 hours to recharge.

Available to buy now for £2,300, you can find out more about the SP3000M here.