The SP4000 is the latest flagship device from manufacturer Astell & Kern. Offering FOUR of AKM's flagship 4499EX chips and some quite impressive software features, is this genuinely a flagship tier DAC & amp in your pocket or are you paying for a very expensive iPod? GoldenSound puts it through its paces
So 4k for a device which is designed so well that it absolutely requires a case to be used comfortably, has system-wide EQ which is ridiculously limited, and with slightly less driving power than a Hiby R4. Only the R4 costs 1/16th as much, has full parametric EQ and can be used without a case. To any rational person that is simply a failed product, but to Goldensound the A&K is worth it because it somehow, mysteriously, “sounds better than 99% of desktop DACs”, which he has determined after sighted comparisons. How about reviewing for Stereophile or The Absolute Sound instead of The Headphone Show? You’d fit in better there.
The SP4K is a extremely excellent DAC & overall it is a incredibly engineered work of art.
To comment negatively on this DAC without listening to it or feeling and touching it , makes no sense -
yes am I a fan of A&K ……Absolutely -
Why? - because over the past 8 years , I went from their entry level SR25 to OG KANN to SE180, SP2K to SP3K And Now us the SP4k
Once you give it a actual try & spend 30min trying it out, I think you might have a new view on it-
As for me, its the best sounding DAC ever built
Yes - is it ridiculously priced? Absolutely.
Yes - can you get 85% of the performance from a $1500 DAC sure …… but we are all on sites like this, “Chasing the dragon” for that Endgame sound signature - and this can help get you there
- consider your options for “EndGame Audiophiles” if you were going for a full room Endgame system , it would cost well over $100K for 98% of “Endgame” performance
Now of you want that sound in your head for 90% less $$$ Then you would need 1 SP4K for $4k
1 A&K P10 class A amp ( recommended but not required )
And a pair of Kick ass IEM’s ( Audio 64’s/Empire ears/ I myself use Vision Ears EXT2’s for $3k
so for Aprox $8K ( still a crazy amount of $$$) but 95% lower than a full room set up …..
The SP4K becomes a bargin -
Step 1 - Just give it a listen & hold it in your hands !
A DAC is either transparent or not. If it is not transparent then I have no interest in it, if it is then nothing is gained by listening to it, since I already use transparent DACs and there would not be any difference - except for placebo/biases. Since I quite like the DAP and DAC/amp I have (Hiby R4, Topping DX5 II) audio jewellery like the A&K would do nothing to improve my listening experience.