Astell & Kern announces Anultima SP4000 flagship digital audio player with Perlinger shrunken calf case

Astell & Kern has announced its latest flagship digital audio player (DAP), the Anultima SP4000.

The Android-powered DAP uses a 6.1-inch 2,160 x 1,080 touch screen with a knurled knob to control playback of high-resolution local and streaming music. The black or silver player is made of the same 904L stainless steel that Rolex watches are crafted from. It is packaged in a hand-crafted Perlinger shrunken calf case.

The player's 256 GB of internal storage can be expanded with microSD cards as large as 1.5 TB to store high-resolution audio files, such as FLAC, DSD, and PCM, as well as standard MP3 files. For lower-quality sound, they are first processed by the VSE (virtual sound extender) to restore lost harmonics, then upsampled by the DAR (digital audio remaster).

Whether playing local or streaming music, all audio is handled by the octa audio circuit architecture that utilizes AK4191EQ digital processors in-line with AK4499EX analog DACs for very low noise, high-quality sound output. The SP4000 is expected to match or exceed the excellent performance of the prior SP3000, which had a 130 dB SNR.

Enhanced Signal Alignment (ESA) technology is used to align frequencies high and low to minimize time differences due to signal processing for better sound clarity and purity. The power supply uses an LDO (low dropout) regulator to further reduce outside electrical noise interference for better sound. Internal electronics are isolated from electromagnetic noise by a 99.9% pure copper shield.

Owners can listen to their music using wireless headphones using standard SBC as well as higher quality aptX Adaptive and LDAC codecs. The player supports non-balanced and balanced wired headphones.

The A&K Anultima SP4000 will likely be priced above the $3,699 MSRP of the SP3000 (sold at the A&K store on Amazon) when released.

Readers who want a DAP that supports high-resolution music playback at a more affordable price may want to consider the petite Mix Wave HiBy R1 (sold here on Amazon)