John
Astell&Kern is teasing a new flagship portable audio player. According to a very skinny press release, the SP2000T builds on the SP2000 with a Quad DAC, a ‘triple amp’ system and replay gain.
Quad DAC? That’ll be the 4 x ESS ES9068AS chips that bring with them MQA support for up to 8x rendering.
Triple amp system? Users can choose between tube mode, normal op-amp mode and a new hybrid amp mode that uses both the tube and op-amps. All three amplifier modes talk to a choice of three headphone outputs: 3.5mm, balanced 2.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs.
Replay gain? Once the files on the inserted microSD are scanned by software and their ‘loudness’ analysed, the SP2000T will automatically adjust playback volume from track to track for a more consistent listening experience.
Rounding out the feature set is a full-HD (1920 x 1080px) touchscreen.
What we’re not told is the player’s weight (useful to know), its battery life (essential intel) or its retail price (upon which a purchase can pivot). The soon-to-be superseded SP2000 sells for a mighty US$3499.
At time of writing, Astell&Kern’s product info page and its promo teaser video are similarly obtuse:
The SP2000T will begin shipping in October 2021.
Further information: Astell & Kern
