Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T
One-minute review Sometimes, concessions have to be made. The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T portable music player has an uninspired name, yes. It costs a lot of money, true. And it plays fast and loose with the definition of the word ‘portable’. But if you want a premium digital audio experience while you’re out and about, don’t look (or listen) any further. The SP2000T sounds superb. Jump to Price and release date Design Audio performance Should I buy it? Some of this is undoubtedly due to the hair-raising level of specification that’s incorporated here. Two amplifier stages offer seven distinct options, while no fewer than four DACs are deployed to handle two channels of audio information. The SP2000T is unconcerned by digital audio file size or type, and it will happily power any (and I mean any ) pair of headphones you care to mention. What else? Well, the control interface is clean and responsive. The player itself is not so much built as sculpted. Ev...