Astell&Kern released a copper version of its flagship SP4000T player — a limited edition with a pure copper (99.98%) body instead of silver stainless steel. Inside, it has the same four RAYTHEON JAN6418 tubes and a combination of two AKM4191EQ modulators and two AKM4499EX DACs as the regular SP4000T. The player’s battery life is about 10 hours of playback, and a full charge takes about 5 hours. The price for the copper version has not yet been announced.
The hardware is identical to the standard SP4000T — same chips, same tubes — so the sound should be the same. Only the body material and finish change. For a different take on warm analog sound, see our piece on FiiO’s desktop DAC, where a resistor ladder is used instead of tubes. How this version performs in reality — our test will show.
Specs.
- Model code: SP4000T
- Chip: AKM4191EQ × 2 + AKM4499EX × 2
- Battery life: about 10 hours
- Full charge time: about 5 hours
- Body material: copper, 99.98% purity or higher
Are you ready to pay extra for a copper body if the internals are exactly the same? Write in the comments.
Source: Astell&Kern
