A&K SP1000 Copper Dap on the way!

[Bodhi]

Hi folks, I had an exciting morning after I opened up a v/m message on my phone announcing that I'd won a Copper A&K SP1000 Dap in a competition I entered!! I'm still shaking my head . I have an AK300 and pair of Campfire Audio IEM's which I've never used. Now with this swanky new Dap on the way, I'm thinking that I'll put that gear up for sale to help fund some efficient cans to pair with this bad boy!

Here is my list of contenders so far. Let me know your thoughts/suggestions...bonus points if the cans come with a decent flight case & cable! -

- Hifiman Arya
- Hifiman Edition X V2
- Focal Clear
- Grado GS3000E Statement

And could potentially stretch for...

- Hifiman HE1000 V2 (which are on special at my Dealer @$3.5kAUD, approx $2.5kUSD), but unsure about sensitivity run off the SP1000?

Cheers!

 

[TooCool4]

The Focal Clear is nice better bottom end than the Utopia. If you want to go small try the Beyerdynamic Xelento remote.

I have not listened to the SP1000 yet, but have listened to the 380 nice better then the 240. I put the AK240 up against my Sony WM-D6C, guess which one won?
Yes i know it's only a cassette player from 1985, but still it killed the AK240.

 

[Bodhi]

@TooCool4, thanks for your feedback on the Focal Clear. I like the fact they come with a semi-hardshell case and 3 good quality cables, incl: a 4’ (1.2m) cable with a 3.5mm plug & 2 10’ (3m) cables, incl: one with a standard 1/4” plug and the other with four-pin XLR connectors (which I could use with the SP1000). They apparently have good bass and image focus, are open and spacious & are well balanced top to bottom. Brent Butterworth liked them a lot in his Soundstage review.

I was discussing my short list above with an audiophile friend who said he likes the Grado GS3000E Statements. I think realistically it would be between the Hifiman Arya, Focal Clear & Grado's, but i'm open to suggestions around that price point. And yeah I plan to audition a lot of options when I can get into Addicted to Audio.

Re: your shootout between the AK240 & your Sony cassette walkman, yeah I think if you like that analogue sound it's very difficult for a midrange A&K dap to compete. I think DSD64 in native DSD on the SP1000 would be hard to beat though!

 

[TooCool4]

Bodhi it’s funny I was not expecting to like the Focal headphones as I can’t stand Focal speakers, I find them very shouty and in your face. But I was pleasantly surprised to find they sound fantastic. The first one I tried was the Elear and I thought wow, then I heard Utopia. The Utopia made the Elear sound like it was broken wow again, after was the Clear which I thought was the best of the Elear / Utopia. If I have to choose between the Clear and the Utopia it would be a hard one.
From your shortlist, I have to say I am not a Grado fan the sound signature is not for me. I don’t like the narrow and upfront sound, personally I don’t understand the fascination with Grado headphones. I have only ever heard one Grado that I liked and that was the PS500, because it does not sound like a Grado. The only conclusion I can say about the PS500 is, it’s a Grado designed for none Grado fans.
With regard to the WM-D6C Vs the AK240, it not so much that I like the analogue sound as I like the Pono and the Questyle DAP’s. One thing I loved about the Pono was it just played the music and you forget what is playing the music to you. The AK players are trying too much and the things it cannot do are very obvious, example high female vocal comes across very painful to my ears. When I tried the AK240 I also tried the Calyx M and it did the same as the AK240.
The sound I like is clean and neutral and is not analogue or digital but natural.
When I tried the AK380 a year later, it was much smoother than the AK240 but I did not have my WM-D6C to compare side by side.
With regard to the SP1000 is it not the same as the AK380? Correct me if I am wrong, like I said before I have not heard the SP1000 yet.
When I tried them all I used an external amp to keep everything the same except the player themselves. The amp I use with my Walkman is Ray Samuels P-51 Mustang.

 

[Bodhi]

@TooCool4, I haven't liked the Focal floorstanding speakers i've heard in the past (though I haven't heard their latest series), but I use Focal Utopia speakers in my car which sound great. Apparently Focal started from the drawing board with their Headphone project, so it's not surprising they sound different/better. It certainly sounds like the Clear model is the sweet spot in their range anyway.

Re: Grado, have you heard the GS3000E Statement model specifically? Robert Levi noted in his PF review that the GS3000E Statements sound "Extremely detailed, natural and neutral sounding, superb bass, and efficient", adding "The Audeze (LCD-X) has a bigger soundstage and a slightly more natural tonality", but that "The Grado offers better imaging and deeper bass and generally sound more neutral". He gave them his highest buy recommendation, and I would describe Levi as one of the less hyperbolic reviewers. One negative I can see however is they don't come with a semi-hard case like the Focals. But i'll reserve jugment until I have a-b compared them in the store.

Re: the differences between the AK380 and SP1000, I can't comment on their sound, as like you I haven't compared them. But here are the technical differences between the two players -

 

[TooCool4]

Bodhi the last Focals I listened to was the Grande Utopia with the Naim statement amps at the Munich High End Show last May, it was so bad that 2 people walked out before the first track finished. The choice of music to show it off was bad and did not help. Anyway let ignore the Focals.

No I have not listened to the GS3000E, if I remember correctly I listened to the RS1 and maybe the GS1 and was not impressed with any off them.
If I see the GS3000E I may try them, but i would not go out of my way to look for it.
Thanks for the info on the AK’s, I think I will try it when I see it at the Munich High End Show AK are usually there with JH Audio or on their own booth.

 

[gian60]

I have AK 240 and AK 380
I like 240 but 380 is better because sound is more natural and relaxed,is really fantastic.
I never listen 1000

 

[Bodhi]

I went into Addicated to Audio yesterday and auditioned some headphones. TBH I was debating whether to sell my SP1000 Copper dac while it's still new/sealed & just buy a portable dac/headphone amp to use with my Iphone, reasoning that I might be able to get better bang for the buck that way. But the guys at ATA soon talked me out of that & commented that the SP1000 Copper is a very good dac and headphone amp (especially on balanced out as it has twice the output vs single ended).

So I setup a 3-way shootout between the Focal Clear, Hifiman Arya & new Focal Stellia cans. First up I heard the Clears. My first impression was they are light and very comfortable. Playing albums on Tidal, the sound through the SP1000m was quiet in terms of self-noise, crisp, articulate on vocals, well balanced & a bit airy. Bass was good. The AK drove the Clears comfortably. Fit and finish were excellent, and the included cables and semi-hard case were also impressive. Overall very enjoyable and I thought I could be quiet happy with them.

Next up I listened to the Arya's. I found the fit a bit loose (even after adjusting the headstrap), and the earcups were way too big which didn't help. First impression was the AK Dap was clearly struggling to drive the Arya's on the single ended cables & sounded a bit lean. The balanced cables would have been better, but I didn't try them. The Arya's had a wider sound stage, sounded airier than the Clears and had good top end extension. The bass was punchy, so given the right juice I think the Arya's would come to life. But on my head - and paired with the AK dap, I didn't think they were a good fit.

I obviously left the best till last. Although I was initially hesitant about the unusual cognac and mocha finish, the Stellia's soon grew on me. On the head they were the most comfortable of the 3 cans. The build quality, fit and finish is excellent. The full grain leather everything has a luxurious feel. And the included case was also commensurately better than the Clear. But wow, the sound! The increased efficiency of the Stellia's was immediately evident as the SP1000 drove them with plenty of headroom using the included single ended cables. Playing Anne Bisson 'Blue Mind' on Tidal, the Stellia's were just so much better than the Clears. They immediatley put a smile on my face, drew me into the music, and made my toes tap which the other cans didn't do. They sounded more musical, better balanced, more extended in the top end and richer than the Clears, had a wider and deeper sound stage, excellent inner detail & had accurate tone and timbre. Overall I would say the tonal balance was neutral and natural. And the sales guy said they would sound even better on balanced out. An added bonus for me is they're closed back, which means they could be used on trains and planes. Summing up, I just love it when I find perfect synergy, and there it was...absolutely perfect right down to the fit and finish. I can't wait to get back to the store for a longer listening session. I've got to hear those cans again! Heck, it's a good way to kill a couple of hours. Fishing guys hang out in fishing stores....audiophiles hang out in Audio stores!

 

[bazelio]

Does the Stellia have the super clean, extended, and taut bass that the Clears have? I felt the Clear had about 2 dB too much bass, but that its bass quality was a standout. The Elears, BTW, actually were broken, with a massive upper midrange suckout.

BTW if ever you're interested in a desktop amp for Focal headphones, this was designed specifically for them and is said to be fantastic:

https://tmraudio.com/personal-audio...amplifier-custom-for-focal-utopia-headphones/

 

[Bodhi]

@bazello, To my ears the Stellia sounded more detailed than the Clear across the board, but also smoother and better balanced (without straying into brightness or sterility). There is no sense of fatigue, even at higher volume levels. Obviously their driver behavior is well controlled - I'd bet the driver's breakup point is beyond the bandpass. They have excellent inner detail, so you can hear ambient queues placed accurately within the sound stage. The Stellia's also sound richer (more lush) than the Clear which gives images palpability. They are more efficient than the Clear, so the SP1000 drove them effortlessly, which resulted in tight, well controlled bass which was not bloated or over emphasised. It was just right I thought. The key is the Stellia's superior speed/dynamics, driver behaviour and overall balance. The attention to detail with damping and diffusing internal standing waves has evidently paid off.

The headphone amp you linked into is listed as discontinued. This seems to be the matching headphone amp for the Focal line now. That said, I don't have any immediately plans to upgrade as the SP1000 Copper is already a very good dac/headphone amp in it's own right. If anything, I might add a high end headphone amp to my main system one day - something along the lines of the Wells Audio Headtrip II Level II.

 

[TooCool4]

Cool one Bodhi, i have to admit i like the look of the Stellia and look forward to trying them out hopefully when i goto the Munich High-End Show in May. If you are saying it's better then the Clear, i think i will like it.

 

[Bodhi]

Something rare happened when I heard the Stellia's...they put a smile on my face & made my feet tap and head bop along to the music. That didn't happen with the other two headphones. The beautiful fit and finish are just the icing on the cake.

 

[TooCool4]

I am sure i will enjoy trying them out, if it puts as much of a smile on my face as the Utopia & Clear did it will be amazing.
I am not in the market for new headphones at the moment as i need to replace my home speakers from Peak Consult Princess Signature to the Peak Consult Incognito 20th.

 

[Bodhi]

I'm not sure how the Stellia's compare to the Utopia's, but given their higher efficiency & closed back design, they're certainly more usable.

 

[TooCool4]

I'm not sure how the Stellia's compare to the Utopia's, but given their higher efficiency & closed back design, they're certainly more usable.

Yes for me closed back designs always does it for me as i only ever use headphones on the move. At the same time, in most cases the open back usually sounds better.

 

[Bodhi]

Focal did an amazing job tuning the Stellia's. The skuttlebutt on Headfi is that they sound close to the Utopia's, but are on the more musical side - remarkable given their closed back design.

 

[bazelio]

@bazello, To my ears the Stellia sounded more detailed than the Clear across the board, but also smoother and better balanced (without straying into brightness or sterility). There is no sense of fatigue, even at higher volume levels. Obviously their driver behavior is well controlled - I'd bet the driver's breakup point is beyond the bandpass. They have excellent inner detail, so you can hear ambient queues placed accurately within the sound stage. The Stellia's also sound richer (more lush) than the Clear which gives images palpability. They are more efficient than the Clear, so the SP1000 drove them effortlessly, which resulted in tight, well controlled bass which was not bloated or over emphasised. It was just right I thought. The key is the Stellia's superior speed/dynamics, driver behaviour and overall balance. The attention to detail with damping and diffusing internal standing waves has evidently paid off.

The headphone amp you linked into is listed as discontinued. This seems to be the matching headphone amp for the Focal line now. That said, I don't have any immediately plans to upgrade as the SP1000 Copper is already a very good dac/headphone amp in it's own right. If anything, I might add a high end headphone amp to my main system one day - something along the lines of the Wells Audio Headtrip II Level II.

Bodhi, no the amp I linked is bespoke and not discontinued. The designer is Doug Savitsky, ECP Audio and he's actually making a batch right now. contact@ecpaudio.com I've met him on a few occasions. The link is to a discounted lightly used unit.

 

[Bodhi]

Ah ok, thanks for the clarification bazelio. Duly noted!

 

[bazelio]

Looks like someone bought the used unit since I posted it last night. Anyhow, when you purchase a new one, Doug will use your choice of wood on the chassis. Some of the units I've seen have turned out stunning. I'd take the ECP amp over the Head Trip II personally, but horses for courses.

 

[Bodhi]

@bazelio, have you a-b compared the ECP and Head Trip II?