Astell and Kern SP2000T A&ultima Onyx Black High-Resolution Music Player User Guide

Astell and Kern SP2000T A&ultima Onyx Black High-Resolution Music

Player

Product Info

AK File Drop Wirelessly upload or download files to and from devices on the same network (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) using the PPF34 via an FTP program.

Using AK File Drop

1. Connect the PPF34 and the desired device to the same network, and enable the AK File Drop feature on the PPF34.
2. Enter the address, ID, and password displayed on the PPF34 into the FTP program of the device to be connected.
3. Use the connected device to download or upload the desired file(s).

You can connect without logging in via anonymous FTP, but only downloads will be enabled. AK File Drop can be added to the notification panel.

Selecting Music

1. Select a category from the Main Menu to display the corresponding music list.
2. Select a song from the list to begin playback.

Select [Folder] to search music by folder. Continuous Playing Time: Approx. 10.5 hours (Music: FLAC,16bit, 44.1kHz, Unbalanced, Volume 50, EQ Off, LCD Off, Normal Gain) Supported Formats: PCM [8~384kHz(8/16/24/32bit)] DSD [2.8/5.6/11.2MHz]

Listening to Music

• To search, press [ ] on the menu list and enter the title. The search result will be displayed.
• At the top of the Play History menu, press [ / ] to sort the music list in order of most recently played/most played.
• After selecting the [MQS] category, from the Main Menu press [ / ] at the top to sort the music list in order of high quality / alphabetical order.
• In the [MQS] category, the MQS tab shows MQA files and PCM files of 24 bits or more, and the DSD tab shows DSD files.
  • MQS: MQA [44.1-384kHz(24bit)]
  • MQS: PCM [8-384kHz(24/32bit)]
  • DSD: DSD [2.8/5.6/11.2MHz]
• Select the [Folder] category to check the internal/external memory capacity and a number of files/folders, and copy/move music.
• Press [ ] on the music list to add all music to the current playlist.
• Press [ ] on top of the music list to view the options:
  •  Select / deselect entire list
  • Add the selected list at the top/bottom / after the current song of Now Playing
  • Add the selected list to a playlist
  • Delete selected list
  • Exit
• Turn the [Volume] wheel to adjust the volume.
• Press [ ] during playback to pause and [ ] to resume playback.
• Press [ / ] during playback for the previous/next track. Press and hold [ / ] to rewind/fast-forward the track
• . Drag the indicator on the Playback Progress Bar to a desired location of a track during playback.
• Press the album art on the Home Screen to display the song lyrics.
• Press [ ] to display the Home Screen.
• Press [ ] at the top of the menu list to hide the menu list. After selecting [ALBUM] or [CD LIBRARY] category, press [ / / ] at the top to sort by different viewing options.
• LED light indicates information of the music currently playing and the volume level.
  • 16-bit: Red / 24-bit: Green / 32-bit: Blue / DSD: Purple
    Turn LED Indicator ON/OFF in [Menu-Settings-LED Indicator].

Playlist Screen

1. Previous Return to the previous screen.
2. Playlist Display the current playlist.
3. Edit mode Display the editing options for the music list.
4. Play All Play all songs in the current list.

Creating a Playlist

1. Press [Playlists] on the menu to view the playlists.
2. Select [ + ] in the upper right corner of the screen.
3. Enter a name for the playlist and then press [Add] to create a new playlist.

Adding a Song to a Playlist

1. Press [Playlists] to display the list of playlists.
2. Select a playlist and press [+ Add Song] to display a list of songs by album.
3. Select a song and press [Add] to add the song to the selected playlist.

Removing a Song from a Playlist

1. Press [Playlists] to display the list of playlists.
2. Select the playlist to edit.
3. Press [ ] at the top, then select the song you want to delete from the playlist.
4. Press [ ] on top of the screen.
5. Press [DELETE] to remove the song from the selected playlist.

This action will only remove the song from the selected playlist, not the memory.

Playing a Playlist

1. Select the desired playlist for playback.
2. Press [ ] at the top right of the screen to play the entire playlist.
3. To playback part of the playlist or add it to a current Now Playing playlist, press [ ] at the top of the playlist, select the music you want to play and press [ ] to add the selected list to the top / bottom / after the current song of Now Playing.

Renaming a Playlist

1. Press [Playlists] to view the playlists, then press [ ].
2. Select a playlist to be renamed.
3. Press [ ] at the top of the screen to display the RENAME window.
4. Enter a name for the playlist and then press [RENAME] to confirm the change.

Deleting a Playlist

1. Press [Playlists] to view the playlists, then press [ ].
2. Select the playlist to be deleted.
3. Press [ ] at the top of the screen.
4. Press [DELETE] to delete the selected playlist.

The USB DAC function allows the device to be recognized as a sound card on a computer. Music from the computer is played through the device’s headphone port for an enhanced listening experience.

USB DAC Specifications

• Supported OS
  • Windows 8(32bit/64bit) / Windows 10(32/64bit)
  • MAC OS 10.7(Lion) or later
• USB DAC Support Specifications
  • Supported Formats: PCM [8~384kHz(8/16/24/32bit)]
  • DSD [2.8/5.6/11.2MHz]
• Control the volume with the AK device’s volume wheel.

Playback is unavailable when settings exceed the supported formats. The Previous, Play, and Next buttons are unavailable when connected as a USB DAC. Playback may stutter when computer performance is slow or the USB connection is experiencing heavy usage. There may be issues with audio-to-video synchronization during video playback depending on the sound quality and operating environment. Volume cannot be adjusted via the Windows volume control. The volume wheel on the device or volume control on the appropriate program must be used to adjust the volume. Install a dedicated driver to use the AK device as a USB DAC. The driver file is located in PPF34\InternalStorage\PPF34 Contents\Driver. Before installing the driver, set device to USB DAC mode and connect to the computer.

How to Use USB Audio

Connect the device to a portable amp or DAC using USB Audio Out.

How to Connect a Portable USB DAC

1. Connect the portable USB DAC to the AK device’s USB Type-C port with a dedicated cable.
2. Press [ ] in the Notification Bar.
3. Once [ ] is activated, you can enjoy music stored on the device through the connected portable USB DAC.

The USB Type-C cable that comes packaged with the device is only to be used for computer data transfer or to charge the device. The type of dedicated cable needed to connect to the portable DAC varies; please refer to USB DAC manufacturer instructions for correct cable type. A USB DAC cable is not included with the device and must be purchased separately. Depending on the OTG cable used, the connection may be unstable. When a USB connection is established while playing a DSD or DXD file, a mode selection pop-up box will appear with the following options:

• External device connection: Connect the player to the computer to transfer files, USB DAC for audio playback or CD Ripper connection.
• Charge device: Charge the device.

How to Change USB Audio DSD Output Type Select a DSD output type in [Menu – Settings – USB Audio].

• PCM : DSD audio is converted into PCM before being outputted through the USB audio out.
• DoP : DSD audio is converted into DoP before being outputted through the USB audio out.
• MQA : Optional activation of S/W MQA decoding. Options may differ depending on the connected external device. Please refer to the specifications of each device.

The portable USB DAC must be able to receive digital input through the micro- USB’s OTG. Audio output may vary widely depending on the digital input specs of the portable USB DAC used. This is not a defect in the device output and not a reason for exchange or refund. When using DoP as a DSD output type, no sound may be outputted except noise depending on the portable USB DAC.

CD Ripping

CDs can be ripped directly to the device using the AK CD-RIPPER (sold separately).

Connecting the AK CD-RIPPER

1. Connect the AK CD-RIPPER to USB Type-C port of the device using the proper cable.
2. In the Notification Bar press [ ] to link the devices and activate the CD Ripping Menu.
3. When ripping is complete, before disconnecting, press [ ] on the Notification Bar to unlink/disconnect the devices.

The USB Type-C cable provided with the device is to be used to connect to the computer or to charge the product. Depending on the CD-Ripper model the dedicated USB Type-C OTG cable may not be provided in the product package. Depending on the OTG cable used, the connection may be unstable. When a USB connection is established while playing a DSD or DXD file, a mode selection pop-up box will appear with the following options:

• External device connection: Connect the player to the computer to transfer files, USB DAC for audio playback or CD Ripper connection.
• Charge device: Charge the device.

Automatically select the CD ripper function

1. Select the function to automatically execute in [Menu-Settings-CD Ripper-Default run].
2. Select the [CD Player] / [CD Ripping] function.
3. When [Ask every time] is selected, the function selection popup will be displayed each time a CD is inserted.

CD Ripping

1. Select the ripping function in [Menu-Settings-CD Ripper-Default run-CD Ripping].
2. Connect the AK CD-Ripper to the device and select CD Ripping if not set as the default run function.
3. Insert a CD and metadata (ID3 tags) for the inserted CD will be retrieved via Gracenote if Wi-Fi is turned on.
4. CD ripping will begin automatically after the metadata has been downloaded.
5. When finished, press [OK] when prompted to complete the automatic CD ripping process.

CD Ripping Results

• Indicates that CD ripping is complete, or that CD ripping was successfully completed after correcting an error via error correction.
• Indicates that the song currently being ripped can be canceled by user.
• Indicates that CD ripping failed due to an error that can’t be corrected, such as a scratched CD, or that CD ripping was canceled by user.

To search the Gracenote database, the device must be connected to Wi-Fi. Database access time may vary depending on the network environment. Please note that metadata for certain CDs may not be available on the Gracenote database. You cannot access the Home Screen while CD ripping is in progress. The AK Connect service will be disabled during CD ripping. The service will automatically restart when CD ripping is completed. Music playback is disabled during ripping. You can set the desired file format and ripping speed from the [Menu – Settings – CD Ripping] menu. Several attempts at correction will be made for data with errors when the feature is enabled under [Menu – Settings – CD Ripping – Error Correction]. Please note that the CD ripping speed will be affected when this feature is enabled.

AK CDPlayer

Using the AK CD-Player Function

1.  Connect the AK CD-Ripper to the device and select CD Player if not set as the default run function.
2. Insert a CD and metadata (ID3 tags) for the inserted CD will be retrieved via Gracenote if Wi-Fi is turned on.
3. Once the metadata has downloaded, press play.

The USB Type-C cable provided with the device is to be used to connect to the computer or to charge the product.
Depending on the CD-Ripper model the dedicated USB Type-C OTG cable may not be provided in the product package.
Depending on the OTG cable used, the connection may be unstable. To search the Gracenote database, the device must be connected to Wi-Fi. Database access time may vary depending on the network environment.
Please note that metadata for certain CDs may not be available on the Gracenote database.
General audio CD and MQA-CD playback is supported, but MP3-CD won’t play.

Car Mode

1. Exit car mode.
2. Play/Pause Play or pause music.
3. Playlist Display the current playlist.
4. Screen Rotation Switch the screen orientation to horizontal mode/vertical mode.

Bookmark Function

Allows user to select up to five folders for display on the top of the screen.

Setting a bookmark

1. Select [ ] at the top of the music list.
2. the music list and select [ ] at the bottom to display the selected folder at the top of the music list.

Favorites Function

The favorites function allows users to mark a currently playing song as a favorite and add it to the Favorites folder.

1. Press [ ] on the home screen to add / remove the song being played to the favorites list.
2. From the Home Screen, swipe [Left Right] direction to display the Main Menu. Press [Favorites] to display the list of favorite songs.

Settings

The settings menu allows users to customize the device. The settings menu may vary depending on the firmware version.

Setup

• Select [Main Menu – Settings] or select [ ] from the Notification Bar menu.

• Select the feature to view setting options.
  Wi-Fi

• Change wireless network settings and turn Wi-Fi on/off. See page 54 for more information on connecting to Wi-Fi.
  Bluetooth

• Configures two-way Bluetooth (RX/TX) to listen to music wirelessly using a device that supports Bluetooth. See page 55 for more information on using Bluetooth.
  Bluetooth Codec

• When Bluetooth is activated, the applicable codec can be set. Reconnect the Bluetooth to apply the changed settings. If a codec is not supported by the connected device, it will automatically select another supported codec.
  AK CONNECT

• Turn AK Connect on/off and set AK Connect options.
  AK File Drop

• Enables or disables AK File Drop.
  Equalizer

• Set the equalizer according to the user’s preferences.

  • USER EQ: Adjust the frequencies according to the user’s preferences.
    Supported Formats for EQ: PCM [8 ~ 192kHz(8/16/24bit)] Using the equalizer may negatively affect device performance. See pages 58 – 60 for more information on using the equalizer.
    EQ Sync

• Share or receive Custom User EQ files.

  • To access custom EQ files, connect the device to the computer. Internal Storage -> EqLists -> “User EQ.dat” Shared User EQ files can only be shared between the same model. User EQ of PPF34 is not compatible with the SE100. If the User EQ file is modified or changed externally it will no longer be recognized. User EQ.dat will not display in the PPF34, however it can be viewed when connected to the computer. Up to 20 User EQs can be displayed.
    Gapless

• Plays the next song without any interruption.

  • Gapless playback is only supported between two files with identical bit rates, sample rates, and channels.
  • Line Out Set the voltage value generated when Line Out is activated. Do not use earphones with the Line Out feature enabled. Doing so may cause permanent hearing loss. Line-out is supported when the amplifier is set to Normal gain.
  • LR Balance Adjust the left-right balance for earphones/headphones.
  • Playback Settings Set how to add a song to Now Playing when a song is selected from a music list.

• Notification Panel Add, delete, or reorganize Quick Settings buttons on the notification bar. Drag and drop icons to add quick settings buttons or change the preferred order.

• AMP The AMP output can be set to Normal or High. The amplifier supports 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm connections. Battery consumption will be greater when used in high gain mode. It is recommended to connect the device to power when utilizing in this setting.

• CD Ripper Set the automatic CD ripping function as well as the file format and ripping speed.

• USB Mode Media Device (USB Drive): When connected to a computer, device appears as a removable drive.

• DAC Input: Output sound from a connected computer to the device.

• USB Audio Select the type of DSD sound being outputted through USB Audio Out to a connected portable DAC. Enable/Disable MQA decoding software. Bluetooth functionality cannot be used while USB audio is being used.
  Car Mode

• Turn car mode on/off.

• Double Tap Wake function

  • If the screen is off, tap the screen twice to turn it back on. When the device is connected to a charger, the screen will remain on.
  • If the power button is used to turn off the screen, the
  • Double Tap Wake function will remain enabled.

• DAC Filter User can select between various DAC filers provided by the DAC manufacturer. Supported Formats for DAC Filter: PCM [8 ~ 192kHz(8/16/24bit)]. MQA and DSD formats are not supported.

• Volume Limit Displays a warning when the volume reaches a certain level and sets related options.

• Screen Brightness Adjust screen brightness settings.

• LED Indicator Turn LED Indicator on/off.

  • LED Option: turn volume control or song details LED Indicator on/off individually.

• Date & Time Set the current date and time.

• Device Name Set the name of the device.

  • The maximum name length is 50 characters.

• Language Select the display language.

  • Supported languages are English, Korean, Japanese, French, Russian, German, and Spanish.

• Input Method Back Button: the Floating Back Button will be displayed on the screen.

  • Move the Back Button to the desired position by dragging and dropping the icon with your finger.
  • Move the button to the center of the screen to deactivate it. To reactivate the button, turn it on from [Menu-Settings- Input Method]

• Keyboard: Select a language for the keyboard.

  • Supported languages are English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), French, Russian, German, and Spanish. Supported languages may vary depending on your location.

• Timer Settings

  • Auto Power Off: The device will automatically power off after the selected amount of time of no user and device activity. Screen Timeout:
  • The screen will turn off after the selected amount of time of no user activity.
  • Sleep Timer: After a set amount of time, playback will stop, and the device will turn off according to the time set in
    [Auto Power Off].

• Downloads Select a folder for downloaded files to be saved by default. When using AK Connect to download music, if the [Default folder] is selected in Settings, downloading will automatically begin to the pre-set Downloads folder. When [Select Folder] is selected, the user is prompted to choose a download folder each time a file is downloaded.

• Update

  • System Update: Update the device when a new firmware version is available.
  • Application Update: Update the default applications when new versions are available.
  • Automatic updates for Open APP Service applications are not available through the Settings Menu of the device.

• System Information

  • System Information: View model number, firmware version, MAC address and memory usage information. The microSD card can be mounted/dismounted and data can be deleted.
  • Legal information: Check open source licenses and regulations.
    Formatting the microSD card will delete all data on the memory card. Be sure to backup any important files before formatting. When formatting the microSD card on a computer, use of the FAT32 system is recommended.

• System Reset

  • Initialize Media Scan: Resets and rescans the internal database. Database initialization time may vary depending on the number of files stored on the device.
  • Settings Reset: Resets all user settings back to the default settings.
  • Factory Data Reset: Deletes all user data and resets all user settings back to the default setting.

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