hi-fi+

hi-fi+, May 2007
Reviewed by Jimmy Hughes
AT3000

‘The AT3000 sounds impressively sharp and focused – it’s crisp and open; smooth and clean. It’s quite sweet, but does not produce the classic euphonic tube warmth. It’s a very lucid and detailed CD player – focused and crisp – not especially warm or rich in terms of tonal balance… even on bright recordings the treble is sharp and tactile, yet smooth and clean, with good definition and impressive dynamics.’

‘Essentially, it is a very honest, even-handed sonic presentation.’

‘The player’s bright airy treble and crisp lucid transient attack is matched by a clear strong bottom end. The bass is very clean and firm – impressively powerful and deep when the music demands muscle and weight.’

‘It combines excellent fine detail with impressive dynamics and realistic tonal qualities, sounding smooth and natural yet producing plenty of bite and attack when this is called for. The 24/96 option gives you the choice of two sonic presentations, one which should produce near ideal results depending on the music and recording, making this a superb player for the price.’