Over the past few months, this project has taken up a considerable part of my life—and, judging by the messages, screenshots, and listening impressions coming in, a little part of yours too.
To everyone who installed a build, tried something unfamiliar, reported a problem, or simply spent an evening listening and shared how it felt: thank you. Your time and trust have meant a great deal. Testing firmware on a player you care about is a generous thing to do, and I don’t take that lightly.
1.60.0 follows 1.52.0 as the final release of this summer’s coding sprint, bringing together the work and refinement of these past months for both Pure and Classic Audio.
And there is a little end-of-summer bonus: four lovely new VU meters—Ivory, Azure, Emerald, and Ember—joining the three already provided by Astell&Kern. Inspired by the character of vintage audio equipment, each brings its own colour and personality to the screen. They’re integrated into the existing VU meter app, so you can swipe through the collection and find the one that suits your evening.
These took more care than their simplicity might suggest. Needle movement, scale markings, lighting, borders, spacing, and the transition into full screen all received attention. I wanted them to feel at home on the player—and to be something you enjoy looking at while the music does its thing.
With this release, I’ll be taking a short break from coding. This sprint has been rewarding, but honestly, exhausting too. It feels like the right moment to put the tools down, enjoy some music, and give the work time to settle.
The next few weeks will be spent collecting feedback from listeners: how the firmware behaves in everyday use, what you enjoy, and anything that needs another look. There’s value in living with a release beyond the first few minutes after an update, and I’m looking forward to hearing those longer-term impressions.
As for the question that keeps coming up—“Will you bring CFW to the SP4000?”
Support the project. ❤️
Thank you for being part of this summer’s work, for your patience through the iterations, and for helping shape something I’m proud to share.
Enjoy 1.60.0. Pick a meter, put on an album you love, and let it play.
I think we’ve all earned a little listening time.
Download Here:
https://adam-nas-01.synology.me/sharing/vyvfUhS3u
Discuss on Head-Fi:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/akcfw-astell-kern-custom-firmware-development-releases-discussion.981152/
-Adam
ps. Has anyone found the easter egg hidden in the Companion app yet? 👀 🍂