Astell&Kern SE300 Review | The Future of Astell&Kern

[@AF-rd2vf]

I’ve had my SE300 for a week now and is enjoying how they’ve implemented the ladder r2r DAC to make this player sound so musical. It has an analog type of sound. I also had the SP3K but I like the sound quality of this device more. Hopefully, A&K will implement some of this technology into the SP4K when that comes out. Thank you to the guys at Bloom Audio for taking care of me. They even gave me a package discount.🤗

[@sujata-n]

How does it sound compared with RU7

[@jaroslavfricek7772]

Romantic side of reference… great description 😁👍❤️

[@Nuevo_El_Nagual]

Great review! Thank you.

[@Bozyilmaz8]

Im stuck between se300 and sp3000T. How would you compare them ? Are there big differences between them?

[@vicentvanmole]

How does that compare to Kann Ultra ?wish SE has the LE audio supported or if they can update by software.Also i Don't think SE 300 support aptx HD

[@drcerbera5455]

Great review thanks. Do you think it would pair well with the NA Viking Ragnar?

[@BloomAudio]

SE300 + Ragnar is great for clarity, spaciousness, and vivid imaging. It's not my personal favorite as I'm more treble sensitive, but for classical music or just pure analytical, technical bliss, it's a great combo.

[@drcerbera5455]

Thank you, that’s very helpful. Would the DX320 Amp14 combo be a better choice than the SE300 for the Viking Ragnar?

[@KLiNoTweet]

Steve reminds me strongly of Matt from PBS Space Time, also on KZbin LOL. Brothers? Both make very well made vids 🙂

[@orgy7orgy7]

Maybe you should have focused more on it’s sound character as an R2R dac, rather then trying to tweak it to sound like a ESS chip dac. Nonetheless, I did find the tweak tips interesting.

[@CSEducator]

I am looking this DAP and the Kahn Ultra. Which one would be better to drive and sound better with the Audio 64 U12t?

[@mitchhifi9192]

Kahn ultras is overkill power wise I'd say this would pair well with the slightly analytical u12t with a slightly analogue/warm reference sound

[@martinfox2244]

A & K charges a lot for their "experiments"!

[@mmetmalachite2653]

Thanks a lot.. awesome review ❤

[@ArjanR1]

Maybe a silly question, but what are the differences in sound compared to the ACRO CA1000? Thanks in advance!

[@BloomAudio]

In terms of sound, the big difference is in the imaging. SP3000 has a much wider soundstage and more holographic presentation than CA1000. I also find CA1000's treble to lean just slightly grainier, were SP3000 is clear, but more organic sounding. Otherwise, they're in the same general family of tuning styles.

[@SergiyPolishchuk]

How does it drive high-end planars? Any breakthroughs compared to all other DAPs?

[@BloomAudio]

It's great with the Meze Empyrean to HIFIMAN Arya range of planars, but comes up a little short for HE1000, DCA Expanse, or anything harder to drive.

[@SergiyPolishchuk]

So how would I EQ out an IEM peak at 7kHz? By chopping off an entire 5kHz - 9kHz range using available 6k and 8k frequencies with large width?

[@BloomAudio]

The EQ feature would be somewhat limited for that sort of situation. Even in the advanced mode it doesn't have a specific step for 7k, and doesn't have a set of filters that would really let you tweak 7k without impacting 8k and 9k.

[@fredblogs6704]

Nice player. Shame it hasn't the storage capacity that I require for my large library. A few DAP's on the market at present support up to 2TB of memory which will accommodate the new 1.5 Sandisk SD card. Maybe AK will catch up some time in the near future. Great Vid. Thanks.

[@BloomAudio]

Yep - for 2TB support, I'd recommend iBasso. iBasso also has a new player coming out in the $1000-$1500 space later this year, which might be a real winner. We'll have a review of course... ;)

[@fredblogs6704]

Ok. Thanks for the advanced notice, in the meantime I'll prod for further info on the Fiio M17 which ticks a lot of boxes for me. I especially like the exaggerated dimensions seeing my eyesight isn't what was. Thanks for the reply. @@BloomAudio

[@Tomz1313]

I'm using a Micron 1.5TB microSD card wiithout problems...

[@mkcraghead]

How does the SE300 compare to the Kann Ultra? I know they are from two different line, but I still wonder how they compare. Let me clarify...How do they compare in terms of sound?

[@BloomAudio]

Both are fairly neutral, but KANN Ultra is a little bit weightier sounding with more body to the sound, while SE300 has stronger separation and better treble extension. Ultra's sound is more "big and bold" while SE300 is more "detailed and refined."

[@MichaelCraghead]

Thank you for the input. I'm looking forward to purchasing a DAP in the not too distant future.

[@fernandesfernandes5997]

Ouvi alguns Daps da AK , todos bons . Mas , não os acho de forma alguma melhores que os da Ibasso , do DX220 para cima . Ibasso tem mais presença , som mais perto , mais impactante e possibilidade de mudança de som com os módulos . O AK tem um som no médio mais limpo , um fundo preto melhor . AK precisava de um equalizer paramétrico .

[@masterazlan6999]

wow r2r dap frm ak but the knobs Y didnt make it same as sp3k?.. not fair..anyway nice rev.. Peace!

[@AndY-l6r]

Hi! How is it compared to Kann Ultra? What will be the best choice between these 2?

[@BloomAudio]

I think Astell&Kern really has these aimed at two different types of listeners. SE300 is aimed at the highly detail focused listener who's listening for the microdetails and subtleties, while KANN Ultra is more about providing the power for over-ear headphones, and offers a sound that's slightly warmer by comparison. So the best choice is the one of those that sounds more like what you're looking for.

[@blejzerosamigos6115]

So you say in class A you loose warmth? Really Everyone else says that is the warmth that you get in class a nos mode. That's weird

[@palefaced1]

This or the Sony wm1zm2? Is the Sony worth the extra money?

[@BloomAudio]

Sony is a little warmer, more organic to me. I think it would be more down to preference in the sound. WM1ZM2 does have a nice build too.

[@imurking3820]

It’s this one good for rock ?

[@BloomAudio]

SE300 hits pretty much right down the middle, so it's good for just about anything. If you're looking for a little extra bass or warmth over detail though, I might go with the Caiyin N7 over SE300.

[@johnpinion8033]

Who the hell wants or asked for Class-A amplification? .... Oh, I get it. Products made for people with too much money!😂🤣

[@Jacob1451_Kapnobatai]

For high impedance drivers, most likely. 😁