The Digital Audio Player that Reigns supreme under $2000. Astell&Kern SE300 REVIEW

[@JohnSmithisnotme]

My candidates for a DAP purchase this year are the Sony ZM1AM2 and AK SE300. With your description of the presentation of the AK, I might jump the gun soon. Beautiful textures and organic sound is what I'm looking for my selection of equipment. I'm not too crazy about the micro-details or sound stage.

[@blejzerosamigos6115]

It's 1k right now on sale

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@blejzerosamigos6115 fuuuck

[@usim3g]

Finally great, informative review for SE300. And it is so much helpfull comparison with sp3000. Thank you so much. I am owner of AK SP2000 (copper) and after 2 years listening to that magical device every day - start "looking around". I am not sure if I want to sell SP2000 though - I think I am addicted to it :)) Did you have a chance to listen Sennheiser IE900 IEM? SP2000 with IE900 is a fenomenal synergy, so just wondering how IE900 will bind with SP3000 or SE300.. Astell & Kern top end DAPs are absolutely addicting and magical music devices..

[@mkcraghead]

I agree with you on the use of the SE300 with the leather case. However, for me, it's not the play, forward and reverse buttons. I have the hardest time engaging the power button. I can almost never engage that button inside the case. I end up pulling it out of the case which defeats the purpose. I haven't had mine but for a couple of days, so maybe I will have some more nit picks, but as of now, I'm just trying to find my way around with the SE300. There is a lot to learn.

[@tariqaziz6551]

Thanks you are amazing

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Thank you deeply for the support it’s very very generous and it’s very much appreciated from the entire CMA crue 🐅❤️🐅

[@rogerhuston8287]

I'm very interested in the 300 for the DAC. I have the MASS Kobo 475 if I need an Amp. Looking for that Holo R2R sound on the go.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Certainly feasible

[@ramlord6669]

Like every time, thank you for this compelling and well articulated deep dive into a very interesting audio gem. The SE300 seems to be THE tough competitor for the Cayin N7. Without saying the one is above the other...may you compare these two soundwise with a couple of sentences? Must not be a complete painted picture 🙃

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Sorry mate, none of the units have come in for review and I’ve only tested the n8 ii That was a very interesting product, and honestly sounds very different so it just depends what you like, but it’s an absolute brick But very incisive powerful and sounded quite organic. I was very happy but it was only at a show.

[@ramlord6669]

​@@ConvinceMeAudio❤

[@corentincoulon4867]

Thank you for your excellent review as always! Side question : for both the DAC and amp part, purely for sound quality, would you go for a "summit-fi" DAP like SP3000 / SE300, the LP6 pro, Cayin N30LE, iBasso DX320max TI or a Hugo 2 with a phone to drive moderately difficult headpohones like the DCA E3, utopia 2022, D8000pro LE, ZMF caldera, etc.? Thanks in advance for your reply and keep up the excellent work!

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Sp3000 out I would put it at the bottom of the pile Hugo2-2go for how to drive actual headphones, if that’s your need P6Pro is the best DP for sound quality in the world. Nothing comes close. It’s like a desktop set up, but anything beyond like. Binom er or utopia, I would say stay away from DP for driving Headphones, they’re not really designed for that,

[@corentincoulon4867]

@@ConvinceMeAudio thanks for your answer! I think I will go for the Hugo 2 if the sound quality driving headphones like the ones I mentioned cannot be match by a dap, even the likes of the lp6pro! Looking forward to your review of the binom er by the way! 👍🏻

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@corentincoulon4867 sound quality, P6, pro beats Hugo to buy a significant margin, but the amplification of Hugo to is a proper mobile station. The P6 pro is a DP, for IEM, it’s unbelievable, you’re not gonna come close to it, not even on Hugo2 Small sidenote, I highly recommend buying the to go to go with it I do not like you go to plugged into things. It doesn’t sound great. I don’t like the USB implementation picks up too much interference and noise that to go makes it and pushes it to the limit it’s great.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Yes, just in case it was not clear I’ve not found any portable unit to sound as refined as P6 pro in any category, but power is the problem for actual headphones it’s mainly designed for iems

[@corentincoulon4867]

@@ConvinceMeAudio ok, it’s pretty interesting! I could go for the LP6pro and add a proper amp like the seemingly unbelievable amp23rm from enleum 👍🏻 Oh and, did you get to listen to the RS8 from hiby? Looks pretty nice and could potentially dethrone the lp6pro 😉

[@AUDIO-U4YA]

Very informative video, you knocked it out of the park… Are these units room ready? And also is Roon ARC available?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

UPnP and roon endpoint not sure about ARC, but yes, Roon ready

[@Bozyilmaz8]

Did you try new new sp3000 tube one ? How would you compare them ? Im currently stuck between se300 and sp3000t ,also there's offer going on sp3000 when you buy sp3000 for £3.799 they will give Astell Kern Pathfinder iems for free.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

not the tube want, but I will ask for that next, CA1000T will be out today the review is complete Se300 is magic

[@AdamMuise]

Did you ever compare this against the Hiby RS8 with the slightly more complicated R2R ladder?

[@Viewer13128]

Can you clarify how you mean the SE300 is 90% of the Lp6 Pro? Because you said the SE300's amplification was noticeably inferior to the SP3000's, so are you saying the DAC chip alone boosted the SE300's performance to 90% of the LP6 Pro?

[@TheVeganVicar]

In the world of digital audio, that extra ten percent would be a quite significant improvement. Perhaps he meant something closer to 98%?

[@Viewer13128]

@@TheVeganVicar Am I mistaken to understand that 98% is even bigger praise to the SE300? Either way, wouldn't that nearly guarantee the SP version to equal or surpass the LP6 Pro?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

So, the DAC chip in the unit is extremely good, it’s better than the SP 3000, and it approaches the luxury and precision P6 pro in regards to the DAC The amplification in the SE 300 is excellent, SP 3000 is better, luxury precision, P6 pro is better than both of them But we’re getting to a point where it comes down to percentages now

[@Viewer13128]

@@ConvinceMeAudio Ah ok. So in terms of sound evaluation alone, would you group the SE300, SP3000, and LP6 Pro in the same tier, or would you still place SE300 one tier below the current flagships due to the inferior amp?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@Viewer13128 slightly behind, but not quite a whole tier

[@Roni-u2c]

Hello, In class A, NOS mode, can you describe the Treble region Neutral / Not Soft? (Similar to SP3000?). Thanks in advance

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Non-fatiguing, laid-back, but incisive in an organic way I found SP 3000 to be a little more detailed, but definitely not as organic sounding The amplifier and DAC work in such tight unity with the SE 300, less, so with SP 3000

[@Tssukiii]

Sir, could you review the A&K Acro ca1000? Stunning unit and I would be very interested to know how it sounds, especially with IEMs :)

[@mitchhifi9192]

Addicted to Audio in Australia have it for sale for 1/3rd retail price $3400 AUD to $999

[@Tssukiii]

@@mitchhifi9192 I‘ll have a look. Thank you!

[@Bozyilmaz8]

I'm thinking to get Limited edition titanium one £400 extra. Do you think is worth? Will it hold the value more and longer?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

It’s lighter nicer looking, but don’t buy it for those reasons of retaining value et cetera Audio equipment at the moment in the used market is very low. Buy it for yourself if you like it there’s a possibility. If you decide to pass it on later it might get a bit more money, but I wouldn’t count on that things.

[@CSEducator]

What about the SE300 versus the Kahn Ultra? Which one would you recommend?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Apologies mate that one hasn’t come in for review

[@mrt6349]

This is 2000 euro in my country, i can get a used Astell &kern SP2000 for 1600 euro its 2 years old is the sp2000 worth it over se300

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

No bud this is better than the SP3000 so I don’t recommend buying the SP 2000 at all imo

[@Masimo_Yovanni]

Sp3000 vs ibasso DX320Max?

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I’m so excited for the second unit that one hasn’t come in for review yet so I can’t say right now

[@benniehill927]

Can this drive 300 ohm headphones?

[@gerritfridericksohn4627]

Not ideally.

[@hermanvisser4034]

Yes, I own one and drive my ZMF Atriums with ease, even on low gain in class A.

[@squidwerd1981]

Digital Audio Player not Digital to Analog Player

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

I appreciate the share attentiveness to the video, I occasionally drop some little fuck ups that we could easily post in post edit LOL but it’s nice to see the attention of the viewers legend

[@karolkedzierski5824]

Nice review but these MADs 24 are a very mediocre iems, so please dont hype them so much. They are actually quite bad tbh. Mediocre detail and bad tuning.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

No.. tip, dependent synergy dependent still the best units I’ve ever tested They have the same problems as susvara You’re quite mistaken

[@TheVeganVicar]

USD$2,000? Methinks I will stick with my USD$200 smartphone, 512Gb Micro SD card full of CD-quality tracks, and an external DAC/Amps.

[@Viewer13128]

Which external DAC/Amps are you using?

[@TheVeganVicar]

@@Viewer13128, I predicted that someone would ask that, because OBVIOUSLY, one would need to spend quite a lot of money to equal the converter in this A&K device. However, the point is, I ALREADY own a couple of converters, namely a Hidizs dongle DAC for mobile and the Lynx Hilo for desktop.

[@Javingil]

Commenting to stay in the loop