As expected from a music player that costs $1,799, the SE200 supports almost any music file you can throw at it. Itll play native 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 files, and theres also MQA support so it can play or stream hi-res audio files encoded in the format– useful if youre a subscriber to Tidals HiFi membership plan and wish to stream its Master-quality music. Theres 256GB of onboard storage, a microSD card slot that can broaden it by as much as 1TB, Wi-Fi connection, Bluetooth AptX HD, and battery life is ranked at up to 14 hours.
Astell & & Kern says its newest audio player is the first on the planet to come with DACs from 2 different makers, letting you change in between them to customize the sound to your wired headphones. The $1,799 A&& futura SE200 consists of DACs from both AKM (AK4499EQ) and ESS (dual ES9068AS), which have their own AMP circuits tailored to their private noises. After selecting a DAC, the sound can be personalized even more with a series of audio filters.
High end audio gadgets typically include top quality DACs. LG often distinguishes its phones by incorporating a quad-DAC system and earphone jack for much better sound. Nevertheless, this is the very first time weve seen a company include DACs from two various producers, purely to let listeners fine-tune their audio.
$1,799 is a lot to invest in a digital audio gamer, but on a DAC-per-dollar basis the A&& futura SE200 looks ever so slightly less obscene.
Externally, the SE200 is managed via its 5.0-inch 720p screen, and theres a volume wheel that will illuminate in various colors to show information about the music thats currently playing, including its bit-rate, or which DAC is presently in usage. Theres a USB-C port for charging, and you can likewise utilize the gamer as an external DAC for your Mac or Windows computer.
In addition to playing in your area saved files, the gamer is also compatible with a range of streaming services consisting of Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, Tidal, SoundCloud, Deezer, and more. Additional services can be included by downloading and setting up the proper Android APK.
