Sound Quality
The new SE300 is an R2R DAP so it should sound warm and musical in theory. In practice, it does sound that way, with a pleasing tonality and natural delivery. I can say that it’s slightly coloured in terms of timbre, but it certainly gives musical enjoyment with a very smooth experience.
It reminds me of the original Shanling M8 and Sony WM1A DAPs in a certain way. Natural, smooth with good technicalities, that’s what SE300 is all about.
Disclaimer: All of the impressions were taken through 4.4mm BAL output, with NOS mode open and with Class A amplifier on.
A Pleasing Experience
The SE300 puts musical enjoyment and smooth tonality to the front. The emphasizing factor here is smooth musical mids, a warm bass response, and overall a full-sounding mid-range. I especially love the mid-range of the SE300, as it always gives you pleasure with instruments and vocals. It’s not the most incredible DAP in terms of pure technical performance or transparency, but the overall presentation is very natural sounding, which is the key factor of it.
The sound stage performance and dynamics are also noteworthy, as they are improved from the previous SE series DAPs. One of the best things about the SE300 is that it doesn’t cause any fatigue or a dull auditory experience. Overall, I highly recommend the SE300 to anyone who values Hi-Fi kind of performance and wants to enjoy an immersive presentation.
The feeling with the SE300 is that you always listen to a device that gives you the most natural experience possible. The note thickness in particular is quite impressive, but you still get good spacing and good PRaT with a dynamic approach. The overall sound has a good body, particularly in the mid-range, thanks to the warm mid-bass. While the bass pace isn’t remarkable in terms of decay and recovery, it’s still quite good for its level. Keep in mind that this is not a 3,000$ flagship unit, so the performance is sufficient.
Mid-Range Specialist
If you’re looking for a magical mid-range, the SE300 is your answer. The mid-section has a slightly higher elevation and is positioned in front of the stage. The sound of the vocals and instruments is captivating with impressive liveliness. This area is also notably clear and sharp, though not to the same extent as the SP3000 or RS8. The resolution is slightly lower than the SP3000 but still offers good transparency.
Listening to classic rock and Jazz songs is a joy with the SE300. In a way, it reminds me of the Sony WM1A, The SE300 excels in producing excellent mid-range frequencies, especially when paired with high-quality IEMs. It consistently delivers warm and lively sound, providing a smooth listening experience across all the songs I’ve tested.
The mid-range frequencies are consistently natural and organic in tone. There is no hint of digital or metallic sound that can be found in some digital audio players. The sound is smooth and lacks any sharpness that may cause listening fatigue in the upper mid-range frequencies.
Soft Treble
The treble is less bright and crisp compared to the likes of SP3000, M9+ or RS8, but the SE300 operates smoothly with many gear. However, those who enjoy energetic and dynamic treble might desire more energy and bite. The SE300 maintains its comfortable territory without any peaks or brightness.
For those sensitive to treble, the SE300 provides a great experience. However, the transparency and overall resolution in this area are not exceptional. The larger siblings perform better in this regard, but you have to pay much more of course.
Technical Performance
The soundstage and separation are impressive, particularly in terms of separation. The SE300 has excellent imaging capabilities and focus. The black background helps significantly in this aspect. The soundstage is quite large, especially in terms of depth. As previously mentioned, the mid-range is in front, so the width is not extraordinary, and the focus is primarily on the instruments and vocals. But the SE300 has excellent layering and stage depth, which is obviously improved compared to the previous iterations in the A&futura series.
The imaging and separation, in conjunction with transparency and resolution, are impressive. The layering performance is not at a flagship level, but it is better than the previous SE models. Nonetheless, the SE300 provides exceptional timbre, which is the factor that most people does/will appreciate when it comes to R2R DAPs. The overall resolution is very nice and it provides good transparency among the upper-class DAPs.
Page 1: About A&K and SE300, Packaging, Design & Build, UI, Connectivity
Page 3: Synergy, Comparisons and Conclusion
DLE Saner
You people need to understand one important thing,if the audio file imported into the player sucks the output will suck…even the best player in the world can’t make a badly encoded audio file,be it mp3 or .flac sound right.Since most of the consumers have no clue about it they should stick to a mid range audio player like the SONY NW-WM1A which is adequate and don’t puts you outta funds.To all them “purists” I say:Can you really hear the difference?…don’t think so…as long as you encode mp3-320kB/44000Hz you’re fine.
Claudio
To be honest I own a Sony wm1a and also astell and kern sp3000 and se180, fiio m17 and other DAP and i can hear differences. I can assure you that the most avanced DAP offers a more balanced and detailed sound than my wm1a, but is not a night day difference. It’s only about your preferences. But If ask me if in the future i will buy a told DAP again a would say no because in my case astell and kern futura line offers a god experience and you have DAP for many years.
YOU
which one do you prefer between all ?
Roni
Hello,
Thanks for this important review and comparisons…
Very important question: To get that neutral tonality, do you recommend to use the EQ? Or the EQ can distort the sound?
Thanks in advance