Really helpful video. Far more useful than other reviewers’ “I’m going to show off my 14 different headphones with this player and then describe the sound quality” approach. I’ve been coveting an A&K player for ages, and when the SA700 first came out, I felt it might be the one. Just about affordable, with some serious saving! But watched your review last night, and it confirmed some of the things I’d seen about overheating, poor battery life and jittery interface. For that price, I don’t think those are acceptable. So you made me start wanting the SE200, but at £1800 it was just too much. But then today I’ve snagged a Black Friday deal and got one for £1200 - a £600 saving, and effectively getting the SE200 for what I was considering spending on the SA700. I am very happy, and grateful for your review for helping me make up my mind at just the right moment!
I’m glad the video helped you a little. If you are not as sensitive to sound then 25 is a great choice. Personally I have ended up keeping the 200 (hopefully for for at least 5 years to justify its price) :-)
Cool, sorry not able to fully watch vid. I am wanting to know about taggging, organising, working on beat grids etc and possibly more. I don’t know if this is built in or if apps that can cater to these needs can be downloaded. If you could go into the serious selling points and how this could appeal to the simple listening or the working musician / Dj? Thanks!
Great review, I can't believe I watched the whole thing lol. I'm on my 3rd sr25 mk ||s now because they've all been defective! I loved the player but the bluetooth sync mode did not work on my first model. I sent it back for a replacement and the 2nd model had the same issue plus a battery issue that got extremely hot and burned my hands! It made the screen unusable and killed the device. The support team has been nice and is sending me a 3rd unit along with some free music as an apology. I hope the 3rd device works fine but it seems there was someone serious QA issues. I really want to love this device though. I'm fine with looking past the bluetooth sync mode if everything else would just work. This video makes me want an SE200 though lol
Thank you :-) most folks commented as a waste of time. I wanted to focus more on aesthetic and feel. Music quality videos - well there is already plenty of those. Ps: look into SR25 Mark II (great features added) and yes, SE200 is a joy to use :-) Happy Holidays
Hi Martuss. If money no object then SP1000 still holds an edge over SE200. Keep in mind that SP1000 is considered discontinued and during its production run it was the flagship model. Over the years many features of SP1000 went into SE200 for half the price. They both sound great but if you are looking for best best absolute DAC and power management for hungry pair of cans SP1000 is still the one to get. Thus said SE200 is by today’s standards 95% of SP1000. Rest is personal preference :-) Hope that helps.
@@adammaik hello. Thank you so much for your honest response. I have sp1000 cu but i want to know if se200 would be better because is newer. Thanks my friend!! Regards
Honestly can’t tell. It might but with volume cranked up all the way up. Cirrus Logic DAC and AMP in that unit is good for Dynamic headphones, not really recommended for Planars. I might be wrong. I have reviewed only SR25 and since then they released Mark II with 4.4 balanced Pentacon. Check return policies, order and return if doesn’t fit your bill.
@@adammaik Thank you so much for the reply, I don't have any DAPs at the moment :D However SE100 is only $450 in my country while SE200 is $950. :D I might go with the Ibasso instead though.
Silly solution for TH-cam implementation. Video and Audio. But again I don’t understand why, official TH-cam APK requires Google Services which are not available on AK players. Also, you should have it on SR25 as well under Services.
Thank you for the very informative video. Could you let me/us know whether you are still using the SE200? What has your experience been so far with the SE200? I am thinking about purchasing it and your advice would certainly assist. Thanks!
@@adammaik Thanks Adam for the reply. I have put in my order for the SE200. I was initially considering the SR25 but your video changed my mind. Thanks again.
@@deepakpillai6082 and you’ll love it :-) if you can’t shovel extra cash for original leather case then look for Miter branded one on eBay. Equally good and very affordable.
Indeed. SA700 is the most retro looking with perfect size (intentional) but at 330grams it’s a brick to hold. Forget about keeping it in your pocket and did run very hot during tests. Horrible UI slowness (when overheating) and average 6h of battery life with 4.5h to charge is a little unacceptable in 2020 :-)
By the way, I have one of those kids on sale this week. Heavily discounted and bundled with Meze Rai Penta IEMs if you’re interested. facebook.com/marketplace/item/454207675646780/
I want to buy astell&kern sa700, but i sow on aliexpress the model "iriver astell&kern sa700" I want this model becouse I see the gold version sa700, it is the same astell&kern sa700 with the model iriver astell&kern sa700?
Not between SR15 and 25. But in comparison to SE200 or SP2000 yes. I dont have this particular set of IEMs. Most folks are happy with even entry level DAP over a cell phone.
Great. I hope you like it :-) if size doesn’t scare you away you might also look into newly released kann alpha which has a dedicated 4.4 pentacon output and supports even more power hungry headphones.
Unfortunately not. WAV files are are notoriously tricky for attaching metadata correctly. I would recommend re-encoding them as high quality Flac instead :-)
@@verveblack well although A&K offers best sound quality with its circuitry (this really what should matter) there are other DAPs that don’t have Android locked down. Look at FiiO or Shanling.
@@adammaik what do you mean by "locked down"? how is sony's sound compared to astell? i don't like too bright; for instance grado's sound signature is irritating to me after 10 min.
@@verveblack you should really go to r/DigitalAudioPlayer with questions. Opinions are highly subjective. By locked down I mean skinned Android with no ability to side load apps or use GoogleServices. While this is to provide coherent experience and extremely fresh and excellent battery life (less stuff running is better) some find feature poor (you can’t please anyone). When it comes to Sony (again subjective comment) I don’t like their DAPs or headphones - extremely muddy in my opinion. I’m currently rocking the following configuration: 1) for the desk: RME ADI-2 FS DAC/AMP paired with Meze Empyrean headphones 2) on the go: Astell&Kern A&Futura SE200 with Meze Rai Penta IEMs Both options work extremely well for me and I’m very happy. I don’t miss not being able to load any app (aide from 20 white listed music stream services) or sync my music wirelessly since I do it only twice a year - something you can live with. When I’m not listening to FLACs, I stream through Spotify and Tidal.
PSYNITE 69 they are all different. SE200 fits closer to M15 in terms of size although M15 runs full blown Android and has a pentacon port. Kann series is bulky and Alpha is intriguing especially with handling more power and finally addition of pentacon port. Both Kaan players will be slightly sluggish in OS feel compared to SE200 (quad vs octacore cpu) M15 might be the best option for your if you seek a good mix of all.
@@adammaik woow soo fast reply Appreciated Btw have you tried sp2000 how does it compare to the above daps? Also what about sr25 vs Fiio M11 pro vs cayin N3 pro vs shanling m6 pro vs Cayin n6ii
PSYNITE 69 SE200 is closer to SP2000. SP has better DACs and more premium material like copper. Not planning to do comparison for other players. I recommend visiting Reddit.
I left the sound out because it’s subjective and depends on headphones or IEMs. This video was based on physical assessment and basic usability. If sound is what you’re interested about, then I’ll summarize: SR25 is a good step up from a smartphone or an iPod. SE200 paired with good headphones produces very detailed and rich sound regardless of genre.
Try not to criticize the word portable. In general portable means small enough to carry from point A to B and with built in battery. CD Player, 1990 FM Radio or original GameBoy while all of those were called portable, they were much better than the SE200. Mine fits comfortably in the jeans pocket but yes. IT’s not really meant to serve as a “walkman” when jogging or riding a bike. It’s heavy so majority of users will keep it on a desk, table or in bed while listening to music.
Thanks for the great review. I picked up a second-hand SE200 based on your detailed review and I'm very happy with my decision!
Really helpful video. Far more useful than other reviewers’ “I’m going to show off my 14 different headphones with this player and then describe the sound quality” approach. I’ve been coveting an A&K player for ages, and when the SA700 first came out, I felt it might be the one. Just about affordable, with some serious saving! But watched your review last night, and it confirmed some of the things I’d seen about overheating, poor battery life and jittery interface. For that price, I don’t think those are acceptable. So you made me start wanting the SE200, but at £1800 it was just too much. But then today I’ve snagged a Black Friday deal and got one for £1200 - a £600 saving, and effectively getting the SE200 for what I was considering spending on the SA700. I am very happy, and grateful for your review for helping me make up my mind at just the right moment!
In glad you were able to score SE200 :-)
Trying to decide between the 25 and 200, so this was extremely helpful. Think I'm going to make the same decision you did. Thanks!
I’m glad the video helped you a little. If you are not as sensitive to sound then 25 is a great choice. Personally I have ended up keeping the 200 (hopefully for for at least 5 years to justify its price)
:-)
man this was amazing,watch the whole thing
wow, instant sub. I just got a SA700 open box in mint for £500 and have only just seen this video ! GUTTED- I will sell it on and go for SR25 MKII
thanks for the comparisons. Wouldve loved some audio feed back and comparisons to the other player using the same iem etc..
Cool, sorry not able to fully watch vid. I am wanting to know about taggging, organising, working on beat grids etc and possibly more. I don’t know if this is built in or if apps that can cater to these needs can be downloaded.
If you could go into the serious selling points and how this could appeal to the simple listening or the working musician / Dj? Thanks!
Super helpful video! Thank you!
Is Astell & Kern SE200 still worth in year 2024?
Great review, I can't believe I watched the whole thing lol. I'm on my 3rd sr25 mk ||s now because they've all been defective! I loved the player but the bluetooth sync mode did not work on my first model. I sent it back for a replacement and the 2nd model had the same issue plus a battery issue that got extremely hot and burned my hands! It made the screen unusable and killed the device. The support team has been nice and is sending me a 3rd unit along with some free music as an apology. I hope the 3rd device works fine but it seems there was someone serious QA issues. I really want to love this device though. I'm fine with looking past the bluetooth sync mode if everything else would just work. This video makes me want an SE200 though lol
Thank you :-) most folks commented as a waste of time. I wanted to focus more on aesthetic and feel. Music quality videos - well there is already plenty of those.
Ps: look into SR25 Mark II (great features added) and yes, SE200 is a joy to use :-)
Happy Holidays
@@adammaik Does the Se200 have BT sync mode? if so, does it work?
@@Richardsumilang no sync on SE200, SE180 has it but it’s a chunky (big) player.
Excuse me. SE200 vs sp1000 copper. Which has more details, dynamism, better soundstage, natural timbre, etc etc, overall which is better for you?
Hi Martuss. If money no object then SP1000 still holds an edge over SE200. Keep in mind that SP1000 is considered discontinued and during its production run it was the flagship model.
Over the years many features of SP1000 went into SE200 for half the price.
They both sound great but if you are looking for best best absolute DAC and power management for hungry pair of cans SP1000 is still the one to get. Thus said SE200 is by today’s standards 95% of SP1000. Rest is personal preference :-)
Hope that helps.
@@adammaik hello. Thank you so much for your honest response.
I have sp1000 cu but i want to know if se200 would be better because is newer.
Thanks my friend!! Regards
@@dynamic-audio not really. Enjoy what you have :-)
@@adammaik thanks friend :)
Hi
Can the sr25 have enough power (volume) to drive an open headphones 250oms ?
Honestly can’t tell. It might but with volume cranked up all the way up. Cirrus Logic DAC and AMP in that unit is good for Dynamic headphones, not really recommended for Planars.
I might be wrong. I have reviewed only SR25 and since then they released Mark II with 4.4 balanced Pentacon.
Check return policies, order and return if doesn’t fit your bill.
Good video! Did you ever compare the SE100 and SE200? Does it worth the extra $500 USD for the SE200?
Honestly? If you already have an SE100 then enjoy and keep it ;-) DAC in Futura 100 is already very very good.
@@adammaik Thank you so much for the reply, I don't have any DAPs at the moment :D
However SE100 is only $450 in my country while SE200 is $950. :D I might go with the Ibasso instead though.
What's the vlink? App or apk ? How's it work can I download it to my sr25?
Silly solution for TH-cam implementation. Video and Audio.
But again I don’t understand why, official TH-cam APK requires Google Services which are not available on AK players.
Also, you should have it on SR25 as well under Services.
@@adammaik was hoping I could download or transfer episodes of my favorite anime show one piece to watch on my dap haha
@@MrPhunka21 unfortunately Astell&Kern DAPs are all about music. If you want a DAP with full android, then look into HiBy or FiiO DAP.
Thank you for the very informative video. Could you let me/us know whether you are still using the SE200? What has your experience been so far with the SE200? I am thinking about purchasing it and your advice would certainly assist. Thanks!
SE200 was the most fun of the 3. Yes I still have it :-)
@@adammaik Thanks Adam for the reply. I have put in my order for the SE200. I was initially considering the SR25 but your video changed my mind. Thanks again.
@@deepakpillai6082 and you’ll love it :-) if you can’t shovel extra cash for original leather case then look for Miter branded one on eBay. Equally good and very affordable.
Very good review, for the looking I really like the SA700, it’s kind classical
Indeed. SA700 is the most retro looking with perfect size (intentional) but at 330grams it’s a brick to hold. Forget about keeping it in your pocket and did run very hot during tests. Horrible UI slowness (when overheating) and average 6h of battery life with 4.5h to charge is a little unacceptable in 2020 :-)
I might add something today for audio feedback. I tried to stay away from that portion since it’s highly subjective.
do you think the sr25 can move a hd 660s through the balanced output and its respective pentacom cable adapter
Might be pushing it a little. Planar magnetic headphones shine with more power.
i'm just getting to know astell & kern is there a 2021 line up
SE180 is the only new player released so far in 2021
Nice review. Do you know if the SR25 would be a significant sonic upgrade over the Sony A55?
Yes! Compared to SR25 A55 sounds muddy and lifeless.
@@adammaik Thanks. My experience is limited to the A55 and I think it sounds pretty good. I may consider the SR25.
By the way, I have one of those kids on sale this week. Heavily discounted and bundled with Meze Rai Penta IEMs if you’re interested.
facebook.com/marketplace/item/454207675646780/
so if you had to pick one for free what would it be?
After 3 years and prices significantly down, SE200 for how versatile it is.
I guess the comparison in Sound is much more important. I had the SR15 and switched to the SP1000 and in Terms of Sound it is not the same Game.
I want to buy astell&kern sa700, but i sow on aliexpress the model "iriver astell&kern sa700" I want this model becouse I see the gold version sa700, it is the same astell&kern sa700 with the model iriver astell&kern sa700?
Yes iRiver is the parent company of Astell&Kern so product is legit.
@@adammaik thanks!
Can the SR25 handle the CUE sheet for flac or ape audio file?
APE probably not but FLAC, DSD and CUE is supported. Plus you can load Foobar2000 APK to support greater variety of codecs.
If you take the SR25 and SR15 with the Sennhaizer EI 80 S, will you hear a difference in sound?
Not between SR15 and 25. But in comparison to SE200 or SP2000 yes. I dont have this particular set of IEMs. Most folks are happy with even entry level DAP over a cell phone.
will upgrade my good old hiby r3 and i'll definitely get the sr25 very soon!
Great. I hope you like it :-) if size doesn’t scare you away you might also look into newly released kann alpha which has a dedicated 4.4 pentacon output and supports even more power hungry headphones.
@@adammaik i will very much like it for sure!
@@adammaik i'm choosing between sr25 and the newest cayin n3pro, kann alpha is too big for me
btw mine is the Black Onyx with the case and it looks simply stunning and feels solid. I believed Darth Vader owned the same model
Does the astell&kern players properly display WAV file metadata?
Unfortunately not. WAV files are are notoriously tricky for attaching metadata correctly. I would recommend re-encoding them as high quality Flac instead :-)
you can't download apps without a computer? can't you use the wifi on the sr25?
Correct.
Wifi is solely used to stream music but APKs (only selected number is white listed by A&K) have to be loaded via a computer.
@@adammaik any models or brands that can do all just using the device's internal wifi?
@@verveblack well although A&K offers best sound quality with its circuitry (this really what should matter) there are other DAPs that don’t have Android locked down. Look at FiiO or Shanling.
@@adammaik what do you mean by "locked down"? how is sony's sound compared to astell? i don't like too bright; for instance grado's sound signature is irritating to me after 10 min.
@@verveblack you should really go to r/DigitalAudioPlayer with questions. Opinions are highly subjective.
By locked down I mean skinned Android with no ability to side load apps or use GoogleServices.
While this is to provide coherent experience and extremely fresh and excellent battery life (less stuff running is better) some find feature poor (you can’t please anyone).
When it comes to Sony (again subjective comment) I don’t like their DAPs or headphones - extremely muddy in my opinion.
I’m currently rocking the following configuration:
1) for the desk: RME ADI-2 FS DAC/AMP paired with Meze Empyrean headphones
2) on the go: Astell&Kern A&Futura SE200 with Meze Rai Penta IEMs
Both options work extremely well for me and I’m very happy.
I don’t miss not being able to load any app (aide from 20 white listed music stream services) or sync my music wirelessly since I do it only twice a year - something you can live with.
When I’m not listening to FLACs, I stream through Spotify and Tidal.
Thanks.. Same as you thinking
Se200 vs kann alpha vs kann cube vs Fiio M15 ??
PSYNITE 69 they are all different.
SE200 fits closer to M15 in terms of size although M15 runs full blown Android and has a pentacon port.
Kann series is bulky and Alpha is intriguing especially with handling more power and finally addition of pentacon port.
Both Kaan players will be slightly sluggish in OS feel compared to SE200 (quad vs octacore cpu)
M15 might be the best option for your if you seek a good mix of all.
@@adammaik woow soo fast reply
Appreciated
Btw have you tried sp2000 how does it compare to the above daps?
Also what about sr25 vs Fiio M11 pro vs cayin N3 pro vs shanling m6 pro vs Cayin n6ii
Also between kann alpha vs cube which will be best
PSYNITE 69 SE200 is closer to SP2000. SP has better DACs and more premium material like copper.
Not planning to do comparison for other players. I recommend visiting Reddit.
@@adammaik thanks a lot for your time😀
Expect new product reviews on your channel 👍
Hi, do you know if it comes with a Spanish language?
Hi there. Yes, Spanish is available among English, Korean, Japanese, French, German and Russian.
Really good the only bad thing was that you do not have a stand for your Phone. Result the build,Monitor and technic quality in 2020 is trash.
or considered it a good score, put up with the size and save £200
Maybe get a tripod to free up both hands.
Your little budget hands
and...what about the sound quality??? you missed the point.
I left the sound out because it’s subjective and depends on headphones or IEMs.
This video was based on physical assessment and basic usability.
If sound is what you’re interested about, then I’ll summarize:
SR25 is a good step up from a smartphone or an iPod. SE200 paired with good headphones produces very detailed and rich sound regardless of genre.
SE200 is huge doesnt look like a portable device
Try not to criticize the word portable. In general portable means small enough to carry from point A to B and with built in battery.
CD Player, 1990 FM Radio or original GameBoy while all of those were called portable, they were much better than the SE200.
Mine fits comfortably in the jeans pocket but yes. IT’s not really meant to serve as a “walkman” when jogging or riding a bike.
It’s heavy so majority of users will keep it on a desk, table or in bed while listening to music.
Me decepciono totalmente es solo pinta nada mas