Astell&Kern

SE300

Scroll

The Future of Analog Sound, SE300

A&futura from Astell&Kern is a product line that represents Astell&Kern’s ceaseless efforts for innovation. SE300, the fourth model in the A&futura range is a premium digital audio player that inherits this identity and expands the scope of sound with an entirely new implemented technology. A&futura SE300 is equipped with an ultra-refined R-2R DAC, Class A/AB dual amps born with our proprietary TERATON ALPHA technology, and for the first time a self-developed FPGA optimized technology. With these unrivaled components, it offers the true sound philosophy and technology of Astell&Kern. Immerse yourself into the true analog sound that the SE300 produces with Class-A AMP and R-2R DAC technologies, for the first time in an Astell&Kern player.

SE300 Titan Limited Edition

SE300 24K Gold Limited Edition: A Celebration of Luxury, Craftsmanship, and Unmatched Sound

The A&ultima SE300 earned global acclaim from audiophiles and media for delivering groundbreaking sound that redefined digital audio players. To celebrate its success, Astell&Kern introduced the SE300 24K Gold Limited Edition, crafted with the world’s most precious metal. Building on the SE300’s innovative use of Stainless Steel 904L, Astell&Kern plated it with 24K pure gold to capture the pinnacle of sound in a material synonymous with luxury and value. Known for its brilliance, resistance to rust, and superior conductivity, gold is prized not only in jewelry but also in semiconductors and high-end audio components. However, the softness of pure 24K gold required meticulous craftsmanship to ensure the flawless finish of this edition, which covers a far greater surface than typical jewelry. To achieve the best results, Astell&Kern used a wet plating process (0.5µm ± 20%) rather than basic surface treatment. The SUS 904L steel was first coated with nickel, followed by the 24K gold plating, and finished with an AF coating to harden the surface and prevent fingerprints. The SE300 24K Gold Limited Edition embodies Astell&Kern’s design philosophy, merging timeless metal beauty with extraordinary sound quality. This exclusive edition comes with a special leather case and packaging designed exclusively for collectors. Experience a new frontier in premium audio with the unmatched brilliance and performance of the SE300.

Fully Discrete 24bit R-2R DAC

Material Innovations,

To ensure the A&futura SE300 audio player better reproduces analog sounds, we set out to combine the DAC and AMP sections for the first time during the initial design phase.

The SE300 comes supplied with an R-2R DAC, instead of a Delta-Sigma DAC that is most commonly used in other audio players. R-2R DAC, also known as Ladder DAC, as it arranges resistors in a ladder form, offers natural yet dynamic Hi-Fi sounds, but it is extremely technical and difficult to execute as it requires complex refined resistor units and hard to manage current controls. However, despite these technical challenges, after several years for development and a lot of trial and error we have managed to overcome this and create a new analog sound. In the process, we have meticulously selected each and every one of the 96 ultra-precision resistors and finalized our R-2R DAC technology. SE300 takes us one step closer to realizing analog sound from a digital source and is the result of a long journey taken by Astell&Kern with uncompromising craftsmanship to find the ultimate sound solution

New Experience, New User Interface

In order to develop the ultimate audio player that has never been experienced before, not only do we use the latest DAC and technology available, but we use the innovative audio technology of TERATON ALPHA, AK's Ultimate Sound Solution, which has been refined for the SP3000.

TERATON ALPHA, engineered through endless research, is Astell&Kern's unique technology that has been designed to produce audio playback that is close to the original sound through effective power noise removal, efficient power management and unwavering amplification, and a fully converted audio output interface. HEXA-Audio Circuitry structure and independent dual audio circuit, implemented for the first time in the SP3000, are paired together with TERATON ALPHA's sound solution to create the purest original sound.

Discover more

Real-Time Information Confirmed by Light

For seamless use of sensitive IEMs and hard to drive headphones, a device must provide suitable output, respective of the connected device’s specification. The SE300 supports a 2-step Gain Level mode to create the prefect match for a wide range of headphones and IEMs, maintaining an optimal sound output. The two-step gain setting with "Normal" and "High Gain" modes can generate a high current output to create a powerful sound and excellent driver control. With up to 6 Vrms from the balanced connections, driving high-impedance headphones has never been easier.

Supporting Class A/AB Dual AMP Mode

he SE300 comes with a Dual AMP mode. Class A amplification that creates low distortions and natural sounds and a Class AB amplification that plays dynamic sounds with high efficiency so users can pick and choose from the two amps according to their listening preferences and genre of music that they are playing. Experience the true sounds that only Astell&Kern can deliver with the SE300 that comes with an R-2R DAC and Class A/AB Dual AMPs born from Astell&Kern’s unique proprietary designs that reduces power consumption whilst enhancing output and removing noise.

Supporting Optimized FPGA OS / NOS Modes

The SE300 comes with Astell&Kern’s exclusively developed FPGA and provides optimized OS / NOS modes.

The SE300 uses an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that we self developed for optimized design instead of using common off the shelf commercial semiconductor chipsets, relaying digital signals to the R-2R DAC through its algorithm. Astell&Kern’s FPGA, developed specifically for the SE300, supports the most ideal OS (Over Sampling) / NOS (Non-Over Sampling).

Enjoy the sound styles reproduced by NOS and OS modes, meticulously designed for the SE300's hardware and programs.

SE300 AUDIO BLOCK

New Experience, New User Interface

The SE300 comes with a redesigned Crimson-themed UI/UX transforming into a "true music player" for users to deeply connect with their music listening experience. The new UI/UX is designed so that users can quickly browse music categories and re-discover songs within their music library. We also added an easy album art search function so that users can re-discover the joy of viewing and interacting with music album art whilst listening to their music. The crimson theme focuses on edge, simplicity, and dark mode keywords. The color theme of black with red highlights lowers visual fatigue and offers intuitive user experiences, and many other improvements were made to the device’s user-friendliness of app service, artist view, album sorting, and the album art search function. Immerse yourself in music with the new UI/UX.

Sound Design With DAC Filters

With the SP3000, you can have fun creating your own sound style by selecting various DAC filters provided by the DAC manufacturer.
Design your own sound with 6 different DAC filters.

Adoption of 5.46 inch Full HD Display

Experience the SE300 more vividly and comfortably with a wide 5.46-inch, large-screen Full HD display.

Supports Native DSD256, 32bit/384kHz

SE300 supports DSD256 and up to 32bit/384kHz with Astell&Kern’s unrivalled audio technology, allowing you to fully enjoy your favorite music anywhere you like.

ReplayGain Automatically and Uniformly Adjusts Playback Volume

ReplayGain, which adjusts sound sources with different volumes to an identical level, has been incorporated. Now, enjoy your own playlists seamlessly through the ReplayGain feature on SE300. * ReplayGain supports up to 24-bit/192 kHz sound sources.

AK File Drop to enjoy wireless transfers

The new AK File Drop function in the SE300 makes file transfers easier and more convenient. Using AK File Drop, you can freely transfer files wirelessly through a PC, smartphone, or FTP program located on the same network. Music file management is now possible with a cableless, wireless solution.

Wireless Hi-Fi Sound Through BT Sink

BT Sink function connects the SE300 to an external device via Bluetooth, similar to connecting a smartphone with a BT speaker. Music from an external device, such as a smartphone can now be played back in high-quality on the SE300 using the BT Sink function.

Premium Goat Leather Case

The SP3000 comes with a French goatskin leather case to protect and highlight the beauty of the 904L stainless steel body.

The case is made by ALRAN, located in Tarn in southern France, a historical tannery that was established in 1903 and has been manufacturing leather for over 100 years. It is one of the world’s leading tanneries, well-known for their natural leather manufacturing technology since the 1980’s. ALRAN is recognized as the best goatskin manufacturer and supplies other leading luxury brands such as H and L.

The leather case included with the SP3000 is developed with ALRAN Tannery's unique Hand-Boarding technology. This is a technology that processes the leather by rubbing it in various directions using wooden planks, so you can feel the texture of the surface. This process is unique compared to how other goatskin cases are produced.

DESIGN
The design concept for the A&futura SE300 is 'Stream'. Like small ripples on water turning into crashing waves, we designed the SE300 with Class A AMP, the ultimate AMP form, to have a unique identity. The main body made from aluminum has streamlined surfaces that represent the flow of music. Through this, we create a firm yet flexible image. We added intensity by using contrasting materials such as stainless steel and glass to further enhance the theme of 'Stream'. In addition to this, the bottom section of the device curves outward, allowing for a more ergonomic grip whilst using the player. The right side of the SE300 is coated with stainless steel to enhance visual focus. The polished side and triangular-patterned volume wheel are key to creating powerful and visually striking contrasts. The straight pattern on the rear of the volume wheel elevates the visual density and allows users to control volume and visually check the changes. The wheel lighting is placed behind the volume wheel to avoid direct exposure whilst allowing the light to be reflected on the side decorations and volume wheel knurl, creating the effect of light bursting from the inside. The rear glass also features a new etching pattern, continuing the concept of 'Stream' The basic pattern features the A logo of Astell&Kern, designed to present an overall flow of stream with differences in size. This etching pattern amplifies the sense of flow with the differences in inclinations, adding a sense of depth to the rectangular rear glass that may otherwise look dull.

Specification

Overview

Specification

Model	SE300
Body Color	SE300: Platinum Silver SE300 Titan: Titan
Body Material	Aluminum and Stainless Steel SE300 Titan: Titanium
Display	5.46inch HD 1080 x 1920 touch screen
Supported Audio Formats	WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF
Sample rate	PCM : 8kHz ~ 384kHz (8/16/24/32bits per Sample) DSD : DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), Stereo
Output Level	[Normal] Unbalanced 2Vrms │ Balanced 4Vrms (Condition No Load) [High] Unbalanced 3Vrms │ Balanced 6Vrms (Condition No Load)
CPU	Quad-core
DAC	Full Discrete R-2R
Decoding	Support up to 32bit / 384kHz playback
Input	USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC)
Outputs	Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Optical Out(3.5mm) Balanced Out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported \| 4.4m, only 5-pole supported)
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)
Bluetooth	V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC)
Dimensions	3.01” (76.45mm)[W] x 5.49” (139.45mm)[H] x 0.69” (17.6mm)[D]
Weight	SE300: About 11.18oz (317g) SE300 Titan: About 11.46oz (325g)
Feature Enhancements	Firmware upgrade supported (OTA)
Operating Temperature	0℃ ~ + 40℃ (32℉~ 104℉)

Short Description