[Kiats]

I think Tristy is right, my AK70 does not have gain settings but my AK 380 does. I remember whilst trying some of there new models in Selfridges London one of them did not have any gain settings but I can’t remember which model it was.

Yup. For the flagship DAPs, I think AK was the last one with gain settings. In the current set, I recall that only Kann Alpha has that. Agree with @claud W. Helps especially with IEMs that benefit from more driving power.

 

[Mightygrey]

Yup. For the flagship DAPs, I think AK was the last one with gain settings. In the current set, I recall that only Kann Alpha has that. Agree with @claud W. Helps especially with IEMs that benefit from more driving power.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the SE200 technically always be in 'high gain' mode, and not have a low gain mode?

 

[Kiats]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the SE200 technically always be in 'high gain' mode, and not have a low gain mode?

It is not particularly powerful as is. So, it would be more low gain.

 

[Mightygrey]

It is not particularly powerful as is. So, it would be more low gain.

Well I guess they've made the SE200 as powerful as it's going to be, I see gain settings a bit like 'gears' in a car...and I guess it only has one gear.

 

[Kiats]

Well I guess they've made the SE200 as powerful as it's going to be, I see gain settings a bit like 'gears' in a car...and I guess it only has one gear.

Indeed. Hence I do limit myself to BA IEMs with the SE200.

 

[Mightygrey]

Indeed. Hence I do limit myself to BA IEMs with the SE200.

Interesting. I use both 300-ohm HD600's and the DCA Aeon 2 Noire with mine.

 

[JasonNYC]

Jason, while you are at it,
How do you adjust the GAIN on a SE 200?

There are no adjustable gain settings. Currently the only players to have gain settings are the KANN series players, the SE180 and the AK300 series and SP1000 only when used with the optional amp module.

 

[Mightygrey]

Does anyone know if the SP1000/2000 cases fit the Se200? @JasonNYC ?

 

[JasonNYC]

Does anyone know if the SP1000/2000 cases fit the Se200? @JasonNYC ?

No, the SP1000/SP2000 cases will not fit the SE200 due to the shape of the body and the power button placement on the side of the SE200.

 

[Tristy]

No, the SP1000/SP2000 cases will not fit the SE200 due to the shape of the body and the power button placement on the side of the SE200.

Any updates for this @JasonNYC or any sort of timescales you can give us?

 

[JasonNYC]

Sorry @Tristy, no update on AK issues with Mac M1. Hope to have an update after the global team meeting tonight.

 

[claud W]

Go to A & K website. They have a very nice case.

 

[Mightygrey]

No, the SP1000/SP2000 cases will not fit the SE200 due to the shape of the body and the power button placement on the side of the SE200.

Good to know, thanks mate.

 

[kmmbd]

A&K SE200 First Impressions​

I recently got the chance to extensively audition the A&K SE200 and compare it against the Kann Alpha.

Build: While both DAPs have great build quality, the SE200 takes the cake with its dense aluminium body and precisely cut lines all across. I also prefer the ceramic back. The Kann Alpha, meanwhile, is rather large/bulky/thick and gets close to the level of "too large" for me. The volume wheel is similar on both, so no complaints there.

Display: Display quality is better on the SE200. Despite the lower pixel density, the display has better contrast and color accuracy to my eyes.

Handling: I prefer the feel of the SE200 much better than the Kann Alpha. Kann Alpha is too bulky and heavy for me. SE200 has a svelte look that's hard to beat.

Sound: I mostly used the AKM balanced output of the SE200 for this comparison because that's what I found better with the IEMs I had in possession (Dunu Zen, UM MEST). Both had slow roll-off filter selected.

The Kann Alpha has a more dynamic, lively signature, whereas the SE200 opts for a bit more warmth and pulls back the liveliness to a degree. In terms of overall resolving capability, I thought the SE200 out-resolved the Kann Alpha. However, for genres like EDM/Synthwave/Pop I actually preferred the extra energy on the Kann Alpha. Also the amp section of the Kann Alpha has more power on tap, so you can easily drive even some pesky planars to reasonable levels (won't replace a desktop high-current amp but fares much better than many DAPs out there).

The biggest difference for me was in microdynamics, with the SE200 delivering the nuances in subtle volume-changes more accurately. E.g. on Counting Crow's Miami, the instruments are often playing at different volumes, and this difference is more readily picked up on the SE200.

In the end, I think the Kann Alpha is very good value for those who don't mind the size and wants the A&K signature with excellent driving capabilities. The SE200, meanwhile, is a portable DAP lover's dream, and is now my second-most favorite A&K player after SP2000.

 

[chef8489]

Just picked up a used one. Hopefully it's mint and will be here middle of next week. Looking forward to the upgrade from the se100.