[fmkuz]

Hi @JasonNYC any updates on SE200 Roon ready support? I saw the se180 Roon ready announcement....

 

[Kiats]

Hi @JasonNYC any updates on SE200 Roon ready support? I saw the se180 Roon ready announcement....

It’d be strange if the model below SE200 has Roon ready support but not the SE200….

 

[kel77]

Not unusual as SE180 is a newer product that they wish to market and adding this feature now will probably generate more potential sales. SE200, the next model likely to have the roon feature, should follow after this.

 

[chef8489]

What aftermarked usb cables does everyone use if they need to replace the stock one? I need to replace the one for my se100 when I give it to my mom and need to make sure I give my mom one that functions well and doesn't have issues transferring data or charging.

 

[JasonNYC]

What aftermarked usb cables does everyone use if they need to replace the stock one? I need to replace the one for my se100 when I give it to my mom and need to make sure I give my mom one that functions well and doesn't have issues transferring data or charging.

The USB-C cable is an industry-standard cable so any decent, reputable third-party cable should work without issue. I personally tend to use Anker brand cables myself for both my Android phone and AK players. They work well and have lifetime warranties on the cables, but there are definitely other cables out there that work just as well. By no means does AK officially support Anker or another brand cable over another and it is my personal preference.

 

[NCUS]

What aftermarked usb cables does everyone use if they need to replace the stock one? I need to replace the one for my se100 when I give it to my mom and need to make sure I give my mom one that functions well and doesn't have issues transferring data or charging.

Any Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 cable is backwards compatible with usb-c and should have a much more robust construction than a usb-c cable. Most are certified by Intel and pass minimum data and power requirements. They are more expensive than usb-c though.

 

[chef8489]

Any Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 cable is backwards compatible with usb-c and should have a much more robust construction than a usb-c cable. Most are certified by Intel and pass minimum data and power requirements. They are more expensive than usb-c though.

Why would you buy a thunderbolt cable if you need a usba to a usb type c

 

[NCUS]

Why would you buy a thunderbolt cable if you need a usba to a usb type c

Yes, that's true. I didn't know he wanted a usb-a to usb-c. Thunderbolt only works with a usb-c connector on both ends.

 

[chef8489]

It's for my mother. She needs USB a to c. It's to replace the stock ak cable that came with the se100. She has a stock older hp mini desktop. If it were for my system I have type c both front and rear. Benefits of building your system.

 

[MRSallee]

My review of the SE200:



Summary of what I like:

• Beautiful to look out, and build materials are top notch
• The 2x audio chains -- AKM and ESS -- sound noticeably different, and in ways in which people will have preferences.
• AKM setup has a bit stronger midbass body, ESS setup has shockingly smoother treble performance. I prefer the ESS side, one of the best-sounding sources I've used.
• Plenty of power for my HD 600s, even on the ESS 3.5mm connection, which is the weakest of the 4x headphone jacks.
• The New Blue UI is simple, clean, and very smooth. A pleasant way to interface with my music library.
• EQ is more customizable than average, with lots of bands and Q-factor adjustment. (Sadly no full PEQ options.)

The things I don't like:

• The device is terribly uncomfortable to hold -- sharp edges, heavy weight (+25% heavier than an iPhone Max), and slippery glass back are, IMO, a very bad combination.
• It runs Android, but in a very limited capacity, with no Play store. Not sure if it's the player, my M1 MacBook Air, or the Android File Transfer app, but I was unable to sideload any APKs onto the SE200.
• I like the design and UX of New Blue UI, but some actions feel verrrrry slow to execute, with greater than 200ms delay between input and response.
• I forgot to mention this in video, but my preference is to have headphone jacks on the bottom of portable devices -- the SE200 has them all on the top.

 

[Tristy]

My review of the SE200:



Summary of what I like:

• Beautiful to look out, and build materials are top notch
• The 2x audio chains -- AKM and ESS -- sound noticeably different, and in ways in which people will have preferences.
• AKM setup has a bit stronger midbass body, ESS setup has shockingly smoother treble performance. I prefer the ESS side, one of the best-sounding sources I've used.
• Plenty of power for my HD 600s, even on the ESS 3.5mm connection, which is the weakest of the 4x headphone jacks.
• The New Blue UI is simple, clean, and very smooth. A pleasant way to interface with my music library.
• EQ is more customizable than average, with lots of bands and Q-factor adjustment. (Sadly no full PEQ options.)

The things I don't like:

• The device is terribly uncomfortable to hold -- sharp edges, heavy weight (+25% heavier than an iPhone Max), and slippery glass back are, IMO, a very bad combination.
• It runs Android, but in a very limited capacity, with no Play store. Not sure if it's the player, my M1 MacBook Air, or the Android File Transfer app, but I was unable to sideload any APKs onto the SE200.
• I like the design and UX of New Blue UI, but some actions feel verrrrry slow to execute, with greater than 200ms delay between input and response.
• I forgot to mention this in video, but my preference is to have headphone jacks on the bottom of portable devices -- the SE200 has them all on the top.

I believe its an issue with M1 based Apple computers. I am having the same issues when trying to transfer files and attempting to use the SE200 as a USB DAC. AK are aware of the problem but there hasn't been any update for quite a while and is becoming a bit of a deal breaker for me. One of my main use case scenarios with the SE200 was as a external USB DAC.

 

[JasonNYC]

I believe its an issue with M1 based Apple computers. I am having the same issues when trying to transfer files and attempting to use the SE200 as a USB DAC. AK are aware of the problem but there hasn't been any update for quite a while and is becoming a bit of a deal breaker for me. One of my main use case scenarios with the SE200 was as a external USB DAC.

@Tristy According to the dev and QA teams, it looks like the issue is with the USB-C cables used to connect the SE200 to the M1-based Mac. The M1-based Macs have very tight tolerances for cables and any cables even slightly out of spec will cause issues.

I do not have a list of cables that have been tested to be fully compatible with AK players and M1 Macs. They are still testing further and will update once I have more info. I assume you probably already tried a few different cables.

AK will switch over to including USB-C to USB-C cables in early 2022 that will meet spec and be fully compatible.

 

[Tristy]

@Tristy According to the dev and QA teams, it looks like the issue is with the USB-C cables used to connect the SE200 to the M1-based Mac. The M1-based Macs have very tight tolerances for cables and any cables even slightly out of spec will cause issues.

I do not have a list of cables that have been tested to be fully compatible with AK players and M1 Macs. They are still testing further and will update once I have more info. I assume you probably already tried a few different cables.

AK will switch over to including USB-C to USB-C cables in early 2022 that will meet spec and be fully compatible.

Hi Jason,

I've attempted to get the SE200 to interface with the M1 MacBook Pro as both a USB DAC and to transfer files with no less than 5 different cables of varying values and brands, all of which had worked perfectly fine with the SE200 and an older 2017 MacBook Pro. The cables tested consist of 2 Anker thunderbolt 3 cables which are on the more expensive side, the Apple cable that was supplied to charge the 2020 MacBook Pro and 2 variations of Amazon USB C cables. I have also tried to resolve the issue by installing several different Android file transfer programs to no avail. Please are you able to ask which cables have been found that have remedied this issue? Unfortunately, I am not willing to wait until 2022 to get this issue resolved and have already looked to offload the SE200 due to this loss of functionality.

 

[Tristy]

@Tristy According to the dev and QA teams, it looks like the issue is with the USB-C cables used to connect the SE200 to the M1-based Mac. The M1-based Macs have very tight tolerances for cables and any cables even slightly out of spec will cause issues.

I do not have a list of cables that have been tested to be fully compatible with AK players and M1 Macs. They are still testing further and will update once I have more info. I assume you probably already tried a few different cables.

AK will switch over to including USB-C to USB-C cables in early 2022 that will meet spec and be fully compatible.

Hi Jason, are there any updates to this issue?

 

[JasonNYC]

Hi Jason, are there any updates to this issue?

The last update that I received was the QA team had about 40 different brands of cables that they are testing on each player for compatibility and are in the process of putting together a list of recommended cables. The US team sent a number here for testing and also the UK and Japan teams I believe. I will follow up for a status update when they are back in the office Monday morning.