[PinkyPowers]

Is it too early to call? Screw it!

This is the best-looking DAP EVER!

Might not be for everyone. I mean, what is? But for old Pinky, these lines speak to me.

 

[Dionysus]

I did another contrast/compare session with the SE100 and copper SP1000, this time using:
- JH Audio Layla CIEMs with the Silver Dragon v3 balanced cable
- 64 Audio U18t's with the Effect Audio Eros II 8 strand balanced cable
- Campfire Cascades with the balanced ALO Litz cable

In short, the SP1000 won out. I was hoping that wouldn't be the case since I just bought the SE100. Unfortunately, sometimes the most expensive TOTL unit actually is the best one (for me anyway; YMMV).

First the good: the SE100 grabs your attention with clarity and punchy dynamics. On well-produced recordings it reveals a wonderful sense of space around each instrument and voice that few other daps can achieve. Compared to the SP1000, it's soundstage seems just as wide but a hair deeper, providing ample breathing room to discern excellent layering, separation, and imaging. The bass is potent with good texture and speed but not unnaturally so.

Certain tracks really popped out. Faves such as The Wailers' Easy Skanking, MJ's Wanna Be Starting Something, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Fleetwood Mac's Dreams, and the newly remastered Sgt Pepper outtakes, are all many decades old but sounded utterly fresh on the SE100, especially with the U18t's. Each percussive element occupied a distinct spot in 3D space. Every breath was palpable.

Unfortunately, along with that resolution and sense of space comes too-crispy highs, slightly grainy upper mids, and a touch of sibilance. Yes, I tested with highly revealing IEMs and cables, but I also used the Campfire Cascade which are known to be bassy and warmish. On 'Songbird' and 'You Make Loving Fun' by Fleetwood Mac, and 'Hotel California' (sigh) by The Eagles, which I often use for testing because I know them so well, I picked up previously unrecognized nuances and dimension. But when Christine McVie hit the high notes there was a touch of screechiness. Moving to the SP1000, the nuances remained but the harshness disappeared. I went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Ever see the movie Sideways? Where the main character shows his friend how to approach wine-tasting, closing his eyes, fingers in ears, nose sniffing deeply into the glass? I was the audiophile version of the oenophile.

This is where the SP1000 shines. It can do just about everything the SE100 can do but without any sibilance or grain. It unleashes heaps of detail without harshness and without sounding overly digital. It has the SE100's resolving airy sound but is also smooth. That is no easy feat! It doesn't have the Sony WM1Z's warm liquid tone, but then again its not trying to. The SP1000 is clearly aiming for a more reference sound. Its clear, spacious, and punchy, but no matter what tracks I tried, it was never grainy, brittle, or processed-sounding. I must say, I was hooked.

I should note that the SE100 had about 15-20 hours of burn-in time whereas the SP1000 had at least 200 hours. I still think it was a fair test. The SE100 sound may relax a bit more but just a bit.
I still admire the SE100 great, and I know its minor deficencies wouldn't be as noticeable if I hadn't done this recent pepsi challenge with the SP1000. But they are still there.

To sum up, I'm returning the SE100 this week and getting the SP1000 cu.

Appreciate the impressions , thank you for taking the time and sharing.

 

[mt-hifidelity]

Don't get me wrong, at this pricepoint I can't think of a DAP as resolving and dynamic as the SE100. Features aside, the sound is about 95% of the SP1000 (and imo the ak70mii is about 90%). When you pick up the SP1000 you feel its solidity, then you hear the results of its engineering, and you know where the money went. Its sad how often we have to pay 2x, even 3x or more, to get that last 5% of magic.

 

[mt-hifidelity]

By the way, the AK240 would be a great bargain now. The SE100 interface and speed blows it away feature-wise, but if you can find an AK240 under $1500 you should consider grabbing it. To my ears its one of the most musical daps AK has ever produced. I prefer it over the AK380, which is a touch too analytical for me, and sometimes thin-sounding with voices set further back. I curse the night I left my Red-Wine-modded AK240 in the back of a taxi. I am still crying over it.

 

[lesc]

Don't get me wrong, at this pricepoint I can't think of a DAP as resolving and dynamic as the SE100. Features aside, the sound is about 95% of the SP1000 (and imo the ak70mii is about 90%). When you pick up the SP1000 you feel its solidity, then you hear the results of its engineering, and you know where the money went. Its sad how often we have to pay 2x, even 3x or more, to get that last 5% of magic.

I'm not surprised by your findings. And it is indeed sad that the cost of the final few percentages is so often daunting... But then again, sometimes it is those "subtle" differences that can trigger an emotion beyond the norm... (Not as a rule, of course.) And that is why those that can afford it, do pay. Bigtime. I can't...

On a different note, I wonder what kind of reconstruction filter the SE100 uses. The SP1000 uses the minimum-phase type (https://www.stereophile.com/content/astellkern-aultima-sp1000-portable-audio-player-measurements), which some people attribute as being "smoother." I'm not sure if A&K gives the user the option of selecting the filter, but that might not be a bad idea, I think.

 

[mt-hifidelity]

"I'm not sure if A&K gives the user the option of selecting the filter, but that might not be a bad idea, I think."

^^^Interesting idea. I generally avoid toying around with settings and DSP on higher-end DAPs but that would still be a nice option to have. I've been dipping into the DSP settings on my WM1Z and Hiby R3 lately and have found them useful options for certain tracks.

 

[Mike-WI]

I'm not surprised by your findings. And it is indeed sad that the cost of the final few percentages is so often daunting... But then again, sometimes it is those "subtle" differences that can trigger an emotion beyond the norm... (Not as a rule, of course.) And that is why those that can afford it, do pay. Bigtime. I can't...

On a different note, I wonder what kind of reconstruction filter the SE100 uses. The SP1000 uses the minimum-phase type (https://www.stereophile.com/content/astellkern-aultima-sp1000-portable-audio-player-measurements), which some people attribute as being "smoother." I'm not sure if A&K gives the user the option of selecting the filter, but that might not be a bad idea, I think.

I agree. Would like to try different filter settings. Other DAPs have them including the $99 Shanling M0.
I was very surprised to not find it (unless I'm missing something on a DAP 17X the price.

Mike

 

[PinkyPowers]

I agree. Would like to try different filter settings. Other DAPs have them including the $99 Shanling M0.
I was very surprised to not find it (unless I'm missing something on a DAP 17X the price.

Mike

I haven't found any filter settings in the SE100, either.

 

[Tinnitus Man]

I don't think I've ever heard vocals sound as natural and engaging as I do with this DAP.

 

[AndrewH13]

I did another contrast/compare session with the SE100 and copper SP1000, this time using:
- JH Audio Layla CIEMs with the Silver Dragon v3 balanced cable
- 64 Audio U18t's with the Effect Audio Eros II 8 strand balanced cable
- Campfire Cascades with the balanced ALO Litz cable

In short, the SP1000 won out. I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. I just bought the SE100 and I admire it greatly. Unfortunately, sometimes the most expensive TOTL unit actually is the best one (for me anyway; YMMV).

First the good: the SE100 grabs your attention with clarity and punchy dynamics. On well-produced recordings it reveals a wonderful sense of space around each instrument and voice that few other daps can achieve. Compared to the SP1000, it's soundstage seems just as wide but a hair deeper, providing ample breathing room to discern excellent layering, separation, and imaging. The bass is potent with good texture and speed but not unnaturally so.

Certain tracks really popped out. Old standards such as BMarley & the Wailers' Easy Skanking, MJ's Wanna Be Starting Something, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Fleetwood Mac's Dreams, and the newly remastered Sgt Pepper outtakes, are all many decades old but sounded utterly fresh on the SE100. Each percussive element occupied a distinct spot in 3D space. Every breath was palpable.

Unfortunately, along with that resolution and sense of space comes overly-crispy highs, slightly grainy upper mids, and a touch of sibilance. Yes, I tested with highly revealing IEMs and cables, but I also used the Campfire Cascade which is bassy and warmish. On 'Songbird' and 'You Make Loving Fun' by Fleetwood Mac, and 'Hotel California' (sigh) by The Eagles, which I often use for testing because I know them so well, I picked up previously unrecognized nuances and dimension. Then Christine McVie hit the high notes. There was a touch of screechiness. Slightly 'digital-ish' sounding. Moving to the SP1000, the nuances remained but the harshness disappeared. I went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Ever see the movie Sideways? Where the main character shows his friend how to approach wine-tasting, closing his eyes, fingers in ears, nose sniffing deeply into the glass? I was the audiophile version of the oenophile.

This is where the SP1000 shines. It can do just about everything the SE100 can do but without any sibilance or grain. It unleashes heaps of detail without harshness and without sounding overly digital. It has the SE100's resolving airy sound but is also smooth. That is no easy feat! It doesn't have the Sony WM1Z's warm liquid tone, but then again its not trying to. The SP1000 is clearly aiming for a more reference sound. Its clear & spacious, with extended highs and excellent bass slam just like the SE100. But with every track I tried it was never grainy, brittle, or processed-sounding. I must say, I was hooked.

I should note that the SE100 had about 15-20 hours of burn-in time whereas the SP1000 had at least 200 hours. I still think it was a fair test. The SE100 will relax a bit more when it hits 200 hours -- but just a bit.

I still admire the SE100. Its minor deficiencies, which are absolutely minor, wouldn't be as noticeable if I hadn't done this recent pepsi challenge with the SP1000. But they are still there.

To sum up, I'm returning the SE100 this week and getting the SP1000 cu.

That’s if, I’ve ordered after reading this! I hate music to sound smooth, I like real HiFi.
Drums should be crisp, some recordings have crisp highs and I want to hear how it is, no smoothing to placate poor recordings. Hope this matches my QP1R, only DX200 and SP1000 have been in same league to my ears, so here’s hoping

 

[mt-hifidelity]

You'll love it. Depending what you pair it with there should only be a touch of sibilance, but you won't mind.

 

[mt-hifidelity]

I don't think I've ever heard vocals sound as natural and engaging as I do with this DAP.

Yes! The vocals are very present. Which daps are you thinking of as comparisons?

 

[Tinnitus Man]

Yes! The vocals are very present. Which daps are you thinking of as comparisons?

Sony ZX2, AK Jr, Acoustic Research M20 have been my recent DAPs. iPod Classic before those. My current setup just sounds wonderful to me in every respect.

 

[mt-hifidelity]

That's the goal. Glad to hear it

 

[AndrewH13]

You'll love it. Depending what you pair it with there should only be a touch of sibilance, but you won't mind.

Cheers. Still not sure what A&K mean by radically different sound? I’ve always found them just a touch warm/recessed although SP1000 is the nearest I’ve heard to my Hugo’s in sound quality.