[koven]

Seems like the bright SE100 would be a solid pairing w/ the warm LX.

 

[Bosk]

Hello guys,
A few days ago recieved my noble kaiser encore custom iem's and when grabbing decided to pick a dap and i had 2 options to choose, SP1000 and SE100.
I really didnt want to spend extra 800usd and wanted SE100 match my expectations. I wanted to save 800 and go away with a lighter in weight SE100.
SE100 is a super dap but to my taste and to most tastes it will be too cristal and airy. I dont like colored sound (thats why i totally reject sony latest flagship dap) but SE100 is way too sterile. Its a great dap with analitical and airy sound! It surely will get its admirers but that would be minority!
Now Sp1000. Its almost free of character and sounds rich while SE100 sounds more airy and analitical. If i would have bought iems with colore like JH then 100% SE100 would be just a perfect match, but going analitical iems with analitical dap like SE100 would make me go bored with time and in fact, i already felt a little irritation with time (20-30 min) while listening SE100.
Im not a sound director and dont need analitical sound since i have only 1 iem pair to use. Dont get me wrong, SP1000 is not colored like Sony and in fact it prodeces pretty honest and actual analitical sound too. Its just tigher, richier and just a little warmer. Sp1000 provedes audiophile sound without being colored (just a tap maybe), which i think most people would like. For me the only downside of SP1000 is its weight. Its heavy like a glock pistol and thats an issue for me. My dealer kindly gave me SE100 to spend some time at home and maybe get use to it and if i dont, get SP1000.
I saw some said SE100 is 90% of SP1000... but its not right statement! Its as premium and perfect as SP1000. Its a top notch stuff and its not 90%. Its all 100%! But if they ment that SE100 is 90% of Sp1000 in terms of sound feed-supply (whatever u call it), then i totally agree!
The thing is that this 10% make that difference crucial. Its like u eat beautifully looking and delicious smelling food but its just bland and u cant really get saturated, cant get enough. On the other hand, if i never had another food and have nothing to compare...
I just tried Sp1000, and thats the thing

Thanks for your impressions Iscander-M, so are you going to pick up the SP1000 instead?

I'm also interested to hear you describe in what way the WM1Z is colored.

 

[Iscander-M]

I could not disagree more with comments stating the SE100 is bright, harsh, or fatiguing.

The treble is simply too smooth for that to be true. It's a relaxed, refined, silky render. If you find it fatiguing or strident, it's your monitors you dislike, and are accustomed to warmer DAPs masking those traits. The SE100 doesn't have enough mid-bass and or rolled-off treble to mask your IEM's harshness.

I've spent many hours listening to the SE100 with the following IEMs: Empire Ears Legend X, Custom Art FIBAE ME, 64Audio tia Fourté, and Noble Audio Kaiser Encore.

Fourté and Encore are quite exiting in the treble department, so I would pick up any inherent bite in this DAP. There is none. Encore is always rather cold and sharp up top, and SE100 does nothing to hide this. But it also does nothing to exacerbate it. More than that, I can hear how smooth those AK highs really are... and it's impressive.

Now, it is reasonable to call the SE100 analytical. It does have a tremendously clean, neutral sound. And if you are used to big, bassy, warm DAPs, I understand why this device might not suite you. I have warm DAPs (Cayin i5, DX150), and I have brighter DAPs (Cayin N5ii, DX200), the AK SE100 sits closer to the middle, with the Opus#2, but with an even smoother, relaxed sound.

SE100 is a success no doubt it's amazing dab. On the other hand if u compare it to SP1000 u will find it to be more airy and less deep/rich in sound. It's not a bad thing and not a good thing. It's just what it is. I personally love honest, a little analytical and not colored sound but this sound should be deep, rich, and dense which i do find in SP1000 and dont in SE100! Comparing SE100 to SP1000 is like comparing Focal Clear to Focal Utopia. Both terrific hp but different in sound delivery. I strongly recommend testing before purchasing, since sound perception is a subjective thing... just like perfumery! To sum this up for me regarding the thread, i think SP1000 and SE100 are 2 best daps on the market today! I hope you guys can afford the one u like since they quite pricy!

 

[Iscander-M]

Seems like the bright SE100 would be a solid pairing w/ the warm LX.

1) if u have bright/warm and colored iems pair it with SE100! That would be sick combo. U will have an overall great sound.
2) If u have iems with 0% character and analytical/cold u have to pick SP1000.
In both cases SP1000 will be perfect. SE100 perfect only with 1 case!

 

[PinkyPowers]

1) if u have bright/warm and colored iems pair it with SE100! That would be sick combo. U will have an overall great sound.
2) If u have iems with 0% character and analytical/cold u have to pick SP1000.
In both cases SP1000 will be perfect. SE100 perfect only with 1 case!

I love that you think there are only two DAPs in the world.

 

[Iscander-M]

Thanks for your impressions Iscander-M, so are you going to pick up the SP1000 instead?

I'm also interested to hear you describe in what way the WM1Z is colored.

I have SE100 now, for 3 days i will be using it and decide. I think, i will get SP1000. 2k is big money, i better pay 800 more but get what i really feel comfy with! Dont think i will change my mind. Its obvious thing.
About WM1Z... i really dont get how people pick WM1Z. Yes, sound is a subjective thing, but... its just too much colored, too warm. U just feel a synthetic interference with the sound. It is dense and rich but it manages to smudge all nuances. U hear them, but get no joy. It looks ugly and has tricky interface. Shame, Sony is a west oriented company in terms of colors and sounds... im really surprised in a bad way. On the other hand A&K is a south Korean, and still gets to the point.

 

[Iscander-M]

I love that you think there are only two DAPs in the world.

My friend, i hate to pay 2-3k for a dap, i would love to pay 100$. The thing is, my kaiser encore needs best dap to get the most out of it. I tested so many daps. Im a guy who never follows marketing and mainstream but in some cases best things really cost more. If u will kindly provide with 1-2 other daps that i haven't tested maybe, i would apprеciate it!

 

[Mike-WI]

If modern DAPs have flat frequency responses, then how do various DAPs sound warm or sharp or increased bass or treble?
Something with impedance and various frequencies or something else?
How does the physics work?

Mike

PS - I listened to my SE100 for several hours on a flight and didn't find them fatiguing.

 

[jasonho]

I love that you think there are only two DAPs in the world.

In some part of the world, its possible that these are the only options

 

[R7photo]

Hello,
How is the volume knob,,is it similar or sturdy or better than sp1000

How does se100 handle bass

I have ak702, and Kann, love sound as they little warm tubelike,, guessing ak sound signature

Is se100 similarly?

Thanks

 

[PinkyPowers]

My friend, i hate to pay 2-3k for a dap, i would love to pay 100$. The thing is, my kaiser encore needs best dap to get the most out of it. I tested so many daps. Im a guy who never follows marketing and mainstream but in some cases best things really cost more. If u will kindly provide with 1-2 other daps that i haven't tested maybe, i would apprеciate it!

Up front, I must make clear, I have NO DOUBT the SP1000 delivers the superior sound. I have not heard it myself, yet I believe those who have and call it the best of AK.

My posts are not about whether SP1000 is better than SE100. I only take issue with how the SE100 has been characterized.

You have Encore, which I favored highly in my review. But it's far from the most ideal monitor, or even very well-rounded. It's an IEM famous for clarity, detail, resolution and soundstage, but equally famous for bright, sharp treble, thin mids, and lack of body. Lo and behold, this is how you describe the SE100.

This is inaccurate. It's neutral, but not Encore neutral. The SE100 possesses decent note weight, a rich, full sound, and adequate low-end heft. Just not so much of it as to skew Encore by any great margine.

You may never admit this to yourself, but you bought an IEM that does not please you, and you're searching for DAPs which will fix it for you. I understand completely. I've owned Encore for a year now, and always look for a good cable or DAP pairing to really bring up those areas where Encore is weakest.

A good starting point is finding a cable with a warm, thick sound. So far, the best I've discovered for Encore is the plusSound Exo Tri-Copper. You get that, and it almost doesn't matter what DAP you choose, it will always sound at least moderately smooth and rich. The DAP will just be icing on the cake, in terms of tuning.

Other cables you may want to look into are the Effect Audio Ares II Plus, and PWaudio no.5.

As for DAPs... a good way to save a lot of money would be to try the iBasso DX200 with one of their High Current AMP modules. With AMP1, it's a fairly bright player. AMP3 gets warmer. AMP5, warmer still. They just released AMP7 and AMP8, which are wonderfully bodied. They give any player from any company a run for its money. I can't promise you'll like it more than SP1000 (again, I haven't heard it), but it's one of the best things I've ever listened to.

Since this is an Astell&Kern thread, I should emphasize, there is NOTHING WRONG WITH BUYING AK. They do luxury DAPs better than anyone, and I've been a big fan since owning the AK120II a few years back. My posts have really been about celebrating the SE100 and correcting what I deem misinformation. That said, if you NEED a warmer device with more body, you have many, many more choices than just the SP1000. The Opus#1S and DX150 are two excellent examples at very reasonable prices. Warmth and fullness are not traits of TOTL products. AK simply reserves that for their biggest players. That's their choice, not an inevitability of quality.

 

[AndrewH13]

My friend, i hate to pay 2-3k for a dap, i would love to pay 100$. The thing is, my kaiser encore needs best dap to get the most out of it. I tested so many daps. Im a guy who never follows marketing and mainstream but in some cases best things really cost more. If u will kindly provide with 1-2 other daps that i haven't tested maybe, i would apprеciate it!

If you wanted best sound, surely a Hugo II would be considered? As much as I like my SE100 and Questyle DAPS, and only consider DX200 and SP1000 alongside them, for sound quality, I reckon the Hugo’s nail it.

 

[ranfan]

Does the SE100 has a wobbly volume knob like SP1000? Count me interested. Thanks Pinky for the teasing sound description. I really like the Opus#2, but dislike its UI, low battery, low volume/power output. Its sound was great, aligns to my taste, reference-like neutral. I'm interested if the SE100 sounds somewhat similar.

 

[PinkyPowers]

Does the SE100 has a wobbly volume knob like SP1000? Count me interested. Thanks Pinky for the teasing sound description. I really like the Opus#2, but dislike its UI, low battery, low volume/power output. Its sound was great, aligns to my taste, reference-like neutral. I'm interested if the SE100 sounds somewhat similar.

It's very similar to the Opus#2 in terms of tone. The SE100 simply has that Astell&Kern smoothness which always lets you know you're listening to an AK. Opus#2 sounds more transparent without it, and phenomenally "natural".

 

[digitalzed]

Hi All,

I received my SE 100 yesterday and have been playing with it for about 5 hours total now. Where to start? I guess with the looks and build quality first. Both to me are top notch. The screen clarity is fantastic and UI is intuitive and the OS is super fast. Transfering files using the AFT program A&K recommends is blazing fast when connected by the USB C cable to my iMac Pro. A 5gb files took about 90 seconds to transfer. I'm coming from the Sony NW-ZX2, which I loved the sound of (even with no updates and a messed up os) and stupidly left in a foreign country on a recent trip. As I would expect, the SE 100 is so much better in every functional respect. No surprise there being a brand new model.

As for listening, I have a variety of headphones but for travel, I have a set of 64 Audio U12's that I really love so I've spent the most time using these. I have also tried my Mr. Speakers Ether, and Audeze LCD-X. None of my cans are balanced so I'm using the 3.5 unbalanced output on the SE 100. My first impression of the sound was mixed. I felt the bass was bloated and the highs recessed. Especially on a bass heavy headphone like the Audeze. In looking for user available adjustments in the settings I came across the EQ function, noticed it was on, and I turned it off. This cleaned up the bass and put the highs where I thought they should be. Having the EQ on (it's on by default) boosts volume but seemed to distort the sound more. I can see when playing the SE 100 at a lower volume that having the EQ on could be helpful. Maybe that's what A&K means by "radical". Over the course of my listening so far the SE 100 has smoothed out, tightened up, and become a very fluid and musical player. If it needs more burn in I expect that it will sound even better. I have not had the opportunity to compare it to the AK SP 1000 and wouldn't go out of my way to do so since that one is really out of my price range. I've seen people here say the SP 1000 is still a better sounding player and heck, for twice the price, it should be. But compared to my now departed Sony, whos sound I loved for its warm, analog signature, the SE brings a lot of that warmth but with greater clarity and punch.

Is the SE 100 worth the price? That is a wholly subjective question, but in my humble opinion, this player is terrific. Highly resolving, no fatigue at this point, and very musical with a very true sound signature to what I hear when I play the same tracks on other audio equipment.