A&futura SE300

The Future of Analogue Sound
 
  • Fully Discrete 24 bit R-2R DAC for an entirely new, natural yet dynamic analogue sound
  • Equipped with 96 ultra-precision 0.01% & TCR10 resistors the key to Hi-Fi sound in an Ultra-precision resistor Design
  • New Dual AMP (Class A/AB) mode for crisp, dynamic sounds with high efficiency
  • Option for OS (Over Sampling) / NOS (Non-Oversampling) modes, choose between a digital processed signal or pure original untouched sound
  • Implemented self-developed and optimized FPGA technology relaying digital signals to the R-2R DAC through Astell&Kern's proprietary algorithm
  • The SE300 comes with a reimagined, crimson-themed, intuitive user interface featuring a new album artwork search function to allow audio connoisseurs to rediscover the joy of the art form
  • Supports Bluetooth 5.0 and LDAC for wireless Hi-Fi sound
Sale price£1,899.00

Color: Silver
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The Future of Analogue Sound

 

Equipped with trailblazing audio technology developed in-house and uncompromising craftsmanship, the fourth model in the A&futura range reproduces an entirely new, natural yet dynamic sound.
Harnessing decades of audio research and development, the A&futura SE300 expands the scope of analogue sound with entirely new audio technology. A&futura SE300 is built with an ultra-refined R-2R DAC, instead of a Delta-Sigma DAC which is most commonly used in audio players. R-2R DAC, also known as Ladder DAC as it arranges resistors in a ladder form, offers a natural Hi-Fi sound with unrivalled dynamism.

 

Fully Discrete 24bit R-2R DAC

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.

Ultra-precision resistor Design, the Key to Hi-Fi Sound

It is key to total the accurate current value with resistors that has the smallest error ranges in order to create Hi-Fi sound with an R-2R DAC. To realize this, Astell&Kern inspected each specifically selected ultra-precision resistor of 0.01% error range to complete the design of SE300.

Supporting Class A/AB Dual AMP Mode

The 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.

2-Step Gain Mode for the Perfect Hi-Fi Experience

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 Optimized FPGA

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.

 
A&futura SE300
A&futura SE300
   

Included in the box

 
  • 1x Astell&Kern A&futura SE300 player
  • 1x USB-C to USB-C Cable
  • 3x Screen protectors
  • 1x Quick start guide
  • 1x Warranty Card
 whats in the box
General Specifications
Model
SE300
Body Colour
Platinum Silver
Body Material
Aluminum and Stainless Steel
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 Native: DSD64(1bit 2.8MHz), Stereo / DSD128(1bit 5.6MHz), Stereo / DSD256(1bit 11.2MHz), Stereo
Output Level
[Normal] Unbalanced 2.1Vrms │ 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 Bit to Bit playback
Input
USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC)
Outputs
Unbalanced 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
About 11.18oz (317g)
Firmware upgrade supported
(OTA)
Operating Temperature
0℃ ~ + 40℃ (32℉~ 104℉)
Audio Performance
Frequency Response
  • ±0.038dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced │Balanced
  • ±0.45dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced │Balanced
S/N
  • 114dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 115dB @ 1kHz, Balanced (Normal Gain)
  • 115dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced │ 115dB @ 1kHz, Balanced (High Gain)
Crosstalk
  • -135dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced
  • -144dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
THD+N
  • 0.006% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced
  • 0.006% @ 1kHz, Balanced
MD SMPTE
  • 0.005% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1) Unbalanced │Balanced
Output Impedance
  • Unbalanced Out 3.5mm (1.3ohm)
  • Balanced Out 2.5mm (1.3ohm), 4.4mm(1.3ohm)
Clock Source
Clock Jitter
25pS (Typ)
Reference Clock Jitter
500 Femto Seconds
Storage Capacity
Built-in Memory
256GB [NAND]
External Memory
microSD x1 (Max. 1TB)
Battery
Capacity
5,050mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer
Charge Time
about 3.5hours (9V 1.67A Charging)
Playback Time
about 12hours (Standard : FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.50, LCD Off, Normal Gain)
Supported OS
Supported OS
Windows 10, 11(32/64bit) MAC OS X 10.7