Outstanding warm and engaging music that brings you to the music the way it was intended. I have diminished hearing and I can clearly hear upper, mid, and low musical notes I never detected before. I couple the player with Focal Celestee headset.
I have had my SE300 Titanium for 3 weeks now and can say it sounds amazing with all of my headphones, from cheap IEMs to expensive IEMs to full size over the ear Audeze headphones. To get the maximum out of the SE300, I set the amp to class A of course and at home I stream DSD128 or 384khz from my Roon rock server. On the go, I have loaded a 1TB micro SD card with tons of music in different formats, from redbook to DSD128 and can say it scan VERY fast. I have also downloaded playlists on Spotify and Tidal - all play without any issues. The operating system is pretty fast with only the occasional hang-up, the screen resolution is very nice, wifi is great and it works great as a transport when connected to a USB Dac or as a Dac connected via a mini 3.5mm to dual RCA cable to an integrated amp or power speakers. The built in apps work flawlessly once installed (i.e. Tidal, etc.) . The few downsides I experienced are the heat the unit creates, especially once you have it in a cozy leather case, the size / bulkiness / weight of the DAP that pulls your pants down, and the fairly short battery life - the later is maybe 4-5 hours when running Class A and high resolution files. Also, I am not a fan of the vegetable green case that comes with the Titanium SE300 and I ordered a clear case instead that shows off the beauty of the DAP. Overall, these nitpicks don’t overshadow the positives and I will definitely enjoy this DAP for a while. I have many other (lesser) DAPs, i.e. Sony, Shanling, etc. and this one is definitely at the top of the heap.
I wouldn't call myself an audiophile but instead an avid music listener that enjoys the thought provoking ride that music takes me on. I have listened to music in many different formats over the years, most recently vinyl & Flac files on a samsung s23 over Ldac Bluetooth. After watching review videos I came across the world of DAPs. They attracted me simply because they are made for music only and they offer much better connectivity than my phone such as a wired connection. I wanted a DAP that was well built & incorporated the latest technology that would last me for many years to come. I decided after many comparisons that I would go for the Astell & Kern SE300 as it ticked all the boxes for me, with solid build quality and the latest R-2R Resistor Ladder dac. The sound of this device is warm with great mids, highs & bass. An open and inviting soundstage and I'm truly hearing background instruments & separation that I've never heard before in songs that I have played many times over in the past. The SE300 has surpassed the s23 in leaps and bounds which is no surprise as it is solely made to get the most out of music. I have no regrets in purchasing the SE300, I look forward to listening to my music collection even more, now that each song sounds like the definition & clarity has been increased a great deal by this incredible DAP
I have been using my Astell&Kern SE300 Titanium edition for a week now and I am very satisfied. It is rare that I can so immediately hear something different and great. When you get into higher end audio there's nothing that doesn't sound good, but outside speakers and headphones the differences can be very subtle and only apparent after a long time. Not so here, I could immediately hear something unique in the sound and it was very pleasing. The features are also very complete and interesting. I also feel good when buying an R2R based DAC as it seems more interesting and logical to justify a premium priced product versus and implementation of delta sigma chips converters. And although I don;t want to say R2R is "better", it is more interesting and does sound different. I highly recommend. The only downside, and to be honest most DAPs are worse on this.. the size and weight is not insignificant. I bought this to replace my Questyle QPM that was in my estimation a fantastic form factor (but had other drawbacks). Always trade-offs!
Thank you to Bloom Audio team for their quick response on my questions and fast shipping, everything happened at the same day. So after a week of listening, I can really confirm I love the sound of SE300. I can recommend this DAP to whom loves warm and detailed sound.