Among the four product series in Astell&Kern, A&futura has been striving to build music player with designs and technology that have never been seen in the market before. Ever since launching the SE200 last year, the innovative design of 'Two DACs in One Player" has achieved great success with its high combatibility and audio combinations.
IN 2021, Astell&Kern has continued to develop music player from the perspective and needs of users, introducing its new model in the mid-range product series, SE180. Not only has Astell&Kern adopted the interchangable DAC Module Design, but the brand has also implemented the new patented audio technology TERATON ALPHA. With all the new technologies and designs, SE180 could provide you a completely different using experience and audio performance beyond the market.
Interchangeable All-in-One Module
The SE180 is a module-separated product that increases the convenience of connection between the main body of the player and the module. It features an innovative double-locking design that securely connects each component while providing smooth lines that naturally flow without any sense of separateness between the two pieces. By applying different DAC/AMP configurations, adjusting tuning and outputs for each module, the user can choose the most suitable module for Premium Hi-Fi Sound. The default configuration module contains the ESS ES9038PRO, an 8-channel DAC mainly used for premium home audio equipment. This DAC provides a wider dynamic range and more detailed sophistication. The module supports 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm connections to allow for a greater variety of headphones/IEMs.
Circuit Separation Structure of Main Body and Module
By physically separating the main body from the All-in-One module, we completely block power and RF noise that may occur from the main body. This creates an independent structure that prevents noise from interfering with music playback.
Modules Double Lock for Ease of Use
The biggest difference between the SE180 and other products that use interchangeable modules is that the SE180 uses a double-locking mechanism rather than screws to fasten the module to the body. The first locking structure attaches the module and the body. The second locking structure informs the user that the module has been securely fastened to the main body. The spring supported internal connectors of the main body allow reliable audio signal connection and are used to prevent connection failure in case of external shock to the player when on the go.
AK ULTIMATE SOUND SOLUTION - TERATON ALPHA
TERATON ALPHA is AK's ultimate Sound Solution to produce audio playback that is close to the original sound through the audio output interface by use of effective power noise removal, efficient power management and amplification with minimal distortion. TERATON ALPHA features Astell&Kern's patented technologies, which are the result of tens of thousands of hours of continuous research and development to produce sound close to the original sound the artist and producer intended.
Wireless Hi-Fi Sound Through BT Sink
The newly introduced BT Sink function connects the SE180 to an external device via Bluetooth, similar to connecting a smartphone with a BT speaker. Music from an external device, such as a smartphone can now be played back in high-quality on the SE180 using the BT Sink function.
Adoption of Full HD Display for Improved Image Quality
The SE180 features a full HD screen to provide a higher quality display. To provide more convenient movement through the player user interface that is consistent with an Android smartphone experience, the SE180 features a new navigation bar, the first in an Astell&Kern player. Now you can easily navigate with a single touch and deliver music playback information from any screen. The new one swipe feature moves you to the previous screen.
DAC Filters at Your Command
With SE180, you can enjoy the fun of creating your own customized sound by selecting among various DAC filters provided by the DAC manufacturer.
A&futura SE180 SPECIFICATION
Body Colour: Moon Silver
Body Material: Aluminium
Screen Display: 5inch FHD 1920 x 1080 Touch Display
Supported Audio Formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA, MQA Playback
CPU: Quad-Core
Input: USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC)
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz)
Bluetooth: V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC)
Dimensions:
3.03” (77mm)[W] x 5.09” (129.2mm)[H] x 0.78” (19.9mm)[D] (Body Only)
3.03"(77mm)[W] x 5.4"(137.2mm)[H] x 0.78"(19.9mm)[D] (Combined with a module)
Weight: 9.88oz (280g)
Reference Clock Jitter: 800 Femto Seconds
Built-in Memory: 256GB (NAND)
External Memory: microSD x1 (Max. 1TB)
Battery Capacity: 3,800mAh 3.8V Li-Polymer Battery
Charging Time: About 5hours (Standard : 5V / 2A Charging), about 3hours (Fast : 9V / 1.67A Charging)
Supported OS: Windows 8,10(32/64bit) Mac OS X 10.7 and up
SEM1-ES9038Pro Audio Performance
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: Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Balanced Out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported / 4.4mm, only 5-pole supported)
Output Level:
[Normal Gain] Unbalanced 2Vrms / Balanced 4Vrms (Condition No Load)
[High Gain] Unbalanced 3Vrms / Balanced 6Vrms (Condition No Load)
Digital-Analog Converter: ESS Technology ES9038Pro
Decoding: Support up to 32bit / 384kHz Bit-to-Bit playback
Weight: 3.53oz (100g)
Dimensions: 3.03"(77mm)[W] x 2.99"(76mm)[H] x 0.78"(19.9mm)[D]
Operating Temperature: 0℃ ~ + 40℃ (32℉~ 104℉)
Playback Time: about 10.5hours (FLAC, 16bit, 44.1kHz, Vol.50, LCD Off)
Frequency Response:
±0.04dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced /
±0.04dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced
±0.07dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced /
±0.06dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced
Signal-Noise Ratio:
[Normal Gain] 122dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / 126dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
[High Gain] 125dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / 129dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
Crosstalk:
[Normal Gain] -138dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / -145dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
[High Gain] -138dB @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / -147dB @ 1kHz, Balanced
THD+N:
[Normal Gain] 0.0005% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / 0.0004% @ 1kHz, Balanced
[High Gain] 0.0007% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced / 0.0006% @ 1kHz, Balanced
IMD SMPTE: 0.0004%, 800Hz 10kHz (4:1), Unbalanced / 0.0004%, 800Hz 10kHz (4:1), Balanced
Output Impedance: 3.5mm (1ohm) / 2.5mm (1.5ohm) / 4.4mm (1.5ohm)
