Network Audio Players/Servers

The SE200 'experience' is rather like slipping behind the wheel of one of those cars with a huge touchscreen and few physical controls: you know there's a way to make the wipers spring into life when it rains, but it's deep down in a menu somewhere... Fortunately, the SE200's top level app menu is clear enough, making it easy to fire-up the player and get it moving, so to speak, but delve deeper and you may wonder whether you're discovering more or going down rabbit holes.

For example, while the Android platform supports aftermarket streaming apps, the manual warns they may not work fully or correctly. Otherwise, you can use the player to stream music from local network storage, from streaming services and its own storage, or even download music from your library to the player. You can also plug Astell&Kern's £399 AK CD-Ripper to the SE200's USB-C port and copy discs straight to the player. But burrow further into the menu's archives where the DAC and filter selections reside and you'll find the manual keeps its own counsel. Advice here is limited to 'this sets up the DAC filter provided by a DAC manufacturer'.