Astell & Kerns $1,799 music player lets you switch between DACs

Astell & Kern says its latest audio player is the first in the world to come with DACs from two separate manufacturers, letting you switch between them to customize the sound to your wired headphones. The $1,799 A&futura SE200 includes DACs from both AKM (AK4499EQ) and ESS (dual ES9068AS), which have their own AMP circuits tailored to their individual sounds. After picking a DAC, the sound can be customized further with a series of audio filters.

High end audio devices usually include high-quality DACs. LG often differentiates its phones by incorporating a quad-DAC system and headphone jack for better sound. However, this is the first time we’ve seen a company include DACs from two different manufacturers, purely to let listeners...

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