It supports 32-bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD256 and MQA audio and has 2.5mm, 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs to cater for a wide range of headphones. After all, the SE180 is an all-in-one player in itself, with the default module containing the ESS ES9038PRO DAC. Of course, these can be considered optional extras experimental paths that can be taken or completely ignored.

The concept: Astell & Kern releases a series of DAC modules, all with different sonic characters, so that owners can purchase them and swap them in over the standard supplied module, if they so wish. To personally tailor your sound, the SE180 goes one step further than the slightly older SE200 (which has two user-selectable DAC configurations built into the player) in that it features an interchangeable DAC module design. The new SE180 is the third model in Astell & Kern’s near-flagship A&futura range, following the inaugural SE100 and SE200, both of which gained Awards from this very publication in 20 respectively (and are listed below). How about a customisable PMP with interchangeable DAC modules? That's the idea here – and we liked it so much, we gave it What Hi-Fi? 20 Awards. Read the full review: Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII Still, if your budget can stretch to it, this is a truly stunning player with superb build quality to match. And we stress the word 'reasonably': because while it pushes performance forward, it also pushes what is acceptable as an entry-level price. Notably more expressive and eloquent than any other portable music player we have encountered at this price, and far beyond anything that smartphones are capable of, the SR25 MKII demonstrates just how good music on the move can sound, while also remaining reasonably affordable. Last year, it was a What Hi-Fi? 2021 Award-winner, and this year, it took the best portable music player over $1000 What Hi-Fi? 2022 Award. The SR25 MKII doesn’t let us down, propelling its lineage forward from the 2018-introduced A&norma SR15 (also in this list) to set a new performance benchmark. And each new generation invariably proves more talented than the last. The Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII is the latest in what has been a long line of excellent, What Hi-Fi? Award-winning, ‘entry-level’ portable music players.

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