Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Acoustic Research M200 Digital Audio Player
01 / 07
Acoustic Research M200 Digital Audio Player
bookmark_border
Where's the price?
To negotiate the best possible price for our customers, we agree to hide prices prior to logging in.
1.4K requests
·
1k Sold
Product Description
The compact Acoustic Research M200 does it all. Take your smartphone, tablet or PC's sound to the next level with the amplifier, or play multiple lossless audio formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, DSD) from the local memory or expansion micro-SD card with your wired or wireless headphones Read More
You Might Also Like
search
close
Sort by: Top Conversations
keyboard_arrow_downdingie
136
Feb 17, 2019
The MSRP of $399 was from 10 years ago. If it's worth $100 today, that's all it's worth. This isn't a deal. This is MD making a deal with AR to get rid of the latter's outdated stock. If you need a moderately under-powered standalone audio player (i.e. no Spotify or Tidal) then this might be for you. Personally, I'd wait for something more recent to go on sale or just get a budget Fiio player.
lanemcnally
1
Feb 19, 2019
dingieUHG No you tell me.
Hey ,, I have a like new AR M200 for sale !!!
!0 years OLD ... SERIOUSLY ,, Hell my LG V30 might sound better all ready,, just thought that the Class descrete Amp sounded OK to me.
ma1980
11
Jan 2, 2019
I had to return it,because cannot play my songs from micro sd card.
my card format is exFat,and the item is compatible with Fat32 or Fat
only,which I think is a huge miss by manufacturer.
AudioJet
318
Dec 1, 2018
My wife ordered this DAP for me. This is our first Massdrop try. I've been informed there is no warrantee so hopefully we haven't just wasted our money. Also hoping AR is working on the firmware. I'll be making a YouTube review after owning it a for a bit.
RayF
22220
Feb 16, 2019
Illiquid_AssetNot at all! It allows his wife to inherit his vast financial empire and insures her role as head of the family business.
oreoozs
40
Mar 18, 2019
(Edited by moderator AlexPk)
alexandros
92
Mar 19, 2019
oreoozsNice. of you....
Warning people DO NOT BUY M200
Instead buy Colorfly C10 from Tomtop at 100$...
Coupled with Rose BR5 MKII gives me the chills... Amazing sound.....
(Edited)
Hundre
3
Nov 26, 2018
What do you guys think, would this be an adequate music player for the gym with Bluetooth earbuds, or is it too much?
TipsyMacScotchslurpen
379
Feb 16, 2019
Depending on your budget and what other uses you may have for it, I'd suggest the Sony NW-A40 line. I just got the A45 to replace my LG V10 and am loving it so far. However, I use wired IEMs (Noble 3 universal) with it. Sadly, the bluetooth system supposedly bypasses the EQ, so you just have to be happy with the natural sound signature of your music. I haven't tried it myself, so I don't know firsthand if this is true, but it has been complained about on the head-fi forums.
That said, I love the way the A45 sounds. I even prefer it over my LG V10. When it comes to bluetooth, though, you are using the DAC built into the headphones, so it is more about UI features and any sound processing features it might have (like EQ, gain control, or DSP features).
hchanrn
26
Mar 19, 2019
Interesting that this drop keeps coming back. I made a post a while back ago about one of my friends who bought this at full retail price, direct from AR. Ended up returning the unit due to all firmware and operation issues. Shame that the company doesn't seem to have the R&D time to polish this rough diamond. When it did work for the short period of time my friend was really impressed with the sound. May be the company would be willing to give a couple of free units to select few folks out their with coding skills that can come up with replacement firmware or even reverse engineer custom firmware.
Colinsdad
122
Mar 21, 2019
hchanrnYa know....I KNEW this Drop sounded vaguely familiar. THANK YOU for reiterating the 411 on this unit! I'm in the market for a digital player, but, MAYBE at 50$ for something that maybe should've "been kept in the oven longer" until these software glitches and such can be remidied. I'm keeping my cash far away from this (and, almost certainly more) Drop!
swechsler
81
Feb 14, 2019
Here's a review.
TL;DR:
Pros
- Bluetooth wireless receiver mode with aptX HD
- 4.4 mm balanced output
- Good build quality & unique design
- Fantastic sound quality with AKM AK4490EQ DAC
- Fast-charging via USB-C
- Fast boot time
- Antiquated and sluggish user interface
- No breakpoint resume
- Files on SD card not included in music database
- No gapless playback
- Average battery life
Varmintbaby
38
Mar 18, 2019
swechslerWhat do you mean by "files on SD card not included in music database"? It plays music files off the SD card correct?
swechsler
81
Mar 18, 2019
VarmintbabyIt will not index them, so you have to navigate by folder rather than by artist, album, etc.
Mbot
191
Dec 26, 2018
This DAP is weak, but in the spiel Massdrop said it has power to drive more demanding headphones. It is only 95mW into 16ohm - basically garbage. Mass drop is beguiling you.
Then they said it has excellent signal-to-noise ratio, another lie. 110db S/N is amateur stuff, very ordinary.
And they didn't bother to tell us the Crosstalk, the Dynamic Range or the Distortion measurement😕
(Edited)
ElectronicVices
2937
Feb 15, 2019
MbotYou would need to be listening at ear damaging levels for that S/N to be problematic. The wattage is also significantly greater than the vast majority of mobile phones. Massdrop doesn't list those specs because the manufacturer doesn't list them either. For $99 buck you are incredibly critical but given your post history is mostly filled with ranting that Massdrop doesn't cater to your specific use case I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Varmintbaby
38
Mar 18, 2019
MbotYou seem to not like Massdrop's offerings very much. Why are you still on the site?
Hansotek
9
Nov 26, 2018
I've heard this product on multiple occasions and spoken with the team at AR on it at shows through concept, beta and release. I'm actually really excited about this drop because M200 is a wonderful sounding product! I'll get down to brass tax here and give you a little mini review...
As a DAP, the OS is a bit clunky, as it is an old-school button-based design. But that's not where the M200 is at its best. IMO, the DAP portion is an afterthought. Where this thing is really at its best is if you're thinking of it as a APT-X Bluetooth wireless amp/DAC with 4.4mm Pentaconn out. Sort of like an iFi xDSD with a screen on it so you don't get confused while trying to change the settings and throw the thing against a wall. Or a less expensive Chord Mojo/Poly combo. You can also do Bluetooth out of it to a wireless headphone, but IMO, that's kind of taking advantage of the worst part (DAP browsing interface) while bypassing the best part (the outstanding amp and DAC).
The amplifier on the M200 is a beefy, all-Class-A design and drives anything from IEMs to 300ohm dynamics to moderately easy-to-drive planars very, very well. 4.4mm Pentaconn out is quiet AF, as you would expect it to be. The form factor is nicely compact, so it's good for travel, the office, or just chilling out on the patio while you stream music from your phone. As portable amp/DACs go, it easily outclasses most stuff at $399, and for $149 on the Cyber Monday deal, it's going to lay similarly-priced competition to waste in laughable fashion. If there's one thing that can be said about AR, it's that the all-Class-A amps they put in their DAPs are absolutely terrific.
I haven't really jumped on anything on MD in a while, but I think I'm going to go for this one. I've really noticed over the past year that cutting the cord between the DAP and the amp/DAC has been a convenience I want to have. IMO, this is an opportunity to grab a product in that arena that is a really high performer at an absurdly low price. So I'm in.
Hopefully, that helps some of the folks that were looking for reviews. Cheers! :)
Dave Hanson
Senior Editor - Personal Audio
EnjoyTheMusic.com
AudioJet
318
Dec 23, 2018
HansotekWould you happen to know if this plays Mp3 320k? I have over a thousand cds ripped to this format. Thanks
Showing 53 of 179
Recent Activity
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop