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Shanling M5s Review

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Shanling M5s

 

The new M5s from Shanling has all the features you could need, yet it doesn’t cut corners when it comes to the sound quality.

 

Shanling M5s

 

Aesthetics, Build Quality and UI:

 

The M5s is a sleek looking DAP with well thought out placement of buttons and ports. The front panel is mainly filled by the touch screen; however, the screen doesn’t fill the whole panel, there is a space at the bottom that is blank. The rear panel is glass, the right-hand side has the volume knob/power button on it and the left side has playback controls and the microSD card slot. On the bottom you have the 3.5mm single-ended headphone out, 2.5mm TRRS balanced headphone output and the USB-C connector.

 

The overall build quality is excellent, but with all that glass I would advise you get a case and possibly a screen protector for the front. The main chassis is made out of aluminium, the buttons and sockets all feel sturdy and it has a reassuring weight to it.

 

The M5s uses Shanling’s own MTouch firmware which is super intuitive and easy to use. It is based around swiping certain directions to go back and forth between menus, you can customise the home screen and overall it is bug free and smooth in use. There are plenty of sound tuning options, digital filter/EQ/Gain etc… When you dig deep into the settings you can really set it up to how you want it to work, but even out of the box it is really easy to get used to. The now playing screen shows the album art along with the track title and artist, if you want to see the bit rate and other info you can click on the album art and scroll across to the detailed info. Overall the MTouch firmware is sleek, fast and easy to use.

 

 

Features:

 

The M5s has Bluetooth, with which is can be used as a transmitter or receiver, it supports LDAC/AptX/AAC. You can use it as a USB DAC, you can use the USB-C as USB Audio out into an external DAC making the M5s a transport only.

There is WiFi for DLNA, Airplay & OTA update for now, with more features possibly coming in the near future.

16 hours playback in single ended, 9 hours balanced is pretty good for a player of this calibre and price. There are a few more settings and features when you dig into the player, but the above should give you a brief overview of some of the key features.

 

Sound:

 

The M5s upon first listen sounds like any good DAP should, clean and detailed without any obvious colouration going on. When you spend a little more time with it you begin the discover that it has a hint of warmth to it with a fairly easy to listen to sound signature. The M5s is a really easy DAP to get on with during day to day life, it just kind of does its thing in a very easy and effortless way. There is no noticeable roll off, there is also no real colouration anywhere even if it does err slightly on the smoother side over a more analytical sound signature. There is no loss of detail, soundstaging and separation are excellent and the main thing that comes to mind is just natural. The M5s sounds natural, not strained, not trying to throw every little detail at you. It wants you to forget about it and listen to the music.

 

Power wise the M5s is really impressive, it has a pitch-black background with sensitive IEM’s and the low output impedance means it plays well with multi BA setups, yet the high gain setting means you will get enough volume and most likely power for all but the most demanding of headphones.

 

 

Conclusion:

 

The M5s is a great DAP for the price, packing tons of features into a solid and aesthetically pleasing device. The UI is snappy and responsive, the sound quality is neutral and balanced without being too analytical.

Shanling M1 Portable Audio Player Review

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Shanling M1 DAP Review

The Shanling M1 is the perfect everyday DAP, also doubling up as the perfect gym companion, offering a clean and detailed sound for under £150, very impressive.

Pros:

  • Size
  • Features
  • Price to performance

Cons:

  • Button layout could be more like the M2s

Aesthetics, Accessories and User Interface

The Shanling M1 is a tiny player, it is shaped like the later iPod Nano and is sleek and easily slips into your pocket. The front is glass, the edges are aluminium and the back is plastic, you have a volume wheel (which is also the select button) on the top right hand side and the power button underneath. On the other side you have playback buttons (skip track and back), on the bottom you have the USB C port for charging and also file transfer along with the headphone jack and MicroSD slot. The power button also works to unlock the screen, overall the look and feel of this player is excellent.

The M1 comes with a USB cable, Card reader and 4 screen protectors, all you need is a microSD card with music on. Available separately is a leather case, and you can also purchase extra screen protectors.

The user interface is easy to get around, you have plenty of settings and then when in your music you can either browse by Artist, Album, Genre, Playlist, Favourites or display all tracks. The wheel acts as the scrolling mechanism, and click inwards on the wheel to select. The playing screen displays the album artwork, with the format below and the track name and artist. The button layout is not as intuitive and natural as the M2s, but it doesn’t take long to get used to it.

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READ MORE: Thomson WHP3311 Wireless TV Headphone Review

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This player has some added functions, it can be used as an external USB DAC for your computer.
The USB C port can feed a digital signal to an external DAC too, it has high and low gain settings, EQ, two way Bluetooth (AptX) support and more.

Sound

I would class the Shanling M1 as one of the more neutral sounding players, it’s sibling the M2s has a noticeable warmth to the sound that the M1 doesn’t have. The M1 has plenty of gain, but the actual output power is lower than the M2s, meaning the M1 is best paired with in-ear headphones and easier to drive full size ones.

There is still a slight smoothness to the sound, which makes this an easy listen. The lows are slightly full and easy to follow, they are not lacking in extension are definition but they are slightly fuller than a strictly neutral sound.
The mids are detailed and present, and the highs are well extended with possibly a hint of softness making this a non fatiguing and easy listening player.

Conclusion

The M1 is the perfect player for everyday easy listening and also for sports use. It’s size and aftermarket case allow you to clip it to an armband, and the bluetooth support allows you to go wireless when out jogging.

It has some great features like USB DAC support, USB output support, Bluetooth and more, it may not be the most powerful player but for under £150 you get a surprisingly clean and detailed sound.

Shanling H1 Portable Headphone Amplifier Review – A Brawny Baby

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Shanling H1 Portable Headphone Amplifier Review

We’ve been treated to a few of Shanling’s products lately; as well as the excellent M1 and M2S players, this little amp promises to give brands like Fiio a run for their money! The entry-level portables market has been truly cornered by Fiio in recent years, so it will be interesting to see what impact Shanling can make here.

Pros:

  • Small, handy unit
  • Thoughtfully designed volume control
  • Well constructed

Cons:

  • None

Design and Appearance

The Shanling H1 amp is a small unit, being 7cm x 6cm and about 1.5cm thick; about half the size of the average mobile handset. The edges are bevelled and the unit feels good in the hand, with enough weight to feel substantial for its size, although the unit is itself not heavy.

Key Features

The main feature is the recessed knurled volume knob which is centred on one side of the amp, which is protected from accidental operation by the amp’s housing. Power/charge lights are on the top, plus there’s a gain switch and micro-USB socket on the rear for charging. That’s it! The H1 is as simple as it gets for an amp, and it’s all that’s needed.

Durability and Build Quality

The Shanling H1 headphone amp is constructed from aluminium and has a pretty solid feel about it. It will probably have no problem being dropped occasionally, but we’ve not tried this here! The volume knob has a smooth, solid feel as it’s turned and it has enough stiffness not to be operated accidentally whilst in the pocket.

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READ MORE: Oriveti New Primacy Hybrid Driver IEM Review

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Sound Quality

This amp goes loud for its size; we couldn’t resist pairing it up with a HiFiMAN HE-6 which is notoriously difficult to drive. On the low gain setting, and using an incoming line-level signal, the volume goes up to hearing damage levels with the HE-6 on some pieces. Not bad! Of course, we don’t recommend this pairing for getting the best out of the HE-6!

The H1 is designed for portable use, so was tried versus being directly connected to a cheap phone with portable earphones . The sound is faithful and quite neutral, although there is a little more thump coming through with the sub-bass. Music appears to be more relaxed and natural through the amp, where it sounds a little strained with a direct connection. Listening to this amp with a pair of SoundMAGIC E80 earphones is actually very enjoyable!

Summary

Shanling’s new H1 portable amplifier is a palm-sized affair, but Fiio had better start making room anyway!

Shanling M2s Digital Audio Player Review

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Shanling M2s DAP Review

The Shanling M2s is a highly capable, small footprint, high resolution DAP that is feature packed and has superb sonic abilities, do not look further for a sub £200 player.

Pros:

  • Excellent value for money
  • Feature packed
  • Power

Cons:

  • 4.8 Ohm output impedance

Aesthetics, Accessories and User Interface

The Shanling M2s is a great looking player, it is small, sleek and easily slips into your pocket. The front is glass, the edges are aluminium and the back is plastic, you have a volume wheel on the side, a back button underneath. On the other side you have playback buttons (skip track and play/pause) and the MicroSD card slot, on the bottom you have the USB C port for charging and also file transfer, and the headphone jack next to it. The power button on the top also works to unlock the screen, overall the look and feel of this player is excellent.

The M2s comes with a USB cable, Card ready and 4 screen protectors, all you need is a microSD card with music on. Available separately is a leather case, and you can also purchase extra screen protectors.

The user interface is easy to get around, you have plenty of settings and then when in your music you can either browse by Artist, Album, Genre, Playlist, Favourites or display all tracks. The wheel acts as the scrolling mechanism, and click inwards on the wheel to select. The playing screen displays the album artwork, with the format below and the track name and artist.

This player has some added functions, you can set the headphone out as a line-out for use with a hifi system for example, or portable amp. And also it can be used as an external USB DAC for your computer.
The USB C port can feed a digital signal to an external DAC too, it has high and low gain settings, EQ, Bluetooth (AptX) and more. All this for under £200, but none of that matters if it doesn’t sound good.

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READ MORE: SoundMAGIC ST80 Bluetooth Earphone Review

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Sound

The Shanling M2s does not disappoint in the sound department, you would have thought with all those features they may have forgotten about the sound. But they have not, the M2s comes across as a very clean and balanced player, with plenty of power and authority. There is no part of the sound that stands out in particular, it just gets out of the way and lets you enjoy your music.
From sensitive in-ear monitors, to full size headphones, this player can handle most easy to medium hard to drive headphones with ease.

Ok so what’s the catch? Well more expensive players do have the upper hand in build quality and features most of the time (This has lots, but no balanced output). But also high end players are more resolving of the finer detail in music.

Now for on the go use, the extra detail from high end players is not needed, and the M2s is truly excellent for the price, it is balanced with maybe a hint of warmth to the sound, never fatiguing but also not altering the sound of your headphones to a huge extent. It has good dynamics, but a slightly limited soundstage, this is nitpicking however.

Conclusion

The M2s is a perfect partner for your daily commute, or exercise routine, it is also the perfect transport for the audiophiles out there. Hook it up to an external DAC and you have an excellent rig. But on it’s own it really doesn’t disappoint with a clear, balanced if not slightly smooth sound that works with all sorts of headphones.