Immediately, Louis critiques the Shanling UA6, the corporate’s flagship quad CS43131 moveable dongle DAC with as much as 360mW of balanced output energy. It’s priced at $159.
Disclaimer: This pattern was despatched to me in alternate for my sincere opinion. Headfonics is an impartial web site with no affiliate hyperlinks or standing. I thank Shanling for his or her help.
Click on right here to study extra about Shanling merchandise we beforehand reviewed on Headfonics.
This text follows our present scoring tips which you’ll learn in additional element right here.
Shanling UA6 Evaluation
Abstract
When you think about the characteristic set, the clear noiseless, darkish background it produces together with a large soundstage with plenty of depth and peak, all of it combines to make the Shanling UA6 a horny alternative should you want a good-sounding dongle DAC that received’t break the financial institution.
Execs
Giant lifelike soundstage.
Function packed.
Hybrid battery system.
Cons
Sharp corners.
Could be too impartial sounding for some.
Not for some headphones beneath a sure effectivity degree.
Most up-to-date-day audio gear producers have their model of a twin DAC chip dongle however fashions with 4 DAC chips are a uncommon breed, and it’s virtually indulgent in a dongle DAC should you ask me.
Shanling simply launched one and it appears to make use of not solely a quad-DAC setup but additionally has many options discovered on some top-tier fashions and supersedes their earlier prime fashions. What I don’t get is how can Shanling supply a flagship mannequin at a lowered price ticket.
The sequentially named Shanling UA6 is, at current, Shanling’s prime mannequin and we’ll break it down on this product overview. Extra for much less is an efficient begin I’d say.
Options
What does the UA6 have inside? 4 CS43131 chips have been positioned contained in the Shanling UA6 and that’s a number of chips to feed however you may also run it in dual-chip mode to avoid wasting on gasoline. LDO energy regulation is used to produce clear energy to the circuitry.
Talking of gasoline, the UA6 additionally has a hybrid 2.0 battery system that takes the burden off your cell system’s battery, a la UA5. The interior battery is rated at 220mAh which ought to offer you a couple of good hours should you use environment friendly IEMs.
Simply the identical as some producers, Shanling employs this inner battery to produce energy to the circuitry and bypass the USB-supplied energy on to keep away from any noisy USB energy circumstances.
The entrance finish of the UA6 makes use of a ComTrue CT7601 and mixed with the quad-DAC chipset, you’re in a position to decode as much as 768kHz/32bit and native DSD512.
The UA6 additionally has a USB 1.0 gaming mode, selectable within the onboard display menu. A six-color LED signifies what format and bitrate the UA6 is receiving.
There’s no point out of a separate amplification part throughout the fundamental circuit diagram posted by Shanling. Nonetheless, the UA6 produces a modest 110mW from the SE aspect, and 360mW from the balanced aspect on a 32Ω load.
Design
The design points of the Shanling UA6 aren’t as smooth because the UA5 design and Shanling opted for an oblong form with a ribbed aspect and an anodized end. This mannequin has some sharp edges that you could really feel when hand-held.
All of the buttons are positioned on one aspect of the unit and there are three with a multifunction button useless middle and two quantity management buttons that double as much as scroll by way of the system menu.
The display dimension is 1.3 inches and with a shade show vibrant sufficient to be seen in direct daylight if correctly adjusted.
In inventory type, the display comes with the brightness degree midway and you’ll modify the brightness both from throughout the built-in menu or by way of the Eddict app. There’s additionally a display time-out adjustment.
I/O
The IO is so simple as it comes. There’s a USB kind C on one finish as talked about, you may also swap the UA6 to work on UAC1.0. The port appears to be a 3.0 port because the plug has a 3.0 blue plug.
The opposite finish comprises the 2 headphone output jacks, a 3.5mm single-ended, and a 4.4mm balanced Pentaconn connection. Each are gold-plated.
The three.5mm can be utilized as a digital SPDIF port, selectable throughout the system menu however to make use of that characteristic, you’ll have to buy a separate adapter or connectivity for older iOS gear that makes use of Lightning connectors.
Eddict Participant
I do know first-timers will probably be a bit confused after they join their UA6 to the Eddict Participant for the primary time anticipating to instantly have entry to all of the options.
By the best way, all of the options are accessible throughout the entrance panel display or hidden throughout the Eddict App.
To entry them throughout the app you could go to the highest, left aspect of the app and drop the menu beneath the three-line image. Inside that menu, you could select USB management, you then select the UA6.
There you’ll discover 5 selectable digital filters, the UAC selector, a two-way acquire, brightness, steadiness, display orientation, a theme selector, DAC mode, and some different options that, once more, will be selectable throughout the built-in onboard display menu.
Battery Consumption
I did discover some battery consumption though the UA6 claims to have a hybrid 220mAh battery. I performed 4 to six tracks and my accessible battery degree dropped by a share.
If I’m not mistaken, the UA5 had a selectable hybrid choice however I couldn’t discover the identical characteristic throughout the UA6’s menu. There’s no point out of the characteristic throughout the fast begin information both.
Don’t count on the UA6 to run off your cell system’s energy and never eat battery as a result of it assists with powering the system however doesn’t present an choice to be fully battery-powered.
Packaging and Equipment
The field that the Shanling UA6 is available in measures round 3 x 3 inches, has a metallic tint and is properly illustrated with product info. A few of the print is tough to learn, nevertheless, because of lack of distinction.
Inside you’ll discover the dongle nestled inside a foam mildew and beneath {that a} flat black field with all of the equipment.
Inside that field you’ll discover the USB-C cable with a full-size USB adapter, however no lightning connectivity though, as acknowledged beforehand, the UA6 is iOS suitable.
Three items of literature full the package deal. There’s a guaranty info pamphlet, a fast information, and a Shanling product brochure. In addition they throw in a few small Hello-Res stickers.
Sound Impressions
As the principle testing supply, I used my Moto Edge with Android 14 and the equipped USB-C cable.
I additionally used the UA6 on my PC with iFi audio’s iPurifier3 to see if energy and line filtering would make a distinction which on this case it didn’t, indicating that the UA6 will not be vulnerable to noise pickup.
The HIFIMAN Sundara have been the headphones I used essentially the most however I additionally used the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano, the Meze Audio 99 Classics, and a few IEMs just like the THIEAUDIO Oracle MKII and the ORIVETI OH700VB.
Abstract
The Shanling UA6 has a clear, detailed, and impartial sound signature with wonderful dynamics and a really darkish background. It delivers a full-spectrum sound and a pure presentation, with a well-extended however managed bass, a easy midrange, and a barely ethereal treble.
The low finish is impartial and medium-textured and presents readability over shade. It leans towards a extra impartial and refined presentation fairly than extreme coloration, heat, or bloat.
The UA6 midrange comes by way of clear, with good weight, and is pure in tonality. The vocals sound lifelike, neither too ahead nor recessed.
It additionally sounds fairly expanded. Instrument separation is well-defined, making it an excellent dongle for vocal-heavy and acoustic tracks.
The highs are crisp however not harsh, offering good sparkle with out extreme brightness. There’s a slight emphasis on element retrieval right here, however the total treble stays easy, making it non-fatiguing even for lengthy listening classes.
The highs can attribute their readability largely, to the darkish background the UA6 produces which helps intimately retrieval and permits the listener to see a transparent, clear image of what’s contained in a recording.
Staging & Dynamics
The Shanling UA6 has an impressively spacious soundstage for a dongle DAC, with sense of depth and width. It appears to excel in peak, which was obvious because of the audible, over-the-top presentation it produces.
Imaging appears exact with a minimal quantity of crowding, permitting devices and vocals to be precisely positioned, inside their contained house and the confines of the soundstage.
The UA6 has an expansive and well-layered soundstage. It presents an correct picture, permitting devices and vocals to really feel well-separated fairly than congested.
Click on on web page 2 beneath for my really helpful pairings and chosen comparisons.
