Shanlinghas long flexed its muscles in the portable audio player scene, andM6,the latest digital audio player offering takes its place at the top ofShanling’sHi-Res audio player line-up.M6is the firstShanlingaudio player to run Android OS and is armed with Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Wireless Audio certification taking your audio to the next level.
With the fully customised Android system,Shanling M6audio player avoids any sound quality problems caused by its built-in sample rate conversion. WithM6,all sounds from any app are output without any conversion, all the way up to 768kHz.
Highlights…
- First ever Android-powered Shanling audio player
- Open Android system eliminates sound degradation and compatibility issues
- High-quality two-way Bluetooth connection
- Minimalistic style with curved glass panels and aluminium frame
- Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Wireless Audio certified
- Support of high-resolution audio files up to 32bit/768 kHz and DSD128
- Dual AK4495SEQ, with both DACs working even in Single-Ended mode
- Smooth wireless streaming with 2.4G / 5G dual-frequency Wi-Fi
- 3.5mm single-ended output and both 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs
- Qualcomm Quick charge 3.0
The powerful design of theShanling M6includes an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 CPU, combined with 4G RAM and 32G ROM, to assure swift and lag-free system performance. To make sure there is enough space for your portable music theM6supports microSD cards up to 2TB.
Premium Components
M6 is armed with two AKM AK4495SEQ DACs combined with two Japanese KDS low-phase noise active crystal oscillators and special FPGA coding technology independently developed by Shanling. Each additional component was selected very carefully to achieve maximum performance of these outstanding and unique DACs.
Advanced Amplifier
With two TI OPA1612 acting as low-pass filters and two ADI AD8397 amplifiers, M6 provides extremely clean and balanced output with lots of power and very quiet background. M6 also uses an additional ADI 8397 amplifier, enabling use of both DAC chips even in single-ended mode.
Hi-Res Audio
M6 earned the ‘Hi-Res Audio’ and ‘Hi-Res Wireless Audio’ certifications from Japan Audio Society. This means the sound produced by the M6 is a near-perfect representation of the original recording.
Complete Connectivity
Equipped with 3.5mm single-ended output and both 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs, M6 can be connected to a much wider range of headphones and earphones without the need for additional adapters.
Modern design, high quality materials – aluminum and glass
The Shanling M6 Pro takes up the elegant design of the previous portable music players and consistently develops them further.The design is deliberately kept minimalist, the materials used are extremely noble. A frame made of light and at the same time robust aluminum and rounded display glass with 4.7″ in the front.Frosted and hardened glass is also used on the back, which not only further emphasises the value of the titanium gray housing, but also effectively protects it from fingerprints and other stains.
Open and versatile – Android as operating system with “AGLO”
Android is ideal for a portable music player like the Shanling M6 Pro. Perfect usability via the IPS touchscreen with HD resolution, access to a variety of Android apps such as Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz and more, as well as adaptability to your own wishes and requirements.
And when it comes to “adaptability”, Shanling has used all options and implemented “AGLO” – the “Android Global Losless Output” system. This means that not only the Shanling music player app integrated into the system bypasses the sampling rate converter integrated in Android, but the optimised audio path is available to every app.
Full hardware power – 8-core processor, 4 GB RAM and more
Listening to music can be a complex thing on the hardware side. Each file format has different requirements for the processor and the higher the data rate, bit depth and resolution, the more the system is required.With its 64-bit 8-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 and 4 GB RAM, the Shanling M6 Pro is up to all requirements and you can press the “Play” button and enjoy.And when it comes to storage space, the M6 Pro is at the top. At the start there is 32 GB of storage space available, the storage can be expanded via microSD card up to 2 TB.
In addition, access to your music via various music services via Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and Co. is available, as well as playing music from your NAS via DLNA.
Gain factor adjustable – maximum performance, highest control or balanced
Not every headphone is the same – and accordingly their requirements and demands on the driving amplifier.Of course, this is also known at Shanling, and so the gain factor on the Shanling M6 Pro can be set in three stages. Low gain factor for sensitive and sensitive in-ear headphones, high gain factor for demanding headphones and a balanced gain factor for everyone else.
Can also be wireless – Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi with 2.4 and 5 GHz
The Shanling M6 Pro is also a real all-rounder when it is wireless. It receives music via Bluetooth from any source via LDAC and SBC and then passes the music on to the connected headphones symmetrically or asymmetrically. And of course it sends music from internal storage or streaming services and DLNA via Bluetooth to compatible Bluetooth headphones. This even happens via LDAC, HWA LDHC, SBC, aptX and aptX HD.
The M6 Pro is also completely convincing in WLAN mode. 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz are available, with which access to the home NAS and the Internet for firmware updates and music services works easily and reliably.
A real all-rounder – also with the USB connection
Not only that the Shanling M6 Pro can be used as a USB DAC with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz, no, it can also be “the other way around”.Connect the M6 Pro via USB to a separate USB DAC and use it as a high-quality USB transport.
Clear view ahead – 4.7 “/ 11.9 cm IPS touch display with HD resolution
Even if we buy a portable music player to listen to the best quality music, the player also needs to be operated and controlled. It has rarely been as elegant as the Shanling M6 Pro.He has built an almost all-over, viewing angle stable IPS display from Sharp with HD resolution / 720 x 1280 pixels. And with the nano-anti-fingerprint coating you always have everything in view, and in the best quality.Charge once, have a long time – Up to 13 hours of music playback
With its gigantic 4,000 mAh battery capacity, you only need to charge the Shanling M6 Pro once to be able to listen to music continuously for up to 13 hours.And if you prefer the more power-hungry (but sonically more advantageous) symmetrical playback mode, you can have up to eight hours of fun with it.It is then quickly loaded again via Quick Charge QC 3.0 so that you don’t have to do without your mobile companion any longer than absolutely necessary.
Specifications…
- System: Custom Android 7.1
- Audio formats: DSF, DFF, ISO, DXD, APE, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, AIF, DTS, MP3, WMA, ACC, OGG, ALAC, MP2, M4A, AC3, M3U, M3U8
- Support up to: 32bit/768kHz DSD128 (Hardware), DSD 256 (Software)
- Switchable gain: High and Low
- Storage: 32GB ROM + microSD card up to 2TB
- DAC: 2 x AK4495SEQ
- Digital Filter: 5 different filters
- Output power: 160mW@32ohm Single-Ended, 350mW@32ohm Balanced
- Output impedance: 1 Ohm (Single-Ended), 2 Ohm (Balanced)
- Outputs: 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm
- Bluetooth: 4.2 with support of LDAC, LHDC, aptX HD, aptX, SBC
- WiFi standard: 2.4G / 5G
- Battery life: 12 hours single-ended, 9 hours balanced
- Size: 71×17.5×133.5 (mm)
- Screen: 4.7 inch, 720×1280 Sharp ISP HD
- Weight: 228g
Read up on some reviews here – Audiophileon / The Headphone List
