Shanling UP Portable DAC Review
Shanling UP Pros&Cons
Pros
- Incredibly compact
- Great sound
- Included cables
Cons
- MSRP is a bit steep
- No internal battery
- Relies on digital volume control
Shanling UP Specs
- Output Power: 65mW (32Ω)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz ~ 20kHz
- SNR: 108dB
- THD+N: ≤ 0.004%
- File Support: PCM 44.1kHz – 192kHz, DSD 64FS and 128FS
Packaging
The UP is only our 2nd experience with Shanling products, but there definitely is a satisfying theme at play here. Between the UP and the M2s, Shanling really have nailed the packaging as far consistancy and overall aesthetic design is concerned. It’s actually a pretty minimalist design, showing only a sillouhette of the UP on the front, whilst featuring black glossy text and logos on the sides to contrast with the matte black finish. It’s stealthy, it’s grown up, and it works.
The only minor complaint is that the lid does sit rather snuggly with the base. This was the same issue with the M2s as well. All this means is that removing the lid is a bit tricky, as it requires you to use your nails to try and grip the sides of the base, and then shimmy the lid away.
What’s in the box?
- Shanling UP
- Lightning to USB-C cable
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- Full-size male USB to USB-C cable
- Micro-USB to USB-C cable
- User guide
- Warranty leaflet
Accessories
At this price-point, surely it’s not unreasonable to have hoped for some sort of accessory to be included with the UP. Perhaps even just a leather or even silicon protective case could’ve been nice. But, to be fair, Shanling did include nearly every type of cable you could possibly need to connect the UP to a mobile device.
Design
In the same way that we’ve seen Shanling settle on definite design similarities in the packaging of the M2s and UP, we see the same trend when it comes to the design of the actual devices. In fact, due to the more elongated proportions of the UP, it seems even more similar to Shanling’s upcoming flagship – the M3s.
It’s that rounded top-right corner and glossy face that gives the UP an unmistakably “Shanling” design. It’s minimalist, it’s modern, and it looks great.
Aside from those design-nuances, the Shanling also shares a somewhat similar design to the Fiio K1. After all, both devices are intended to perform the exact same function, albeit it in a slightly larger form-factor and significantly higher price-point for the UP.
Unfortunately, we did not have a K1 available for direct comparison, and as such the Audioengine D3 was used instead.
However, in terms of design, all of these ‘USB-stick’ type of external DACs all have the same problem – no internal battery. What this means is that the only way they can operate is by drawing power directly from whichever device they are connected to. This, of course, means that the DAC will drain your source device (most likely a smartphone), but just how much of a drain it will be will depend on how efficient the external DAC device is. This may or may not be an issue for your use, but it’s just something that you’d need to be aware of.
Sound
As always, it’s incredibly important (when comparing audio devices) to ensure that both devices are volume-matched as closely as possible. Unfortunately, this is where we run into the first issue with the UP. To be fair though, this is not an issue that exclusively affects the UP, but is true for ALL devices that employ a digital volume control rather than an analogue one. As is the case with other devices that are similar to the UP (such as the DragonFly, K1, and D3), none of them have their own volume controls, which means that the volume has to be controlled from the source device. This means that you do not have precise control over the volume level, but more annoyingly is that it’s (in most cases) impossible to volume-match 2 devices if they both rely on digital volume control. For example, both devices might increase by exactly 1dB for each volume step, but if one starts off at 0.3dB and the other at 0.7dB, then you will never be able to get them to be at exactly the same level as each volume step would increase the volume by the same increment (1dB).
So, unfortunately, we can’t make a concrete comparison between the sound characteristics of the UP and the D3, simply because, no matter what you do, one will always be louder than the other, and so an accurate comparison cannot be made.
Having said that, it was possible to accurately match (to within 0.1dB) the volume of the UP with Shanling’s own M2s, as well as the Micro iDSD Black Label.
Compared to the M2s’ built in DAC and amp circuitry, the UP certainly has a bit more of a neutral and analytical sound, but for the most part Shanling’s in-house sound is very much present. The most surprising thing is just how damn good such a tiny device can sound. Seriously, the UP is a little marvel. Details are all present and there’s a very satisfying amount of instrument separation and stage width. It’s one of those things that really make you wonder if you reeeeaaaally need a stand-alone DAP, rather than simply using the UP with your smartphone.
However, compared to the Micro iDSD Black Label, the UP really reveals its limitations. Now, of course, one shouldn’t expect the tiny little UP to be on the same level as something like the iDSD BL, but I personally use the iDSD BL as a benchmark for what truly exceptional sound reproduction should sound like in a portable form factor.
When comparing the two it becomes clear that the UP certainly is no replacement for the sheer awesomeness of the iFi, but also serves as a great way to showcase just how good the little UP is given its size.
The iDSD BL simply does everything related to sonic performance better. It retrieves and portrays details better, along with providing greater extension in the upper registers. It’s also got a wider stage, giving the listener a more realistic stereo-image. But the sonic difference between the two is nowhere near being proportional to their size differences.
As mentioned before, the iDSD BL’s superiority shouldn’t come as a surprise. Let’s keep in mind, though, that the iDSD BL not only costs nearly 4-times as much as the UP, but more important is the fact that the iDSD BL is (in terms of volume) a whopping 30-times bigger than the UP. That’s a pretty significant difference in terms of portability, and just goes to show how much of a sonic punch the UP packs relative to its size.
Read:IFI Micro iDSD Black Label DAC/AMP Review
Value
Officially, the UP is pegged at an MSRP if $150, exactly on par with Shanling’s M1 DAP, and a mere $50 less than their M2s DAP. So, judging the value of the UP can be a little tricky. If we were to only consider its raw sonic performance, then the UP is a fantastic little device. For such a small form factor it kinda boggles the mind that it’s even possible to get so much detail and accuracy.
However, as a device, the UP doesn’t have the same value as something like the M2s. Yes, sonically the UP does seem to be a bit better sounding than the M2s, but the M2s is of course a far more versatile device. So, despite costing a third more than the UP, the M2s is a device that packs more bang-for-buck value.
There are 2 elements that do give the UP a few redeeming value points, though. Firstly are all the cables included. At the end of the day, the UP is not a stand-alone device, and as such would need to be connected to a source component. So it was great of Shanling to include so many cables with the UP. This should ensure that you can simply purchase the UP and start using it right away.
But, perhaps the biggest redeeming factor is that, despite having an MSRP of $150, the UP can sometimes be found online for around $100 instead. This makes a huge difference in the perceived value of the UP, as the online prices seem to be more in balance with what the UP is as a device.
Rating
The TECH MERIT rating system is designed to take as many aspects of the device into account as possible. As such, we have a basic rating, as well as a final rating. The basic rating rates the product purely as a high quality portable audio device, and is generally a good indicator of how it stacks up to its rivals in terms of standard features and specs. The final rating, however, grants bonus points for any extra features and specs that aren’t quite as common, and is a great way to judge the product as a complete package.
Packaging
Look and feel: 8 / 10
Included Accessories
Protective case: –
Cables: YES
Build
Quality control: 9 / 10
Seems durable: YES
Use of metal: YES
Relative silence when inserting cables: 8 / 10
Sound
Sound stage: 8 / 10
Detail retrieval: 8 / 10
Sibilance: 8 / 10
Instrument separation: 7 / 10
Neutrality of sound signature: 8 / 10
Plays lossless audio: YES
Plays 24-bit: YES
Hiss: 8 / 10
Portability
Small size: 10 / 10
Relatively low weight: 10 / 10
battery life more than 10 hours: –
Value
Competitive price-point: YES
Relative value: 7 / 10
Basic Rating: 8.2
Bonus points
Has a screen: –
Ability to EQ: –
Bass boost: –
Various digital filters: –
Number of cables included: 4
Number of gain positions: –
Fast charging: –
How premium the case feels: –
Bluetooth: –
Apt-X: –
Premium look and feel of the device: 7 / 10
Number of digital connections: 1
Number of analogue connections: 1
Power adapter included: –
Balanced output: –
WiFi: –
Dual DAC setup: –
Premium DAC chip(s) used: YES
Plays DSD: YES
Plays 32-bit: –
Wireless connection quality: –
Final Rating: 8.8
