Shanling UP6 Review
Intro
Hello, this review and feature covers the latest from Shanling Audio named the Shanling Audio UP6. The UP6 is an ultra-portable Bluetooth dac/amp and happens to be the latest in a fairly long line of Shanling BT dac/amps. Appropriately enough, the UP6 is named in simple chronological order following the other “UP” series devices from Shanling. Those being the Shanling UP2, Shanling UP4, Shanling UP5 and of course the mighty new Shanling creation which I’m reviewing today, the Shanling UP6. To be quite honest, I was almost shocked to see the UP6 show up this year as it’s going on four years since we saw any upgrade to this series as the Shanling UP5 was released in June of 2021. The funny part is that the UP5 is still a very solid Bluetooth dac/amp. I have no idea why Shanling held off for as long as they did, but I can say that beyond the shadow of a doubt the audio “Hi-fi” community is primed to see this series carry on.
Shanling
Shanling Audio is a true staple of the Hi-fi Audio world, and no doubt has made its mark all over the globe. Did you know that Shanling launched its first Hifi amplifier as far back as 1988! That blew my mind. I would’ve never guessed that Shanling has been in the game that long. Talk about staying power! That is flat-out impressive. Especially in this day and age when brands come and go like the changing of the seasons. To stay in the business as long as they have takes some steadfast ingenuity, expertise, smart business decisions, and a willingness to try new things with a finger on the pulse of consumer trends. The consumer can and will sniff out a brand who’s only trying to catch the next dollar. Like my Dad always said, “Son, the cream will always rise to the top”. Of course, that was for football, but it’s the same in audio as those brands which do the work, make the sacrifices, and sweat through the tough stuff will eventually be rewarded. Without question it isn’t an accident that Shanling has made it this far. It comes down to the people at the top making sure that everyone buys into the mission statement and the plan. It takes having solid visions, staying right at the cutting edge of tech as well as having the resources, inventive R&D, experts, and the ability to see their creations through to completion. These are all attributes that Shanling has in spades. There’s quality in a Shanling product that not every brand can duplicate. Seriously though, 1988! I don’t know how long I thought they’d been in the game, but I would’ve never guessed 37 years!
Personal Experience
At any rate, Shanling is generally most well known for their dac/amps, daps, and amplifiers. However, they’ve also been very successful selling their iems too. In fact, I’ve reviewed a couple of them myself. Such as the truly spectacular Shanling MG600 (MG600 Review) as well as the much less expensive but equally impressive Shanling Tino (Tino Review). That said, I have owned more Shanling products than almost any other brand not named Fiio or KZ. I’ve always had a Shanling dap. Truth be told, my all-time favorite dap under $1k is without question the Shanling M6 Ultra. I use it every day of my life and within every review. I’m convinced it’s still the best that money can buy under $1k (I know that’s a highly debatable statement). Just in sound alone. Let alone it’s amazing functionality. Another completely amazing dac/amp for right around $100 that I currently use for my reviews is the awesome Shanling H0. I haven’t reviewed it yet, but I certainly will soon. Truly awesome for the price and I am happy to talk about it soon. However, that is just a couple of examples out of a multitude of devices. Folks, I don’t just say this to prop up Shanling either. I say all of this so that the consumer knows what they’re getting in a Shanling product, and I speak from experience. I’ve owned the Shanling UA1, Shanling UA1 Plus, Shanling UA2, Shanling UA4, Shanling UP4, Shanling M1S, Shanling M3X, Shanling H0, Shanling M6, Shanling M6 Pro, Shanling M6 Ultra and I imagine I will keep looking to purchase their products or review Shanling products as long as I can. It’s simply a brand that I trust… completely.
Not bad at all…
Well folks, the UP6 has arrived at my door, and I’ve had the pleasure of playing around with it and listening to my tunes for a little over an hour now and I can tell you that it already is one of the best Bluetooth dac/amps that I’ve used at this cost. Friends, I don’t say that loosely. I’ve owned the other big hitters too. Namely one of my absolute favorites in the Ifi Go Blu (comparison later), as well as the Fiio BTR17 (very short lived), Fiio BTR7, BTR5, Qudelix 5K, and a handful of others. Unquestionably, the UP6 is a very nice sounding device. Now, I get to learn about the rest of its abilities and quirks etc. I’ll spend every day of the next two weeks getting to know the UP6 and meet you back here for my thoughts. Truthfully, I am glad to be able to talk about this device. Also, I am more than ready to get into this review so sorry for cutting this short. This should be awesome. So, without further ado… the Shanling UP6….
Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:
Disclaimer:
I received the Shanling UP6 from Shanling Audio as review sample. In exchange I will conduct a full review and feature of the UP6 at Mobileaudiophile.com. I have not received any payment or any other form of compensation for this review. Also, Shanling Audio has not requested to pre-read any review and doesn’t have any control over “what” or “when” anything gets published to mobileaudiophile.com. All thoughts within this review are my own, though please take note that I will always have my own biases. This is impossible to get around. I try to be as objective as my subjective self can be, but this is an opinion piece folks. Thank you to the very kind people of Shanling, and thank you for reading.
UP6 Pros
-Build Quality
-Overall aesthetic is very slick looking. I love the case too
-Qualcomm QCC5125 SOC chip
-Dual ESS9069Q dac chips
-626mW max output power is awesome for a portable BT device
-One of the best screens (1.54”) on any portable BT player
-Loaded with every useful feature
-LDAC & Aptx-Adaptive (among other BT audio codecs)
-Very easy to use, intuitive
-Very clean neutral/warm sound
-Balanced sound with nice dynamism
-Influences a tidy yet also sound
-Technically adept across the board
-No added ESS glare
-The UP6 won’t influence veil or sharpness from your earphones/headphones
UP6 Cons
-A hair larger than other portable BT dac/amps
-4.5 hours battery life listening on 4.4 balanced
-There’s nothing else which seems like a surefire “con” to me
Gear used for testing
-Too many iems to mention here
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
The Shanling UP6 arrived at my home in a fairly small square box. The UP6 box has a nice graphic on the front, some specs on the back as well. Open the box and you’ll see the UP6 chilling looking gorgeous in foam cut-outs. Take out that layer and you’ll see the manual, the type-c to usb-A charging cable, a usb-c to usb-a adapter, as well as a type-c data cable for wired listening. As always, the packaging doesn’t contain a whole lot of extras. Now, Shanling did send me “separately” the UP6 leather case as well which was a wonderful thing to see. I will speak on that later. Honestly folks, there really isn’t much to talk about with any source device unboxing. Also, not bad Shanling.
Leather Case (Sold Seperately)
As I said, Shanling kindly sent over (as an extra) the orange/light-brown leather case which snuggly fits over the UP6. You’ll see it pictured in this review. The leather case can be picked up HERE for right around $15. This is the exact same color and style of case that was provided to me with my Shanling M6 Ultra as well. Really, it transforms an already dope looking little BT dac/amp giving it a nice-looking face lift. Man am I a sucker for a nice case. I adore the look of it, the feel of it, and I love the protection that this extra case offers. I’m telling you folks, if you plan on picking up the UP6, I would try to spring for the case as well. I realize it’s a slight bit more cost up front, but it really is worth it. Now, do I think you “need” the leather case? Absolutely not. It’s simply some extra protection from drops. At any rate, the leather case comes with a good ⅛” of padding all the way around the UP6 and I adore the feel ans smoothness of this case. It’s simply a handsome look. Like putting a nice suit on your device. Again, not needed but… nice to have.
Specifications
General info:
–Product: Shanling UP6 Bluetooth dac/amp
–Brand: Shanling Audio
–DAC Chips: Dual ESS ES9069Q
–Amplification Chips: Dual SGM8262-2
–Bluetooth Chip: Qualcomm QCC5125
–Bluetooth Version: 5.2
–Supported Codecs: LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, aptX, AAC, SBC
–USB Interface: XMOS XU316
–Format Support: PCM up to 768kHz/32bit, DSD512, MQA x8
–Inputs: USB-C (Audio/Data & Charging)
–Outputs: 3.5mm Single-Ended & 4.4mm Balanced
–Battery: 950mAh
–Playback Time: Up to 6.5h (SE) / 4.5h (BAL)
–Charging Time: Approx. 2h
–Recommended Charger: 5V / 500mA
–Dimensions: 70 x 39 x 14mm
–Weight: 51g
–Color: Grey
Inside the Box:
- 1x Shanling UP6
- 1x USB A to Type-C Cable
- 1x Type-C to Type-C Cable
- 1x USB A to Type-C Adapter
- 1x Quick Start Guide
- 1x Product Book
- 1x Warranty Card
- 2x Small Gold Label
Sound Specifications
3.5 Single Ended:
Single Dac Output Power (3.5 single ended)
–Low Gain: 45 mW @ 32 ohms
–High Gain: 180 mW @ 32 ohms
Dual Dac Output Power (3.5 single ended)
–Low Gain: 48 mW @ 32 ohms
–High Gain: 195 mW @ 32 ohms
–Frequency Response: 20hz to 40khz (-0.5db)
–THD+N: 0.0008 @32Q (A weight @ 0.5V)
–Dynamic Range: 123db @ 32Q
–Channel Separation: 75db @ 32Q
–SNR: 124db @ 32Q
–Noise Floor: 115db
–Output Impedance: <1Q
4.4 Balanced:
Output Power (4.4 balanced)
–Low Gain: 155 mW @32 ohms
–High Gain: 626 mW @32 ohms
–Frequency Response: 20hz to 40khz (-0.5db)
–THD+N: 0.0008 @ 32Q (A weight @ 0.5V)
–Dynamic Range: 128db @ 32Q
–Channel Separation: 75db @ 32Q
–SNR: 128db @ 32Q
–Noise Floor: 119db
–Output Impedance: 1.2Q
Build / Design / Internals / Controls / Misc. Device info
Build Quality
Let’s take a look at the actual build quality of the brand new Shanling UP6. Folks, the UP6’s body (shell) is made entirely out of what I assume is aluminum. I don’t see anywhere that the shell material is listed. In fact, the body design is strikingly similar to the Shanling UA6 (which I’ll be reviewing soon). You can see along the side of the UP6 is the same ribbed “hear sinks” that you see on many electronic devices. At least that’s what they look like to me. I love that they give the UP6 a very tactile feel, and they look cool too. There’s also a glass panel on the front which encases the beautiful 1.54” color screen. In the middle of the front panel Shanling added an NFC area as well. Also, on the top of the screen is an indicator light which can express what sample rates you have, or it also acts as. Honestly, for a device which measures 70mm x 39mm x 14mm and weighs only 51 grams, it seems to be the perfect size. You’ll notice that all of the actual hardware buttons (no volume wheel) are located on the right side of the unit. Of course, Shanling added in the ability to rotate the screen for whatever orientation works best for you. Similar to some of their other devices, like the Shanling M1S. On the bottom of the UP6 you’ll see the 3.5 single ended and 4.4 balanced ports. Lastly, you’ll see the type-c port in the top side of the unit. Folks, the build is fantastic. I really mean that. It’s substantial, nothing weak or chinsy feeling. Every square inch of the UP6 looks and feels durable and finely crafted.
Design
As far as the design is concerned, I am so happy with this device. The Shanling UP6 comes in a cubed rectangular design and looks absolutely striking in my opinion. I like it much better than the Fiio BTR17 for instance. Of course, I would’ve loved to see a volume wheel. However, not a big loss. At any rate, the design is gorgeous as the unit looks like a dope little Hi-fi device. The screen is bright, vivid, and just looks so cool as it shows the track playing and a ton of useful info. Then you throw on the case and it’s the best-looking Bluetooth dac/amp on the market. My opinion of course. Really a great design with its 90-degree angles, rectangular, very sharp looking anyway that you turn it. Nice work Shanling.
Internals
So Shanling loaded the UP6 with just about every solid tech that you can place inside of a BT dac/amp short of ANC for under $200. The first thing that I saw was very promising as Shanling went with a very capable SOC chip in the Qualcomm QCC5125 chip. This chip offers a litany of features that I’ll explain later. I was also pleased to see the XMOS XU316 usb input which comes equipped with dual KDS active crystal oscillators. Truly an awesome inclusion which offers PCM 32bit/768khz as well as native 512DSD. You’d be surprised how awesome this device sounds when listening through the usb-c port in USB dac mode. It certainly performs at its peak in this way. Anyways, you don’t get much more hi-res than that. Shanling also added in two SGM8262 amplifiers which pump out a max 626mW of power, which is wild to see in a portable Bluetooth dac/amp. Granted Fiio’s BTR17 also has roughly the same output. However, what made me the most excited was the fact that Shanling opted for dual ESS9069Q dac chips. I have only enjoyed anything utilizing these specific chips in the past and so it was nice to see them here. Glad this wasn’t another device with either CS43131, CS43198, or ES9038Q2M dac chips. Not that any of those are necessarily bad, because I’ve heard great things from each of those chips. However, the ESS9069Q chip generally has some awesome capabilities and sound quality. Another nice internal inclusion is the SiSonic microphone which provides CVC 8.0 noise cancellation for any phone calls. Again, loaded.
Controls / Buttons / Functionality
As I spoke about earlier, the UP6 has all its button controls on the right side of the device. Each button controls multiple commands. So, on the right side you’ll see at the top an arrow up button, below that is the multi-function button and below that is an arrow down button. Underneath all three is the power & lock button. The up arrow will either scroll up when going through settings or it will switch to the next track as well as volume up while listening to music. The center multi-function button is what you press to open up the settings menu (with a long press) as well as to choose different settings and it will act as play/pause while listening to music. You can answer and hangup phone calls with the multi-function button. Also, you can refuse a call by tapping this button twice. Next, the arrow down button will scroll down when looking through settings as well as go to the previous track and volume down as well. Of course, the power button at the bottom right side will power on or off your device as well as act as a lock button. This is a very easy device to use and Shanling made all buttons very intuitive and easy to commit to memory. Each command press is recognized instantly the moment you press them which is nice to see. There’s no real lag time waiting for the UP6 to observe your command. In fact, everything is easy on the UP6.
Screen
As I told you earlier, the Shanling UP6 comes equipped with a very vibrant 1.54” square screen on the front of the device. This screen has options in the settings menu on the device to adjust the brightness to your liking. I shouldn’t say the screen is going to blow your mind or anything but it’s certainly a very nice high-resolution screen which gets very bright and can easily be seen even during peak sun. It’s a great visual on the front of the UP6 and really does add to the overall aesthetic in a pleasing way.
Device Menu Options
Each function in the menu settings on the UP6 can be found by long pressing the play/pause button, or the “multi-function” button. To cycle through the settings all you have to do is press the multi-function button once and it will go to the next setting. Again, very easy to use. It took me all of a minute to commit it to muscle memory.
Gain Controls
The first setting to show up on the device is the gain functionality. Shanling made sure to give the UP6 two different gain values of “low” and “high” gain. Simply press the up or down arrows to cycle through each gain level. This is obviously a great function to have when a device like this has a whopping 626mW of max output. Obviously, you don’t need all of that most of the time, especially with iems (again, most of the time). I should add that there is a big difference between high and low gain for both 3.5 single ended and balanced listening. I almost wish there was a medium gain to sort-of… bridge the gap between gain settings. For instance, using 4.4 balanced the max output for low gain is 155mW. However, the max output for high gain is a gargantuan 626mW! That’s a big divide. Albeit a very useful divide. If I’m being honest (and I always am) I simply put the UP6 on high gain and leave it except for my extremely sensitive earphones. High gain in sensitive sets may add some very faint hiss at times.
Single or Dual Dac
The next option is to choose whether you want to use a single dac chip or both for your music listening. Again, cycle through with the up or down arrows and whatever one (single or dual dac) you want simply to leave it displayed on the screen and back out of the settings with a long press of the multi-function button.
PCM Dac Filters
I’ll explain the dac filters in greater length in the “Features” section, but you can choose which dac filter you’d like here.
Font
In this setting you can choose what font you’d like your UP6 to show. There are actually five different fonts altogether. I mean, folks, Shanling thinks of everything.
Balance
Next you can choose the balance of your music. This is a nice setting if you have a slight imbalance of your earphones or headphones. Pressing the up arrow will move your balance to the right and the down arrow will move your balance to the left. Pretty easy.
Brightness
Here you can choose the level of brightness that your UP6 screen is set to. Of course, the up arrow will make it brighter and the down arrow will make it less bright.
Screen Off
This setting gives you the ability to make sure your screen is turned off. I think the real good reason why you’d want this setting is so you don’t accidentally turn your screen on while the UP6 is in your pocket.
Screen Orientation
I love this feature because you can choose to orient the screen in any way that you’d like. Really, it’s just a rotate setting which cycles counterclockwise through each orientation.
Switch Mode
Now, Switch mode is basically to set your UP6 up in UAC1.0 mode or UAC2.0. It is a very handy feature that I wish most of these devices had. Just for versatility really. My son would definitely enjoy this feature.
Car Mode
Yes, you can put your Shanling UP6 into car mode from the settings. This basically sets up your UP6 for use in your vehicle for a more distraction free experience. I think it’s a nice feature to have. Basically, connect your UP6 to your vehicle’s data usb-c cable and have fun. Also, when you turn your vehicle off the UP6 powers down. So, I thought that was pretty cool.
Charge on/off
This setting allows the user to put their UP6 usb-c port into charging mode or for use with usb audio.
EQ
So, there’s also an audio EQ setting which provides the listener the ability to cycle through already preset EQ profiles or customize their own. By the way, the customized EQ is for a later update. I’m talking from the device itself. You can EQ through the Eddict Player for now. Without a doubt this will be a neat feature. For now you can use the preset EQ profiles or use the Eddict Player. So, you can choose any of the following: Pop, Folk, Jazz, Rock, Classical, Blues, or once again, you can set up the EQ yourself with the Eddict Player’s 10-band graphic equalizer. I honestly can’t wait for the update to be able to use the 10-band EQ straight from the device.
Boot Volume
This setting simply allows you to set the volume on boot-up so that you don’t accidentally blast your eardrums. I definitely set this setting to my preferred volume level. It’s a nice feature.
Factory Reset
This setting is pretty obvious. If you’d like to reset your UP6 to its original factory settings, then you can do that very easily. Just toggle the multi-function button until you reach this setting and follow the commands from there.
Upgrade
I love this feature. With an easy press of a button the UP6 will connect to your source device and begin performing a firmware upgrade if there is one available. I actually was able to do one firmware upgrade and it’s literally as simple as scrolling to “yes” and hitting the multi-function button. I think we can all agree that it’s pretty darn sweet to have this ability straight from the UP6.
UI & Usage
I feel that one of the best-selling points of the Shanling UP6 is that the actual user interface is very easy to get a handle on and very intuitive. At least for me it has been a very short learning curve. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I’ve had a multitude of devices like the UP6. Regardless, Shanling did a good job with the user interface. The colors are nice; the screen looks bold and vibrant. The boot up is fast and you won’t be waiting around for five minutes for the UP6 to turn on. As you initially turn the UP6 on it will begin pairing right away. To add to that, the UP6 is able to pair very quickly. Once you are paired everything feels very smooth, nothing lagging which is nice to see. Nothing worse than a device which cannot handle simple tasks & the UP6 handles them swimmingly. You’ll see when you get the UP6 in your hands.
Features
Dac Chips
As I’ve already said earlier, the Shanling UP6 comes equipped with dual ESS9069Q dac chips. Also, as I said, I happen to really like these chips. This chip allows up to PCM 768khz/32bit and DSD 512. You have a low noise floor as well. However, it seems that these dac chips in particular can be highly detailed and very clean across the board. These chips are actually fourth generation Hyperstream Modulators which consume much less power from previous versions. They generally have a very nice dynamic range. I was happy to see them within the UP6, and they haven’t let me down.
Bluetooth SOC Chipset
Shanling could’ve gone with many different SOC chipsets, but they decided upon a very popular and highly regarded chipset in the Qualcomm QCC5125. These chips allow a whole host of abilities for any device that uses them. Of course, they allow LDAC as well as my personal favorite audio codec, Aptx Adaptive, as well as a few others too. The QCC5125 also works off of LE (low energy). I won’t go through every feature but one which applies to the UP6 also happens to be CVC phone call noise cancellation or ECNS (Echo Canceling & Noise Suppression). No doubt it’s a quality chip which is seen often of late.
Output Power
One of the nice surprises I had upon reading about the UP6 was definitely it’s max output power. The UP6 is rated for a max single ended output of 195 mW @ 32 ohms which is great to see that much power afforded for 3.5 single ended iems. However, using 4.4 balanced jumps that total into the stratosphere with a max output of 626 mW @32 ohms. I find that the UP6 has absolutely no trouble whatsoever driving any and every iem in my collection. All of my planar magnetic earphones are driven very well to their peak performance. The Final Audio E4000 was driven very well too. It should also have plenty to drive many full-sized headphones. Without question the output power in the UP6 is a huge plus and definitely a “pro” in my opinion.
PCM Sound Filters
The Shanling UP6 comes equipped with many different sound filters that you can apply to subtly change the sound which reaches your ears. The filters can be changed in the settings menu on the UP6. If I were you, I’d spend a few minutes going through them to find which one you like the best. But remember that these will not be huge changes. They’re very subtle. However, sometimes that subtle little change can really help. There are eight filters in total and those are Minimum Phase, Minimum Phase Slow Low Dispersion, Minimum Phase Slow Roll-Off, Minimum Phase Fast Roll-Off, Linear Phase Slow Roll-Off, Linear Phase Fast Low-Ripple, Linear Phase Fast Roll-Off, and Linear Phase Apodizing. Again, just take a moment and set your favorite filter and see if you can hear the difference.
USB Dac Mode
Shanling opted for a very capable XMOS XU316 chipset which offers dual KDS oscillators. This chip allows files up to PCM 768khz/32bit and DSD 512. Basically, this is the chipset which helps the UP6 to sound so darn good over a wired USB connection through its type-c port. The Bluetooth audio is truly great, but the wired connection is certainly even better. Of course, through the USB connection you get completely lossless audio.
Audio Codecs
The Shanling UP6 is a Bluetooth device first which offers all the portability and convenience of a Bluetooth device. One of the nice things to see are the audio codecs involved with the Qualcomm QCC5125 chipset. The UP6 has LDAC which can afford up to 990 kbps. It also has my favorite codec in Aptx-Adaptive which can get up to 470 kbps. Though Aptx-Adaptive has less kbps, I find it more dynamic at times. The UP6 also has Aptx-HD, Aptx, AAC, and SBC. Of course, it’s good to see AAC codec for IOS users as we’ve seen many devices excluding AAC of late. Well folks, if you want hi-res Bluetooth audio, the UP6 offers it. It’s all good to see.
Eddict Player Companion APP
One huge benefit of any Bluetooth device is if it comes with an actual companion app. Shanling devices will pair with one of the more popular music apps in the Android and IOS app stores called Eddict Player. In my opinion, Eddict Player is a very solid app which I do use on occasion even when I am not using a Shanling device. However, I find that Eddict Player is very much comparable to any other app in the app store when it comes to companion apps. What’s cool is that you can connect the UP6 to the Eddict Player and you’ll have access to many different options within the app. Stuff like firmware upgrades, car mode, you can select which audio codec you want to use, change from UAC2.0 to UAC1.0, change the brightness too. You also have options to change from single to dual dac, enter in gain modes, and select sound filters. Lastly, the Eddict Player provides a 10-band Graphic EQ which is very easy to use. Granted, almost all of these features can be found on the UP6 within its settings menu, but it’s nice to have on a bigger screen, easier to navigate too. Eddict Player is a nice app.
Battery
So, the Shanling UP6 comes equipped with a 950 mAh battery. What this equates to is a less than stellar 6.5 hours of battery life using 3.5 single ended listening. When using 4.4 balanced you get roughly about 4.5 hours in total. I think Shanling didn’t want to make the UP6 any bigger than it is and so I’m sure they figured 4.5 hours is enough for almost anyone in a single listening session. No doubt I wish it could’ve been about four hours longer. I say that because I’m thinking about longevity and battery degradation over time. That said, my old UP4 lasted forever, and the battery seemingly never degraded when I sold it. Same story with my M6 Ultra. As honest as I can be, I haven’t even noticed that the battery is anything less than I need on the UP6. For my usage at least, it’s been way more than enough. At any rate, the battery life is certainly something that each of you should consider for your own purposes.
CVC Call Noise Canceling
Another quality trait that the designers of the UP6 added was a very nice ability to block out outside noises when taking a phone call. Shanling added CVC. 8.0 which utilizes a SiSonic microphone. I’ve taken a few phone calls with the UP6, and I’d say there is definitely a nice difference between it and other devices which don’t have CVC 8.0. However, there are obviously many Bluetooth devices which specialize in taking phone calls which are a bit better. Still, at the end of the day it’s a nice feature to have.
Sound Impressions
*Note #1: I just want to preface this section with a few things. First off, I did not burn in the UP6. I don’t know if it is needed or not. Usually, brands recommend doing so before judgment. However, the UP6 sounded great right out of the gate. Also, I used way too many iems to name here. I used many sets during this review. I’d say that a quarter of my listening was done using a wired USB connection and the rest was with Bluetooth enabled.
*Note #2: Folks, source device reviews are always difficult when it comes to their overall contribution to the sound quality of your iems or headphones. After all, the sound has much more to do with the iems or headphones you choose to use. However, source devices can and will sway the sound in one direction or the other. I will do my best to explain the sound in a way that will help you.
*Note #3: This is one Bluetooth dac/amp which performs very well both wired (as a dongle) or through its Bluetooth connection. However, I can say for sure that listening in wired does give a slightly more refined sound. It sounds slightly more dynamic, and the tonal contrast is more apparent. Just a hair more exuberant to my ears and layering is a hair more evident (depending on the earphones). That said, the Bluetooth sound on this set is absolutely stellar so please don’t take this as a rebuke for its BT capabilities. Shoot, I definitely listened much more using Bluetooth than as a dongle. Probably out of convenience. However, using the UP6 as an actual dongle dac is simply awesome folks. The sound is more precise to a slight degree, depth is registered a hair better, and again, the dynamic contrast in the sound is a bit more apparent. Also, this should all be expected. In fact, I probably didn’t even have to write this.
What’s it sound like?
The Shanling UP6 is really a nice sounding unit with some fantastic tonality in relation to the cost and for the type of source device that it is. In truth, its tonal qualities may be its strongest attribute. One thing I loved to hear is that the UP6 isn’t a device which is going to overly color your earphones. The UP6 won’t all of a sudden turn any of your iems into basshead caliber sets or treble-head sets. Yet in the same breath the UP6 won’t necessarily take away any emphasis from those areas either. Again, to my ears the UP6 presents your earphones or headphones mostly as they are. It has a very balanced presentation to my ears. I hear a slight mid-bass lift, a forwardish midrange, and a smooth but also slightly emphasized treble. There’re no exaggerated highs, no peaks, it isn’t bright sounding. In the same breath the lows aren’t oversaturated either. Really, I find the lows to have an awesome emphasis. Just enough. On the flipside, the UP6 also isn’t a dull sound, or a boring sound either. This device is no way one of those bland neutral CS43198, ES9038Q2M, or CS43131 devices (there’s many of them). Granted, some of my absolute favorite dongle dacs carry those dac chips, so this is in no way a rebuke of those chips. That said, I’ve heard too much of the same from so many of them in the past. Anyways, another nice tonal characteristic is that the UP6 will provide some good tonal contrast, some nice, controlled-dynamism, and the sound is very clean in its dynamics for a BT device.
Timbre / Tonality
To my ears the UP6 is a warm/neutral dac/amp. I’d say mostly neutral with a feathering of warmth. Certainly not as neutral as many devices of late, but also, I wouldn’t say the UP6 carries a ton of warmth either. Again, warm/neutral. To my ears the UP6 is smoother than it is crisp, across the board, yet with just enough crispness to help define. In my opinion the UP6 definitely has a penchant for transparency while carrying natural note weight. So, you won’t hear anything thin. You also won’t hear frail notes, dry notes, or bland notes. In fact, I think the UP6’s greatest strength “sonically” is in its ability to render a natural tonality as it definitely leans more organic sounding. Those ESS9069Q dual dac chips have none of the ESS glare which used to be so prevalent. Again, the sound comes across nicely balanced with just enough low-end warmth and high-end lift to bring upon some slight tonal contrast. Some solid energy, if you will. Just enough. I’ve listened to this device every single day and I’ve really appreciated what Shanling was able to do here. The sound of the UP6 is simply pleasant folks. Nothing about its influence on my earphones has really been a problem. I love that there really isn’t any glare or peaks and I love that the UP6 won’t tilt the sound of your iems in any one direction. It doesn’t matter the earphones that I use, I don’t hear any crazy embellishment of the spectrum. What I hear is control, clean note outlines, smoothness throughout, with a pretty resolving sound for a mostly musical $199 Bluetooth dac/amp. I should note that this goes for wired listening through the USB-C port, or through Bluetooth. It’s just a nice sounding device.
Timbre /Tonality Cont…
Again, the UP6 is definitely a nice mix of smooth and crisp, melodic and defined, musical and technical. Though generally you won’t hear anything edgy, abrasive or coarse, and without question it has a rhythmic fluidity to it. However, that rhythmic smoothness doesn’t blunt any notes. Again, there’s some definite crispness & some bite from the UP6 when a track calls for it and that crispness helps to offer a cleaner and better-defined note edge. Add to that the soundstage is not congested either. Obviously, a lot has to do with what earphones you use and in the end it’s the earphones which will mostly dictate how that sound hits your eardrums. However, it’s plain to hear that the UP6 does impact the sound very well against other similar devices. For all intents and purposes, I gathered these opinions by going back and forth with other source devices, and I did so ad-nauseam so that you don’t have to. What I found was that the UP6 is not the most detailed, most resolving, or most technically based. Despite that last sentence, the UP6 is one of the best I’ve heard at this cost at being able to balance a musical approach with a refined sound. Obviously, there are devices which are more analytical. Obviously, there are other devices tuned to be more clinical. If you ask me, the good devices have a balance. The UP6 has that.
Technical Chops
PRaT will not leave you wanting either as the UP6 has a good technical foundation. The UP6 does offer cleanliness, a nice enough stage, great cadence, and good robust dynamics for a device of its kind. Also, the UP6 has a fairly transparent sound, it promotes good detail retrieval, instrument separation is definitely an area that the UP6 does well too. That said, I don’t think the UP6 will turn your Aful Explorer (for example) into a detail beast or anything. But it will provide the Explorer a clean palate to operate in. What I mean by that is that the UP6 handles many different situations much better than I would’ve thought. For instance, stuff like complicated or congested tracks aren’t as much of a problem. Also, UP6 has some nice stop-and-go dynamics, good “perceived” micro-dynamics, a slightly wider sound field and again… a fairly black background. Take all of these attributes, roll them into a ball and what you have is a $199 device which will effectively help your earphones come across with some nice technical chops. At least to the extent that each of those earphones can achieve this. All things considered, the UP6 has a nice mix of organic timbre or smooth musicality with solid enough detail retrieval, instrument separation, transient attack through decay, and spatiality.
Earphone pairing
To my ears the UP6 pairs well with almost every set that I’ve attached to it. At least out of the sets that I have on hand. Let’s put it this way, there wasn’t any one set which came across as too colored (warm, rich, bright, harsh). Again, the UP6 really isn’t going to drastically alter or embellish the tonality of your iems too badly in any one direction. Once more, the UP6 is balanced in its tonality, not bass heavy nor bass lite, not super bright, not overtly and aggressively energetic either. To put it simply… I enjoyed just about every set that I have with the UP6. It hits that nice middle ground of balance with just enough dynamism to keep things interesting but also holding tight to its organic foundation. That balance really does seem to gel with many different tonal characteristics of my iems.
Pairing cont…
Sets like the Aful Cantor leans bright (neutral-bright), it leans analytical, it’s not bass heavy, and it doesn’t really have that cozy warmth and obvious musicality. When paired with the UP6 I hear a very nice synergy. Whether wired or through Bluetooth I found the Cantor to have a very punchy, tight, and textured BA bass, a pristine midrange, and best of all the highs never sounded too sharp for my ears. Which was a problem at times with this set. For example, going back and forth with the Fiio JM21, I actually found the JM21 to push the highs a bit more, a hair more strident. I love the JM21 so much for the cost, but the UP6 actually keeps its composure a little better for certain sets. Or the Simgot EA1000 (EA1000 Review), to my ears it sounds like its detail retrieval doesn’t diminish with the UP6 while gaining some very subtle warmth and musicality. Granted, the EA1000 isn’t the most musical sounding set on planet earth which makes the UP6 all that much better for not turning it into an analytical dry fest. Or the Dunu X-Gizaudio DaVinci. No doubt the treble energy is slightly sprightlier while the bass still sounds beefy and authoritative. The DaVinci remains rich and full-bodied, but also less overcast or veiled. Or the warm and syrupy Penon Fan 2. I find it to be a hair more dynamically expressive with the UP6. Nothing can take its heavy warmth away, it doesn’t matter what device you pair it with. But it does come across less heavy with the UP6, slightly sprightlier, better detailed against some other devices that I paired the Fan 2 with. What the UP6 doesn’t do is exaggerate the Fan 2’s low-end or congest the sound field any more than it already is.
Last thoughts on pairings
I have three to four pages of short-hand notes covering many iems. Too many to list. Truth be told, I also must’ve gone through 15 dongle dacs or BT dac/amps from $75 to $250 paired against the UP6. I used many-many different sets, multiple tracks from multiple playlists. Against them all, the UP6’s mix of musicality and technical ability was right up there with the best of my gear in that range. Now, I won’t go through every set in my arsenal as it’ll take my word count into the stratosphere. I think we can all agree my reviews are long enough. Anyways, I decided to choose some extremes in my examples above. The Cantor (bright/neutral), the EA1000 (bright/neutral), the DaVinci (warm & weighted), and the Fan 2 (warm & weighted). Basically, if the UP6 is able to pair nicely with those more polarizing sets, then I think we have a solid portable source device in the UP6 which can handle many different tonal pairings from a wide range of iems or headphones. I almost began to list out every iem but stopped short when I was about 1000 words deep. I had to cut it back and so using some tonal extremes or more polarizing sets as my examples seemed to be the most helpful without wasting too much digital ink.
In the end…
Of course, I don’t want this to get out of hand folks. There are many dongle dacs and BT dac/amps which do a wonderful job within the price point. The competition is ridiculously great. Also, I don’t want you reading this and walking away expecting the UP6 to all of a sudden transform your listening experience. In all honesty, what the Shanling UP6 does best is that it doesn’t do anything blatantly wrong while doing many things very right from my perspective. Really, it’s a solid device all the way around for me. Just about every aspect other than battery life is stellar for $199. Most definitely there are other comparable devices out there within the Audioverse. I know because I’ve tried many of them. There are many which compare well sonically, some compare well in their functionality and features etc. Yet in the end I feel it comes down to the experience as a whole and I do feel this is where the UP6 begins to separate itself from the pack. Again, it doesn’t do anything blatantly wrong sonically, but instead the UP6 is one of the more gifted devices of its kind with a very nice sound. However, the battery life…
Downsides
Of ccourse there’s some downsides. Do not go into purchasing this device without making sure that 4.5 hours on balanced is enough for you. Ugh! I can’t believe they let such a wonderful device go to market without expanding its battery capacity. I assume that Shanling didn’t want to make the Chassis any larger than it was. However, battery life will be the largest issue for almost eveyone. I told you that it’s not a problem for me. I’m always by a charger, I charge everything all the time. I’m very much used to this practice. Also, I haven’t ran out of battery yet without tossing it on a charger. It really doesn’t bother me. However, 4.5 hours will be the nail in the coffin for some folks. I love the sound too much for that to bother me personally, but I get anyone’s reservations.
I really feel like battery life is the only real problem. Well, maybe some folks will think the UP6 is a hair too large. Granted, the UP6 is only 10mm larger than the UP4 ’22. For me the size is great, but for those who want something closer to the Go Blu will probably not be as impressed. All things considered, the UP6 is a stellar device. If you can get past the downsides.
Comparisons
Ifi Go Blu ($199)
The comparison which made the most sense for me at the time was with the Ifi Go Blu from Ifi Audio. I’ve owned the Go Blu for roughly about three years and I’ve used it on a regular basis. Truly one of the best Bluetooth dac/amps under $200 that money can buy. My position hasn’t changed on that. Even with all of the newer devices which have cropped up since the Go Blu went to market, I really don’t think those newer devices compete sonically as well as with the build and aesthetic against the Go Blu. It’s an ultra-compact device, easy to use and has a wonderful volume wheel. The Go Blu utilizes dual CS43131 dac chips and offers a respectable 245 mW of max output power using 4.4 balanced. It’s compact, sounds great, and I feel it’s still in the top class of Bluetooth dac/amps in the market. Fairly easily I might add. I’ve heard all of the latest devices, and I’m not sold on them. Hence why I chose the Go Blu for the comparison today alongside the UP6. Will the Go Blu get dethroned by this new BT dac/amp. Let’s check it out…
Differences
To begin, the UP6 is quite a bit larger than the Go Blu but it’s also built a bit better in my opinion. The UP6 weighs about 51g to the sleek and light Go Blu’s 27g. Now, the UP6 and its beautiful screen edges out the screenless Go Blu in aesthetic and design. However, I love the volume wheel on the Go Blu which acts as a multi-function bolutton as well. One thing I wish that Shanling would’ve incorporated into the UP6’s design scheme. However, I cannot take anything away from the UP6, I love the layout of the buttons. At any rate, the Go Blu has a couple features that the UP6 doesn’t have with their “X-Bass” and “X-Space” button (on the device) which you can toggle to increase the low-end amplitude or increase the perceived sound stage with some DSP trickery. Both are quite nice. Granted, I rarely use them, but they’re still nice (more on that in a minute). Another area where the Go Blu shines much brighter is in battery life with its max 10 hours compared to the UP6’s 6.5 hours. Which is wild being that the Go Blu is so much smaller in comparison. Another thing to mention is that Ifi doesn’t offer a companion app, whereas the UP6 does have Eddict Player for both Android and IOS. Ifi does provide a way to upgrade firmware but it’s pretty involved and cumbersome. Also, the UP6 does have a built in 10-band customizable EQ as well as preset EQ profiles while the Go Blu does not. Once again, the Go Blu does have X-Bass and X-Space as I mentioned earlier, but that’s all it has to really dial in the sound to your liking. Again, they’re very nice features on the Go Blu, but the UP6 simply has many more options to change up the sound. Furthermore, the UP6 also has sound filters which can be set “on the device” and are nice to have. Again, the Go Blu does not have any sound filters.
Under the hood
Now, the UP6 starts to break away in the quality of its circuitry (dac, amp, SOC chips etc.) and the hi-res capabilities of those pieces and parts. The UP6 has higher max sample rates, bit depths, and a higher DSD capability. Beyond that, the UP6 certainly has the better dac chips using dual ESS9069Q dacs compared to CS43131 chips. Certainly, more refined and more capable. Next, the max output power of the UP6 (3.5- 195mW & 4.4- 626mW) compared to the Go Blu (3.5- 165mW & 4.4- 245mW) is substantial to say the least. No doubt the Go Blu can drive most any iem, but the UP6 can drive extremely hard to drive sets and some over ear headphones with relative ease. The Go Blu cannot do that. Also, the UP6 uses a much better Bluetooth SOC chip (QCC5125 vs. QCC5100) with much better range, better connectivity, and an upgraded BT 5.2 over the Go Blu’s 5.1. Lastly, the UP6’s call quality is a bit better with their implementation of CVC 8.0 call noise cancellation. Certainly, cleaner and less tinny sounding. So, I suppose the Internals are better with the UP6, but the simplicity, compactness, and ease of use of the Go Blu is probably better. Though that last statement is definitely arguable.
Sound Differences
Looking at the sound difference between both devices, I’d say they are slightly different. Both the Go Blu and the UP6 come across as neutral with shades of warmth. Though, the UP6 carries a hair more of that warmth impacting the note weight giving notes a hair more body. Not that the Go Blu is thin sounding either. Just not as robust in sound. I find the UP6 to have better tonal contrast, spatiality, and a more organic timbre. However, again, the Go Blu has great timbre influence. In truth, both devices sound fantastic. One issue that I and others have “at times” is the Go Blu does have a slight hiss on 4.4 balanced listening. Like I said earlier in this review the UP6 also has a very-very faint hiss on 4.4 balanced while using Bluetooth. Just so you all are aware, that’s the same story with most Bluetooth dac/amps. I do find the UP6 to have better clarity throughout and it comes across as more dynamic and resolving. Even with its slightly more bodied sound. Both devices pair wonderfully with most any iem and both devices have good driving power. Again, the UP6 has almost three times the max output in balanced.
Between the 20’s
I feel that bass has a slightly punchier nature with the UP6 with better note definition. Well, unless you use X-Bass with the Go Blu and then it has the meatier sound down low. In the mids the Go Blu has a hair more upper-mid energy and buoyancy. Of course, the difference is not very distinct. However, the UP6 comes across smoother, more natural, better perceived macro-dynamics. The treble region of both devices will not add any undue sharpness and both sets offer a smoother take on this region. Perhaps the Go Blu has a hair more sparkle up top, but the difference is negligible. Again, detail retrieval probably goes to the UP6, and sound separation is a squash. I’d probably say that the UP6 has the wider and more immersive stage, but that’s certainly debatable too. I keep using the words “more refined” to describe the UP6’s upper hand sonically and I don’t think there’s a better word to use. It is more refined, it is a touch more natural sounding, it does have a slightly more dynamic profile, and the UP6 does have a nicer balance.
Final thoughts on this comparison
I love them both, I use them both, and each device serves a role in my rotation. Honestly, I tried to explain some quick differences with the sound, but in all reality both devices replay the spectrum quite awesome for portable Bluetooth dac/amps. Both feature a hi-res sound, and both are not even close to dry or drab. I personally feel that the UP6 is slightly better sounding and more refined (that word again) altogether, but not to the point that I’d get rid of the Go Blu or render it obsolete. Both devices can be had at the same price of $199 and both are totally worth it.
Is it worth the asking price?
One of the most important pieces of the audio chain is obviously your source. People spend gobs of money on source equipment, desktop setups, daps, dac/amps, dongle dacs, etc. We spend so much money trying desperately to get that last little respite of clarity, definition, and dynamism out of our listening sessions. We do this even for portable situations. In fact, I guarantee the greatest majority of the audio hobby’s source device purchasing is spent on portable gear. Stuff like daps, dongle dacs, and a litany of other types of devices, but without question Bluetooth dac/amps are a big hit amongst the audio faithful. Think of the stellar BT dac/amps which populate the Audioverse. Devices like the Qudelix 5k, Shanling UP5, and the Fiio BTR17 (among many-many more) all costing under $200 all the way up to the awesome Questyle CMA 18 at $699. Just so you know… I left out about 30 other devices. Anyways, we pay for good sound and an enjoyable experience. To all of us overgrown kids… the cost is worth it. In the end, finding our musical zen experience makes our lives better.
Worth Every Penny
Why do I say any of this? I say it because I don’t think there is a world or dimension that I would say the UP6 from Shanling isn’t worth the $199 it takes to own it. Friends, the UP6 is at the very least… THE VERY LEAST!… Top three in its class. In my opinion, it rivals the BTR17 in almost every way and even sits atop the BTR17 in sound quality. This is only my opinion so please don’t get upset. Folks, I chose to send the BTR17 back. Not that it isn’t good either as it’s an awesome device. I just didn’t enjoy a few things about it, and I found something I’d like better. I wouldn’t send the UP6 back. That’s somewhat beside the point. The point is, for $199 you can get a clear and present beast of a device in the UP6. The only gripe I have…the only one, is the below average battery life (6.5 hrs). Granted, it doesn’t affect my joy for the UP6 (at all), and I’ve never run out of battery. Still, it is something to consider. Folks, I turn away stuff for review more often than you know, but there’s no way I’d turn the UP6 away. Front to back, bottom to top, and every which way you turn it… the Shanling UP6 is most certainly worth every penny.
The Why
Because Shanling crafted one of the coolest looking Bluetooth dac/amps on the market. It looks like a mini dap, and it even displays track info on the screen. The build is truly awesome with some of the best structural integrity that I’ve seen in a while at this cost. Everything about the UI is intuitive and looks great. Power output is flat-out fantastic on both 3.5 and 4.4 balanced. I love that the UP6 will drive anything I own to its peak performance. The ESS9069Q dual dac chips, the QCC5125 SOC, and the XMOS XU316 USB input each rounds up to a true contender. However, as with every review I conduct it always, naturally, comes down to the sound. I’d say the standout feature of the UP6 is the sound. It’s the UP6’s ability to foster a very dynamic experience along with a very composed, clean, and controlled experience. Oh, and that timbre folks! The tonality, the warm/neutral balance, the power, and the lack of anything peaky, sharp, or congested all work in unison providing one of the best sounding devices of its kind at the price it’s at. A little bass lift, punchy, vigorous, extended too. The midrange is forward, nicely bodied, detailed. Also, the treble is smooth, never offensive, somewhat sparkly, and it’ll never influence your earphones in a negative way. Really the UP6 has a great balance. Guys and gals, unquestionably and assuredly the Shanling UP6 is a good buy at $199.
Conclusion
To conclude my full review of the Shanling UP6 Bluetooth dac/amp I first need to give a huge thanks to the people of Shanling for providing the UP6. This is the part of my review where I like to congratulate and praise certain brands for their willingness to subject their products to subjective opinions without ever once asking me to twist my words. Never have they been anything but completely professional and upright in their dealings with me. They simply send the unit and live with the results. Their representatives are very helpful and always easy to work with. So, thank you Shanling, you truly made an awesome product in the UP6. Now that I’ve thanked Shanling, I also need to thank you. Thank you for taking a moment of your time to click the link to this review. Really, thank you for clicking the link to any review at Mobileaudiophile.com. Clicks, views, and time spent is our currency folks and every one of them means the world to us. Thank you very much, I really do hope this helped you in any way.
Other Perspectives
Okay, so you’ve read my thoughts on the Shanling UP6, now read, watch, or listen to someone else’s. Please do yourself a favor and before you spend $200 of your precious money, please look at other thoughts and other reviews. There are so many great reviewers who may have a totally different opinion, who also only want you to get your purchase right. It’ll only benefit you to seek out other thoughts as we are all so very different. We are different in what we enjoy, our likes and dislikes, our music libraries, our gear, our hearing abilities, and not all of us have been down the same road in audio. What I enjoy, you may not. That’s just the truth. This is a hobby where nobody is ever wrong, and everyone is always right. So, please go click some more links. With that, I think I’m done folks. So, please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!!
