TL/DR: Best in class
I will mostly be comparing this to the Shanling M1 (it’s little brother) and the Fiio X3ii (it’s direct competitor, prior to the release of X3iii) as I believe it to be the fairest reference point. Comparing it to anything else I own/used would be an ‘apples to oranges’ type of situation. I did wait at least six months to review this because I wanted to be sure to make the distinction between liveable minor little niggles and actual annoyances. Also, with a lot of these products, the software takes time to mature and a lot of the initial gripes will have been ironed out with firmware updates. With FW3.1 update, a lot of the niggles have been ironed out – so well done Shanling. So let’s get on with the show, starting with….
Sound
Unfortunately, I had already sold the M1 by the time this model was released so I couldn’t make a direct comparison but if memory serves, it is in line with the house sound from Shanling. A touch on the warm side but nothing drastic (obviously). A laid back sound that’s very easy on the ears, perfect for casual listening on the go. The X3ii is a little colder in comparison – but I’m splitting hairs here. Not much in it but when pushed for a difference, that’s what I’ll say. Given that it’s a small, portable device and my ‘out and about’ headphones (HD380) have a bias towards bass, sonically, the X3ii is a better match but that’s only with MY headphones. Your mileage will probably vary greatly. Again, splitting hairs. They’re not bad with either the K712 or HE-400i and I have absolutely no problems or issues with it, but I have the Mojo and my desktop rig for those cans so to me, analysing the pairings would be a bit of a wasted exercise.
Form Factor
Although it is larger than the M1, I think it’s only larger in one dimension – length. This is all going from memory (sorry, I can’t be bothered the look it up) but the thickness and width seems to be same or very similar. It is noticeably smaller than the X3ii and settles in the pocket that much better. But more importantly, it stacks with the Mojo beautifully. Better than either the M1 or the X3ii. This really is the weapon of choice when it comes to pairing with the almighty Mojo as a stack.
Ergonomically, it is an improvement over the M1, in my opinion. I’m sure a lot of you will disagree with me, but I prefer this sticky-outy dial on the side to the one found on the rounded corner of the M1 – Particularly when pressing ‘select’. I feel more assurance when pressing the M2s dial, that it won’t jog the dial during the press. Having said that, it is a little awkward to actually jog the dial when using one-handed. It really isn’t an issue once you figure out you hand placement. I guess it also helps that I have quite dainty hands. The additional size also helps it settle into the hand a little better than the M1. Square really isn’t a comfortable shape to hold. The proprietary ‘leather’ case helps against accidental input on the dial since the dial ‘sticks out less’ but the cut-outs for the buttons on the left were very cramped and was very difficult to press without very careful angling of the fingers. But it’s nothing a little dremel-ing couldn’t fix!
Obviously, the large iPod-style ‘click wheel’ of the X3ii is a far superior navigation system that has been tried and tested for well over a decade (thank you Apple) compared to the little jog dial on the side found on the M2s, but when adding the screen size into the consideration, it all becomes a little more complex. Having had enough time to really live with it, I think I prefer the (much) larger screen over the larger click-wheel. The jog dial really isn’t the issue I first imagined it would be. Again, it might just be because I have small hands. The X3ii is also a noticeably larger and heavier device. I believe that the size and weight (i.e. portability) is a very important factor to consider for a PORTABLE device. In this department, M2s wins hands down.
Functionality
What can I say, there’s not a lot this little bad boy can’t do! The features list on this thing is staggering. To begin with, the screen on this device is gorgeous. Apart from the fact that it’s not a touchscreen, it really is on par with decent smartphones. Even the small text is clearly visible without pixilation and the album art is better represented than most dedicated DAPs out there. Certainly the best I’ve seen in this bracket. It handles all the formats I could throw at it. Admittedly, most of what I have is either FLAC, ALAC or AAC with a few DSDs so it’s pretty bog standard. I did try Vorbis and (more recently) Opus for a bubble and can confirm that it works. USB works for both TX and RX (Transport and External DAC) and works without a hitch. On Windows, with the relevant driver installed, it works on both ASIO and WASAPI without issues. Although it probably deserves to be mentioned that at the start of playback, there is a little blank before the sound kicks in so you do miss out on the first second or so of music but unlike the Mojo, it won’t happen every time you change tracks so you can rewind again if you really want to hear that 1st second.
It probably works best as a transport and stacks with the Chord Mojo beautifully. I’m sure the little elves at Shanling had the Mojo in mind when deciding on the dimensions and button placement of the M2s. The controls of the M2s is still very much accessible when stacked and having that lovely screen facing you with the glow of the Mojo’s globes softly filling the background gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. The later addition of HibyLink was an added bonus. It opened up the door to a whole new level of convenience.
It also has full OTG support, meaning you can extend the storage beyond the one MicroSD slot provided on the side with just about any medium of storage via USB. I can confirm that both my 512GB memory stick (yes, you read that right) and my 2TB HDD (with Y splitter for extra power) are recognised by the M2s and can play music from them with no issues. This is a feature that had very limited support from Fiio for the X3ii and later dropped all together, much to my dismay.
As an experiment when bored, I hooked up the M2s to a powered USB hub with the Mojo and my music library (an external HDD) and it worked surprisingly well. I was able to access my entire music collection through the Mojo without the use of a computer or a network. If only HibyLink had access to OTG, this would render Foobar2000 pretty much redundant (not really) if its only use was for playback. One can only wish.
HibyLink was a surprise feature I was not expecting when I first bought the device. It was an additional feature that was introduced in one of the many firmware updates. It allows the interface to be controlled by your smartphone (or tablet) via Bluetooth connection and allows extra features like playlist creation. Unfortunately, the official iOS version is a little ropey but is fairly robust on the Android version. As mentioned earlier, does not allow access to OTG. Hopefully this will be rectified by Hiby soon.
The Bluetooth also works as a transmitter and receiver. Unfortunately, as a receiver, it only accepts SBC. I understand it to be a hardware limitation and seems in line with similar products. It can transmit AptX no problem to any compatible headphones or receiver. The real caveat here is that there is no native AAC support via Bluetooth. It has been confirmed by Shanling so it’s official. There is AptX so it’s not a deal breaker but since all my lossy files are AAC, it would have been nice. Very nice. Oh well, such is life…
The Line Out mode can be enabled from the settings menu but I never use it for the fear of blowing my ears off when I plug the headphones back in. This is the only true gripe I have with this device and is where the Fiio Xii has a true edge over the M2s. The X3ii has a dedicated Line Out port as opposed to the M2s that shares the Headphone 3.5mm socket for its Line Out. It wouldn’t be so bad if the Line Out mode was disabled once 3.5mm jack was unplugged to potentially save your ears and/or sensitive IEMs. Maybe in a future FW update… Also, AFAIK the Line Out function here is just the volume set to full power, and not bypassing the amp section. This is yet to be confirmed by Shanling.
Conclusion
Shanling really has outdone themselves on this one. It’s the best in class in my opinion – at the time of writing, of course. No other DAP in its price range compares in terms of value, functionality, ease of use and aesthetics. The main problem I have with this DAP is the fact that it can do SO much, that I start to expect it to do everything. I have to remind myself that this is a small, budget DAP that’s under £200. If it had AAC support for Bluetooth and OTG for HibyLink, this thing would be perfect. But I guess it’s my fault for seeking perfection from such a device. Shame on me.
Intro
As this is my first review, the background segment seems like the most pertinent in order to judge credibility, so here goes. (no pressure, no pressure) OK...
I've played music since I was a little kid (but almost all of it self-taught, so not the most technical) and my weapon of choice (since my late teenage years) is the (acoustic) guitar. So my musical tastes have centred around that instrument for the longest time. So when somebody asks me 'What kind of music do you like?' I'd be like 'Anything with guitar, mate' and heavily influenced by what I'm playing at the time. So this would basically cover everything except EDM, hip hop etc. though I'm partial to a bit of quality 90s hip hop, which shows my age but I digress...
My first venture into this world was the Fiio E7 and the Westone UM2. They were both great but the E7 died after a very good innings and the UM2 was rendered unusable when I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and discovered what cauliflower ears were! Since then, I've been cornered off to the circumaural section of this forum. My DAP genealogy would be:
IPod 5.5g (deceased)
Fiio x3 1st gen (flogged off)
Fiio x3 2nd gen (thinking of selling)
XDuoo x3 (retuned)
Shanling M1 (flogged off)
Onkyo Granbeat (keeping for now)
Shanling M2s (obviously)
Chord Mojo (although not strictly a DAP at all)
My current headphone stable:
Hifiman HE-400i
AKG K712
Sennheiser HD380 pro (w/ Ablet sheepskin ear pads)
(Koss Porta Pro)
As this is my first review, the background segment seems like the most pertinent in order to judge credibility, so here goes. (no pressure, no pressure) OK...
I've played music since I was a little kid (but almost all of it self-taught, so not the most technical) and my weapon of choice (since my late teenage years) is the (acoustic) guitar. So my musical tastes have centred around that instrument for the longest time. So when somebody asks me 'What kind of music do you like?' I'd be like 'Anything with guitar, mate' and heavily influenced by what I'm playing at the time. So this would basically cover everything except EDM, hip hop etc. though I'm partial to a bit of quality 90s hip hop, which shows my age but I digress...
My first venture into this world was the Fiio E7 and the Westone UM2. They were both great but the E7 died after a very good innings and the UM2 was rendered unusable when I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and discovered what cauliflower ears were! Since then, I've been cornered off to the circumaural section of this forum. My DAP genealogy would be:
IPod 5.5g (deceased)
Fiio x3 1st gen (flogged off)
Fiio x3 2nd gen (thinking of selling)
XDuoo x3 (retuned)
Shanling M1 (flogged off)
Onkyo Granbeat (keeping for now)
Shanling M2s (obviously)
Chord Mojo (although not strictly a DAP at all)
My current headphone stable:
Hifiman HE-400i
AKG K712
Sennheiser HD380 pro (w/ Ablet sheepskin ear pads)
(Koss Porta Pro)
I will mostly be comparing this to the Shanling M1 (it’s little brother) and the Fiio X3ii (it’s direct competitor, prior to the release of X3iii) as I believe it to be the fairest reference point. Comparing it to anything else I own/used would be an ‘apples to oranges’ type of situation. I did wait at least six months to review this because I wanted to be sure to make the distinction between liveable minor little niggles and actual annoyances. Also, with a lot of these products, the software takes time to mature and a lot of the initial gripes will have been ironed out with firmware updates. With FW3.1 update, a lot of the niggles have been ironed out – so well done Shanling. So let’s get on with the show, starting with….
Sound
Unfortunately, I had already sold the M1 by the time this model was released so I couldn’t make a direct comparison but if memory serves, it is in line with the house sound from Shanling. A touch on the warm side but nothing drastic (obviously). A laid back sound that’s very easy on the ears, perfect for casual listening on the go. The X3ii is a little colder in comparison – but I’m splitting hairs here. Not much in it but when pushed for a difference, that’s what I’ll say. Given that it’s a small, portable device and my ‘out and about’ headphones (HD380) have a bias towards bass, sonically, the X3ii is a better match but that’s only with MY headphones. Your mileage will probably vary greatly. Again, splitting hairs. They’re not bad with either the K712 or HE-400i and I have absolutely no problems or issues with it, but I have the Mojo and my desktop rig for those cans so to me, analysing the pairings would be a bit of a wasted exercise.
Form Factor
Although it is larger than the M1, I think it’s only larger in one dimension – length. This is all going from memory (sorry, I can’t be bothered the look it up) but the thickness and width seems to be same or very similar. It is noticeably smaller than the X3ii and settles in the pocket that much better. But more importantly, it stacks with the Mojo beautifully. Better than either the M1 or the X3ii. This really is the weapon of choice when it comes to pairing with the almighty Mojo as a stack.
Ergonomically, it is an improvement over the M1, in my opinion. I’m sure a lot of you will disagree with me, but I prefer this sticky-outy dial on the side to the one found on the rounded corner of the M1 – Particularly when pressing ‘select’. I feel more assurance when pressing the M2s dial, that it won’t jog the dial during the press. Having said that, it is a little awkward to actually jog the dial when using one-handed. It really isn’t an issue once you figure out you hand placement. I guess it also helps that I have quite dainty hands. The additional size also helps it settle into the hand a little better than the M1. Square really isn’t a comfortable shape to hold. The proprietary ‘leather’ case helps against accidental input on the dial since the dial ‘sticks out less’ but the cut-outs for the buttons on the left were very cramped and was very difficult to press without very careful angling of the fingers. But it’s nothing a little dremel-ing couldn’t fix!
Obviously, the large iPod-style ‘click wheel’ of the X3ii is a far superior navigation system that has been tried and tested for well over a decade (thank you Apple) compared to the little jog dial on the side found on the M2s, but when adding the screen size into the consideration, it all becomes a little more complex. Having had enough time to really live with it, I think I prefer the (much) larger screen over the larger click-wheel. The jog dial really isn’t the issue I first imagined it would be. Again, it might just be because I have small hands. The X3ii is also a noticeably larger and heavier device. I believe that the size and weight (i.e. portability) is a very important factor to consider for a PORTABLE device. In this department, M2s wins hands down.
Functionality
What can I say, there’s not a lot this little bad boy can’t do! The features list on this thing is staggering. To begin with, the screen on this device is gorgeous. Apart from the fact that it’s not a touchscreen, it really is on par with decent smartphones. Even the small text is clearly visible without pixilation and the album art is better represented than most dedicated DAPs out there. Certainly the best I’ve seen in this bracket. It handles all the formats I could throw at it. Admittedly, most of what I have is either FLAC, ALAC or AAC with a few DSDs so it’s pretty bog standard. I did try Vorbis and (more recently) Opus for a bubble and can confirm that it works. USB works for both TX and RX (Transport and External DAC) and works without a hitch. On Windows, with the relevant driver installed, it works on both ASIO and WASAPI without issues. Although it probably deserves to be mentioned that at the start of playback, there is a little blank before the sound kicks in so you do miss out on the first second or so of music but unlike the Mojo, it won’t happen every time you change tracks so you can rewind again if you really want to hear that 1st second.
It probably works best as a transport and stacks with the Chord Mojo beautifully. I’m sure the little elves at Shanling had the Mojo in mind when deciding on the dimensions and button placement of the M2s. The controls of the M2s is still very much accessible when stacked and having that lovely screen facing you with the glow of the Mojo’s globes softly filling the background gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. The later addition of HibyLink was an added bonus. It opened up the door to a whole new level of convenience.
It also has full OTG support, meaning you can extend the storage beyond the one MicroSD slot provided on the side with just about any medium of storage via USB. I can confirm that both my 512GB memory stick (yes, you read that right) and my 2TB HDD (with Y splitter for extra power) are recognised by the M2s and can play music from them with no issues. This is a feature that had very limited support from Fiio for the X3ii and later dropped all together, much to my dismay.
As an experiment when bored, I hooked up the M2s to a powered USB hub with the Mojo and my music library (an external HDD) and it worked surprisingly well. I was able to access my entire music collection through the Mojo without the use of a computer or a network. If only HibyLink had access to OTG, this would render Foobar2000 pretty much redundant (not really) if its only use was for playback. One can only wish.
HibyLink was a surprise feature I was not expecting when I first bought the device. It was an additional feature that was introduced in one of the many firmware updates. It allows the interface to be controlled by your smartphone (or tablet) via Bluetooth connection and allows extra features like playlist creation. Unfortunately, the official iOS version is a little ropey but is fairly robust on the Android version. As mentioned earlier, does not allow access to OTG. Hopefully this will be rectified by Hiby soon.
The Bluetooth also works as a transmitter and receiver. Unfortunately, as a receiver, it only accepts SBC. I understand it to be a hardware limitation and seems in line with similar products. It can transmit AptX no problem to any compatible headphones or receiver. The real caveat here is that there is no native AAC support via Bluetooth. It has been confirmed by Shanling so it’s official. There is AptX so it’s not a deal breaker but since all my lossy files are AAC, it would have been nice. Very nice. Oh well, such is life…
The Line Out mode can be enabled from the settings menu but I never use it for the fear of blowing my ears off when I plug the headphones back in. This is the only true gripe I have with this device and is where the Fiio Xii has a true edge over the M2s. The X3ii has a dedicated Line Out port as opposed to the M2s that shares the Headphone 3.5mm socket for its Line Out. It wouldn’t be so bad if the Line Out mode was disabled once 3.5mm jack was unplugged to potentially save your ears and/or sensitive IEMs. Maybe in a future FW update… Also, AFAIK the Line Out function here is just the volume set to full power, and not bypassing the amp section. This is yet to be confirmed by Shanling.
Conclusion
Shanling really has outdone themselves on this one. It’s the best in class in my opinion – at the time of writing, of course. No other DAP in its price range compares in terms of value, functionality, ease of use and aesthetics. The main problem I have with this DAP is the fact that it can do SO much, that I start to expect it to do everything. I have to remind myself that this is a small, budget DAP that’s under £200. If it had AAC support for Bluetooth and OTG for HibyLink, this thing would be perfect. But I guess it’s my fault for seeking perfection from such a device. Shame on me.
