Shanling UA3 - Portable DAC/AMP

Shanling UA3 offer something that I would consider as highly resolving and analytical DAC/Amp dongle that performs really well with technicalities and power. For those seeking a portable DAC/Amp that can dissect the sound, with good transparency and resolution, UA3 will not disappoint.

Several areas of concern would be on the tuning aspect, of which I personally felt that the newer gen of AKM DACs may seem to have forgo the sound signature they were known and loved for...that silky smoothness replaced by analytical precision which takes away a bit on the musical element.



Get Shanling UA3 at HiFiGo:
https://hifigo.com/products/shanling-ua3-usb-dac-amp?variant=43711714689263

My UA3 Has been Updated to the latest Firmware as listed here:
https://en.shanling.com/article-UA3V010107.html

The Shanling UA3 DAC/Amplifier
Shanling has built a reputation using AKM DAC chips. But following the 2020 AKM factory fire, such choices were no longer available, until now. As of today there are two new AKM driven Shanling devices.

1) Shanling DAP M6 line (AK4493S)
2) Shanling UA3




Back in March of 2022 Shanling released the $235.00 UA5 Dongle. Such an older brother offers internal battery, a volume wheel, and completely red aluminum incasement option. The UA5's DAC chips are the Dual ESS ES9038Q2M, but its amplifier section is the same (as the UA3) with 211mW @ 32 Ohm output power! Our innovation with the UA3 comes with the use of actual transport or user selectable volume buttons, that and a revolutionary power management system.

Let's get on with the review, shall we.

Shanling UA3 – Portable DAC/AMP

• Brand new AKM AK4493SEQ DAC
• Dual Ricore RT6863 Headphone amplifier
• Hardware Volume Control/Tranport Control
• 3.5mm Single-ended & 4.4mm Balanced Outputs
• Standby Mode
• Up to 211mW @ 32 Ohm Output power
• Compatible with Android, Windows, Mac and iOS
• Special lightning cable needed for use with iOS
• UAC2.0 and UAC1.0 mode compatible, for use with Nintendo Switch and other gaming systems or older devices
• Hi-Res support up to 32/768 and DSD512
• UAC2.0 and UAC1.0 mode compatible, for use with Nintendo Switch
• Compatible with Eddict Player
• Universal USB-C Connector

Dual USB Modes:
Shanling UA3 supports both UAC1.0 and UAC2.0 USB connection modes. This enables the users to connect a wide variety of devices to the UA3 including Smartphones, Tablets, PCs, Laptops, Nintendo Switch gaming consoles, etc.

Hardware/Software Volume Controls/Transport Controls:
While switchable between software or hardware volume controls, the orientation of the buttons can also be reversed with Eddict software. Such features allow you to progress songs forward or backwards. Those same buttons instantly change to YouTube transport buttons. While watching YouTube the buttons will forward or reverse the video playlist.

Introduced as a next generation from the UA2, the $109.00 UA3 serves as a gap between the previous $85.00 UA2 and flagship $235.00 UA5.

Shanling UA2
Portable USB DAC/AMP
- Advanced model of UA line
- Interchangeable cables, using USB-C connector
- Special mode offering compatibility with Nintendo Switch
- 3.5mm Single ended & 2.5mm Balanced output
- ESS ES9038Q2M DAC & Ricore RT6863 amplifier
- Up to 195mW@32 output power
- Hi-Res support up to PCM 32/768 and DSD512
- Advanced settings available in companion app

Shanling UA5
Portable USB DAC/AMP
Dual ESS9038Q2M DAC Chips
Dual Ricore RE6863 OP Amps
Hybrid Power Mode (220mAh Battery)
116dB SNR
122dB DNR
USB Type-C
3.5mm SPDIF Support
Monochromatic 1.44-inch OLED display
Anodized Aluminum Chassis
UAC 1.0 & 2.0 Support
32-bit/384kHz, DSD512 Support
3.5mm SE & 4.4mm BAL outputs
SE 137 mW @32Ω | BAL 211 mW @32Ω


USB DAC Power Management:
One of Shanlings main goals was to improve battery life of the host phone. With Shanlings new USB DAC power management implementation allowing me to drain only 10% of the Samsung Smart Phone battery in 1 hour of play on high power mode.

Indicator Light:
Purple - 352/385/705kHz, Yellow - 176.4/-92kHz, Green - 88.2/96kHz, Blue - 44.1/48kHz. A white indication light is provided for DSD64/128/256/512. The red light will flash in UAC1.0 Mode

Enter the Eddict Android Phone Application:
While using the Eddict Player you have a music player that has all the regular features. Access to NAS and well as control of................

Music Scan
Cloud Service
WiFi Transfer
SyncLink
Wireless projection
USB control





USB Control:
Once the UA3 is connected it will show-up high-lighted. Such a user interface allows control of volume, the gain switch and lower power mode. As talked about earlier, this is also the place to adjust the function of the device buttons. 1) Track progress or 2) volume. You can also change the button orientation, and finally channel balance is controlled here.

The UA3 user experience:
Even though I have limited experience within the Dongle realm, still I can relate both the UA3 physical and sound events with prior gear. So definitely take this review with a grain of salt, as I’m in no way a Dongle expert. Such naivety has its merit, though maybe less than learning the side by side comparison difference between various Dongles?

Size & shape:
While way bigger than say the Apple Dongle, such a size and weight could be viewed as almost perfect. I say this as I wander around with IEMs and the UA3 hanging off my phone. Such an action allows simple transport from desk to lounge chair, though I’m not sure I would take the UA3 to the store without a quick attachment to the back of the phone first? These short jaunts work with IEMs attached and the UA3 hanging off the USB cable.



The Sound:
A wonderfully relaxed sound, forgiving but also not missing a thing. A balanced signature with a gorgeous smoothness about it that asks for all day listening experiences. Such a presentation takes you into the heart of the music, and has you wondering why you would ever need to ask for more. Yet there was a fraction of better thickness and sonic authority that both the Walkman WM1A and WM1Z did that showed more is possible. Such a fact could also been partially enabled due to my years upon years of Walkman use? But it did have me ask if it wasn’t just an alternative sound signature I has listening to? Could in fact all this be simply a slightly alternate universe? Both the Sony sound and the AKM signatures are renowned for being smooth. Both companies are not noobs to the act of sound reproduction. Yet Sony doesn’t make Dongles, at least not yet anyway. While I continued to study this sound signature.............I was then exploring more music and bit-rates. Such different music was actually surprising in contrast. Somehow this UA3 was able to delineate differences in different ways that the Sony Walkmans. I had maybe bit-off more than I could chew, when asked to review this Dongle? As truly the musical world was much bigger and much broader than I guessed. There was way more ways to present music than I thought. I should say, there was way more “right” ways than previously thought. All and all I will say this isn’t really a question of right or wrong. Things can be simply different and not be wrong. In some ways that difference was small and in other sound signature ways that difference was big.

UA3 with various IEMs/headphone:

MDR-Z1R Full-side headphone:
So I’ll start with a rather unorthodox combination. The MDR-Z1R , combined with the MDR-Z7 cable, UA3, and Samsung phone. Truthfully I only added this combo in an attempt at being complete. I didn’t expect that much sonic goodness from it. The main thing was how good the bass was. A lot of the time the heavy hand of the Sony Signature Line will be almost too much in the bass department. So switching to the UA3 was a breath of fresh-air. Also it was different from before I changed the power setting on the UA3. Meaning during the burn-in period I quickly tested the UA3 on low power mode. The low power mode sounded great, but with diminished damping authority with the UA3. Now that we were 3 days in on the burn-in schedule and on high-power, we were witnessing a whole now world. Funny how a flip-of-a-switch and some burn-in can make all the difference in the world? What was happening was the extra juice was enabling the MDR-Z1R to grab better transients. Better speed combined with the more reserved bass response (than I was used to) made for synergy. While there was still a large contrast from my reference system, this $109 Dongle was shortening the distance. Nice soundstage with well positioned elements, big treble imaging and textures! I kept asking myself if I could live with this alone.? Whenever I come up with that question to myself, it means something. All and all I am fully surprised? How could this be? I guess amp technology and DAC technology is slowly moving forward, as this was way better than it looks? Remember too, this whole business is resulting changes from very small improvements. So get an amp to be 20% more powerful and we will hear it. Not in volume always, but in damping factor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damping_factor

Remember we are not trying to make the volume any louder, we are already loud enough than most anyone could ever use with the UA3/MDR-Z1R combo. What we are arriving at is quality of sound through damping factor. Meaning tighter bass, cleaner bass and better staging, as well as more specific transient attacks and decay.

Damping factor:
This is normally a subject that I don’t go over in IEM reviews. IEMs can be slightly affected by it, but really it concerns full-size headphone replay. And further more the imaging, transients and lower-midrange/bass of (full-size) headphones. Such a quality of (more) power and amp matching will bestow an elaborate quality of fog-removal from headphones. Such a bass response will almost seem like more bass. When in reality it’s better imaged bass, and cleaner bass. Such was the effect when I tried the MDR-Z1R in low-power-mode a day prior. So the combination of the soundstage expansion and clearer more cleaned-up low-end, made all the difference in the world. Somehow the presentation of other frequencies gets clearer too, with better separation in the stage, and better imaging definition. This seems like a lot from such a small switch, but that’s why it’s there.

Switch-the-switch!

I suggest anyone who has the UA3 to find an Android phone and switch over to high-gain, especially if you are using the UA3 with full-size headphones.

Convenience:
We have finally arrived at the freedom of not taking a desktop unit along if you were planing to use your full-size headphones out of the house. The at work listening experience can be obtained just by bringing the UA3 along with your favorite full-size headphones!



DUNU VULCAN Universal IEM:
So much fun. And just like the MDR-Z1R, the UA3 brings special charms to the table when trying the VULKAN. The VULKAN is highly musical, but goes about the musicality in a backwards way.

It has a great soundstage, except there is a (VULKAN) center channel to the music which is lacking in resolving power. Either you agree with this artistic statement in replay or you are appalled by it. I happen to like this “one-of-a-kind” response. Where the emotional aspect for me takes place in how the VULKAN does bass. There can be a home-stereo effect where this bass becomes totally disconnected from the on-going musical replay. With the UA3 providing a more balanced rendition, that bass was slightly less, still fine. Both the MDR-Z1R and the VULKAN were very much the same in many ways. Showing a more mid-centric UA3 response than I’m used to. So it wasn’t bad, only different.

ISN H50 Universal IEM:
I was saving this for last, as it’s truly a first-class love affair. All this talk of bass refinement may give you the wrong idea. The UA3 is ample in bass, also nicely sculpted in how the bumps are handled. Also there is a specific placement in the soundstage that is unique to the UA3. Call it positioning for a better word. Also the ISN H50 has many of the same characteristics as the UA3, meaning both have sophisticated bass. Gone is the heavy bass of the ISN EST 50, more refinement takes place with boosts in the upper treble and upper midrange with the H50. This results due to 1DD for bass, and 2 BAs for treble and 2 BAs for midrange. Such contrasts were the ultimate spice to add to the music here.

Combinations:
So random combinations can be found at times to make the UA3 even better. Such is the reality of learning to “work” with the UA3’s personality. Yet when it comes down to it, truly we have a very even handed personality. Nothing sticks-out as wrong and the different viewpoints given by different transducers simply goes to further point-out unique and endearing aspects which were already there. When something is so well balanced we forget about trying to fix anything as nothing is wrong. Nothing is needed to adjust anything that’s wrong. So we are simply left with exploration. What I’m trying to say is the UA3 worked with everything. The things it can’t do is fix some technicalities or blatant off-frequency response. It doesn’t work miracles, but does get along with all your gear.

Bass:
Nimble, yet warm, present yet sculpted. Fast but also offering good decay. Can I call it the perfect bass? Probably the biggest deal here is I know the UA3 probably has color, yet I am not sure just how colored it is? Meaning yes, it’s smooth, meaning, yes it’s a warm response, but it’s less warm than I’m used to. What results is a more even handed style of playback, never did the warmth or excess bass ever get in the way of playback. Of course I tried it with excessive bass IEMs, but the response was the IEMs fault, not the UA3. If anything........the UA3 does have a signature sound, such endearments go as getting to know a new friend. As such characteristics, while subtle, are definitely there. It’s a combination of things, like where the bass is positioned in the soundstage, it's the tempo which the transient edge of the bass exists. The pace of decay, the overall tone we witness. Even the way we wait for bass drops, just to hear them correct............but in a slightly different than expected way. Such replay makes the UA3 an add to your collection due to outstanding uniqueness but also correctness.

Midrange:
A gentleness of note texture, combined with authoritative big soundstage girth. And the decay, while not world-class, fits the bill, and surpasses expectations, when you look down and realize your listening to tiny block of aluminum! Yet, it’s the rhythm that is a flowing. Really it’s midrange attitude, that is where our money is going here. That purchase of $109.00 is far surpassed by pure-attitude. The UA3 is showing us it does’t care what size it is or how much it costs. It simply doesn’t care. Such a spectacle takes place due to rhythm and bounce, that magic has you totally forget about technicalities. When they are talking about musicality, it’s not the notes, but the swagger between the notes that seals the deal. It’s this formation of stage that lays the ground work for the rhythm that’s taking place. The gentle separation and imaging fall-out taking place. How it’s all bigger and way more involving than it should be? I could try and analyze it, but why............I may miss the point? Maybe this is AKM magic at hand? Surly it’s not my choice of head-phones or IEMs, as it’s consistent with any transducer I use.

Treble:
While not the end-all end-all in treble structuring, the imaging that’s there is amazing. Probably the pace that is going on is the proverbial icing on the cake? Why am I taking about pace up in the treble northlands? Because that’s what is floating my boat here. There is a lightness, but it’s provided with such a groove, and sway. It’s an easy going placement just south of real brightness, gaining 100% listenability with any music quality file and any genre chosen. Here there is a wonderful connection of bass and treble which has the treble cantilever-off the bass bumps to add musicality. Everyone will talk about AKM smoothness here, but I beg to differ, introducing the treble-pace as the extra value. While decay not as pronounced as with more expensive gear, that’s not what drives this car. We are cruising the boulevard of rhythm here. Such musical sway and groove make up for any ultimate lack of technicality. While we still get great imaging and clarity, the cymbal hits are not as in-your-face as with DAP to desktop display. There is a slightly laid-back texture that just comes with the neighborhood we have driven into.





Included is the UA3 Dongle
A USB Type C cable
An USB adapter
2 Hi-res stickers
User manual
Warranty specifications
Full-product catalogue




Conclusion:
The UA3 has a place in the world. Such value is obtained by doing tricks not offered by anyone else. The newly introduced AK4493SEQ DAC, the power management system, the on-board multitask buttons. What more do you want for $109.00? While not the most resolving, and not the most authoritative sounding compared to desktop or DAP sound, the UA3 charms its way into use. Such charm is brought about by ease of use. There is no on or off switch, no battery! Plug and play is instantaneous!

Strangely it powered my full-size MDR-Z1R almost to perfection. Such a sound character seems rare for $109.00 as the UA3 is all business! A stripped down limited feature workhorse that simply goes on when plugged-in and generates an audiophile signal. Black as night background and way more power than you need for any IEM. There is a choice of getting the UA5 for more than double the money. But Shanling sneakily made the UA5 different, by using the same amplifier, but no AKM for $126.00 more money!

Is the AK4493SEQ DAC chip magic? I think it is, being it sounds both natural and slightly different than any digital audio decoding process I have. It’s also the lowest cost alternative (in my use) to achieve this level of sound quality. Does this make it a necessity for you, I can’t say? But in my uses it’s the best device to listen to a laptop. Your implementation could obviously be different, but because the UA3 is so adaptable, it fits what ever you’re going to use. Be it Android, Windows, Mac, or iOS the UA3 optimizes the digital signal, getting you emotionally involved with whatever music or videos you choose. I’m happy to report Shanling upgraded the Dongle user experience by adding 4.4mm and bringing up the UA3 power to match the UA5, also adding power management capability the UA5 does’t have. If this is the right Dongle for you, I can’t answer that, but it’s been a surprising eye-opening experience for me!

Get it here: $109.00
https://www.linsoul.com/products/shanling-ua3
If you buy from Linsoul you get a one year warranty and free shipping, world-wide.

Linsoul website: https://www.linsoul.com/
Linsoul Aliexpress Store: https://ddaudio.aliexpress.com/store/2894006
Linsoul USA Amazon Store link: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=merchant-items&me=A267P2DT104U3C

Disclaimer:
This is just one individuals thoughts and ideas, your experience could vary.

Disclaimer:
I would like to thank Kareena Tang from Linsoul for the opportunity to review UA3 Dongle.

Battery life disclaimer:
Yes, while in two separate tests it drained the battery in my Samsung phone 10% per hour. Still in daily use no way does it last ten hours playing consistently. I would say probably more like 6-7 hours is what I get out of a fully charged phone. This is playing hi-res files on medium volume with high output enabled.

Discloser:
New Shanling UA3 Firmware V01.01.07
New software was introduced upon completion of this review: Though nothing that changes the impressions of this single review.
Jul 26, 2022 at 10:22 AM
Post #56 of 57


Equipment Used:
Samsung Phone with Eddict Android Software
MacBook Air
Colibri 2.0.2 for MacBook
Foobar2000 for MacBook

The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for my honest and subjective evaluation.
I didn't receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don't use affiliate links.
The price is $109 and you can order yours from Shanling Amazon official store.



Shanling UA3

Faithful Shanling fans will certainly know that for many years, AKM DACs were the core part of Shanling’s audio designs, as they played a crucial role in delivering their house sound.
But following the fire at AKM’s factory in 2020, they had to look for alternative solutions, being unsure about AKM's future, something that affected most of their releases in 2021.
Thankfully in early 2022, AKM relaunched their line of DACs and Shanling immediately started working on new designs, diving into the possibilities of this updated generation of DACs.
UA3 is the first of these designs, utilizing a freshly released AK4493SEQ DAC, for the first time bringing the sound of AKM into the UA line of portable DAC/AMPs.



Technical highlights

Shanling UA3 features the brand new AKM AK4493SEQ DAC chip together with two dedicated Ricore RT6863 (the same used in FiiO's KA3) amplification chips combined into a powerful balanced output.
The UA3 is delivering 211mW/32Ω from the 4.4mm balanced output and 125mW/32Ω from the 3.5mm single, thus being able to drive a variety of full-sized headphones.
Furthermore the UA3 employs clever USB power management to draw significantly less power from the host device.
An advanced low-dropout voltage regulator is used for low noise and black background.
Additionally, a built-in high precision ultra low jitter clock can process all input data with an improved accuracy and enhanced performance.
The UA3 is compatible with Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS devices (Lightning cable not included), supporting PCM 32-Bit/768kHz and Native DSD512 but not MQA.
The UA3 supports both UAC1.0 and UAC2.0 USB modes so it is compatible with a wide range of host devices.



Design and build quality

The UA3 has a rectangular shape with beautifully curved sides and is made from a single aluminium block with a matte black finish.
The small part that covers the USB type-C port side is made from plastic and not aluminium.
The other end houses two headphone outputs while at the upper part of the chassis there are three physical buttons and a tiny notification LED that changes color according to the sampling rate.
The three buttons are used for controlling volume level and play/pause while their actions can be further customized through the compatible Eddict application.
You can also long press the central button for two seconds to switch between hardware and software controls.
Measuring 60x25x13mm and weighing 20.5g the UA3 is somewhat larger and bulkier than similarly sized devices like the FiiO KA3 but still compact enough and lightweight to fit inside your pocket or earphone carrying case.



Accessories

The UA3 comes with a, 5cm long, copper USB type-C cable of good quality with aluminum plugs and heavy strain reliefs at both sides plus a USB-A to USB-C adapter.
An elegant leather case is available as an extra purchase.



Companion application

The UA3 is compatible with the Shanling developed application called Eddict player that allows access for six kinds of digital filters, gain setting between high/low and customization of the external buttons.



Associated gear and power output

The UA3 was burned about 50 hours before listening sessions.
I used various earphones and headphones to test the performance, including the FiiO FA7S, Meze ADVAR, Sennheiser HD660S and even the Focal Clear Mg.
Power output from the balanced output is enough to drive a lot of headphones like the HD660S albeit with the Clear Mg something was left to be desired.
The unit stays relatively cool even after a prolonged time of use and power consumption is quite low.
There is no audible internal noise while the unit is well shielded so it seldomly picks up EMI interference.
The black background allows for good micro-detail retrieval but the UA3 is not the most detailed or resolving USB DAC among the competition.



Listening impressions

At last, after the slightly bright and forward-sounding UA1, the UA3 brings back the favorite Shanling house sound.
The UA3 sounds mildly warm, smooth and analogue-like yet transparent and accurate as a modern DAC ought to be.
There are no tonal shifts or nonlinearities and the sound signature is forged with the aim of the natural timbre and the lack of digital glare which is kept on a surprisingly low level.
The instrumental texture is rich and harmoniously intense with great tonal accuracy, both instruments and voices sound natural and quite close to reality.
At the same time the UA3 is fast and agile with all the necessary bite and grip that are needed for electronic tunes.
Bass extends deep and is tight, controlled and well defined, not that visceral but still full bodied and weighty.
Dynamic behavior is convincing, the UA3 is impactful and rumbling without sounding hollow or boomy.
Mid-range is flat regarding the frequency response but it has a smooth, zesty and lush texture that makes for a very engaging and highly enjoyable experience.
It is about harmonics and overtones that are colorfully painted with a variety of color shades that add an organic quality to the sound.
The highs are well extended, they are airy and sparkling but without sounding bright or forward, the sound is pleasurable and easy to the ear, nonetheless the UA3 is not lacking in overall transparency and precision.
It might not be the most resolving, analytical or crystalline clear sounding DAC but articulation is always kept on the highest level while note decaying has the perfect timing, not fast nor too slow, just balanced.



The soundstage is well organized, it is more wide than deep and not that holographic but it has accurate imaging and an open sounding, large scale presentation.
The UA3 feels at home with all kinds of music and it can match well with all your favorite earphones..
I found it very convincing with classical music where I mostly enjoyed the naturalness of the timbre and the organic texture like when I was listening to the following Beethoven symphony cycle.



Vs the FiiO KA3 ($90)

These two are more similar than different, they have an almost identical form factor, they can be configured through an app, they share the same amplification stage with the only major difference being the DAC chip.
ESS vs AKM and as you have probably guessed, the FiiO KA3 is somewhat more open sounding, cleaner and more resolving with a touch deeper detail retrieval.
Sound is a little leaner on the KA3 but it manages to sound more dynamic and bolder, treble is more sparkling and while not bright, it is slightly more forward and not velvety smooth as in the UA3.
Mids sound more organic, lush and harmoniously intense in the UA3 and while the KA3 has minimum digital glare and a mostly natural timbre, the UA3 has the edge in overall naturalness and timbre realism.
The KA3 is just slightly more powerful but it is something that gets really noticed and makes a difference when driving full size headphones.




In the end

AKM is back to business and Shanling engineers must be more happy than anyone else.
Their favorite DAC brand has new chips available and they are back to the drawing board designing with them.
The first born child, the UA3, is an excellent sounding USB DAC dongle with a very musical and organic sound signature that is going to reward the happy owner with endless pleasures.
Well build, powerful, energy efficient and competitively priced it gets an instant recommendation while I can't wait for more products to come.

Test playlist

Copyright - Petros Laskis 2022.