Shanling UA6

Shanling UA6​

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Shanling UA6 Review​

Intro​

Hello, this review and feature covers the latest dongle dac/amp from the audio brand Shanling Audio named the Shanling UA6 ($159). The UA6 is the latest in a long line of ‘UA’ series dongle dacs from Shanling and is “potentially” the best yet in that successful line. As the UA series has progressed, we’ve seen each new device get incrementally better. Also, when I say a “long line”, I mean a long line. Shanling has really gotten to the point that every device they release goes right to the top in each devices respective price bracket. One after the other beginning with the Shanling UA1, then the UA1 Plus, UA2, UA2 Plus, UA3, UA4, UA5, and finally the latest device that we are reviewing today, the UA6. Basically, I was expecting quite a bit out of the UA6 and by my estimation Shanling has really crafted a fine dongle dac.

Shanling​

I just reviewed Shanling’s latest portable Bluetooth dac/amp in the Shanling UP6 (UP6 Review) just a week ago and friends I have been so overly impressed with it. Truly one of the best devices of its kind under $200. In that review I spoke about the fact that Shanling has been around since 1988! That truly threw me for a loop and still does. Shanling has been at this game for a very long time, and it shows in their work. A Shanling product will always come with many features, top of the line components, built extremely well, as well as designed uniquely. Beyond that, I feel that Shanling products are always tuned well with the Shanling “house sound”. At least that I’ve heard. Anyways, I regularly use Shanling products in every single review. I’ve used the Shanling UA2 many times in the past as well as the UA4 at times too. However, I use the Shanling H0 regularly (review incoming) and feel it is one of the best sounding devices you can buy for $110. Also, every review I use my favorite dap under $1k with the Shanling M6 Ultra. It’s a few years old now, but I honestly haven’t heard a better dap under $1k for my taste. I suppose what I’m getting at is that I trust this brand completely. I know that they’ve done the hard work and used every resource at their disposal on each and every product. Without question, it shows on the UA6.

I like what I see…​

Well folks, I’ve paired the UA6 with many different iems and so far, & I like what I hear. I also like what I see as Shanling outfitted the UA6 with all the bells and whistles, nice and easy to use, sounds great thus far too. In fact, I’m ready to cut this intro short and get into this review. So, without further ado… the Shanling UA6 everyone…

Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:​

–Linsoul

–Amazon

–Aliexpress

Packaging / Accessories​

Unboxing​

The Shanling UA6 arrived at my home in a small blue square box which has a picture of the UA6 on the cover along with its name. On the back you’ll see some specs. Open the box and the UA6 will be chillin’ in a rectangular foam cut-out looking gorgeous. Take out that layer and you’ll see the manual, warranty card, the USB-C otg cable, as well as a usb-c to usb-a adapter. As with any source device unboxing there isn’t much to talk about. I suppose it’s a nice little package though. Well, the unboxing is as one would expect.

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USB-C OTG cable​

Shanling speaks on the USB-C otg cable which comes packaged with the UA6 stating that it is indeed a nice cable. People don’t think about this part of the Audio chain, but it’s a very important thing to consider. At least I believe it is. Take the Aful SnowyNight for example. In that package they provide a highly capable cable and used the cable within their promotional. Sure enough, that cable makes a small but legitimate difference. As far as the UA6’s cable, Shanling states that it’s a 7-strand, 18-core high-purity oxygen-free copper cable. Shanling promotes this cable to offer a clean signal transmission, and a richer sound quality compared to other otg cables. Now, I haven’t had the chance to test out this claim but it’s nice to know you are getting a decent cable within the packaging.

Specifications​

General info:​

–Product: Shanling UA6 portable dac/amp

–Brand: Shanling Audio

–DAC Chips: Four CS43131 dac chips

–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: 220mAh

–Dimensions: 68 x 33.5 x 13.6

–Weight: 35g

–Color: Silver & Black

Inside the Box:

• 1x Shanling UA6
• 1x Type-C to Type-C Cable
• 1x USB A to Type-C Adapter
• 1x Quick Start Guide
• 1x Warranty Card

Sound Specifications​

3.5 Single Ended

Single Dac Output Power (3.5 single ended)

–Low Gain: 31 mW @ 32 ohms

–High Gain: 112 mW @ 32 ohms

–Frequency Response: 20hz to 40khz (-0.5db)

–THD+N: 0.00025 @32 ohms (A-weighted @1.8V High Gain)

–Dynamic Range: 128db @ 32 ohms (A-weighted High Gain)

–Channel Separation: 68db @ 32 ohms (A-weighted High Gain)

–SNR: 127db @ 32 ohms (A-weighted High Gain)

–Noise Floor: 122db @ 32 ohms (A-weighted High Gain)

–Output Impedance: <.06 ohms

4.4 Balanced

Output Power (4.4 balanced)

–Low Gain: 101 mW @32 ohms

–High Gain: 361 mW @32 ohms

–Frequency Response: 20hz to 40khz (-0.5db)

–THD+N: 0.0006 @ 32Q (A weight @ 0.5V)

–Dynamic Range: 133db @ 32 ohms

–Channel Separation: 129db @ 32 ohms

–SNR: 132db @ 32 ohms

–Noise Floor: 121db @ 32 ohms

–Output Impedance: 1.2 ohms

Build / Design / Internals / Controls / Misc. Device info​

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Build Quality​

The build quality of the UA6 from Shanling is actually exactly how I explained the Shanling UP6, it’s awesome. Made from a single brick of aluminum the UA6 has a very structurally sound build which is also very light in weight too (35 g). For instance, I had no trouble hanging the UA6 from my devices. Anyways, the build is actually great, just like any Shanling device and in particular almost identical to the UP6. Albeit a bit smaller by a few mm’s each way and about 20 grams lighter. As you’ll notice there is a 1.3” beautiful color screen which is there to highlight any of the settings, and there’s a lot of them. It’s a gorgeous display with vibrant colors (more on that later). On the right side of the shell, you’ll notice three rectangular buttons. The top button has dual “up” arrows, the middle button has the “play/pause” symbol, and the bottom button has dual arrows “down”. There’s nothing on the left side of the UA6. On the top side of the dongle is the USB-C port and on the bottom are both 3.5 single ended and 4.4 balanced ports. Really a very well-made device with a very stylish design. Shanling added some ribbed “heat sinks” all the way down each side of the unit as well. It’s not a big dongle dac either at 68mm x 33.5mm x 13.6mm and weighing only 31 grams. However, it isn’t small either and if size is an issue for you then I’d take note. I obviously don’t feel it’s a problem at all as I love the size and build. The UA6 feels substantial, it feels solid in hand. People can tell a well-made device and the UA6 is a dead ringer for a very solid build quality.

Design​

When it comes to design there’s only a handful of brands who really do a fantastic job designing their devices, no matter the product, or price of the product. Without question Shanling is one of those brands. It is very easy to tell that they pride themselves on crafting sleek and slick designs which always have a classy and handsome look. Every product I’ve ever owned from Shanling, whether it be a dap, dac/amp, dongle dac or iem… it looks dope! They never seem to have a miss. Even their cheaper dongle dacs are pretty cool looking. Anyways, the UA6 once again looks very similar to one of the most awesome looking Bluetooth dac/amps on the market in the UP6. In fact, the UA6 preceded the UP6. I adore the beautiful vibrant screen, the heat sinks on the sides, the shape is perfect. I don’t want this to get out of control here, but the design is simply handsome folks. Now, you can get the UA6 in either silver or black. Both are nice looking colors, professional looking colors. Really a nice job Shanling.

Internals​

One of the main selling points of the Shanling UA6 is that it isn’t like all of these other dongle dacs with either a single or dual dac chips. No sir, Shanling actually added in a four dac array consisting of four CS43131 dac chips. One of three most popular dac chips in portable audio. Without a doubt. We see these chips in so many devices and so many of those devices have some pretty distinct tonal characteristics. Let’s put it this way, there’s a reason why the CS43131 is used so much. Of course, Shanling must’ve used a separate amp section though I don’t know the make of it yet. Also, internally you’ll find another huge selling point. That is, an internal 220mah battery (more later)! This is huge! This provides a cleaner signal and fixes some issues that many source devices (phones) have with their usb-c or lightning ports (IOS). Shanling also added in their own proprietary low-noise high-current LDO chip which is said to help tremendously with background noise (more on that later).

Controls / Buttons / Functionality​

As I spoke about earlier, the UA6 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. Folks, 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 UA6 to observe your command. In fact, everything is easy on the UA6. I love that Shanling leaves nothing out. Very nice.

Device Menu Options​

Just like the UP6, the UA6 comes with a whole host of menu options which can be easily cycled through using the buttons on each device. In this case I’m obviously speaking on the UA6, but the UP6 is similar. So, each function in the menu settings on the UA6 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
Of course, one of the coolest features and one that many devices have (nothing unique here) are gain controls. The UA6 isn’t special because it has gain functions, but it would be horrible if it didn’t have them. Anyways, the gain option is the first menu selection which can be found by long pressing the multi-function button. After you do that, you can cycle up or down using the two arrow buttons. Whether you are using 3.5 single ended or 4.4 balanced you can use cycle till your heart’s content. Using 3.5 on low gain will give you 31 mw @32 ohms and high gain provides up to 112 mw @32 ohms. Things get a lot more interesting when you are using 4.4 balanced, however. Low gain on 4.4 is 101 mw @32 ohms and high gain will yield a very large max power output of 361 mw @32 ohms. I usually just keep it in high gain at all times, but you may be different.

Dual or Quad Dac​

Another nice function of the UA6 is that you can choose either dual or Quad Dac chips within the menu options. Now, I don’t know the exact reasons one would want to use dual dacs over quad dacs other than saving on some battery life by not having as many power guzzling dac chips drawing on the power supply. They say this can change up the sound as well but as honest as I can be, I never tried this feature out. Who wants to use less dac chips? If any of you have any comments, please share below.

PCM Dac Filters​

One cool feature of the Shanling UA6 is that they have sound filters. Sound filters give the listener slightly different sound profiles to listen with. Really, the changes are barely noticeable on just about every device you’ll ever use. However, for those with eagle ears, you can hear the subtle changes. Now, Shanling provides a total of five filters. Those are, the Fast Filter, Slow Filter, Low-Latency Fast, Low-Latency Slow, and Non-oversampling (NOS). If I were you, I’d cycle through them and see if you enjoy any one of those filters above the others. I personally like the NOS (non-oversampling) the most, but that’s me. Anyways, these filters are usually the type you set and never change again.

Key Mode​

What “Key Mode” does is gives the listener the ability to decide and set what they want their side buttons to do. You can set them to perform a “Track Up/Down”, “System Volume Up/Down” or Dac Volume Up/Down”. Again, nothing life changing but I suppose it’s nice to choose.

Font​

This is pretty obvious, you get to set the font which shows up on the screen.

Balance​

Another obvious feature. The Balance menu option gives the user the ability to set the audio balance from the left side or the right side. Simple as that.

Brightness​

Okay, maybe these are all ridiculously obvious. However, that doesn’t mean they are any less nice to have at your fingertips. So, the brightness menu option gives you the ability to establish how bright you want the screen. My advice, just put it to ‘10’ and leave it. Go to the max. Of course, my advice may be the worst advice because I’m sure a brighter screen may draw more power. Psss… I don’t think it’s very much… set it to 10.

Screen Off (Screensaver) ​

This option gives you the ability to choose how many seconds you’d like the screen to stay on. Now, this feature will obviously slightly affect battery draw. I mean, the longer the screen stays on it will draw more power. So, you can set it anywhere from “off” and up in five second increments all the way to 60 seconds. I put mine on 40 seconds and I’m good.

Screen Orientation​

Screen orientation is a cool feature which I actually use from time to time. What this does is rotates the screen to your desired side. We’ve seen other Shanling devices with those features. Namely the Shanling M1S as well as the latest Shanling device, the Shanling UP6. It’s a neat thing to have when you want it.

Switch Mode​

This feature basically puts your UA6 in position to work with devices such as a Nintendo Switch which is always awesome. If you want that hi-res sound for your gaming sessions, then you’ll have to be able to switch to UAC1.0 from the standard UAC2.0. This option will allow you to do that. Now, this is not a new feature and many dongle dacs come with this ability. However, they don’t all have this function and it’s still very valuable to gamers.

SPDIF OUT​

This option allows the user to use the S/PDF-out standard for their CD Players, TV’s, DVD Players, Home Theaters etc. Basically, it’s a way to complete a direct signal transmission rather than converting to analog first. You’d use either coaxial (RCA) or TOSLINK cables with an adapter to transmit the signal. Another nice feature for those who can use it.

Theme ​

Lastly, you can change the screen of the UA6 to four different themes. Really, it’s just a small change in appearance.

Features​

Dac Chips​

I put this as a feature because I feel it’s an important selling point. No doubt this is an awesome feature of the UA6 which really does help this device to stand out from the pack, in my most honest opinion. As I’ve said a few times the Shanling UA6 comes with not one, not two, not even three dac chips. The UA6 actually comes with four CS43131 dac chips. Folks, the CS43131 is a widely used chip in both portable and non-portable devices but mostly they are used in more budget gear. However, that doesn’t make them any less good. Especially since some of the best sounding dongle dacs that my ears have heard come with the CS43131 dac chips. Don’t let the word “budget” fool you. These chips are able to provide an awesome 32-bit bit depth, 768khz sample rate, and it’s able to give you up to 512 DSD as well. Nothing weak, budget, or bad about that. Also, the fact that there’s four chips in total and each designated to a different portion of the mix. Actually, I don’t know how it’s broken up, but I do know how this device sounds. Folks, I am so impressed. There’re caveats to that so do check out the sound portion of this feature review. At any rate, I am very happy with my listening sessions and so very surprised that Shanling was able to get the absolute most out of the four dac chips that they chose.

Hybrid Battery Power System 2.0​

This feature is absolutely great folks. I’m telling you it’ll help you to get the most out of your Shanling UA6. What the Hybrid Battery Power System 2.0 does is regulates or adjusts the power flow coming from your source (phone, dap, computer etc.). Not all smartphones (for example) have the most output in their usb connection. In fact, there’s quite a few smartphones which have very weak output which means you aren’t getting nearly the output and sound quality as you would a device which “can” provide the necessary power. Phones like iPhones, some Samsung devices, some LG phones and many more which simply cannot meet the demands of these dongle dacs. It’s just the truth. People are thinking they are getting the most, but they most certainly are not. The HBPS 2.0 takes care of this problem by literally adjusting the output and using the internal 220 mah battery to provide the rest of the power required for the UA6 to work effectively. This is huge! Granted, other devices have similar features. Also, you cannot solely use the power from the UA6. This isn’t a battery replacement. What the HBPS 2.0 does is bring your smartphone up to speed. Basically, you’ll get the most out of it by reaching the fullest power output of the UA6 as well as being able to fulfill the full dynamic shifts and dynamic range of the UA6. Really a cool feature that I’m glad to have.

Screen​

As I’ve spoken of repeatedly in this review thus far, the Shanling UA6 comes equipped with a slick screen. The screen happens to be a 1.3” square color screen which has some very vibrant colors I might add. Easily discernible in peak daylight/sunlight hours outside so long as the brightness is turned all the way up. Yes, you can turn up or down the brightness. At any rate, the screen provides a multitude of info which I will describe in the “Device Menu Options” section next. For a dongle dac under $200 it is very nice that a big (in terms of dongle dacs) and luminant screen can provide every menu option, and all the specs/info that you’d need. Honestly, it is such a huge selling point. Also, I know that there are other dongle dacs which feature screens. I get that. However, none are quite as cool as the UP6 & UA6’s screens. I know the BTR17 has one as well. Of course, it also cost $50-60 more as well. I think it’s a neat option and certainly a selling point.

Eddict Player Companion APP ​

One huge benefit of this device is that it comes with an actual companion app. Some Shanling devices can pair with one of the more popular music apps in the Android Playstore 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 UA6 to the Eddict Player and you’ll have access to many different options within the app. Stuff like firmware upgrades, car mode, change from UAC2.0 to UAC1.0, change the brightness too. You also have options to change from dual dac to quad dac. You can enter in gain modes (Low/High) as well as select PCM sound filters. Really, the Eddict Player provides you a better screen to be able to change everything that you have on the UA6’s screen in the menu options. However, as I said, the one difference is that you can perform firmware upgrades to the UA6 on the Eddict app. Also, you can obviously use the Eddict Player as a music player, using its EQ functionality as well. It’s a nice app and a nice feature. Certainly, better than not having it. Please understand that Apple does not have the ability to provide the Eddict Player.

Output Power​

Like I’ve said, the Shanling UA6 is capable of a respectable max output of 361 mW @ 32 ohms while using high gain on 4.4 balanced. What that means is that you’ll be able to drive just about any iem you have to its best potential. Now, 361 mw is very good, but there are certainly dongle dacs around its price or less which come with more output power. However, I don’t want to in any way diminish how nice it is to have access to that amount of juice for a dongle dac. It wasn’t long ago we’d be lucky to have 100 mW of max juice in this form. I’d definitely say that the UA6 provides some of the more powerful output. Of course we have dongle dacs producing 500-600 mW. That said, power output isn’t everything, it’s just nice to have. This is definitely a thumbs up from me.

LDO chip​

Shanling outfitted the UA6 with Shanling Audio’s very own (very popular) LDO circuit which helps the UA6 to come across with such a clean and black background, even using 4.4 balanced. This is one aspect of this device which I’ve been very happy with as there is a very clean background for my iems to operate in. Without question Shanling did a fine job with the cleanliness of the UA6.

LED Light Status Indicator​

The Shanling UA6 also has a status light indicator located in the front of the unit which displays what sample rates are being used during listening. I’ve always appreciated this, though many devices have this. I added this to features but really, it should be a given that the UA6 has it. At any rate the sample rate lights goes like this:

-Blue: 32 / 44.1 / 48khz

-Green: 64 / 88.2 / 96khz

-Yellow: 128 / 176.4 / 192khz

-Pink: 352.8 / 706.6 / 768khz

-White: DSD64 / DSD128 / DSD256 / DSD512

-Red: 44.1 / 48khz (UAC1.0)

Sound Impressions ​

*Note #1: I’d like to preface the entire sound portion of this review with a few tidbits which I think are at least somewhat important. First, I used way too many iems over the course of my time with the UA6. Too many to name here. I will use some examples within the sound review that I feel are pertinent to explaining the UA6. Also, it may be placebo effect, or actual burn-in changes, but the UA6 most certainly has changed over the course of my time with it. It went from analytical, dry, and somewhat flat to a more musical sound with a punchier bass region, slightly more warmth too. Again, I’m not claiming anything here, but I definitely feel different about the UA6 then when I first got it. Without question. Brain burn? Maybe. I use flac or better files which are stored on my devices for all critical listening and my Android music player of choice is usually UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro), but I did use Eddict Player a bit as well as Hiby Music Player at times too.

*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: last little note before I begin. I did all my critical listening using the NOS (non-oversampling) filter. I really do feel it gives the sound it’s most natural hue. There’s a hair more warmth to my ears with a touch less sharpness. Without a doubt this filter works best for my listening preference. However, I suppose if you had a very warm and rich iem that using the “Fast Filter” may be a good one to try. Again, the filters don’t usually make a world of difference, but the difference that the NOS filter provides is almost just enough to make the sound really nice.

How does it sound?​

I’ve spent every last day over the course of a month with the Shanling UA6 and I gotta say, this device has changed its tonal character…for the better. Or my brain decided to get with the program with a little brain-burn magic. Whatever the case, the Shanling UA6 is a very well-done source device. Speaking on the sound alone, I’d say the UA6 is a very well-balanced sounding dongle dac and I hear some nice timbre out of the UA6 with a more natural and organic take on the spectrum. I’d say it comes across as warm/neutral, or neutral with shades of warmth. Most certainly this is not a bright, dry, or too overly clinical sounding device. The UA6 does keep solid control over the spectrum with a certain crispness that helps define notes coupled-with nice dynamics as well that adds some vigorous energy to the mix. We are so used to the Shanling “house sound” which usually has a very easy going treble, elevated bass (to a degree), and velvet in their midrange performance. Usually. Also, I freaking love the Shanling sound. However, Shanling has been changing things up a bit. While I’d never call the UA6 a complete departure, because it does carry some semblance of warmth, it is definitely a bit more sprightly, agile, and leans analytical yet with a very nice helping of musicality. I should also add that the UA6 has a fairly black background enabling your iems or headphones a clean palate to work in.

Let’s put it this way…​

Really, it’s simply a nice sounding device. Let’s put it this way, the UA6 is not going to turn your precious Simgot EA1000 into a bass focused iem and just the same the UA6 won’t embellish the already bright nature of the EA1000. Again, the UA6 is balanced. It works on an almost perfectly even keel, balanced between bass, mids, & treble. The UA6 is balanced between technical ability and pure sonic mellifluousness, or musicality. One thing I have noted on multiple sets is that the sound comes across cleaner on the UA6 than on some other dongle dacs. Cleaner, as in, less background fuzz and it seems to influence each set with cleaner note outlines, as well as just enough sparkle to go with the mid-bass punch. One thing I can say for sure is that the UA6 also won’t take away that bass influence. If your iem is bass meaty with a big bulbous low-end, it’ll mostly remain that way. On the flipside, if your favorite iem has that treble head bite and brilliance the UA6 won’t level it off up top or diminish the energy in that region. Lastly, the midrange is a hair more forward with a mostly speckless display of the mids coming across with a nicely controlled glaze of warmth. I’m telling you folks, try the NOS filter and let this device play for some amount of time (at least a couple days) before you cast any judgment. Like I said, it may be brain-burn as I’m not out here testifying to the weeks-long burn-in (listen-in) that I’ve done as if that is what I’m hearing. However, this I’m positive of; at first the UA6 was a bit sharp, slightly flat, almost too neutral and that all changed.

Sound Between the 20’s ​

Bass Region​

Looking at each section of the frequency (bass, mids, treble) I’d say that the bass region is neither lifted nor rolled off. However, the nice thing about the lows isn’t that they boom with authority. The nice thing is how controlled and precise they seem to be. Of course, we are talking about a $150-$160 item here so I do hope you keep these words in perspective in relation to the cost. Not that $159 is cheap either. However, that little caveat aside, I like this streamlined and natural bass influence. It should be noted that the bass definitely comes across warm, not weak and dry. I derived this from listening to too many iems to count and many different dongle dacs too. The only way to review a source device, by the way. At any rate, something like the Lime Ears Terra holds onto that hard punch as the emphasis doesn’t diminish. I really enjoy that. So many source devices which veer neutral can sound less authoritative. Not the UA6. Or a set like the Hidizs MK12 most certainly sounds more precise in its attack down low with very nice sub-bass extension. The lesson learned about the UA6’s bass is that the UA6 won’t lessen the amount of weight, but it also won’t add to that weight either. What it will do is come across well-defined and clean and I find the UA6 promotes great surface texture.

Midrange​

That brings us to the midrange which has this subtle but also smooth warmth which floats through the spectrum like a soft vapor across an otherwise mostly neutral tonal coloration. Just a titch. Enough to subtly infill the body of most notes. I’m not saying thick. It’s just a glazing of warmth. However, the mids also come with a slight vibrance, some crispness, some pointed attack. The mids come across very clean-lined, great clarity, and the mids are great for helping my iems in their detail retrieval. Positionally, the mids are forward, they have good presence (depending on your iems/headphones). However, they’re also not gaudy, too assertive, or overly vigorous, and they’ll never add shout (again, depending on your iems/headphones). Now, no doubt the UA6’s midrange carries a more natural timbre. The best part is that any set with a more boosted pinna rise will not all of a sudden become unlistenable. I hear great resolution, a mostly black background, and a very textured display. I’d have to say that the midrange is my favorite aspect of this device. Now, I should once again reiterate that I’m getting these impressions using the NOS Filter (yes, I know I repeat myself often). The other filters can sound a hair dryer, less warmth, slightly thinner even. Paired with the Aful 5+2 I was instantly impressed by the colorful and pronounced quality to its vocals with the UA6. Or the Fiio FH9. I adore this pairing folks. Instruments come across very pristine, vocals sound vivid, and the overall stage just comes across with nice clarity, Imaging influence, and even some enhanced layering for a $160 dongle dac. Really, the midrange is usually very nice.

Treble​

The treble region is another area of the mix which isn’t too little or too much of anything. It also balances very well with the bass and mids. I hear nice treble bite when paired with a set which can replay in such a way. Also, treble extension is aided by the UA6. There’s nothing forced here folks. Nothing is oversaturated up top. You have just enough brilliance along with just enough density and what you are left with is a treble which sounds fairly organic and clean. I suppose one of the most telling pairings for me was with the Sound Rhyme DTE264. Friends, the DTE264 is a bright set. Flat-out and hands-down it is a very clean brightness and a very well controlled brightness, but it’s bright. I instantly checked this set to hear if the UA6 would embellish and exaggerate those highs adding any more sharpness or harshness. Or would the UA6 dial those highs back? What I found was that the UA6 provided a nice canvas for the DTE264 to operate in without creating a more strident and harsh treble but instead sounded well defined, not splashy, not too harsh, but still resplendent and highly detailed.

Technicalities​

Technically the Shanling UA6 stands out for its very clean delivery. No matter the filter you choose you’ll hear a device which will only help your earphones/headphones in attributes like detail retrieval, sound separation, and no doubt the UA6 won’t ever feel congested. Again, the UA6 has a clean note body and that note body never sounds hazy or murky. Which should be expected in this day and age. Like I said earlier, detail retrieval is emphasized even with the smooth demeanor of the UA6. Also, as I said earlier, there’s most definitely a certain ‘luminance’ or ‘vibrance’ which adds some crispness, some edge, or some controlled abrasiveness to notes when a track calls for it. I wouldn’t say the UA6 adds very much air or openness to the sound of my iems, but the tailored and crystalline presentation is enough to help in the area of instrument separation. Almost as though the UA6 promotes a tighter transient response, cleaner note outlines, and once again a black background in comparison with similarly priced dongle dacs. I’d say that the soundstage is about the same as other dongle dacs.

What I like best about the sound…​

I added this section because I really do feel the UA6 does separate itself in some ways from the loaded pack of $100-$175 dongle dacs. Granted, please understand that I am not hyping this device, it really is a nice sounding unit. And also understand that there are plenty of fantastic alternatives too. In fact, I’m going to compare the UA6 to one of my favorites in this price segment, the EPZ TP50.

So, for me the Shanling UA6 does a few things very well. Some are things I’ll repeat myself on, so please bear with me. At any rate, one thing I love is that the UA6 doesn’t alter the sound of your earphones in a drastic way. Yes, there is minimal color added, but also, the sound is not overtly warm, bright, or rolled off in any direction. The UA6 has dynamism folks. It has this ability to produce a smooth but also abrupt stop-on-a-dime style dynamics which really do nicely paired with the right iem. It’s punchy with its dynamics as there isn’t anything boring here. Especially after a couple weeks playing the UA6. Give it time folks. Don’t judge this one early. I also very much enjoy that the UA6 neither adds or takes away bass weight, treble emphasis, or midrange vibrance from your iems. Unless you are listening to a very warm set like the Dunu X-Gizaudio DaVinci, for example. In that case the upper end color will add some vivacity. I love the smooth nature of the sound, the timbre too. But I love even more that the UA6 can be that whilst also being well able to draw out those micro-details, those fine-lined and subtle surface textures and volume shifts. It’s a really nice dongle dac folks.

Some downsides of the UA6​

Well, you don’t have a volume wheel like we had with the UA5. I really wish we didn’t lose that. Boy that would’ve taken the UA6 over the top for me. So, small letdown. I would also say that there’ll be folks who’ll desire more warmth, or more brilliance out of their source devices than what the UA6 can provide. As I said, it has an ever-so-slightly colored sound, but not enough that it’ll really contrast some of the more polarizing iems/headphones. For instance, a super bright set like the Simgot EA500 isn’t all of a sudden going to gain enough warmth to make it tolerable to pinna sensitive folks. Or a set like the Letshuoer S12, same story. On the flip, the UA6 also isn’t going to turn your EPZ P50 into a bass cannon. The UA6 won’t provide more warmth and note weight to the extent that a thinner sounding set will begin to sound rich or lush.

Comparisons​

EPZ TP50 ($119)​

The EPZ TP50 (TP50 Review) is the first dongle dac that I usually mention to others looking around the $100 price point and I probably won’t change my mind on that anytime soon. I feel the TP50 excels in many different areas and comes stacked with all the bells and whistles that one would want in a dongle dac. However, in my opinion the TP50 excels most in its ability to reproduce sound. Just a wonderfully balanced and refined musicality with an articulate and clean sound field. Outfitted with dual CS43198 dac chips and plenty of power to drive any iems. Truly a super performer across the board and a great price to performance dongle dac.

Differences​

The first difference you may notice is the size difference between the UA6 and the TP50. No doubt the UA6 is a hair larger. But of course, the UA6 also has an internal battery and other Internals components which take up space. I feel both dongle dacs are built well but the UA6 is certainly the more rugged device. As far as design (if that’s important to you), the UA6 is on another level in my opinion. I do like the TP50’s carbon fiber exterior and I love its screen, but the UA6 with its 1.3” color display as well as its clean-cut appearance is simply refreshing to look at. Once again, the UA6 has a huge leg-up on the TP50 with its 220mah internal battery. Truly a luxury to have. The UA6 has a larger max output of 361 mw @ 32ohms to the TP50’s 240 mW @ 32ohms. I should add that in real world testing the difference is somewhat noticeable too. For instance, listening at 49/100 on the UA6 took putting the TP50 at 60/100 to reach the same sound levels. Looking at the internal dac setup I do find both are in great shape. Both use super popular Cirrus Logic chips. Though the four CS43131 dac chips on the UA6 does seem to slightly outshine the dual CS43198 chips used in the TP50. I suppose that it is a matter of taste, but both are implemented very nicely. Both devices have sound filters, volume control, gain switches etc. but the UA6 has much more control over those settings as you can use either the buttons on the device, or use the Eddict Player app. Unfortunately, EPZ does not have an app yet. Also, the UA6 costs about $40 more, so there’s that.

Usability​

As far as usability, I feel that both devices are setup in a manner which makes them easy to use and intuitive. For me the UA6 seems to be easier to commit to memory and has a much larger screen which does help quite a lot. Now, the weight of the TP50 is about 7 grams lighter. I don’t know if that means anything to you, but 7 grams is 7 grams and may mean something to your usb-c port. However, that’s also not a ton. Again, the UA6 is a hair larger, and I know many people who want the smallest dongle dac they can get. So that may be something to consider.

Sound Differences​

As far as actual sound differences, I find both devices hold their own very well. Both lean organic, both are technically very solid, both come with a clean background though the UA6 certainly has the upper hand there. I think the main difference for me is with the smooth dynamics that the UA6 carries. It’s got a better tonal contrast to its sound. I find the sound is just a bit more vibrant, more edgy, punchier. Both devices come across smooth, slightly warm, but the TP50 is less intense, if that makes sense. The UA6 definitely has more levity, more controlled luminance. Please don’t take this as a slight to the TP50 either as I’m talking about incremental differences. However, the UA6 is just a bit more refined, cleaner at the edges of notes, transients are more precise. To my ears the UA6 has a slightly more melodic midrange with a more embossed presence for vocals. It’s really a sweet-sounding midrange folks and while the TP50 does very well, I don’t think it matches that bouncy, transparent, and velvet sound of the UA6. The TP50 is a bit flatter in its dynamics, less lustrous and not as much crispness at times too. Again, the TP50 is a fantastic dongle dac that I feel anyone looking at the $100-$200 range should consider. However, I can audibly hear the reason why the UA6 costs more. In my opinion anyways. I suppose fans of a more laid back and smooth sound would not agree with my findings.

Final thoughts on this comparison ​

Two fantastic dongle dacs per their respective price points. I really cannot stress that enough. Both the UA6 and the TP50 represent some of the best that each range has to offer. At least out of what I’ve heard. As far as my taste is concerned, the UA6 is simply a better portable audio device. It definitely plays more genres better and does a better job with different tonal characteristics of iems.

Is it worth the asking price? ​

The $159 question. Is the Shanling UA6 even a good buy at that cost? Does it hang with other dongle dacs around its price? The answer to both questions is a resounding yes from me. I feel that Shanling really knocked this one out of the park. Coincidentally, I said the same of their latest Bluetooth dongle dac, the Shanling UP6 as well as their awesome Shanling H0. To be perfectly honest, they haven’t swung and missed in a long time for me folks. Smart decisions, patience, R&D, and the right people making the right moves at the right times is key in making quality products with a price to performance standard. Absolutely the UA6 is worth every last penny folks. Also, I feel that the UA6 is priced appropriately as well. I’d say that it should cost more on performance alone, but the fact that they used some very common dac chips tells me that the price is about right. I can only imagine if they would’ve used four of the later CS43198 dac chips, or the very nice sounding ESS9069Q dac chips like they used in the UP6. Granted, there’s four of the CS43131 chips, which kind of balances things out a bit. However, I am very pleased with how well implemented these chips are folks. They really did squeeze everything out of them. It’s impressive. Once again, I love the UA6 at $159 and yes, it’s worth it. Easy rec.

The Why… ​

Because the UA6 is built so very well. The aluminum frame feels robust, it feels substantial, like a serious audio device. Oh and the design as well as the aesthetic is flat-out sweet too. Yes, its dope looking, but the design is great for practical reasons too. Great in that they added a very nice and big screen, the controls are easy, intuitive, simple to change, and each setting makes sense to have on a dongle dac. They aren’t too convoluted and one thumb changes them all. It’s simply a pleasing device to use, to have, and to look at. However, for me and for anyone else in this hobby the real worth of any audio device relies almost entirely on how it sounds and the UA6 is no different. Friends, I am so very happy with this thing, and I’ve used it almost constantly. Even over my much more expensive and much more “quality” daps, and dac/amps. The UA6 simply has such a well-balanced sound. Balance in the tonal coloration with its warm/neutral take on my music. It’s balanced in the frequency response. I find the UA6 has a great balance of its technical abilities as well as with its musicality. It doesn’t embellish the sound of any set, it isn’t rolled off in any direction, its dynamic, nice transient influence, nice note density, energetic enough but in a very well controlled and clean manner. The UA6 has a black background, nothing peaky, nothing harsh. It’s just good. I don’t know how else to say it. Once again… nice work Shanling!

Conclusion​

To conclude my full written review of the Shanling UA6 dongle dac I absolutely have to thank the people of Shanling for providing me the opportunity to feature this device. Thank you very much. Shanling has been nothing but awesome during the process. I love brands which simply send their products and live with the results. That’s Shanling. They expect nothing but honesty. I also have to thank those who took the time to read my thoughts. To mobileaudiophile.com, every single click of the mouse or tap of the screen which takes you here means everything to us. So, thank you very much.

UA6​

After spending so much time using the UA6 I’ve concluded quite a few things. One of those “things” that I’ve gathered concerning the UA6 is that I’m going to use this device… all the time. It’s a wonderful device for portable use which makes it very good for my purposes. Folks, I’ve got many dongle dacs, dac/amps, and similar devices and many of them I never reviewed simply due to the fact that I don’t feel they stuck out within the endless sea of devices floating around the Audioverse. Or they just didn’t jive with me. The UA6 was an easy decision. It has all the earmarks of a solid purchase. Another thing I’ve concluded was that the UA6 is an easy recommendation. Of course, this is only my opinion, but I really enjoy the UA6. Easy rec.

Other Perspectives ​

Now that you’ve read my thoughts about the Shanling UA6, I hope you will click a few more links to some other reviews covering it. Listen, $159 is a lot of money. Not everyone has $159 underneath their couch cushions. Not everyone has that much disposable income to drop on a hobby. I get it. However, that means that you should be doing your homework. Remember, I am only one man, and my opinion of this device is my own. The next guy may have different thoughts, and those thoughts are likely just as true to them. I really think your best bet is to gather as many thoughts as possible and try to come to a conclusion. Now, I will always, always, always, give you my most honest truth about any product that ever graces my ears. That’s a fact. However, what’s good to me may not be good to you, simple as that. So please check out some other thoughts. With that, I think I’m done folks. So please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!!