The item for review is the Shanling UP, which is a Dragonfly-esque USB DAC/amp for use from a computer or mobile phone. A huge thank you goes to nmatheis for lending out the UP for the purposes of this review. Shanling is a relatively lesser known audio company that has actually been in existence in one form or another since 1988, officially taking the name Shanling in 1996. Recently Shanling has been making a bit of a buzz in the personal audio world with their DAPs (I own the M2), and now they have introduced their first portable DAC/amp, the UP.
I’ll start with a little about myself. I’m pushing 50 and have less than perfect hearing (50 is pushing back). I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and I learned to listen a little more critically during the few years I sold audio equipment (and the more I listen, the more I learn). My fascination/infatuation with headphones began about 4 years ago, and has only gotten stronger. I’ve only recently taken a more serious look at the hardware end of the audio equation, and I’m enjoying the journey. The majority of my listening was done listening to FLAC, WAV & various MP3s with my Samsung Galaxy S7, and my HP all in one PC being used as a source. My tastes are fairly eclectic, but my listening centered on classic rock, folk, jazz, classical and various genres of EDM.
The UP comes in a relatively small box, and not surprisingly there were few accessories (The Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2 I bought had only a storage pouch). The Dragonfly is made to go right into a USB type A slot in a computer or laptop, no wires required. Shanling took the other route, utilizing a USB type C connection for the DAC/amp and including various wires to connect to your source (USB C to A, USB C to micro, USB C to lightning and Type C to Type C).
Physically, the UP is similar in size to the Dragonfly, though unlike the Audioquest, UP is made from “2.5D Glass” which I found very easy to smudge with fingerprints.
(Fingerprint Magnet!!)
There aren’t any controls to speak of, just a headphone out, a USB in and a low/high gain control.
Set up was very straightforward. It was nothing more complicated than plug and play with my Phone. My PC required a driver download to get started. When plugging in the UP for the 1st time, it did seem that there was an attempt to self-install the driver, but that failed, Unfortunately, I also had bad luck downloading the driver from their website. I’m not sure if the file itself was corrupted, but it was a no go until I got a little help from originalsnuffy, who informed me that any of the Shanling USB drivers would work. After downloading one of the other drivers on their website, I was good to go. If you’re a fan of DSD files, I can report I had no problems playing the few files I have for test purposes.
My first surprise came as soon as I received the package in the mail. I was excited to try out the UP, and all I had on hand was my HD600 & my phone. I figured, ‘why not? Let’s give it a torture test right off the bat.’ I won’t BS you, it was nowhere near the full potential of the HD600, but at the same time, it wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was better than the rated 65mW@32ohm has any right to sound driving a 300 ohm 102 dB SPL/V headphone from a smartphone. The bass was loose, especially on demanding tracks, the treble was a bit peakier, but the midrange, that beautiful Sennheiser midrange was still intact. I was surprised how listenable that combo was, but boy did it drain the battery quickly.
Emboldened, I set up the UP for my PC. The results with the HD600 were better, but marginally, so I went on to see what kind of synergy the Shanling had with some of my other headphones. As you would expect, the UP pairs best with lower impedance headphones, and that’s what I concentrated on. I found the UP to add a slight “U” to most headphones I paired it with, and the result was pleasing with everything I tried. Starting with my 64 Audio U6 (ADEL), I was concerned the pairing would be less than ideal, but It was musical and not over done at all. The U6 is a pretty neutral earphone, and the UP didn’t change that. It did bring a touch more emphasis to the bass and treble without sounding unnatural, or impacting the midrange. The fantastic Cymbal work in Alex Skolnick Trio’s version of ‘Still Loving You’ had a bit more shimmer in the intro, and the bass had slightly more impact.
Moving on to my AT M40X was a match made in Heaven. They are relatively easy to drive (98db, 35 ohms) but they can sound shrill when underpowered. Paired with the UP, they sounded as good as I’ve heard them. The pair gave ‘Love Will Keep Us Alive’ from Eagles’ Hell freezes Over a terrific sense of space, highlighting the best of this well recorded tune. Similarly pleasing results were found trying my Cardas A8 with the Up. The A8 does bass really well (IMO) and listening to deadmau5 ‘Bad Selection” from 4x4=12 is a perfect example. When the synth drops at about 30 seconds in, it’s as clean and powerful as you could hope for. The bass has distortion in the recording itself, so if the audio chain isn’t up to snuff, it’ll sound really loose and break up. No such problems here. If you like EDM, I can’t see you not moving your feet with that combo.
When comparing the Shanling UP to the Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2, one advantage that goes to the UP is being able to pair with a smartphone. Having a high quality audio source that can literally fit in your pocket is a convenience only rivaled by a decent DAP. It could definitely be argued that the UP/smartphone pair is a more convenient solution, especially if you factor in streaming (which I have no real experience with). So I’d give +1 for Shanling.
In direct sonic comparison, the playing field is more level, and it becomes a matter of preference. I found the Shanling to have a little more power on tap, and to be more sparkly overall, with the 1.2 sounding more smooth. The ‘edges’ around cymbals and such are more etched with the UP, which depending on the recording (and the volume), can be a boon or a bane. I didn’t experience the Audioquest as having any less detail, but rather a more laid back presentation to the upper register. I found the midrange to be marginally more vivid on the Audioquest, male and female vocals sounding a little further back on the Shanling. Bass was the most similar, with the UP having a bit more mid bass overall, but otherwise being close in quality and quantity.
On sound quality alone, I’m not sure there is an obvious winner between the two. Feature wise, it’s really not a fair fight. Whereas comparing Audioquest’s more current models would be more appropriate, the Shanling up has the clear advantage here, pairing with a smartphone as well as handling DSD 128 and a max PCM sampling rate of 192 kHz (Dragonfly 1.2 maxes out at 96 kHz). The 1.2 is discontinued, but is still reported to be available on Amazon for $115-$125 USD. The UP retails for about $150, but is currently on Massdrop for $125 (Which means it will be again). Shanling just gives you more for the price.
Shanling did a really good job with the UP. It’s easy to use, and more importantly it sounds great. It can do justice to some more demanding headphones, but really starts to sing when paired with lower impedance headphones & earphones. If you’re looking for an easy portable solution that can pair with a smartphone or a laptop, you owe it to yourself to check out the Shanling UP.
I’ll start with a little about myself. I’m pushing 50 and have less than perfect hearing (50 is pushing back). I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and I learned to listen a little more critically during the few years I sold audio equipment (and the more I listen, the more I learn). My fascination/infatuation with headphones began about 4 years ago, and has only gotten stronger. I’ve only recently taken a more serious look at the hardware end of the audio equation, and I’m enjoying the journey. The majority of my listening was done listening to FLAC, WAV & various MP3s with my Samsung Galaxy S7, and my HP all in one PC being used as a source. My tastes are fairly eclectic, but my listening centered on classic rock, folk, jazz, classical and various genres of EDM.
The UP comes in a relatively small box, and not surprisingly there were few accessories (The Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2 I bought had only a storage pouch). The Dragonfly is made to go right into a USB type A slot in a computer or laptop, no wires required. Shanling took the other route, utilizing a USB type C connection for the DAC/amp and including various wires to connect to your source (USB C to A, USB C to micro, USB C to lightning and Type C to Type C).
Physically, the UP is similar in size to the Dragonfly, though unlike the Audioquest, UP is made from “2.5D Glass” which I found very easy to smudge with fingerprints.
(Fingerprint Magnet!!)
There aren’t any controls to speak of, just a headphone out, a USB in and a low/high gain control.
Set up was very straightforward. It was nothing more complicated than plug and play with my Phone. My PC required a driver download to get started. When plugging in the UP for the 1st time, it did seem that there was an attempt to self-install the driver, but that failed, Unfortunately, I also had bad luck downloading the driver from their website. I’m not sure if the file itself was corrupted, but it was a no go until I got a little help from originalsnuffy, who informed me that any of the Shanling USB drivers would work. After downloading one of the other drivers on their website, I was good to go. If you’re a fan of DSD files, I can report I had no problems playing the few files I have for test purposes.
My first surprise came as soon as I received the package in the mail. I was excited to try out the UP, and all I had on hand was my HD600 & my phone. I figured, ‘why not? Let’s give it a torture test right off the bat.’ I won’t BS you, it was nowhere near the full potential of the HD600, but at the same time, it wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was better than the rated 65mW@32ohm has any right to sound driving a 300 ohm 102 dB SPL/V headphone from a smartphone. The bass was loose, especially on demanding tracks, the treble was a bit peakier, but the midrange, that beautiful Sennheiser midrange was still intact. I was surprised how listenable that combo was, but boy did it drain the battery quickly.
Emboldened, I set up the UP for my PC. The results with the HD600 were better, but marginally, so I went on to see what kind of synergy the Shanling had with some of my other headphones. As you would expect, the UP pairs best with lower impedance headphones, and that’s what I concentrated on. I found the UP to add a slight “U” to most headphones I paired it with, and the result was pleasing with everything I tried. Starting with my 64 Audio U6 (ADEL), I was concerned the pairing would be less than ideal, but It was musical and not over done at all. The U6 is a pretty neutral earphone, and the UP didn’t change that. It did bring a touch more emphasis to the bass and treble without sounding unnatural, or impacting the midrange. The fantastic Cymbal work in Alex Skolnick Trio’s version of ‘Still Loving You’ had a bit more shimmer in the intro, and the bass had slightly more impact.
Moving on to my AT M40X was a match made in Heaven. They are relatively easy to drive (98db, 35 ohms) but they can sound shrill when underpowered. Paired with the UP, they sounded as good as I’ve heard them. The pair gave ‘Love Will Keep Us Alive’ from Eagles’ Hell freezes Over a terrific sense of space, highlighting the best of this well recorded tune. Similarly pleasing results were found trying my Cardas A8 with the Up. The A8 does bass really well (IMO) and listening to deadmau5 ‘Bad Selection” from 4x4=12 is a perfect example. When the synth drops at about 30 seconds in, it’s as clean and powerful as you could hope for. The bass has distortion in the recording itself, so if the audio chain isn’t up to snuff, it’ll sound really loose and break up. No such problems here. If you like EDM, I can’t see you not moving your feet with that combo.
When comparing the Shanling UP to the Audioquest Dragonfly 1.2, one advantage that goes to the UP is being able to pair with a smartphone. Having a high quality audio source that can literally fit in your pocket is a convenience only rivaled by a decent DAP. It could definitely be argued that the UP/smartphone pair is a more convenient solution, especially if you factor in streaming (which I have no real experience with). So I’d give +1 for Shanling.
In direct sonic comparison, the playing field is more level, and it becomes a matter of preference. I found the Shanling to have a little more power on tap, and to be more sparkly overall, with the 1.2 sounding more smooth. The ‘edges’ around cymbals and such are more etched with the UP, which depending on the recording (and the volume), can be a boon or a bane. I didn’t experience the Audioquest as having any less detail, but rather a more laid back presentation to the upper register. I found the midrange to be marginally more vivid on the Audioquest, male and female vocals sounding a little further back on the Shanling. Bass was the most similar, with the UP having a bit more mid bass overall, but otherwise being close in quality and quantity.
On sound quality alone, I’m not sure there is an obvious winner between the two. Feature wise, it’s really not a fair fight. Whereas comparing Audioquest’s more current models would be more appropriate, the Shanling up has the clear advantage here, pairing with a smartphone as well as handling DSD 128 and a max PCM sampling rate of 192 kHz (Dragonfly 1.2 maxes out at 96 kHz). The 1.2 is discontinued, but is still reported to be available on Amazon for $115-$125 USD. The UP retails for about $150, but is currently on Massdrop for $125 (Which means it will be again). Shanling just gives you more for the price.
Shanling did a really good job with the UP. It’s easy to use, and more importantly it sounds great. It can do justice to some more demanding headphones, but really starts to sing when paired with lower impedance headphones & earphones. If you’re looking for an easy portable solution that can pair with a smartphone or a laptop, you owe it to yourself to check out the Shanling UP.