My UA3 arrived last night..........I just happened to be on the lap-top. The MacBook Air recognized it right away and my music program gave me the choice of selecting it to start playing music. While very clean, clear and spacial, it didn't have the authority of my Walkman DAPs. Such character was still smooth and inviting, yet offering a quicker pace........getting involvement through a lighter and more mid-focused stance. I'm not really a Dongle guy, yet way-way better (of course) than my Apple Dongle. The stage was nice with special placement of decay and transient character. I will have a review up in a week or so. Probably the best part was the smoothness at hand, I had not heard an AKM chip before now.
How do the volume controls work? Is it with a click or a press and hold? If there are steps, are they adjustable? Does the UA3 allow the fine control of volume that the devices with a wheel offer?
So far I have utilized the volume buttons (the outside bottom and top) which will sync with your computer to make the computer’s output lower or louder. The center is a pause of play. You get audible sound when volume is raised or lowered. The LED is normally blue but goes to green with hi-rez. This is all I know as I’m letting in burn in, not starting the review yet. It’s incremental digitally. Push it and get one stop up or down. Or hold it down for multiple “clicks”. I don’t think it’s fine control but it seems to work well, I haven’t felt stuck at too high or too low of volume. Remember the UA5 does not have the buttons the UA3 offers.
How do the volume controls work? Is it with a click or a press and hold? If there are steps, are they adjustable? Does the UA3 allow the fine control of volume that the devices with a wheel offer?
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 UA3
Portable USB DAC/AMP
Input 1x USB-C
Outputs-Single-ended Jack 3.5mm,1x Balanced Jack 4.4mm
DAC Chip-AKM AK4493SEQ DAC
Amplification chip-Dual Ricore RT6963
Output power-Up to 211mW @ 32 Ohm
Supported sampling rates-PCM up to 32bit 768kHz-DSD up to DSD512
OS Compatibility-Android-Windows-Mac-iOS
UAC Support -UAC 2.0,UAC 1.0
My UA3 arrived last night..........I just happened to be on the lap-top. The MacBook Air recognized it right away and my music program gave me the choice of selecting it to start playing music. While very clean, clear and spacial, it didn't have the authority of my Walkman DAPs. Such character was still smooth and inviting, yet offering a quicker pace........getting involvement through a lighter and more mid-focused stance. I'm not really a Dongle guy, yet way-way better (of course) than my Apple Dongle. The stage was nice with special placement of decay and transient character. I will have a review up in a week or so. Probably the best part was the smoothness at hand, I had not heard an AKM chip before now.
Eddict player installed. What a difference! Lol. I’m experimenting with the filters now! Thank-you. I knew about the Android Eddict player, but didn’t realize it was such a big deal!
Funny that you would mention those as those are new, but also one of my pet favorites as of recent. The union of the ISN H50 and the UA3 was magic. Though more so with the Mac Book than the Android phone? Meaning it was a little low weight (sounding) on the phone, but the UA3/MacBook Air with the ISN H50 was pure magic today.
Maybe the combination UA3/H50 bass separation and politeness. Where the H50 naturally has polite bass, but the UA3 makes it evocative and pure. Speed takes place as well as good definition. It’s not heavy in any way, but defined and sculpted........just freaking beautiful!
You have to know, I don’t test DAC/Amps or Dongles really. I only test IEMs, so I’ve become “in bed” with the DAPs/amplifiers I have.
That basically means my job is easy as everything remains consistent; I simply change out IEMs. But this UA3 shows up and throws a monkey wrench into everything. So I’m going and rolling cables and IEMs, you can only imagine the disorientation going on. I tried one old faithful, the qdc Anole V3 as I thought I knew it. Though I heard grain and didn’t know where it was coming from. As I mainly use the FiiO Alpen 2 E17K or the TA desktop or either the Sony 1A or 1Z.
In hindsight it was probably the qdc V3 Anole that was grainy. The Shanling UA3 was offering a different signature that allowed me to hear the qdc Anole V3 grain. Then I switch things up with the EarSonics ONYX and tried a few cables. The brighter ISN S8 was a little too bright, though a switch to the PAC480 was perfect. Also I tried the Elixer with stock cable then switched to the ISN S8 cable, for brighter more energetic fun! All this time the UA3 is so middle of the road, it’s allowing me to learn about my old and new equipment.
But to get back to your question. The H50 was truly an event with the UA3! The smoothness of the H50 was compounded further into dreamland with the UA3. Somehow the two devices have a similar soundstage. Both the UA3 and the H50 have this wild slight separation that becomes amplified when you join them together. The UA3 has it by itself with other gear, the H50 does it’s own style (you know) of delineated arraignments of elements that’s special and unique. Unique but not weird, thus together I could use the MacBook/UA3/ISN H50 and included S8 cables all day long!
How do the volume controls work? Is it with a click or a press and hold? If there are steps, are they adjustable? Does the UA3 allow the fine control of volume that the devices with a wheel offer?
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