Shanling H3 & H3A Portable Hi-Res DAC/AMP with APT-X Bluetooth (ES9018K2M, OPA2134, TPA6120A2)
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Zarazka
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I want to share my impressions on the H3 after six months of use.
TL;DR I'm still using the device, mostly as a Bluetooth receiver for my phone on the go, as an alternative for plugging in headphones in the phone directly. It has a number of obvious drawbacks, but otherwise is a solid amp with good sound.
Immediately after purchasing the H3 I've faced a few challenges:
1) To operate reliably via bluetooth a smartphone and H3 have to be 10cm apart, not more. Maybe this will be improved in the updated version. But for this device I've got used to carrying two devices in the adjacent pockets. Otherwise this is a comfortable setup: you can hide headphone cable under your clothes, and operate your smartphone freely.
2) Battery life shorter than desired. With a standard battery and bluetooth mode H3 often died in the middle of the day, or just before I was about to head home from work and needed it. Fixed by replacing a battery for a larger one from Hifiman HM-603. I do not recommend to repeat this DIY trick, it might be unsafe to fiddle with Li-Ion power. Result: 10+ hours in bluetooth mode instead of six which equals to all-day listening. I also have to get used to turn off the device when not in use.
3) Battery cannot be charged while in use. Not a big issue with a 10+ hours of battery life. Also, slow, slow charging from any source: 7 hours with standard battery, 10 hours with a larger one.
4) Quiet hissing noise in Bluetooth mode. Not a big deal.
5) Dropouts when operating in APTx mode. Not a problem of the H3, as it turned out. Some update to my smartphone and tablet fixed this completely.
Never used is as a DAC, other than for testing. USB input on the side is not convenient. I'm not a fan of hifi-burgers in general. Having said that, it works well, and delivers a better sound when compared to Bluetooth mode. And I have a stationary DAC for home use, where it might be a use case.
Doesn't work well with Sennheiser HD650 - seems like it does not have enough power to drive these.
So, lots and lots of complications. There are two reasons I'm still using it:
1) Very comfortable Bluetooth scenario. Especially in winter.
2) Good sound and lots of power for IEMs.
Thinking about possible alternatives: there are not many. I'd love to buy something like Chord Mojo with Bluetooth input (not Hugo - way too expensive and huge), but it doesn't exist. I might buy Creative E5 for comparison and to use it as an ADC. Or, who knows, I may just invest in Nobles or JH Audios and plug them in directly in my smartphone and use desktop equipment at home.
TL;DR I'm still using the device, mostly as a Bluetooth receiver for my phone on the go, as an alternative for plugging in headphones in the phone directly. It has a number of obvious drawbacks, but otherwise is a solid amp with good sound.
Immediately after purchasing the H3 I've faced a few challenges:
1) To operate reliably via bluetooth a smartphone and H3 have to be 10cm apart, not more. Maybe this will be improved in the updated version. But for this device I've got used to carrying two devices in the adjacent pockets. Otherwise this is a comfortable setup: you can hide headphone cable under your clothes, and operate your smartphone freely.
2) Battery life shorter than desired. With a standard battery and bluetooth mode H3 often died in the middle of the day, or just before I was about to head home from work and needed it. Fixed by replacing a battery for a larger one from Hifiman HM-603. I do not recommend to repeat this DIY trick, it might be unsafe to fiddle with Li-Ion power. Result: 10+ hours in bluetooth mode instead of six which equals to all-day listening. I also have to get used to turn off the device when not in use.
3) Battery cannot be charged while in use. Not a big issue with a 10+ hours of battery life. Also, slow, slow charging from any source: 7 hours with standard battery, 10 hours with a larger one.
4) Quiet hissing noise in Bluetooth mode. Not a big deal.
5) Dropouts when operating in APTx mode. Not a problem of the H3, as it turned out. Some update to my smartphone and tablet fixed this completely.
Never used is as a DAC, other than for testing. USB input on the side is not convenient. I'm not a fan of hifi-burgers in general. Having said that, it works well, and delivers a better sound when compared to Bluetooth mode. And I have a stationary DAC for home use, where it might be a use case.
Doesn't work well with Sennheiser HD650 - seems like it does not have enough power to drive these.
So, lots and lots of complications. There are two reasons I'm still using it:
1) Very comfortable Bluetooth scenario. Especially in winter.
2) Good sound and lots of power for IEMs.
Thinking about possible alternatives: there are not many. I'd love to buy something like Chord Mojo with Bluetooth input (not Hugo - way too expensive and huge), but it doesn't exist. I might buy Creative E5 for comparison and to use it as an ADC. Or, who knows, I may just invest in Nobles or JH Audios and plug them in directly in my smartphone and use desktop equipment at home.
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