[nmatheis]

Deleted. Wrong thread :wink_face:

 

[Armaegis]

I'm interested and located in Canada. I have plenty of reviews if you check my profile.

 

[Peter West]

Thought I had replied already...oops my bad...I'd be very interested in joining the Canadian tour.

 

[nmatheis]

Thanks to all who expressed interest!

I'm out of town and have sporadic internet access. I'll work on coordinating the tour and get a list of tour members up next week

 

[nmatheis]

FYI: Lend Me Ur Ears has Shanling H3 bundled with select Dunu and Vsonic IEM on sale right now. For instance, but an M3 and get Vsonic GR07 Classic for ~$20 or Dunu Titan for ~$55.

LINK

 

[nmatheis]

Finalizing tour logistics...

 

[nmatheis]

Here's a rough timeline for the tour:

 

[Cotnijoe]

Heyyy where did i go nikolaus

 

[nmatheis]

Heyyy where did i go nikolaus

This is all the people who agreed to review both H3 + M3. If you're still interested in just the H3, I can probably fit you in at the end of the H3 + M3 co-tour :wink_face:

 

[nmatheis]

Tour members: Please post any impressions, question, etc. about the H3 in the dedicated H3 thread I just set up: LINK

 

[Cotnijoe]

OH i see. Is the individual stuff not happening anymore? If you can I'd be alrite being fitted at the end and give both a listen. It should be pretty free by september or october

 

[nmatheis]

OH i see. Is the individual stuff not happening anymore? If you can I'd be alrite being fitted at the end and give both a listen. It should be pretty free by september or october

There were several people interested in both, so it was easier to keep them together. I'll pop you on the end of the list for now.

 

[nmatheis]

Revised timeline:

 

[Seamouse]

Hi, any thought on the h3 yet? Ive been looking at the lendmeurears titan 1 deal for a while now but was hoping for sone reviews before pulling the trigger, however time is running out.

Thanks

 

[nmatheis]

Hi, any thought on the h3 yet? Ive been looking at the lendmeurears titan 1 deal for a while now but was hoping for sone reviews before pulling the trigger, however time is running out.

Thanks

Why yes. Yes, I do :wink_face:

Others will soon, too. I'm going to be shipping the Shanling H3 & M3 out soon for the Great Shanling North American Review Tour of Summer 2015!!!

Some listening notes...


Sources compared
Fiio X5
Shanling M3
iPhone 5s -> Shanling H3

Volume matched @ 1kHz tone with AKG K553

Soundstage
H3 vs. X5: comparable width, H3 has better depth and height
H3 vs. M3: comparable width, better depth and height

Lows
H3 vs. X5: Tighter, faster, more linear bass with less mid-bass bloom. More natural but less fun. Less impact / slam, but it's still there and satisfying.
H3 vs. M3: Less linear and more impactful. M3's bass sounds more relaxed / softer in comparison.

Mids
H3 vs. X5: Mids are cooler and less intimate. X5 feels like the vocalist is singing directly to you. H3 feels like they stepped back a bit and are singing to the room.
H3 vs. M3: Similar presentation but M3's mids are drier, conveying less emotion.

Highs
H3 vs. X5: Crisper and more detailed but less harsh / digital. X5 highs sounded a bit aggressive in comparison. X5 was more prone to accentuating sibilance.
H3 vs. M3: H3 highs feel a bit edgy compared to M3. H3 feels crisper and more detailed.

Overall
H3 vs. X5: H3 has more linear bass, a more holographic soundstage, and is detailed without sounding aggressive, giving the H3 a more neutral, natural sound signature. In comparison, the X5 has a more intimate soundstage, is mid-bass heavy, and has a more aggressive high end, giving it a more "fun" sound signature.
H3 vs. M3: H3 now feels like the fun sound signature, with more bass impact, sweeter mids, and more detailed high end. The M3 sounds quite neutral in comparison, making it easier for longer listening sessions but less exciting.


Some more notes vs. Cayin C5DAC:
* C5 DAC has less holographic soundstage
* C5 DAC has warmer sound signature
* C5 DAC has less impactful, slower bass response
* C5 DAC has warmer mids
* C5 DAC is less shimmery up top


Other
Bluetooth DAC is limited to 16/44 and sounds ok but I'd much, much rather use a cable for significantly better sound.

Bluetooth transmitter is easily blocked, leading to intermittent cutouts. This is best used if you throw the H3 in a bag or on your desk-table. In my pocket, I got a lot of cutouts when my leg blocked the transmitter.

The gain switch doesn't feel up to the build quality of the rest of the H3. I found it switched from L to H gain settings by removing it from a pouch I placed it in. Not good!

The volume pot is quite nice - large knurled dial.

The gain settings are great, and I get good use out of both L and H gain settings. IEM and most HP are good with 25-50% on L gain. My HE400 planars are good with 25-50% on H gain.

Connection via CCK to my iPhone was picky since the H3 only had one micro USB port. You need to hook up your IEM/HP first and then connect to your iPhone or the H3 will be in charge mode, and the iPhone will reject the connection.

No carry pouch/sleeve???

Looks ok but not very high class...

Battery life is ok. Just charge it overnight every day or two.

Overall, I quite like quite a lot. In my time with this and the Cayin C5DAC, I liked the C5DAC because of its warm sound signature that was still detailed. However, when listening to the H3 in comparison it made the C5DAC sound too mid-bass heavy and sweet. The H3 was the more neutral, resolving choice. Of course, what you prefer depends on your preferences.

Cheers