Shanling M1 Plus - New Generation of Compact MTouch Players

[Shanling]

Shanling, 1st I am really loving the M1 Plus, but I am having trouble utilizing the usb c output to usb b input on several of my dacs.
It is difficult to connect and get a streamed signal thru. It’s worked twice, so I know it can. I’ve the latest firmware and done a ‘soft’ reset.
What now? I can easily swap the M1 Plus for my iPhone 15 and everything works easily. I’m trying to stream music files to my larger, in room, system.
Thnx…

Can you please tell us what exact DACs you tried?

On M1 Plus, please make sure that it's set to "USB Audio" Mode.

Do you get the "Audio Connected" message when connecting DAC?

Hi Shanling, I've been using an M6 (bought in 2021) which is slowly dying and was thinking that I would like a smaller DAP, as the M6 was a bit too big and heavy for me to use anytime and anywhere. However, I loved the sound of the M6 (used with Poweramp with custom EQ settings).
I've read great things about the M1 Plus' sound so far, and as I primarily listen to music from my SD card, it seems like a good bet.

I would like to know whether you'd consider the sound quality a step down from the 2021 M6?
I have all my files organized neatly into thematic folders, does Shanling's OS allow playback according to folders, folder hierarchy, and others (screenshots show limited options, like Artist, Genre, etc.)?

Would you say that there is a better option that is still relatively compact?

M1 Plus is a bit of stepdown in quality from the M6, as it's a bit limited on what amplifier is it using in the smaller body.

The navigation is similar to what you would see in Shanling Music app on your M6. It has Folder navigation.

Only other compact we make is M3 Ultra and M0 Pro.

 

[Davidbaratunk]

Can you please tell us what exact DACs you tried?

On M1 Plus, please make sure that it's set to "USB Audio" Mode.

Do you get the "Audio Connected" message when connecting DAC?



M1 Plus is a bit of stepdown in quality from the M6, as it's a bit limited on what amplifier is it using in the smaller body.

The navigation is similar to what you would see in Shanling Music app on your M6. It has Folder navigation.

Only other compact we make is M3 Ultra and M0 Pro.

Thanks, sadly there aren't any stores where I live where I could test how big of a downgrade it is. Perhaps it's barely noticeable to my amateurish ears?
I recently bought a Sony Xperia 1 VI, and thought that might be good enough as a DAP moving forward, but sadly it has not measured up to the M6's speed and quality.

 

[Iluzun]

Shanling, yes of course ‘usb audio’ is selected. No, audio connected is not displayed, or, it is and quickly displays ‘audio disconnected’. It is very intermittent. Most often nothing at all.
3 different dacs, a Benchmark 3, a pro level dac. It’s worked twice but is a real struggle to get connected. I can fiddle with it for a long while and eventually give up. Frustrating because it sounded really good one night playing until its battery ran out. 2nd dac a SMSL VMV D2 which is another top performer which can play some of the DSD files I’ve copied to the DAP. It won’t
connect at all but again a phone with the same cable works easily. The third is a SMSL AO300 running some outdoor speakers with a usb C input. Again nothing. I’ve got a Technics SU GX70 I will attempt to pair again, later today… it’s a larger unit in a cabinet and is more difficult to access. The others are easily tested on a desktop… they work with a iPhone 15 but not with the M1 Plus. I’ll try again today but I’m not optimistic of a different result as I’ve messed with this for at least 3 days…

 

[Iluzun]

Shanling, yes of course ‘usb audio’ is selected. No, audio connected is not displayed, or, it is and quickly displays ‘audio disconnected’. It is very intermittent. Most often nothing at all.
3 different dacs, a Benchmark 3, a pro level dac. It’s worked twice but is a real struggle to get connected. I can fiddle with it for a long while and eventually give up. Frustrating because it sounded really good one night playing until its battery ran out. 2nd dac a SMSL VMV D2 which is another top performer which can play some of the DSD files I’ve copied to the DAP. It won’t
connect at all but again a phone with the same cable works easily. The third is a SMSL AO300 running some outdoor speakers with a usb C input. Again nothing. I’ve got a Technics SU GX70 I will attempt to pair again, later today… it’s a larger unit in a cabinet and is more difficult to access. The others are easily tested on a desktop… they work with a iPhone 15 but not with the M1 Plus. I’ll try again today but I’m not optimistic of a different result as I’ve messed with this for at least 3 days…

I should also mention I expect to take delivery of the Shanling CR60 disc ripper/transport later today. I ordered such, as going in I thought my issues would relate to getting my library of music onto the little micro cards. I’ve never used them b4. But, you don’t even need to format them and copying music has been easy. Connect thru the ‘audio out’ thru usb is the only glitch that has stopped me cold. Why it would work once, maybe twice, thru the Benchmark and never thru the other two, who knows? It certainly is not plug n play, more like plug n pray… the iPhone works easily, same cables, ect… the Benchmark I may be able to connect if I fiddle with it for 20 mins. or so, maybe not. I got the VMV D2 to work once by connecting a Gustard DDC between the two, but not the second or third time I tried the same configuration. Sometimes, but not always, it does attempt to connect but just as quickly disconnects. More often it doesn’t flash any message…

 

[Iluzun]

Ok, so it must be on my end, an hour or so and I’ve gotten the VMV and Benchmark to both play. The little SMSL will have to wait. The M1Plus is now streaming into my larger rig. Not sure exactly how or why. Connected the iPhone after I couldn’t get the dap to work then replugged the dap in, and it worked. Go figure…. Apple does have some haptics settings regards usb device being headphones or not. There must be some initial trigger handshake or such…. That and user error on my part, )-; regards…

 

[flansterdam]

Anyone here own both the m1 plus and hiby r4? How does the sound compare?

 

[Iluzun]

Really frustrated w/the M1 Plus. When it works streaming out of its usb c port to usb b inputs
on a Gustard ddc, or a Benchmark Dac3 it sounds excellent. Problem is… it’s a crap shoot if
it’s gonna connect. The Shanling CR-60 ripper/transport connects thru its usb A easily into the ddc or dacs. Sunday
morning ithe M1 Plus connected easily to the ddc and sounded very nice for several hours of play. Took it off to give
it a full charge and could not for the life of me get it to be recogzed and play thru the system.
Powered eveyhing down, up, & sideways, nothing. M1 Plus says it’s connected, looks as if playing, but no sound.
The SMSL AO-300 usb c input in another system is a total no go also. I’ve two different usb c-b cables. If I connect
an iPhone 15, the iPhone ask if I am connecting a set of headphones OR another device. I say ‘another’ and everythinng
works properly. The M1 Plus, even though ‘connected’ thru its ‘usb output’ is stuck in some other mode.
Shanling I need your help…

 

[Shanling]

Really frustrated w/the M1 Plus. When it works streaming out of its usb c port to usb b inputs
on a Gustard ddc, or a Benchmark Dac3 it sounds excellent. Problem is… it’s a crap shoot if
it’s gonna connect. The Shanling CR-60 ripper/transport connects thru its usb A easily into the ddc or dacs. Sunday
morning ithe M1 Plus connected easily to the ddc and sounded very nice for several hours of play. Took it off to give
it a full charge and could not for the life of me get it to be recogzed and play thru the system.
Powered eveyhing down, up, & sideways, nothing. M1 Plus says it’s connected, looks as if playing, but no sound.
The SMSL AO-300 usb c input in another system is a total no go also. I’ve two different usb c-b cables. If I connect
an iPhone 15, the iPhone ask if I am connecting a set of headphones OR another device. I say ‘another’ and everythinng
works properly. The M1 Plus, even though ‘connected’ thru its ‘usb output’ is stuck in some other mode.
Shanling I need your help…

This function on our players is automatic, as long as the M1 Plus reports Audio connected, it should be all good on its side.

We can't say how it will act with the USB inputs with your DACs or what could be causing it.

Just one thing, #aAre you using it for DSD playback and how is your DSD output set?

 

[Iluzun]

So by putting in the SR9 iem somehow I got sound output thru both iem and usb c.
Removed the iem 4mm and back to dead air. Fiddle about turning the ddc on and off
a few times & now it works. There’s gotta be a process or sequence I am not following.
Hey, it’s only been a week with the new toys… (-; I can’t be the 1st person to be doing this,
replacing a cpu with a portable player. It sounds as good as both the Roon Nuc and IPeng Transporter
I ran for years. So far I’m just running 128g card, but have others including a 64g I managed to
snap in half… Not in the Shanling but in a recorder drive off the Mac mini w/3T G-Raid with my
music library. So far I like the mobility of the Dap but find its potential as a streamer has a larger
practical influence. When it works, it seems very, very good and a friend has given me 8T of dsd
files to play around with. Right now some Santa Fe choral music is ‘layering it up’ off the little Shanling.
Verdict is still out on the transport/ripper, not sure how I’ll use it. I may compare it to the PL-200 player
I’ve sitting around. It’s tray loading does allow more flexible placement.

 

[Iluzun]

This function on our players is automatic, as long as the M1 Plus reports Audio connected, it should be all good on its side.

We can't say how it will act with the USB inputs with your DACs or what could be causing it.

Just one thing, #aAre you using it for DSD playback and how is your DSD output set?

Not currently. 1 bit. I do have a card full of dsd files. I’ll be very careful shutting down, powering up, ect…
Putting in the iem seemed to reset something. I had been attempting to connect without them inserted in the dap.

 

[Iluzun]

This function on our players is automatic, as long as the M1 Plus reports Audio connected, it should be all good on its side.

We can't say how it will act with the USB inputs with your DACs or what could be causing it.

Just one thing, #aAre you using it for DSD playback and how is your DSD output set?

Also, it was reporting ‘audio connected’ all afternoon, but wouldn’t ouput any music. I
tried anything and everything. Until I inserted the iem….

 

[Iluzun]

Ok, credit given where credit is due, the little Shanling is working well today. No issues, nada. And as I am only currently using the
M1 Plus as a streamer with my downloaded aiff files, I gotta say this little fella sounds terrific! What a nice discovery! Here’s a link
to the usb c-b cable I’m using into the Gustard U-16 ddc, it’s very nice and affordable. Much better than the generic 13.00 MicroCenter
one.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...t_main.74.22d71802XZdYxf&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

I downloaded but haven’t gotten the Edict Player app to connect so still work to do but the M1 Plus sounds better than several other computer
based streaming setup I’ve run. Not sure why. Lightweight Linux implementation, battery…? I doubt that the more expensive unit, the M5, would
sound any different used as such. How many other daps do this usb output? I’m not sure if an Android os shell could sound this pure and tonally
correct. Roon doesn’t. This has an immediacy and really nice dynamics thru a nice digital setup into a 40wpc Mystere PA11. Both ProAcs & Zu
speakers r diggin’ their new upstream feed, it’s harmonically correct and has tons of micro detail…

 

[Iluzun]

Shanling, tonite I can only get the usb c out to work if the iems are attached. This makes for two outputs but I only want the usb c output.
When the iem/headphone is disconnected, there is no usb output, even though it is ‘connected’ and the M1 is playing. I don’t want the phones draining
and shortening my playtime when I am driving the other dac thru it’s usb input. Yesterday it was working but not today. The only thing I did was
charge the unit over nite. Suggestions?

 

[pietro77]

I don’t have M1 plus anymore as I sold it quickly, but I remember that to make it working with my dc elite it must be switched on and connected to usb dac in the order. If I not mistaken it was only working for me when I turn on player first then connect usb dac. When I switch on player with connected already usb dac I had problem like you. As I wrote I don’t have m1 plus anymore, and can’t check it but try play with connecting sequence and see if that make any difference.

 

[Shanling]

Shanling, tonite I can only get the usb c out to work if the iems are attached. This makes for two outputs but I only want the usb c output.
When the iem/headphone is disconnected, there is no usb output, even though it is ‘connected’ and the M1 is playing. I don’t want the phones draining
and shortening my playtime when I am driving the other dac thru it’s usb input. Yesterday it was working but not today. The only thing I did was
charge the unit over nite. Suggestions?

Maybe try a factory reset, otherwise we do not know what might be causing this on your unit.