Shanling M3 Plus - New Midrange Android Portable Player at $469

[fish1050]

Sounds like PEQ is finally coming

I am assuming you are talking about the M3 Plus? If so it is nice to see Shanling starting to catch up with other DAP manufacturers on features. Is it Global PEQ or is it just a feature of the Shanling app?

 

[Wahid]

Sounds like PEQ is finally coming

Hey, Monk! When are you getting this to review?

 

[Vitor Valeri]

the extra opamp on the fiio is for the 3.5mm port, the two nice ones are for the balanced output.

You are wrong. Please inform yourself better. The extra OP-AMP is present in both the single-ended (3.5mm) and balanced (4.4mm) outputs. You can access the image below through this link: https://www.fiio.com/m21

 

[Wahid]

You are wrong. Please inform yourself better. The extra OP-AMP is present in both the single-ended (3.5mm) and balanced (4.4mm) outputs. You can access the image below through this link: https://www.fiio.com/m21

It was described here up above somewhere as one extra opamp, in which case it would be dedicated to 3.5, your screenshot, which is cut off, shows two as output buffers. I live in a jungle near the equator, my internet is not allowing me to load full pages from fiio site, too much fancy crap going on. No more supercilious comments, like 'please inform yourself better' please. Be civil. Have a conversation, not a competition.

 

[MD Rohit]

While it might share the M3 name with our best-selling M3X and M3 Ultra portable players, the new M3 Plus actually aims at higher levels of Hi-Fi performance, while keeping the midrange price at 469 USD.

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M3 Plus comes with our brand-new curvy design and larger 4.7-inch display, fitting it into aluminium body that’s a little bit taller and slightly thicker than its predecessors. But this small increase in dimensions opened a whole new level of audio performance for the M3 Plus, thanks to a quad DAC design, utilizing four units of Cirrus Logic CS43198. We also significantly improved its balanced headphone output, with a pair of SGM8262 amplifiers now offering up to 800mW @ 32Ohm!

Apart from the new audio circuit, M3 Plus also matches our latest releases by adopting the modern open Android 13 system with AGLO Audio processing, two-way Bluetooth connectivity, USB DAC mode and USB Transport feature.

Available in early May 2025 at 469 USD MSRP
(USA Pricing might differ)

​

Key Specification:

- Available in 3 colours, including a new beautiful Mocha
- Dimensions: 115 x 70 x 18mm
- Weight 205g
- DAC: Four CS43198
- AMP: Two SGM8262
- CPU: Snapdragon 665
- Memory: 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM + MicroSD Card Slot
- System: Open Android 13
- Display: 4.7-Inch Sharp 1280 x 720
- Bluetooth Transmitter: V5.0 LDAC / aptX HD / aptX / SBC
- Bluetooth Receiver: V5.0 LDAC / SBC
- Hi-Res Support: PCM 32/768 & DSD512
- Battery 3500 mAh. Up to 14h Single-Ended, 11h Balanced

Audio Output specification:

3.5mm Output:
Output Power
Low gain: 12.5mW@32Ω
Medium gain: 50mW@32Ω
High gain: 200mW@32Ω
THD+N: 0.0007%
Separation: 75dB@32Ω
Dynamic Range: 127dB
Signal-to-noise ratio: 127dB
Noise <1.1uV
Output impedance: less than 1Ω

4.4mm Output:
Output Power
Low gain: 50mW@32Ω
Medium gain: 200mW@32Ω
High gain: 800mW@32Ω
Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz (-0.2dB)
THD+N: 0.0007%
Separation: 110dB@32Ω
Dynamic Range: 130dB
Signal-to-noise ratio: 130dB
Bottom noise: <1.6uV
Output impedance: 1.5Ω

​

rose gold colour looks amazing like my qp2r

 

[ToneDeafMonk]

Hey, Monk! When are you getting this to review?

Working on it they still have not gotten back to me when they can sell me one for review mabye after labor week holiday so hopefully mid May? My iBasso DX180 looking for a showdown, and this M3 Plus maybe the one to give it a good showing!

 

[Vitor Valeri]

It was described here up above somewhere as one extra opamp, in which case it would be dedicated to 3.5, your screenshot, which is cut off, shows two as output buffers. I live in a jungle near the equator, my internet is not allowing me to load full pages from fiio site, too much fancy crap going on. No more supercilious comments, like 'please inform yourself better' please. Be civil. Have a conversation, not a competition.

I apologize for my rude comment regarding the need to seek more information. But I ask that before making any statements, you verify the veracity of the information you are sharing about a product.

I will attach a new image, because I previously took a screenshot on my cell phone and it was indeed cut off.

The configuration of the FiiO M21 is as follows:

DAC: 4x CS43198
Amplifier: 2x SGM8262 + 2x OPA1692 (extra op-amp)

Configuration of the FiiO JM21:

DAC: 2x CS43198
Amplifier: 2x SGM8262

 

[fish1050]

You are wrong. Please inform yourself better. The extra OP-AMP is present in both the single-ended (3.5mm) and balanced (4.4mm) outputs. You can access the image below through this link: https://www.fiio.com/m21

Yeah I posted in the M21 thread when I heard about the extra opamp and asked if it was for desktop mode. The response from Fiio was that the extra opamp would work simultaneously with the two SGM8262 opamps. So the OP1692 (extra opamp) should be used in both balanced and single ended if used simultaneously with the two SGM8262 and the diagram shows this.

 

[Vitor Valeri]

Yeah I posted in the M21 thread when I heard about the extra opamp and asked if it was for desktop mode. The response from Fiio was that the extra opamp would work simultaneously with the two SGM8262 opamps. So the OP1692 (extra opamp) should be used in both balanced and single ended if used simultaneously with the two SGM8262 and the diagram shows this.

Yes, exactly. On the M21, both the single-ended (3.5mm) and balanced (4.4mm) outputs benefit from the extra op-amp (OPA1692), which works in conjunction with the op-amp used on the JM21 (SGM8262). The difference is that on the 3.5mm output, only 1x SGM8262 and 1x OPA1692 are used, while on the 4.4mm output this is doubled (2x SGM8262 + 2x OPA1692).

 

[Wahid]

I agree they never get how these are carried or placed on a desk. I would like to see the USB on top and the headphones in the bottom.

Flip it around, reverse the screen

 

[Vitor Valeri]

Flip it around, reverse the screen

Unfortunately, the positioning of the physical buttons will not invert with the screen. I like to control the music through physical buttons so I don't have to keep turning on the screen all the time.

 

[JimiMack]

Flip it around, reverse the screen

Tried but then the controls screw me up...

 

[Vitor Valeri]

Physical Aspects: FiiO M21 Vs Shanling M3 Plus

 

[zeissiez]

"brighter leaning" is a very vague statement, we won't know ultimately how they sound until both are available for review. As always the headphones will be a major factor in what you hear. As I have stated previously you will need to decide if the differences in sound signature are enough to justify the higher price and missing features in the M3 Plus. A vague statement like "brighter leaning" alone won't tip the scales for me in favor of the M3 Plus given all the other factors there are to consider.

The Fiio DAP's offer a basic Treble and Bass adjustment and Global PEQ allowing you to tweak what you hear. For me that is a plus as you can adjust the tuning to better match different headphones. Something else the M3 Plus lacks.

Edit: here is a real world comparison we can make now. HifiGo has the Shanling M3 Plus listed at $646.89 CAN, the M21 on HifiGo is $413.78 CAN. That is a price difference of $233.11 not including duties and fees. With duties and fees the price difference is $258.99.

If I play it safe and order the M21 from Fiio's alixpress store the price is $426.99 CAN the difference is $219.99 CAN, with duties and fees the difference is is $244.31. When you look at the real world price difference it is so much harder to justify the M3 Plus over the M21 at least for Canadians like me. For that price difference the M3 Plus better sound noticeably better than the M21 as it can't compete with the M21 on most specs and features. Now do the same math for someone living in the US and it would give you a heart attack.

I could buy the M21 and a Hiby R1 or even an R3 II 2025 for the cost of an M3 Plus and have both an android and non-android DAP if I wanted to go that route.

Cool, but we all have different preferences and priorities.

 

[fish1050]

No way the Elna capacitors are 50 cents, they will be about 3 dollars at volume, it's the ones with the gold printing, not the black and white ones, and the thin film Panasonic stuff is expensive as well. I understand your points, but here it is.. I don't EQ. I change IEMs instead. If I start eq-ing, I never stop and it's never right. Shanling, if it's the right one, already sounds perfect for my tastes. I don't need all the other stuff which takes away my focus from the music. I use the Hiby music player, the sound field dsp, and a slight tweak to the MSEB, the stock 'analog' setting, and I leave it alone. I am not sure I would like the new m3 plus as much as m6 ultra or even m3 ultra.. I think IBasso dx180 would make more sense if I wanted to go in that direction, and two screws to replace the battery.. We each listen in different ways.. BTW, the extra opamp on the fiio is for the 3.5mm port, the two nice ones are for the balanced output.

Shanling uses these capacitors in several products meaning they are likely buying them in lots of 1000 or more. At that quantity the price drops considerably. If you buy them on aliexpress or ebay the lot sizes are much smaller and the unit price is higher and you are buying from a third party which increases the price. Shanling could be buying them direct from the manufacturer at these quantities further reducing the unit price. The M21 has the extra OPA1692 opamps the M3 Plus does not. Fiio is also using several high quality capacitors in the M21 as well.

What about the newer 680 SOC, larger 4000 maH battery and the higher resolution screen on the M21, those certainly add to the cost over the M3 Plus. You can nitpick component by component if you want but the total package on the M21 is better than the M3 Plus for alot less money (over $200 less). That is what matters to me, no argument about capacitors is going to change that.

As for which one sounds better it is a purely individual decision and we won't know about that until some units are reviewed. Again Fiio DAP's are widely available in Canada and locally so I should be able to decide for myself with a hands on demo. I would be very surprised if the M3 Plus will be available for me to demo, another point in favor of the M21.