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Shanling M3
Jun 13, 2015 at 4:33 PM Post #62 of 567
A1 Future Shop has recently started to sell these in Australia
 
http://a1futureshop.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=792&search=shanling
 
Jul 6, 2015 at 11:42 AM Post #70 of 567
LMUE has M3 on sale along with H1 Amp and H3 DAC/AMP.....but the price is
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tho bundled with good sounding IEMs.
 
Seen US$94 in China for H1 Amp and US$222 for H3. And seeing a $56 - $105 difference on these is like better just stay away from LMUE. just me sayin.
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haven't came across the original price in China for M3, yet, so really can't comment on M3 pricing/bundle offering..
 
Jul 13, 2015 at 3:47 AM Post #71 of 567
shawn71 said:
LMUE has M3 on sale along with H1 Amp and H3 DAC/AMP.....but the price is :blink: tho bundled with good sounding IEMs.

Seen US$94 in China for H1 Amp and US$222 for H3. And seeing a $56 - $105 difference on these is like better just stay away from LMUE. just me sayin. :evil: haven't came across the original price in China for M3, yet, so really can't comment on M3 pricing/bundle offering..
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FYI: A Shanling representative told me the US retail prices are $350 for the H3 and $450 for the M3, but I see the M3 on Amazon from Shenzhen audio for $360.

BTW, I've been testing the H3 and M3 for awhile before starting a US / Canada tour with them.

My initial thoughts are that it has good sound quality - nice neutral sound signature with good soundstage. The hardware bass/treble controls are great. Still not convinced about SRC Upsampling. What are people's thoughts on the upsampling feature?

As far as physical design goes, I like the simplicity of having just the joystick/dial and a power button. However, it does make it less pocketable. I tried enabling joystick/dial use while in screen lock mode, but I was getting too many accidental presses. Pressing down/up for FFWD/REW is completely unintuitive to me, but you could get used to it if this were your only DAP. I also wish there were separate volume control buttons, so I could lock down the joystick/wheel during lock screen mode but still be able to change volume. Size wise, it's the biggest DAP I've tried recently. Sure it's pocketable, but there are some challenges.

Has anyone heard both H3 and M3? If so, what do you think? I was just listening to both tonight using the H3 as a DAC/Amp for my iPhone. I found the H3 more energetic/engaging with more impactful bass, sweeter mids, and more aggressive treble. The M3 was more neutral and laid back, making it easier to listen to for long periods of time. And if I wanted to make the M3 sound more like the H3, I could always bump up the bass and treble a couple clicks.
 
Jul 14, 2015 at 2:32 AM Post #72 of 567
nmatheis said:
FYI: A Shanling representative told me the US retail prices are $350 for the H3 and $450 for the M3, but I see the M3 on Amazon from Shenzhen audio for $360.
 
Click to expand...

Oh, so LMUE's offering is cheaper than US RRP then....but yeah amazon sells M3 for $360 and H1 for $110, both are $38 < LMUE!.
 
 

 
Jul 14, 2015 at 2:42 AM Post #73 of 567
shawn71 said:
Oh, so LMUE's offering is cheaper than US RRP then....but yeah amazon sells M3 for $360 and H1 for $110, both are $38 < LMUE!.
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Yup. Maybe not as low price as China, but certainly better than MSRP.

I think the M3's biggest challenges are obscurity, size, and lack of buttons.

Look at this thread. Hardly any traffic. Hopefully the M3 tour will change that :wink_face:

The M3 is big. N6 big. It's ok in a bag, but pocketability is not high.

People are used to a D-pads and buttons. People aren't used to a joystick / dial combo. Once you try it, it's not bad but at first sight it looks like it's going to be a pain to navigate.

Now that I've had some time with the M3 on latest firmware, I can honestly say that I quite enjoy this DAP and find it quite intuitive. I really like the right / left long-press menus. Very easy to access the settings you want quickly.

I also like that there are hardware EQ options instead of software EQ - like Fiio's original X3 DAP. These may not be as flexible as a 10-band software EQ, but man are they quick, easy, and clean :L3000:

Still not sure about SRC. Any thoughts?
 
Jul 22, 2015 at 3:35 AM Post #74 of 567
My M3 review is up: LINK
 
[size=1.2em] Pros: High-quality sound with hardware EQ. Solid build. Unique design. Very stable UI. Good battery life.
Cons: Large. Lacks gapless, play through folders, and playlist support. No protective case.
[/size]
[size=1.15em]

 

BACKGROUND

A bit of information about Shanling excerpted from their Website:

Shenzhen Shanling Digital Technology Development Co., Ltd. is a joint-venture high-tech enterprise specializing in research and development, manufacture, marketing and sales of audio products.  Shanling began as a developer of audio products in 1988, producing its first Hi-Fi stereo power amplifier.  Since then, Shanling has grown and now manufactures a wide range of products – SACD/CD player, high fidelity solid-state and vacuum tube amplifier, advanced mini music center, tuner, audio/video amplifier, etc.

Today, we'll be looking at their first entry into the ever-expanding Chinese DAP market, the Shanling M3.  

Before moving on, I'd like to point readers to two reviews that piqued my curiosity:

  1. @YoYo JoKeR's M3 review
  2. @marcusd's M3 review on headfonics.com
Both reviews captured the essence of the M3 very well and have a different point of view than I do, so please hit those reviews up for a couple different perspectives.
 
Here's a LINK to the dedicated M3 thread, where you can look for previous and upcoming impressions, links to firmware updates, etc.
 
 

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Shanling M3 as a review sample as part of a U.S. + Canada Review TourI'm coordinating.  There is no financial incentive from Shanling in writing this review.  I am in no way affiliated with Shanling, and this is my honest opinion of the M3.  I would like to thank @Shanling for giving several Head-Fi community members a chance to test drive the M3!
 
 

ABOUT ME

I'm a 43 year old father who loves music.  From electronic (Autechre, Boards of Canada) to modern/minimalist composition (John Cage, Philip Glass) to alternative rock (Flaming Lips, Radiohead) to jazz (John Coltrane and Miles Davis) to metal (Behemoth, King Diamond) to classic rock (Eagles, Rush), I listen to a wide variety of genres and artists. 
 
My portable music journey started with the venerable Sony Cassette Walkman and then progressed to portable CD players, minidisc recorders (still have my Sharp DR7), and finally on to DAPs like the Rio Karma, iRiver IHP-1xx, iPod 5.5, iPhones, and the newer crop of DAPs from Fiio and iBasso. 
 
I typically listen with IEMs from my ever-growing collection from budget to mid-fi. Less often, I grab a pair of full-size cans.  Recently, I've been listening a lot with my AKG K553 and HiFiMan HE400, as well as the Alpha & Delta AD01 and RHA T20 IEM I had in for testing.  I do have a lot of other gear, though.  You can always check my profile for a reasonably up to date gear list. 
 
As with a lot of people my age, I've got some hearing issues.  I've got mild tinnitus and suffer from allergies, which often affect hearing in my right ear.  I'll admit it, I'm not blessed with a pair of golden ears.  That said, I've been listening to portable gear for a long time and feel confident in assessing audio gear - just wanted to be transparent up front. 
 

 

REVIEW

 
SPECIFICATIONS
  1. Frequency response: 20Hz～20kHz
  2. THD: <0.004%
  3. Nominal power: 250mW @ 32Ω; 16mW @ 300Ω
  4. Battery charging time: ~6 hours @ 2 amps (power off); ~10 hours (power off) via typical USB computer port
  5. Battery Life: >10 hours (volume 30, screen off)
  6. Battery: 3600mAH rechargeable lithium polymer battery
  7. Recommended impedance: 16 - 300Ω
  8. Storage: 8 GB internal storage + TF card (up to 64 GB)
  9. Dimension: 69 x 21 x 125.5 mm (2.7 x 0.8 x 4.9 inches)
  10. Net weight: ~220 grams

FEATURES
  1. Broad support for audio files including DSD
  2. DAC functionality
  3. Unique joystick / command dial operation
  4. Hardware Bass / Treble Controls
  5. SRC Upsampling

MSRP: $450
 
STREET PRICE: $360

 
 
PACKAGING
 
The M3 comes in a classy matte black hinged box with embossed writing on the lid with an outer sleeve that mimics the inner box.
 
 
 

Upon opening the hinged box, you find the M3 nestled in a foam cutout.  When you first get it, the M3 will have thin protective plastic covers over the command dial / joystick and over the screen.  The protective cover over the screen has directions for using the command dial / joystick.
 
 
 
Under the protective foam, you'll find a thin black cardboard box with what looks like a warranty card in Chinese, a user manual in Chinese and English, a couple screen protectors, and a USB cable for charging and data transfer.  I'm glad the manual has an English section now and also that screen protectors are now included, as there were called out in the reviews I referenced above.  
 

 
 
Surprisingly for this price point, you won't find a carry pouch or silicon case.   I'd suggest Shanling at least consider a carry pouch for storage when your M3 isn't in use.  Even better yet, it would be fabulous if they included their very attractive leather case with the M3.  They come in black, red, and tan.
 

 
 

 
 

BUILD & ERGONOMICS

 

 
 
My first reaction after opening the box was, "Wow, that command dial / joystick thing looks pretty cool.  I hope it works well!"  I'd already seen a few comparison pics with other DAPs, so I wasn't surprised when I picked it up and fond it to be a bit larger than my other DAPs.  It felt quite solid with a full metal case.  The command dial / joystick is also metal and feels like it's built to last.  No way you're going to accidentally boost the volume into ear implosion territory with that dial.  No way!
 
There was a question in the tour thread about the command dial / joystick's durability, so I shot Shanling an email.  The reply was quick, and Shanling let me know that the command dial / joystick is manufactured by Alps and is rated for 50,000 presses in each direction.  Shanling also said that they haven't received any reports of a faulty command dial / joystick yet.  With that out of the way, let's take a tour of the M3.
 
 
The top has the knurled command dial / joystick, power button, screen, and a lot of black metal casing.  The bottom has the usual information.
 

 
 
 
The left and right sides are pretty sparse, with just a shallow groove to make gripping your M3 easier.
 

 
 
 
The bottom edge of the M3 has combined Line / SPDIF In & Out ports, USB port for charging and data transfer, and the sole micro SD slot.  Interestingly, this is the only DAP I have where the mSD card inserts with the writing side up and contact side down, which seems more natural to me.  I'm always trying to insert them that way on my other DAPs, can get them inserted, and then have to try again with the mSD card upside down.  Not so with the M3!  (BTW: I added the jack plugs, since I knew I wouldn't be using those ports much).
 

 
 
The top edge just has the headphone jack and a reset hole (which I never had to use).  In one of the previous reviews, it was noted that the headphone jack had bearings inside and wasn't the most secure connection.  I didn't find this to be the case.  All of the headphone plugs I inserted clicked in firmly and securely.
 

 
 

Here are some comparison pic with my other DAPs.
 
L-R: Shanling M3, Fiio X5, Fiio X3, iBasso DX90
 

 
 
Here's a stock photo of how it fits in your hand.  (BTW: I think they found someone with exceptionally large hands!)
 

 

 

To sum up: The M3 is solid, has a very modern, industrial appearance, and feels good in your hand.  But compared to my other DAPs, its larger size made it less pocket-friendly.  It's certainly possible, but it is a tight fit.  Of course, the most intriguing aspect from a design perspective is the command dial / joystick and lack of buttons beyond the power button.  Read on to find out how this works...
 
 

USER INTERFACE / FIRMWARE

 
User Interface (UI) can make or break your experience with any piece of technology.  In this case, the Shanling M3 makes a pretty radical departure from the physical interface most of us are used.  Let's be honest, it looks like it shouldn't work, doesn't it?  I mean, how are you supposed to navigate through the menu, music, skip tracks, and adjust volume all with that one command dial / joystick?  In practice, I found it pretty easy but admit that I did get a few tips from the reviews I referenced earlier.  
 
Ok, so how do you get around the M3?  It's all about the joystick, and all you old iRiver IHP users will feel right at home.  I know I did!  But unlike the tiny iRiver joystick, this one has some heft.  The joystick has a very solid click when you press it in any of the five directions that drive the M3's navigation (left, right, up, down, and straight in).  The knurled dial makes adjusting volume very easy.  Is it foolproof?  No.  But I'll cover that later on...
 
Here's your simplified guide to navigating the M3:
 
Power Button: Turns the M3 On / Off AND turns the screen On / Off
 
Click Up: Skip to beginning of the current track if more than 10 seconds have passed OR skip to the beginning of the previous track if less than 10 seconds have passed (same as Fiio's DAPs)
Hold Up: Rewind through track
 
Click Down: Skip to the end end of the current track
Hold Down: Fast-forward through track
 
Hold Right: Activate the Main Menu on the right side of the scree
 
Click Left: Navigate back through files
Hold Left: Activate the Quick Menu
 
Click Straight In: PLAY / PAUSE
 
Turn Dial Clockwise: Volume Up
Turn Dial Counter-Clockwise: Volume Down
 
That's basically it.  Navigating through menus and files is basically just clicking up, down, right, left to drill down and back out of the various sub-menus and to select something. I did have the occasional misfire during playback where I wanted to press straight in to pause the music but clicked up or down instead and ended up skipping tracks instead.
 
 
Here's what it looks like in practice, and if you looked over @marcusd's review on headfonics.com, you'll see that Shanling has refreshed the firmware with a much more modern-looking GUI.  Nice job, Shanling!
 
 
POWERING UP (Only takes a few seconds!)
 
 
 
MAIN MENU (HOLD RIGHT)
Top - Bottom: Now Playing, Music Center, File Directory, Play Settings, System Settings

 
 
 
SUB-MENUS 
Top L - R: Music Center + File Directory
Bottom L - R: Play Settings + System Settings
 

 
 
LEFT CLICK (File Navigation) + LEFT HOLD (Quick Menu)
 

 

 
Once you get used to it, it's really easy to navigate through the menu system.  In fact, I was a bit surprised when I found myself stumbling a bit when I moved back to my trusty X5 Classic!
 
The M3 has a screen lock feature that completely disables the command dial / joystick if you're worried about accidental clicks or volume adjustments while the M3 is in your pocket.  That's a mixed blessing, and the one time I wished there were more buttons on the M3 was when it was in my pocket!  With controls disabled, you basically have to take it out of your pocket to unlock the screen and skip tracks or adjust the volume.  With controls enabled, I got some accidental track skipping but never once had accidental volume adjustments.  This makes it feel better as a "set it and forget it" DAP where you select and album to play and throw it in an accessible location in your bag with lock screen controls enabled.  Then you can just sneak your hand in to skip tracks or adjust the volume as needed with worrying to much about accidental presses.  If only there were a few control buttons near the top of the M3 for more pocket-friendly operation.

 
Is it perfect?  Nope, it's not.  As an earlier reviewer pointed out, the main menu is a bit of a jumble with things you wouldn't use very often placed in the middle of the last instead of at the bottom.  This is confusing at first glance, but after getting used to the menu structure it begins to make sense because the M3 has wrap-around lists.  This means when you first enter a menu, you can click up to get to the bottom of the menu and start navigating up the menu.  So once you get used to where things are, it actually makes sense to put rarely used settings in the middle.  At least that's my thinking on this after using he M3 for awhile.  
 
Other gripes are a bit of lag and no Gapless, Play Through Folders, or Playlist support.  The lag isn't really any worse than my X5 Classic, bit its there nonetheless.  More important, there are no settings for Gapless or Play Through Folder playback.  What this means is you will get a very small gap between songs that should be seamless (which drives me batty!).  And there's no way to get the M3 to keep playing not the next folder after the current one is finished.  This isn't that big of a deal for me, as I tend to listen to one album at a time, but I know it's going to drive some of you out there crazy and might be a deal breaker.  The lack of Playlist support will also be a deal breaker for some of you.  Instead, you get a Favorites feature that's stuck on the M3.
 
Final gripes are that you can't skip tracks when you're navigating lists, since the Up / Down clicks are then relegated to menu navigation instead of skipping through tracks.  And I desperately wanted to be able to use the dial to quickly scroll through lists like an old school jog dial, but alas no joy!
 
Okay, I do have one last grip.  It's that darn 5800 track limit.  What is it with Chinese DAPs and a 5800 track limit?  Of course, the easy workaround is to just use the File Directory like I do on the rest of my Chinese DAPs.  The bonus in this is that you get to organize your music however you want to!
 
I've got to leave you with a positive because I do like this DAP.  Unlike most of my Chinese DAPs (and even my phone and tablet), the screen is bright enough to use in daylight conditions!
 
To sum up: No it's not perfect, but it is rock solid, pretty intuitive, and quite enjoyable to use.
 
 
BATTERY LIFE
 
I got ~10 hours at volume 20 with a little bit of fiddling around with the M3 - pretty spot on with Shanling's specs!

 
 
DAC
 
This isn't a feature I see myself using, as I typically just buy large capacity cards and listen straight out of my DAPs.  I gave it a spin for the review and found it to work flawlessly with my MacBook Pro running Yosemite and El Capitan, easily connecting to my Mac for use as a DAC at 192/24 resolution.  Easy-peasy!
 
 
THEMES
 
If you don't have album art, there are plenty of themes to choose from.
 
 
 
You can even simplify the Now Playing screen a bit if you want.
 

 

 

SOUND

 
During my time with the M3, I used a variety of headphones and IEM and listened to a wide variety of music in mostly AAC and FLAC formats.  I performed critical listening with M3 vs. my iPhone 5s + Shanling H3 DAC/Amp, my Fiio X5, and my iBasso DX90, volume matching across the three DAPs using a 1kHz test tone and the Decibel 10th iPhone app.
 
I typically switch off between my DX90 and X5, but as soon as the M3 arrived I started using it as my sole DAP and sound-wise found nothing to be lacking. It drove all of my HP / IEM well.  I used Low Gain for most of my HP and IEM, saving High Gain for my HE400 planars. 

 

 
 
I'll be completely upfront here and state that I think there are a lot of other reviewers who are much better at describing what they're hearing than me.  Please check out the reviews I referenced above for more eloquent / elaborate descriptions.  With that disclaimer out of the way, here's what I thought of the M3... 
 
Volume
  1. 60 steps, with a bit more volume increase between steps than I'd like.  I'd much prefer it to have 120 steps for finer-grained control with sensitive HP / IEM.
 
Driving Power with AKG K553
  1. M3: 21 LG, 17/18 HG
  2. X5: 50 LG, 38 HG
  3. DX90: 188 LG, 183 MG, 175 HG
 
Driving Power with HE400
  1. M3: 26 HG
  2. X5: 71 HG
  3. DX90: 207 HG
 
Soundstage
  1. M3 vs. H3: Comparable width.  Less depth and height.
  2. M3 vs. X5: Comparable width and depth but taller.
  3. M3 vs. DX90: Less width and depth, comparable height.
 
Lows
  1. M3 vs. H3: More linear.  Less impactful.  More relaxed / softer. 
  2. M3 vs. X5: More linear bass with less mid-bass bloom.  More natural but less fun.  Less impact / slam. 
  3. M3 vs. DX90: Slightly more linear bass.  Slightly softer / less fun.  Slightly less impact / slam. 
 
Mids
  1. M3 vs. H3: Similar presentation but with drier mids, conveying less emotion. 
  2. M3 vs. X5: Drier / cooler yet more intimate miss.
  3. M3 vs. DX90: Again, drier / cooler yet more intimate mids.
 
Highs
  1. M3 vs. H3: Smoother / less edgy but lacking a bit of crispness.
  2. M3 vs. X5: Smoother, more refined high end.  Less aggressive.  Less prone to accentuating sibilance.
  3. M3 vs. DX90: Again, smoother, more refined high end.  Less aggressive.  Less prone to accentuating sibilance.
 
Overall
  1. M3 vs. H3: The M3 sounds quite neutral in comparison, making it easier for longer listening sessions but less exciting. H3 now feels like the fun sound signature, with more bass impact, sweeter mids, and more detailed high end. 
  2. M3 vs. X5: M3 has more linear bass, a taller soundstage, and is detailed without sounding aggressive, giving the M3 a more neutral, natural sound signature. In comparison, the X5 has more mid-bass and a more aggressive high end, giving it a more "fun" sound signature than the M3's more refined, smooth sound signature. 
  3. M3 vs. DX90: M3 has more linear bass, soundstage is narrower and les deep, and is detailed without sounding aggressive, giving the M3 a more neutral, natural sound signature. In comparison, the DX90 has more mid-bass and a more aggressive high end, giving it a more "fun" sound signature than the M3's more refined, smooth sound signature. 
 

 
 
To sum up: Out of the dedicated DAPs I own or have tried, this is the most neutral sounding I've heard to date.  That can have its pros and cons.  On the plus side, you hear what you're supposed to be hearing.  On the negative side, if you're switching back and forth between DAPs the M3 can sound a bit flat / boring.  Get accustomed to its sound signature however, and your other DAPs might just end up sounding colored.
 
 

SUMMARY

 
PROS
  1. Neutral sound signature
  2. Hardware tone controls
  3. Drives all of my HP / IEM well
  4. Unique and attractive design
  5. Solid construction
  6. Intuitive navigation
 
CONS
  1. On the large side / lacks pocketability
  2. That pesky 5800 track limit rears its ugly head yet again
  3. No gapless, play through folders, or playlist capabilities
  4. No protective case
  5. Lockscreen modes are all or nothing
  6. Volume adjustment isn't as fine-grained as my other DAPs

 
Thanks for taking the time to read this review and thanks again to @Shanling for providing the Head-Fi community with the chance to test drive the M3!

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Jul 22, 2015 at 12:53 PM Post #75 of 567
As I pointed out in my review, I thought there were some things that could be fixed on the firmware side.

1. Gapless
2. Play through folders
3. 5800 db limit

I contacted Shanling and asked about these. They replied as follows:

1. Not for M3 but will be supported in future models
2. Works with FW 2.10 in Folder Browsing mode
3. Fixed with FW 2.10

The thing is, I really thought I was using FW 2.10 in the review but have since shipped the M3 to the next reviewer (and asked him to check for me).

My question to all of you M3 owners is: Are #2 & 3 on the list above working for you?

Also, I only saw support for "Favorites" but no mention of .m3u playlist support. Correct?

What features would you like to see implemented in future FW?

What design changes would you make?

:beerchug:
 
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