Shanling M3

[ASpencer]

Question for nmatheis:
 
I’ve read your eloquent review.  There are so many DAPs in the marketplace with more on the way, but is there anything at all that makes this device special?  Aside from the joystick wheel design, there doesn’t seem much to give it prominence or singularity from the other DAPs already in play.

 

[nmatheis]

ASpencer

Let me be clear, I'm no cheerleader for the M3. I was just quite interested in testing it out, and Shanling was generous enough to provide one. I thank Shanling for that! Not every manufacturer is so generous

So with that out if the way...

Compared to the other DAPs I own, the sound signature is quite relaxed. The others are more energetic. The UI is easy to learn and is one of the most efficient for my personal use case, which means it's easy to get to Play Settings with one button press while in the Now Playing screen. It's got hardware bass / treble controls, which is rare amongst DAPs at any price point.

That said, is it my preferred DAP? Probably not. I really like my X5 Classic, but it was my first "audiophile" DAP so I'm quite sure I have some inbuilt bias there...

Is it competitive? I think so, and so did YoYo JoKeR when he reviewed it, but it is a different sound signature than I was accustomed to so it took some time for it to grow on me. We'll see what others in the review tour think as it moves along...

 

[ASpencer]

Is it competitive? I think so, and so did @YoYo JoKeR when he reviewed it, but it is a different sound signature than I was accustomed to so it took some time for it to grow on me. We'll see what others in the review tour think as it moves along...

A most logical appraisal.  I like my X5 as well, paired with the Mont Blanc, and flat out adore the X5 Next Gen.

 

[nmatheis]

A most logical appraisal.  I like my X5 as well, paired with the Mont Blanc, and flat out adore the X5 Next Gen.

Gracias, señor!

 

[Urteaga]

@

Sorry to leave you hanging!

You can order the M3 on Amazon: LINK.

Whether you want M3 or not depends on your sound signature preferences. The M3 has a pretty laid-back, non-fatiguing sound signature with most of the HP / IEM I tried it with. Pairing it with bright HP / IEM might lead to problems, but that's just the nature of the beast

If you're looking for something a bit more engaging on the bass side in the same price range, you could try the Fiio X5 the bonus with the X5 is you get 2 card slots.

If you're looking for more bass and treble energy, you could go with the DX90. The down side is short battery life. You can swap batteries, but I think that's a hassle and would rather have a good built-in battery any day!

Feel free to ask more specific questions. I don't currently have the M3 since its out on tour, but other M3 owners should feel free to chime in

 
Thanks! Well this is going to be my first audiophile DAC, and I´m going to pair it up with the HiFiMan HE-400i as I said before and I mostly listen to indie and alt rock. So I guess any alternative is good for that price range, but is there in your opinion, a better one, sound wise? I mean between the DX90, X5ii and the M3 (I´m more in between the X5ii & M3, I don´t know why the DX90 doesn´t catch my attention).

 

[nmatheis]

@

Thanks! Well this is going to be my first audiophile DAC, and I´m going to pair it up with the HiFiMan HE-400i as I said before and I mostly listen to indie and alt rock. So I guess any alternative is good for that price range, but is there in your opinion, a better one, sound wise? I mean between the DX90, X5ii and the M3 (I´m more in between the X5ii & M3, I don´t know why the DX90 doesn´t catch my attention).

X5ii is really nice. It's quite a bit smaller than the M3, has two micro SD slots, and sounds great. Fiio has a proven track record of listening and responding to their customers here on Head-Fi, which I greatly respect.

Just to make things more complicated for you, are you using a smartphone? If so, perhaps you'd be interested in trying something like the Cayin C5DAC. It's got great sound quality that rivals DAPs and lets you listen to music stored on your smartphone as well as streaming music for less money. The trade off is you're tied to your smartphone.

 

[Urteaga]

I do, I have an iPhone 5s, and probably will change to the 6s as soon as it comes out, but I usually buy the 16gb versions. So I don´t have a lot of storage, also I want to listen to FLAC files on 24 bits, to hear for my self if there´s any differences, I´ve read a lot from both parts, the ones that say there´s a difference and the ones that say there isn´t but I guess I just want to check it out for my self instead of just listening to ALAC.
 
You say the X5ii is a bit smaller thant de M3, you mean soundstage wise? I´m not that into jazz or classical but I guess this is an important issue for me. 

 

[nmatheis]

Cool.  Unless you stream everything, a 16Gb iPhone won't work as a transport for you.
 
I actually meant that the X5ii is quite a bit smaller physically vs. M3.  
 
As far as soundstage goes, I'd say from memory that the X5ii has a larger soundstage.

 

[Urteaga]

  Cool.  Unless you stream everything, a 16Gb iPhone won't work as a transport for you.
 
I actually meant that the X5ii is quite a bit smaller physically vs. M3.  
 
As far as soundstage goes, I'd say from memory that the X5ii has a larger soundstage.

Thank you so much I don´t have any more questions! I guess I´ll go with the X5ii then, even tough I like the looks of the M3 better. 

 

[ASpencer]

  Thank you so much I don´t have any more questions! I guess I´ll go with the X5ii then, even tough I like the looks of the M3 better. 

I don't think you'll regret the decision.  Everything from the screen to the sound is really topflight, a very polished instrument.  nmatheis is very candid in appraisals.  The avatar fits.

 

[nmatheis]

Thank you so much I don´t have any more questions! I guess I´ll go with the X5ii then, even tough I like the looks of the M3 better. 

I agree that the M3 looks great. I find it's simple industrial design aesthetic quite appealing, but the X5ii does have a lot going for it.

Hopefully Shanling will release a follow-up product that is smaller, has higher capacity, and will aggressively push it out to the headfi community Fiio-style, so more people have a chance to audition and review it. That's something Fiio is really good at. Cayin has started aggressively pursuing the same strategy of pushing out headfi tour units with new releases, as well. CustomArt tours universal versions of their CIEM. Oppo tours all of their headphones. I'm glad at least a few manufacturers are reaching out like this, otherwise a lot of us would never get the chance to try cool, relatively expensive gear without buying it.

I don't think you'll regret the decision.  Everything from the screen to the sound is really topflight, a very polished instrument.  nmatheis is very candid in appraisals.  The avatar fits.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts and for the compliment, good sir :wink_face:

 

[ASpencer]

Hopefully Shanling will release a follow-up product that is smaller, has higher capacity, and will aggressively push it out to the headfi community Fiio-style, so more people have a chance to audition and review it.

One of the reasons I asked you to elaborate further on your findings was because this is a great looking unit, but it while it seems larger than the X5 in photographs, it conversely offers less in many way.  That led me to assume it offers phenomenal sound or something overtly distinctive.  The one thing baffling me considering the price range is why it offers such limited storage.  I thought it could at least offer dual slots like the X5 and X5 II.

 

[nmatheis]

One of the reasons I asked you to elaborate further on your findings was because this is a great looking unit, but it while it seems larger than the X5 in photographs, it conversely offers less in many way.  That led me to assume it offers phenomenal sound or something overtly distinctive.  The one thing baffling me considering the price range is why it offers such limited storage.  I thought it could at least offer dual slots like the X5 and X5 II.

We have to remember that this is Shanling's first DAP. They're a company used to producing desktop and stereo component class gear. I imagine they're actively soliciting customer feedback in their home market. I really wish they were doing the same here on headfi...

If Shanling is listening, please engage us. I'm sure there are plenty of headfi members who would be interested in helping out. I'd be interested!

 

[hakushondaimao]

If @Shanling is listening, please engage us. I'm sure there are plenty of headfi members who would be interested in helping out. I'd be interested!

 
Engagement potentially limited by language issues? That said, it would be great to get some back-and-forth going.

 

[ASpencer]

   
Engagement potentially limited by language issues? That said, it would be great to get some back-and-forth going.

 
Have you found Shanling on Twitter?  I hope we hear from Hidizs soon.  I was pleasantly surprised by the AP100, so I've been looking forward to their follow up.