[shenanbay]

Well, listening preferences aside, I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this EQ thing - I thought I was going crazy

Hopefully it's a minor fix

 

[liquidrats]

I personally don't use eq. I find when i turn it on it changes some sort of loudness to the sound which I think there's a filter over the soundout.

 

[shenanbay]

Unfortunately this dap in not for me. I really wanted to like it. It's a nice dap for genres like jazz and classical. A very smooth and sweet sound. But for rock and metal. Anything with a fast bass this is not the dap you want. It sounds muddy for me. It's a beauty tho

 

[liquidrats]

Unfortunately this dap in not for me. I really wanted to like it. It's a nice dap for genres like jazz and classical. A very smooth and sweet sound. But for rock and metal. Anything with a fast bass this is not the dap you want. It sounds muddy for me. It's a beauty tho

that's sad. Maybe you're not used to the sound, I felt the same the first time but after a while, with adjusting the filters I prefer it over M2s cause of the resolution and imaging. Good all rounder for me. I'm currently trying to get rid of my M2s.

 

[jaxz]

The knob feels loose compared to the M2S.

 

[shenanbay]

that's sad. Maybe you're not used to the sound, I felt the same the first time but after a while, with adjusting the filters I prefer it over M2s cause of the resolution and imaging. Good all rounder for me. I'm currently trying to get rid of my M2s.

Yeah I really wanted to like it. I do love the detail on the jazz tracks and how spacious it is. But I want to get the umph when I listen to stuff like metal.

 

[liquidrats]

Yeah I really wanted to like it. I do love the detail on the jazz tracks and how spacious it is. But I want to get the umph when I listen to stuff like metal.

hmm really? I quite like it on metal, depending on your eim you're using. Westone w30 it sings...

 

[emthered]

Holy Moly - I just paired my M3s with my old JDS Labs C5 amp! It doesn't seem to affect the soundstage too much and the bass- OH THE BASS!! With the C5 switch in the bass boost setting (the middle click) it's butt kickin' fun!

 

[shenanbay]

hmm really? I quite like it on metal, depending on your eim you're using. Westone w30 it sings...

I guess that might have to do with it. I also wanted to use this as a dac for my desktop system cause I did not want to spend money or two things. Looks like I'll have to get a separate one for now.

 

[newtophones07]

Maybe I have not been paying attention to Shanling products, but their US marketing team is doing a MAJOR by not really making Hiby Link a major selling point

I picked up an used m3s to test it out, and decided to give the Hiby software a try, and it turns the m3s into the perfect pocketable hi-res device, imo. Keep the device locked in your pocket and controlling all functions form your smartphone is AWESOME. Eliminates the need for external dac/amp devices from smartphones. I have not tried the Bluetooth dac option yet, but maybe Hiby will even make smartphone dacs like the V30 useless, since the m3s is so small.

No Tidal streaming/offline is the only major drawback for someone like me. Fiio and Onkyo/Pioneer devices win in that regard

It can't compete with the higher end DAPS (my X7II), and it shouldn't at the price. but I prefer the sound of the m3s to my AK JR and my older X5III, single ended. It's missing some detail of the 300R and DP-X1a I used to own (off memory)

I'm waiting on my balanced cables to try the 2.5mm jack.

I wish the screen was a tad brighter (seems Shanling went low quality on this component), especially since it's so small. A nice low cost LCD at 3" would have been nice, but with Hiby Link, I don't even touch the device other than to control the volume.

I hate the clicks, when changing sample rate sometimes (small annoyance no biggie). I do wonder what this device could be with say an ak4995/4997 in the same body shape. Whoa, now that would be killer.

Without Hiby Link, the software navigation is a tad cumbersome with large albums storage (still better than fiio , at least alphabetical order is correct). The controls almost seems to be orientated backwards, lol, its hard to explain. The wheel is pretty useful, it scrolls folders pretty fast. Definitely old iPod-like, in a good way. Touchscreens are great,but having a tactile number is also nice too

It does run bright to my ears, but my main iems (oriveti new primacy) work very well with this DAP, as they are very bottom to midrange dominate, so the m3s wake ups the sparkle a bit.

Good job Shanling, I'd buy an upgraded model (with a newer DAC chip), especially with Hiby Link. More than enough power with iems. I can only stand 60 on the volume level.

The leather case is high quality , but it blocks the wheel scrolling a tad for me and my big fingers/thumbs.

Good job

 

[drag0nslayer]

Unfortunately this dap in not for me. I really wanted to like it. It's a nice dap for genres like jazz and classical. A very smooth and sweet sound. But for rock and metal. Anything with a fast bass this is not the dap you want. It sounds muddy for me. It's a beauty tho

Sorry to hear so, you are finding it muddy and some are finding it so bright. Here's the case DAP usually plays role in driving IEM to full potential but IEMs are more 5han dependant on DAPs. So it must be your iem which is not getting sound signature which are expecting it too, try changing iem with m3s.

 

[liquidrats]

I hate the clicks, when changing sample rate sometimes (small annoyance no biggie)

What sample rate? where do you change this? Lol.

 

[newtophones07]

What sample rate? where do you change this? Lol.

Darn terminology and typing too fast lol. When going from 16/44 to 24/192 their is a click sometimes . Also when the system goes into sleep, or the music stops, it will click.

 

[liquidrats]

Darn terminology and typing too fast lol. When going from 16/44 to 24/192 their is a click sometimes . Also when the system goes into sleep, or the music stops, it will click.

you mean from one song to another?

 

[newtophones07]

you mean from one song to another?

It's more pause play/restart...or sometimes when going from a folder containing 16/44, to one containing 24/192 it will click. I am not exactly sure what the click, maybe it's an internal power switch? It's not audible through the headphones, so that's good.