Shanling M3X Portable Player - Our smallest Android Player

[romekbono]

Which date can we buy the M3X ?? March ... Any presales on AliExpress ?

 

[yorosello]

I don't want to start any rumors, but @Shanling are there any plans for an M5x?

Last time they said no plans for it

 

[Shanling]

I don't want to start any rumors, but @Shanling are there any plans for an M5x?

Not for now. As there is not really much you could do to squeeze another device between M3X and M6.

Which date can we buy the M3X ?? March ... Any presales on AliExpress ?

We will start shipping it to international distributors in last week of February, after CNY.
We always recommend to purchase from our international distributors if possible, better than Aliexpress.

 

[holsen]

Not for now. As there is not really much you could do to squeeze another device between M3X and M6.



We will start shipping it to international distributors in last week of February, after CNY.
We always recommend to purchase from our international distributors if possible, better than Aliexpress.

It's CNY for you too, and yet here you are responsding in the threads. So THANK YOU for your commitment to the community and your customers! 新年快乐

 

[Ferdze]

What bluetooth version does the M3x have? Still 4.2?

 

[monsieurfromag3]

What bluetooth version does the M3x have? Still 4.2?

According to this it’s 4.2.
A bit of a shame but then, this bothers me much less in this player than on non-Android DAPs like my N3Pro, where I rely on it a good part of the time to stream from my phone (it’s 5.0 on the Cayin - but the codecs and range/stability are more important than the BT version anyway).

Android 7 is the part of this DAP that scares me the most. Fiio’s upcoming M17 is on 10! And it will cost $1K more than the M3X, but still. A lot of apps cut support at Android 6, so in a year or two there may not be any margin left. Hopefully Shanling will update its fleet to a more recent revision but I’m not holding my breath.

 

[Ferdze]

According to this it’s 4.2.
A bit of a shame but then, this bothers me much less in this player than on non-Android DAPs like my N3Pro, where I rely on it a good part of the time to stream from my phone (it’s 5.0 on the Cayin - but the codecs and range/stability are more important than the BT version anyway).

Android 7 is the part of this DAP that scares me the most. Fiio’s upcoming M17 is on 10! And it will cost $1K more than the M3X, but still. A lot of apps cut support at Android 6, so in a year or two there may not be any margin left. Hopefully Shanling will update its fleet to a more recent revision but I’m not holding my breath.

Thanks! I checked for differences in audio between 4.2 and 5.0, they say there will no improvement and changes will just be in data transfer. Do you think they will update it to a more recent android version? I'm thinking of getting this versus a Sony NW-105. Your thoughts bro?

 

[Niyologist]

I didn't know this existed. Interesting.

 

[davidcotton]

I don't want to start any rumors, but @Shanling are there any plans for an M5x?

Give for them a chance, 3x is barely out the door!

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Thanks! I checked for differences in audio between 4.2 and 5.0, they say there will no improvement and changes will just be in data transfer. Do you think they will update it to a more recent android version? I'm thinking of getting this versus a Sony NW-105. Your thoughts bro?

Shanling support their DAPs with many firmware updates, but Android updates don’t really happen (I think iBasso and Hiby did it in the past). Bluetooth 5.0 vs 4.2 doesn’t concern audio as you already found out; stability, transfer rate and range remain the same (those claims of 100m range are not only exaggerated, they are also misleading as the increase only worked for software - basically you are able to control an app from further away but audio transmission range remains in the same 10m ballpark). I like to see 5.0 but that’s because it means the BT chip is recent. here the 8675 in the Shanling is perfectly fine, it’s yesteryear’s flagship, the only meaningful but minor thing it lacks is aptX Adaptive.

What I don’t like about the M3X is that its specs read a lot like a yesteryear DAP - same CPU, same BT chip, same older OS...The DAC is a revision of the 9218 and that’s great though, although it’s a little thin on output power for a $350 device. I’m expecting a Khadas DAC/amp that I paid €150 and its audio specs match most of the $800 Hiby R6 2020 - albeit with less power. The M3X reminds me of my $100 Qudelix-5K.

I have a non-Android DAP that sounds great but I am looking into Android DAPs too, just not too expensive because that market moves too fast and $1000+ devices quickly become obsolete. Basically something like a Hiby R5 2021 (which doesn’t exist), but from a more reliable company with more distributors outside China. I am afraid the M3X is not the 2021 device I’d like to see.

The M3X will probably be a better choice than the Sony though, I tried the 105 once and it sounds good, also you wouldn’t suffer the EU volume cap which makes it unusable, but even so it doesn’t have balanced out nor the AGLO system to bypass Android resampling and that in particular changes everything. The 105’s format is great though and again, from a limited test I thought it sounded good.

 

[Shanling]

here the 8675 in the Shanling is perfectly fine, it’s yesteryear’s flagship, the only meaningful but minor thing it lacks is aptX Adaptive.

What I don’t like about the M3X is that its specs read a lot like a yesteryear DAP - same CPU, same BT chip, same older OS...The DAC is a revision of the 9218 and that’s great though, although it’s a little thin on output power for a $350 device. I’m expecting a Khadas DAC/amp that I paid €150 and its audio specs match most of the $800 Hiby R6 2020 - albeit with less power. The M3X reminds me of my $100 Qudelix-5K.

M3X is not using Qualcomm CSR8675. That is only in M8, other Shanling Android are using simpler BT solution. That's why their receiver function is limited to just LDAC and SBC.

M3X was deigned as lower budget and long lasting player. As such, it's using trickled down component from our other players. And for the output power, we could have thrown in something more powerful, but that would cut the battery life significantly. It's about compromise.

 

[Gettindirty]

Off topic here... Any plan for M8 Pro or M8X? Thanks!

 

[slex]

He will direct you M30!

 

[denis1976]

Off topic here... Any plan for M8 Pro or M8X? Thanks!

Maybe yes, if you buy it

 

[Shanling]

Off topic here... Any plan for M8 Pro or M8X? Thanks!

No such plans.

He will direct you M30!

Well, if you can squeeze M30 into your pocket for travel rig, be sure to send us photo