Well, technically, "under $500" can also mean anything up to and excluding $500, so also $1 .... and from the wording Shanling used, I'd not expect it to finally end up actually being $499.99 . It seemed (to me, at least), a bit more of Shanling teasing , not a precise price (just a precise ceiling)
Unlike headphone prices, I feel that DAP prices are actually trending down! So, I would actually expect (and hope) it would be priced below what M5 used to be...
Not to put too fine point on it but their chief competition in this price/performance tier is Cayin. At least in terms sound quality, my ears are with those two companies. If Shanling can nail wired and wireless performance, with an improvement in sound quality from the M5, they'll have my interest. If they decide to go with a tuning that I like, I'm on the hook fo sho.
Just a gut feeling in general. Maybe the reason is more entry-level DAPs introduced recently (HiBy R3, Shanling M0, FiiO M3K, etc.), so maybe only lower end being cheaper than used to be.
Just a gut feeling in general. Maybe the reason is more entry-level DAPs introduced recently (HiBy R3, Shanling M0, FiiO M3K, etc.), so maybe only lower end being cheaper than used to be.
I don't necessarily disagree. Like I said in a previous post, I would love to see it come in well below $500. $430-450 is what makes sense to me as a consumer. The math might not be there from a production stand point to go that low. But now that Cayin had to up the price of the N5ii when they switched over to the S, there's an opportunity for Shanling to fill the pricing gap.
Not to put too fine point on it but their chief competition in this price/performance tier is Cayin. At least in terms sound quality, my ears are with those two companies. If Shanling can nail wired and wireless performance, with an improvement in sound quality from the M5, they'll have my interest. If they decide to go with a tuning that I like, I'm on the hook fo sho.
I agree, Cayin has great stuff at great price points. I however like the esthetics of Shanling gear better. Except for the I5, I thought the i5 was pretty sexy looking and had a nice screen.
That would be a first! My personal experience is when vendor says "under $xyz" - that means between 1 cent and 1 dollar below xyz...
Unlike headphone prices, I feel that DAP prices are actually trending down! So, I would actually expect (and hope) it would be priced below what M5 used to be...
For first comment, normally I would agree... but what's the point of saying "under $500" if then it turns out that it's essentially it? Why not just announce it outright? Only reason would be if they were actually uncertain about final price (and that seems a bit strange given that everything seems to be finalized, and ready to start rolling out next month), and they want to put out a max ceiling. It feels (to me, at least) more like a good marketing ploy, to jack up interest and stimulate conversation (which it definitely has ). In that scenario, it makes more sense to put out a ceiling which is quite a bit higher than the actual price, to favorably surprise customers when the price comes out. It can of course turn out that it will be $499 - but I really expect it to be lower, possibly by quite a bit.
Second comment, I definitely agree, I feel the same.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
.... and from the wording Shanling used, I'd not expect it to finally end up actually being $499.99
