[claud W]

Yes Android 10 and the faster CPU are my main temptations. I wouldn't expect much difference in sound compared to the M8 as the audio hardware is very, very similar.

The reason that those of us have preordered or will buy is because the M8 sound/tuning is so great. Most everything you play from it comes out sounding better. If Shanling left the audio alone or tweaked it a tiny bit, It would be acceptable. I am hoping they just fixed the M8 problems, gave it more battery life and power. Some of these are already evident in the specs.

 

[kazekai]

I sincerely hope this is not Shanling's direction moving forward in terms of price range. I would love to try their mid-high range if the price is more reasonable.

 

[Lumithium]

My speculation is that Shanling pushes the price of M9 AKM edition because of AK4499 has been discontinued and it is hard to find anything new that is using AK4499. Rare things are always more expensive.

 

[kazekai]

My speculation is that Shanling pushes the price of M9 AKM edition because of AK4499 has been discontinued and it is hard to find anything new that is using AK4499. Rare things are always more expensive.

I share the same speculation. Hoping M10 will be back to "normal" pricing!

 

[rlw6534]

My speculation is that Shanling pushes the price of M9 AKM edition because of AK4499 has been discontinued and it is hard to find anything new that is using AK4499. Rare things are always more expensive.

I wonder how long it will be before AKM releases a new flagship DAC chip? There hasn't been much info on the fire recovery that I have seen lately. Competition is good.

 

[him285]

With Android 10 for the new M9 I’m hoping Shanling will also update their 2020 models with at least Android 9…

wont happen because of hardware restriction

 

[MarkPharaohII]

So i take it this thread i full of moaners and naysayers like me who refuse to buy lol. But will the mood change once actual buyers are going to start receiving them? Curious to see.

A lot of us spent over $1500 for the M8 and I don't remember this kind of outrage for that price. Lazy thinking from some folks in this thread yelling "cancel culture". It's simple. This is consumerism for a niche product. We paid that high amount for the M8 in spite of all its flaws because of the amazing sound. But with Shanling's track record w.r.t. software, and the modest improvements on paper, the price does feel like a money grab. Also, although people on a trade floor may have liked it, I don't really care about the opinion of folks who wouldn't buy the M9/people who've never purchased DAPs at this price point before. Maybe I'm wrong and I'll end up buying a used AKM M9 after owner reviews, but I would be surprised.

 

[Skullar]

A lot of us spent over $1500 for the M8 and I don't remember this kind of outrage for that price. Lazy thinking from some folks in this thread yelling "cancel culture". It's simple. This is consumerism for a niche product. We paid that high amount for the M8 in spite of all its flaws because of the amazing sound. But with Shanling's track record w.r.t. software, and the modest improvements on paper, the price does feel like a money grab. Also, although people on a trade floor may have liked it, I don't really care about the opinion of folks who wouldn't buy the M9/people who've never purchased DAPs at this price point before. Maybe I'm wrong and I'll end up buying a used AKM M9 after owner reviews, but I would be surprised.

Lile with many products in this hobby. Im sure Shanling will scrape up few hundred of their hardcore fans, who simply can/dont mind taking a risk.

Besides there are return policies in place with distributors. Shanling must be quite confident in their product.
What aspect of dap they have confidence is another story.
Reading some posts where android 10 OS is considered a significant feature in dap... I think it might end up popular even if it fails?in sound quality miserably lol.

 

[newworld666]

Lile with many products in this hobby. Im sure Shanling will scrape up few hundred of their hardcore fans, who simply can/dont mind taking a risk.

Besides there are return policies in place with distributors. Shanling must be quite confident in their product.
What aspect of dap they have confidence is another story.
Reading some posts where android 10 OS is considered a significant feature in dap... I think it might end up popular even if it fails?in sound quality miserably lol.

It's not what happened since Android 10 came out, as the android sound system became much more versatile and can now address directly any external or internal dedicated DAC without modifying android.
With smartphone like the Z Fold 3, It's already a giant step from any of former closed and very limited OS adapted from Android by some obscure small Chinese or Korean developers teams. None could manage to add universal modern streaming features !!!
Those teams can now work directly to the sound quality development without losing time, energy and loads of streaming features to try to bypass the former rather closed android sound system.

 

[Devodonaldson]

No interest in EQ, so I suppose I’m set.

I used to feel the se way til about a couple days ago. Started eqing a few of my iems based on Harman settings page I found, and I was really wowed. Didn't follow settings 100% but I can say that I've began to enjoy all the sets I've eq'd even more bow. Been living my Solaris, and with eq everything opened up more, and cleared up in ways I didnt even know could get better. Now I wish my m8 HAD global eq. I own m8 and Sony zx507, so I use both, but m8 is far superior. Thankfully I have over 200 albums on my m8 that I can eq. Still listen to plenty other stuff on Apple Music though

 

[newworld666]

I used to feel the se way til about a couple days ago. Started eqing a few of my iems based on Harman settings page I found, and I was really wowed. Didn't follow settings 100% but I can say that I've began to enjoy all the sets I've eq'd even more bow. Been living my Solaris, and with eq everything opened up more, and cleared up in ways I didnt even know could get better. Now I wish my m8 HAD global eq. I own m8 and Sony zx507, so I use both, but m8 is far superior. Thankfully I have over 200 albums on my m8 that I can eq. Still listen to plenty other stuff on Apple Music though

I didn't try, but it's possible that wavelet or poweramp EQ can act as a global EQ too with the M8 so working with amazon HD, Apple Music, qobuz... it's worth to give a try, thoug you need a laptop with chrome or edge to allow those apps to access to the android sound system.
If I remember, both apps claimed they could be activated (without rooting the smartphone) from android 9.

 

[merinowool]

I didn't try, but it's possible that wavelet or poweramp EQ can act as a global EQ too with the M8 so working with amazon HD, Apple Music, qobuz... it's worth to give a try, thoug you need a laptop with chrome or edge to allow those apps to access to the android sound system.
If I remember, both apps claimed they could be activated (without rooting the smartphone) from android 9.

Not very knowledgeable about this, but I had thought both those apps specifically require a newer version of Android than what's on the M8... but if there's a way to get them to work I'd be interested.

 

[Skullar]

It's not what happened since Android 10 came out, as the android sound system became much more versatile and can now address directly any external or internal dedicated DAC without modifying android.
With smartphone like the Z Fold 3, It's already a giant step from any of former closed and very limited OS adapted from Android by some obscure small Chinese or Korean developers teams. None could manage to add universal modern streaming features !!!
Those teams can now work directly to the sound quality development without losing time, energy and loads of streaming features to try to bypass the former rather closed android sound system.

If those added minuscule features can be added without any side effect, noone will complain. But im almost guaranteed this would result in requiring more processing.
This would mean, more powerfull components just to run UI. Bigger battery requirements and heat generation. And you start adding to already idiotic flagship dap sizes. And cost increase before even touching sound quality...

Id rather they concentrated on keeping daps small while improving sound and just keeping enough in software to run Streaming and off line playback with few essential features

 

[newworld666]

If those added minuscule features can be added without any side effect, noone will complain. But im almost guaranteed this would result in requiring more processing.
This would mean, more powerfull components just to run UI. Bigger battery requirements and heat generation. And you start adding to already idiotic flagship dap sizes. And cost increase before even touching sound quality...

Id rather they concentrated on keeping daps small while improving sound and just keeping enough in software to run Streaming and off line playback with few essential features

Up to you consider all streaming services or access to personal upnp servers as minuscule features ... at least, for me, these last 3/4 years it was a real pain to use those A&K Kann Alpha, Hiby R6pro, Sony Wm1A, Fiio M9&M11 being so limited on the move to :
- a poor 512Gb/1Tb SD readers (except Fiio M11)
- without global GEQ/PEQ (except WM1A as BT or DAC receiver with my smartphones)
- far to be powerful enough to move properly most of my headphones (even some IEM like Z1R) ...

Actually I still dream Fiio M17 will become my freedom with 1 DAP allowing all streaming features (Qobuz/Amazon HD/UpnpServer), powerful enough amp (for a Stealth), instant access to my personal music on 4Tb SSD reader and a global PEQ available for IE900/Xelento => it seems like a DAP's "newworld" will soon come . M9 with android 10 can be a good alternative if M17 fails to drive a Stealth on the move, I will only use a more compact M9+IE900 on the move in the near future, though I will wait for a none limited edition (as I don't like limited edition at all).

 

[rlw6534]

Not very knowledgeable about this, but I had thought both those apps specifically require a newer version of Android than what's on the M8... but if there's a way to get them to work I'd be interested.

Wavelet requires Android 9 or later.