[PenguinHeadphoner]

What is your exact question here?

The specification shows how/when you get the 570 mW on your 32 Ohm SINGLE ENDED headset:


If you connect your headset BALANCED you get much more output power (if needed) - in case your headset has separated connectors for Left/Right...

Hi,

Just bben at a friend's with my EA5.
We have been able to test the EA5 connected to his computer with USB.

RCA line output and headphone output level was much better at his home.
So there must be a problem with the EA5 and Linux
His computer was Windows driven.

So one problem less

Regards.

 

[scorlibrian]

Hmm, if you think Linux is the problem, I may be able to help out later. I don't know how many people on here actually use Linux as their daily driver, but I'm one of them, so I feel like I should probably lend my assistance.

I have an EM5 though, not a EA5, so the test may not be completely valid. Also, I've been very vocal about the software problems that the EM5 has earlier in this thread and my opinion on that hasn't changed. The firmware is generally buggy and seems to ship untested. For me, I think the bare minimum that the EM5 needs to add is TidalConnect, Roon support, and gapless playback. Since these haven't been prioritized, my EM5 has mostly been collecting dust on my shelf since it's very cumbersome to control and the Edict app isn't great (I really don't like the screen mirroring, and SyncLink tends to overheat my phone).

As for hardware, I've never had a problem except for at launch when the XLR output wouldn't work properly with some XLR cables, but they added a software workaround for this (which is actually a hardware problem). Output power has always been fine for me, but I typically run my headphones balanced. Since we're comparing my EM5 to your EA5, it's not really a valid test, but we can at least see if the problem might be Linux-related.

I'm updating my EM5 OTA right now and I can try hooking it up to my computer later on today and let you know.
FWIW, my use case for my EM5 is mainly as a standalone device, not as a USB DAC/Amp.

As for information on my system, I'm running Archlinux 6.1.7-zen1-1-zen. I generally use a Topping D90 as a DAC and it's been working for me for almost 2 years now (always on an Arch-based system).

 

[PenguinHeadphoner]

Hmm, if you think Linux is the problem, I may be able to help out later. I don't know how many people on here actually use Linux as their daily driver, but I'm one of them, so I feel like I should probably lend my assistance.

I have an EM5 though, not a EA5, so the test may not be completely valid. Also, I've been very vocal about the software problems that the EM5 has earlier in this thread and my opinion on that hasn't changed. The firmware is generally buggy and seems to ship untested. For me, I think the bare minimum that the EM5 needs to add is TidalConnect, Roon support, and gapless playback. Since these haven't been prioritized, my EM5 has mostly been collecting dust on my shelf since it's very cumbersome to control and the Edict app isn't great (I really don't like the screen mirroring, and SyncLink tends to overheat my phone).

As for hardware, I've never had a problem except for at launch when the XLR output wouldn't work properly with some XLR cables, but they added a software workaround for this (which is actually a hardware problem). Output power has always been fine for me, but I typically run my headphones balanced. Since we're comparing my EM5 to your EA5, it's not really a valid test, but we can at least see if the problem might be Linux-related.

I'm updating my EM5 OTA right now and I can try hooking it up to my computer later on today and let you know.
FWIW, my use case for my EM5 is mainly as a standalone device, not as a USB DAC/Amp.

As for information on my system, I'm running Archlinux 6.1.7-zen1-1-zen. I generally use a Topping D90 as a DAC and it's been working for me for almost 2 years now (always on an Arch-based system).

Hi scrolibrian,

Thanks a lot for your answer.

At least it seems I am not alone on this channel

I have been in touch with the reseller today to take the device back and they agreed to extend the returnin period for a couple of days.

So if you have some time, I would be glad iff you could the test I was asking for a little earlier.

Because if we can use a third party app to control the Shanling device, then a majority of the problems are solved.

Do you have music stored on a NAS somewhere ?


Regards.

FRED

 

[scorlibrian]

Hi scrolibrian,

Thanks a lot for your answer.

At least it seems I am not alone on this channel

I have been in touch with the reseller today to take the device back and they agreed to extend the returnin period for a couple of days.

So if you have some time, I would be glad iff you could the test I was asking for a little earlier.

Because if we can use a third party app to control the Shanling device, then a majority of the problems are solved.

Do you have music stored on a NAS somewhere ?


Regards.

FRED

I don't have my music stored on a NAS, as I generally just play the files locally off my PC. However, I do have another computer currently acting as a Plex server, so I can probably set up a test using that. I'll do some testing tonight and I can report back tomorrow as the tests will mean I have to move around some hardware.

 

[PenguinHeadphoner]

Hi,

Finally Someone who seems to be interested in getting things to work

If you are running Arch (I do run an Arch also) you can make your life easier and install Emby and run an Emby server.
All packages are in the official repos.
And it's really easy to set-up while Plex is just a nightmare to run
You can see it here : https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Emby

Once installed, just open a page with the IP address of your computer and port 8096 (so that would be something like 192.168.1.x:8096)
Pretty easy...

And then from there, just select the folder with your music : there you go, a music server

If you experience any problem doing this, just let me know...

Regards.

 

[scorlibrian]

Hi,

Finally Someone who seems to be interested in getting things to work

If you are running Arch (I do run an Arch also) you can make your life easier and install Emby and run an Emby server.
All packages are in the official repos.
And it's really easy to set-up while Plex is just a nightmare to run
You can see it here : https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Emby

Once installed, just open a page with the IP address of your computer and port 8096 (so that would be something like 192.168.1.x:8096)
Pretty easy...

And then from there, just select the folder with your music : there you go, a music server

If you experience any problem doing this, just let me know...

Regards.

My media server is actually using Ubuntu Server in a headless state. I found that I had almost no trouble at all getting Plex running on it.
However, to keep my tests consistent with yours, I can install Emby on my Arch system temporarily to have that acting as a music server for testing purposes.

 

[PenguinHeadphoner]

My media server is actually using Ubuntu Server in a headless state. I found that I had almost no trouble at all getting Plex running on it.
However, to keep my tests consistent with yours, I can install Emby on my Arch system temporarily to have that acting as a music server for testing purposes.

Hi,

If you're familiar with Plex, Plex will do.

I run Emby and Plex side by side... not a problem

So once you have your Plex/emby media server running, here is the test

Do you have Android or Apple smartphone/tablet ?

 

[scorlibrian]

Hi,

If you're familiar with Plex, Plex will do.

I run Emby and Plex side by side... not a problem

So once you have your Plex/emby media server running, here is the test

Do you have Android or Apple smartphone/tablet ?

Yes, I'll be doing the test using BubbleUPNP on my Android tablet.

 

[PenguinHeadphoner]

Yes, I'll be doing the test using BubbleUPNP on my Android tablet.

Hi,

You're nothing less than a savior to me ;

I'm looking forward to read the results.

If you manage to read several albums in a row, with having to relaunch playback between tracks, then that will probably mean that my device is defective and that I have to return it and ask for a refund or a replacement.

Me, as I already stated, palyback stops randomly : sometimes I can play a whole album, sometimes I can't play more than 1§2 tracks in a row

So please let me know !

 

[scorlibrian]

Alright, here are the results to the testing I've done so far...
I installed Emby on my Arch system to set up a music library accessible over the network. I installed the free version of BubbleUPNP on my Android tablet. I updated my EM5 to the latest firmware.

Test #1: BubbleUPNP with Tidal as source and EM5 as renderer. Playback stopped at the end of every song and I had to manually advance to the next song.
Test #2: BubbleUPNP with my Emby library as the source and the EM5 as the renderer. Same results as Test #1.
Test #3: BubbleUPNP with my Emby library as the source and local renderer. Playback was normal. Tracks advanced normally.
Test #4: I accessed my Emby server directly through a browser and cast playback directly to the EM5 without going through BubbleUPNP at all. Same results as Tests #1 and #2.
So this seems to be an issue with the EM5 software since I can play only a single track at a time before playback stops when using it as a renderer. One thing I did notice though is that when playback stops, if I open the playlist from the "Now Playing" screen in the EM5, there is only one song in the playlist (rather than the entire album or playlist I'm attempting to play). If I tap the trashcan icon at the TOP of the playlist to clear the entire playlist, then playback resumes at the next track, but then stops at the end of that track again until I clear the playlist again. This does NOT happen if I tap the trashcan icon next to the song itself. Only if I clear the ENTIRE PLAYLIST.

So I think what might be happening is that the EM5 is either not accepting the entire playlist for proper playback or it's not clearing out the song from the playlist properly so that it can advance to the next song. In either case, it does seem like a software problem and something Shanling should be able to fix. That being said, I'd be surprised if they prioritize it since this essentially bypasses the use of their Edict app.

One more thing I'll note is that I tried navigating to my Emby library directly through the EM5 interface and it wouldn't load, so I couldn't test playing files from the NAS directly through the EM5.

I hope this helps. I will be able to hook my EM5 directly to my computer later on to test it as a USB DAC/Amp and let you know if the output volume is different. I can say right now that output volume seemed consistent with all my tests. I know you're using PulseAudio and you also tried using ALSA directly. I'm using Pipewire on my system.

 

[PenguinHeadphoner]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for that info.
I now know that my device is not defective. Instead, the EA5/EM5 has a software prolem.

The fact that it loads only one track and not the entire list is "normal". That is how UPNP works : it sends one track after the other.
What happens is that the EM/5EA/5 puts itself into "Pause" after each track.
That is why it resumes the playback if you clear the playlist... It says to the remote controller that it's ready to receive a new track and so it gets one.

I think that the device is not fully compatible with DLNA/UPNP.
And as you do, I think THIS WILL NEVER be solved as I assume within the next 3 months Shanling will drop ANY support to our devices since they will "focus" on the new line of Streamers.

I am waiting for one of those manufacturers to finally release something functional : AUNE, Topping, SMSL, if you read this, you know what to do
Or Shanling : if you want some help at improving your software (I think that is not complicated : you just need to add 3/4 features to make it almost perfect) you can get in touch with me with private message and I am sure we can work something out that will make YOUR product better than any of your competitors...

Regards.

 

[scorlibrian]

As for the power output of the EM5 when connected to a Linux PC, everything seems to be working fine on my end. I tried both balanced and single-ended outputs. The sound output volume is comparable when using it as a USB DAC/Amp on Linux vs local files or DLNA playback. It's set to "Digital Output (S/PDIF)" with system volume set to 100%, though I also tried it on "Pro Audio" and "Analog Output" and the volumes weren't changed (though it did sound a lot muddier on both of those settings).

I hope you're able to figure out your sound output issue with your EA5. As for me, my EM5 is probably going to go back to collecting dust on a shelf until I need to sell it or something. However, if Shanling actually fixes the UPnP issue, then this will actually make the device very useful for me as the main hub of a personal listening station for both headphones and powered speakers. I'll even forgive the lack of TidalConnect and Roon support if the UPnP issue gets fixed.

 

[PenguinHeadphoner]

As for the power output of the EM5 when connected to a Linux PC, everything seems to be working fine on my end. I tried both balanced and single-ended outputs. The sound output volume is comparable when using it as a USB DAC/Amp on Linux vs local files or DLNA playback. It's set to "Digital Output (S/PDIF)" with system volume set to 100%, though I also tried it on "Pro Audio" and "Analog Output" and the volumes weren't changed (though it did sound a lot muddier on both of those settings).

I hope you're able to figure out your sound output issue with your EA5. As for me, my EM5 is probably going to go back to collecting dust on a shelf until I need to sell it or something. However, if Shanling actually fixes the UPnP issue, then this will actually make the device very useful for me as the main hub of a personal listening station for both headphones and powered speakers. I'll even forgive the lack of TidalConnect and Roon support if the UPnP issue gets fixed.

Hi,

Here is something you may try that will improve how the EA5/EM5 behaves.

In Bubble UPNP when you select the renderer, at the right end you can see the 3 Dots icon.
Click those three dots and select "Settings".

There, click :
- Enable Gapless
- Use eventing

Make sure to flush everything in all playlists of all devices you may have used to control the EM5.
And for good measure, reboot the EM5.

Try that.

If that does not improve, in Bubble UPNP also enable Enable FFMPEG audio decoding.
And select to apply always...
Leave audio format to "Auto".
As a result, the file sent to the EA5 is obviously converted from .flac to WAV, but I am unsure if I can hear a difference.

Since I have done that yesterday, I have been able to listen to music with ALMOST no manual forwarding of playback.
Would be glad if I can help you getting your device to work any better
Please let me know...

It's a shame we have to try to find those workarounds...
I think it Shanling would make the effort of working on the Gapless playback, it would solve most of our problems.
And we would probably rant and rave about how good this device is...
As a collateral effect, that would make good feedback and improve sales on those devices...
As they are, they work; but can hardly be recommended

I will now try to see if the latest hardware changes will make a difference in output level when used as USB DAC with Arch Linux.
EDIT : OK. Tests made. Problem with the Shanling. Definitely. I have tried with :
- Desktop computer running Linux ;
- laptop computer running Windows 11,
- smartphone with USB output ;
- DAP with USB output...
All source were at 100% level.
EA5 is in USB DAC mode and is in Turbo Gain.
Headphones connected are Dan Clark Aeon Flow Open back.
Sound is set at 100 on the EA5.
Music is not even really loud.
It's clearly BELOW my usual listening level...
If I switch to another input : in Turbo Gain I can hardly listen at more than 30 level output...

So my unit has to be replaced or refunded.

Regards from France.

FRED

 

[PenguinHeadphoner]

Hi,

After all the problems I encountered, I have made a decision : this will go back to seller for a refund.
And all other Shanling equipment will go to ad site...

I placed high hopes in this device and really would have liked it to satisfy my needs.
It was close to do so : if it only would have been able to be remotely controlled with third party software, I would without hesitation have kept it.

I hoped to be able to ENJOY MUSIC.
All I have done in 2 solid weeks is trying to tune things up without being able to listen decently to my music collection.

But as it is, is, I think the development of the software is still in early alpha stage... and the problem with USB output level is probably a hardware issue.
And I already know how this is going to end : in 3 months, Shanling will release the EA7 and will then abandon all form of support for the EA5.
I will find myselfwith a device that I paid a huge amount for and not be able to enjoy it...

So I have gone back to my Raspberry Pi4 with AUNE X8 DAC and AUNE X7 headphone amp.
I may switch to AUNE S6 DAC + headphone amp that I also own...
Volumio is set up in literally minutes.
It can be remotely driven by any app.
It works flawlessly... and sends files to my AUNE DAC without any glitches.
And X7s amplifies the whole thing ..
Maybe it is not as good soundwise as the EA7 was... but at least I CAN FINALLY ENJOY MUSIC AGAIN !!!

So I will not report any new workarounds or anything else about this device.

 

[ReanimationSLP]

As for the power output of the EM5 when connected to a Linux PC, everything seems to be working fine on my end. I tried both balanced and single-ended outputs. The sound output volume is comparable when using it as a USB DAC/Amp on Linux vs local files or DLNA playback. It's set to "Digital Output (S/PDIF)" with system volume set to 100%, though I also tried it on "Pro Audio" and "Analog Output" and the volumes weren't changed (though it did sound a lot muddier on both of those settings).

I hope you're able to figure out your sound output issue with your EA5. As for me, my EM5 is probably going to go back to collecting dust on a shelf until I need to sell it or something. However, if Shanling actually fixes the UPnP issue, then this will actually make the device very useful for me as the main hub of a personal listening station for both headphones and powered speakers. I'll even forgive the lack of TidalConnect and Roon support if the UPnP issue gets fixed.

Good afternoon, tell me how do you like the sound of the EM5 as a DAC compared to the D90 topping?