Shanling UP4 & UP2 - Bluetooth 5.0 DAC/AMP with ES9218P, balanced output, supporting LDAC, HWA LHDC, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, aptX and AAC.

[meshchanov]

If you experience troubles trying to switch your Shanling UP2 into 'dfu mode' disconnect headphones from the device!

 

[BenF]

Mine used to crash too (Huawei Mate 20 Pro), but the October 12th update has resolved this

Do not install the latest UP2 and UP4 firmware - they are way too buggy!!!

1) The update seems to erase the gain setting, defaulting to low gain.
2) The new firmware disabled "Volume Memory" for UP2.
3) If I open Eddict Player (especially when music is playing), it often fails to connect to UP4, at which point it disconnects from the phone completely!


It says that the device is disconnected, and then I hear "pairing" - but UP4 remains disconnected, and the led is not blinking - but it's still on!
I have to power it off and on to reconnect.
Shanling Controller connects just fine even when the music is playing.
4) Similar problem happens with UP2, but it actually remains connected after hearing "disconnected" , and keeps playing music, even though the battery indication in the bar disappears.
5) Sometimes UP2 refuses to power up (battery at 100%). The only way to resolve this is to connect a USB cable - it powers right up!
This is very annoying - if I'm outside, and don't have a charger and a cable with me- I can't use UP2!
6) Sometimes (~40%) when I power UP2 - it doesn't connect automatically, and needs to be powered off and on to reconnect (or I can connect manually from the phone)
7) Car mode is enabled by default on UP2 and UP4, even though Eddict Player is showing it as turned off:

8) Car mode doesn't work right on UP2:
UP2:
When turned off, and connecting USB cable - "Power ON" prompt twice, blue and red blinking light, doesn't connect automatically
When disconnecting the USB cable - another "Power ON" prompt (although there was no "Power Off" before it), still doesn't connect automatically
I have to power down and power up UP2 to get it connected to the phone automatically.

UP4:
When turned off, and connecting USB cable - "Power ON" prompt once, blue and red blinking light, followed shortly by green(LDAC) and red blinking light, does connect automatically
When disconnecting the USB cable - "Power Off" prompt , powers down.
9) Both UP2 and UP4 show wrong version 1.8.6 in the Shanling Controller. In the Eddict Player, only UP2 shows the wrong version.

@Shanling - you make good devices, but suck at software. Please hire some competent developers/QA before you ruin your reputation.

.

Yeah, that would be nice. For now only thing I can do is send them report of your findings.

@Shanling - any news on the firmware fixes?

No

@Shanling - any news on the firmware fixes?
It's been almost 2 months since my UP2 became unusable: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sha...low-latency-aptx-and-aac.892316/post-16612350

It certainly appears that Shanling has a habit of releasing uncooked products and moving on to the next one.
All my Shanling devices suffer from firmware issues - UP2/UP4/Q1.
Can't remember a single problem with any of my FIIOs - K3/Q5STC/BTR3/BTR3K/BTR5/LC-BT2/E17K

The lack of Shanling's interest in customers' satisfaction (post-purchase) is disheartening.
The "take your money and run" approach will eventually cause customers to switch to other vendors.

No. And this issue doesn't seem to be affecting other users, not sure what might be causing it.

There have been other customers reporting firmware issues with UP2...

Five months of being ignored by Shanling's R&D - can anyone beat that?

My first UP2 fell apart due to bad glue, my second one is bricked by firmware...
Is it a company policy now to release bad HW and SW, then ignore the customers?

One thing for sure - I won't be buying a third UP2 (or any other Shanling product).

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sha...low-latency-aptx-and-aac.892316/post-15280593

 

[Shanling]

Five months of being ignored by Shanling's R&D - can anyone beat that?

My first UP2 fell apart due to bad glue, my second one is bricked by firmware...
Is it a company policy now to release bad HW and SW, then ignore the customers?

One thing for sure - I won't be buying a third UP2 (or any other Shanling product).

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sha...low-latency-aptx-and-aac.892316/post-15280593

Unfortunately our software team was never able to replicate the original issue you were facing and we didn't face it with any other user. As such, we are unable to release firmware update for this.

This is something that would be normally covered under our warranty, but I believe your unit is out of warranty period?

 

[BenF]

Unfortunately our software team was never able to replicate the original issue you were facing and we didn't face it with any other user. As such, we are unable to release firmware update for this.

This is something that would be normally covered under our warranty, but I believe your unit is out of warranty period?

The reason they can't reproduce the issue, is that there have been more than one UP2 version.
I have one of the revisions that didn't support OTA upgrade.
Clearly, your R&D didn't test that one.

This also explains why you didn't get many reports on problems with this firmware - most Shanling users don't follow this thread, and therefore the users of the older non-OTA revisions don't even upgrade to it.

Anyway, it's absolutely not necessary to reproduce the issue in order to fix it.
You just need to create a new firmware that is identical to the older version, but overwrites 100% of the memory - instead of the incremental overwrite that happened when I rolled back.

This is something that would be normally covered under our warranty, but I believe your unit is out of warranty period?

Yes, more than 12 months old.

 

[holsen]

Hey Y'all. Looking for some input. Here we are in 2022 and I'm ready to retire my UP2 to my Car (replace a BTR3) because I love UP2's sound, auto-connect last device and car mode, which BTR3 does not have. So that leaves the question: UP4 or UP5? I will use it primarily when cycling to bring tunes off my phone to earbuds on a short cable. I'll also use it as an aux in to a BT Speaker to bypass the low res codecs on the speaker.

 

[BenF]

Hey Y'all. Looking for some input. Here we are in 2022 and I'm ready to retire my UP2 to my Car (replace a BTR3) because I love UP2's sound, auto-connect last device and car mode, which BTR3 does not have. So that leaves the question: UP4 or UP5? I will use it primarily when cycling to bring tunes off my phone to earbuds on a short cable. I'll also use it as an aux in to a BT Speaker to bypass low res codecs

If you love UP2 sound, definitely don't go for UP4 - it's warmer and less detailed.

 

[crabdog]

Hey Y'all. Looking for some input. Here we are in 2022 and I'm ready to retire my UP2 to my Car (replace a BTR3) because I love UP2's sound, auto-connect last device and car mode, which BTR3 does not have. So that leaves the question: UP4 or UP5? I will use it primarily when cycling to bring tunes off my phone to earbuds on a short cable. I'll also use it as an aux in to a BT Speaker to bypass the low res codecs on the speaker.

I'd say that unless you really want the 4.4mm output, go for the UP4. Mine has been a rock-solid portable companion for a very long time. Nowadays, I use the UP5 but only because I am fortunate enough to have it. Unless you need the 4.4mm there's little reason to pay the extra price over the UP4.

 

[ClieOS]

... Unless you need the 4.4mm there's little reason to pay the extra price over the UP4.

I disagree wholeheartedly. UP4 is nowhere near as good as UP5 in overall performance, especially since UP4 is a bit messed up on hardware level.

 

[BenF]

... UP4 is a bit messed up on hardware level.

Aren't they all?

 

[crabdog]

I disagree wholeheartedly. UP4 is nowhere near as good as UP5 in overall performance, especially since UP4 is a bit messed up on hardware level.

Got 1000s of hours on my UP4 and never had a single issue.

 

[ClieOS]

UP4 was praised highly by some when it was first released, but I detected something amiss on my initial listening. Upon further investigation, my own measurement revealed that its two channels were out of phase and distortion level was high. I confirmed the result with a second owner to ensure mine was not a lemon but it was a common issue among UP4. I reported the issue in the forum and Shanling later released a firmware to address the out-of-phase problem, but high distortion was never fully addressed and UP4 remains one of the higher distorted BT adapter in my collection. If you can't tell or somehow didn't experience these issue, that's good for you. But unfortunately I can tell the difference in mine. The fact that I didn't find any of these issues on UP5 (both on listening and measurement wise) is already a good indication that UP5 is the better device of the two IMO.

 

[holsen]

I'd say that unless you really want the 4.4mm output, go for the UP4. Mine has been a rock-solid portable companion for a very long time. Nowadays, I use the UP5 but only because I am fortunate enough to have it. Unless you need the 4.4mm there's little reason to pay the extra price over the UP4.

I Appreciate this @crabdog Just went back and watched your vid on the UP5 - very compelling. But for my needs, I'm really going to use it to plug into a Bluetooth Speaker to bypass the garbage SBC and and clip it to my jersey when cycling. It wont be my daily driver; it's an ancilliary device. UP4 just bought! Thank you.

 

[Gesualdo]

Hello, I would like to use USB DAC mode of UP2 with my iPad pro (2022), but UP2 is visible for the iPad only as a bluetooth device. When I connect UP2 to iPad via USB cable, Shanling isn’t even being charged.

How can I use USB DAC mode?

 

[minciu]

This is something that would be normally covered under our warranty, but I believe your unit is out of warranty period?

My warranty is period couse it have 12m and i have my UP2 24m. Where can i Buy battery for my UP2 wich is swollen and open case on both sides ?

 

[BenF]

The reason they can't reproduce the issue, is that there have been more than one UP2 version.
I have one of the revisions that didn't support OTA upgrade.
Clearly, your R&D didn't test that one.

This also explains why you didn't get many reports on problems with this firmware - most Shanling users don't follow this thread, and therefore the users of the older non-OTA revisions don't even upgrade to it.

Anyway, it's absolutely not necessary to reproduce the issue in order to fix it.
You just need to create a new firmware that is identical to the older version, but overwrites 100% of the memory - instead of the incremental overwrite that happened when I rolled back.

...
Yes, more than 12 months old.

@Shanling - any update?