Bountiful Music Connection – Shanling UP6 Bluetooth DAC / Headphone AMP
Shanling UP6 is a $199 USD Bluetooth DAC / Headphone Amplifier with a portable design, Two ESS ES9069Q DACs, and Dual SGM8262 Amplifiers, for a fully balanced headphone output. Having a maximum power output of 626 mW at 32 OHMs, it will be the star of our review today, and with support for LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and AAC, it will be interesting to see how it works as a USB DAC and thanks to its Qualcomm QCC5125 module, how it works as a Bluetooth DAC AMP as well as how it compares to FiiO BTR17 which has the same 199 USD price point.
Introduction
Shanling has been expanding their audio reach into new territories just like FiiO but Shanling was already into high-end HiFi, so new CD Players like the EC Smart CD Player are not that surprising, yet the Bluetooth DAC AMP division of Shanling has been incredibly popular with music lovers from all over the world.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Shanling for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4lcQYwL
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omtIxgK
Build Quality – Design
Shanling UP6 is an advanced Bluetooth DAC AMP, with a high driving power and a 1.54″ Display. At the core, it has the Duyal ESS ES9069Q DACs which allow it to decode signals up to DSD512 and PCM 768 kHz / 32 Bit. This DAC gives UP6 a mind blowing THD+N of -120 dB and a Dynamic Range DNR of 130 dB. A similar DAC can be found in Shanling M1 Plus, FiiO BTR17, Shanling UA4. This being said, UP6 is the only one of the bunch that uses a DUAL DAC implementation of this DAC, and you can actually configure whether it is using one or both DACs for power saving versus better sonic performance.
For the Amplification part, UP6 runs based on a dual SGM8262 OP-AMP selection, which is similar to the setup found in TempoTec V3 Blaze, FiiO DM13, FiiO JM21, Shanling EH1, Shanling EC Smart, Shanling M1 Plus and Shanling H2 DAC AMPs. Maximum driving power for UP6 is 626 mW for an impedance of 32 OHMs, for the balanced 4.4mm output, and 192 mW for a 32 OHM impedance for the single ended output.
Built very similar to Shanling UA6, UP6 adopts a similar shell, and using the display you can check the status and set the volume, Dual DAC or single DAC, Gain Level, Car Mode, check the current Bluetooth mode and set Switch Mode, for UAC 1.0 compatibility. You can even use the UP6 in USB DAC mode for the maximum sonic performance, and it can be paired with the Edict Player to use your smartphone for more advanced settings.
Shanling UA6 has a built-in microphone with cVc 8.0 noise cancellation and it will sound much better than the microphone found inside most earphones that have an inline microphone. Battery life is rather modest at 4.5 hours for the balanced output and 6.5 hours for the single ended output. You can set the UP6 to not draw battery from the source, if it is used with a phone via cables, and this is all with LDAC and at high settings, actual battery life will be longer if using less than LDAC or lower volumes.
USB DAC – Subjective Usage
Shanling UP6 has a solid wireless connection but I also can use it via the USB connection, it has an instantaneous response, with no delay. This is perfect and it works well for watching movies, playing games, and being perfect.
Battery life is ok for my portable usage, while driving power is much higher than I was expecting, it works exceptionally well for both IEMS and headphones, it has no audible hissing and background noise with most IEMs, and it has responsive software.
Using the Edict Music Player on Android is not something I do often when working with Shanling products, it works with any other app via bluetooth and the LDAC connection it uses is stable, flawless really, even at the gym and in places with a strong network congestion.
Sound Quality
Pairings – I have paired the new Shanling UP6 with a selection of earphones and headphones including KBEar Cepheus, Xenns Mangird Top Pro, Punch Audio Martillo, Crosszone CZ-10 Enhanced, TanchJim Origin, NFAudio NE4, NfAudio NA2+, Rose Technics QT-X, Palma DHS-1, and RAPTGO LEAF D01. It has more than enough power for all the IEMS in this list, even on low gain, but on high gain it drives the CZ-10 Enhanced and Palma DHS-1 with ease.
Overall Signature – Determined to create a sound that will last you a lifetime, Shanling designed the UP6 with a signature that is bold, vivid, energetic, forward and dynamic. This is quite different from the usual Shanling house sound, a signature that used to be rather smooth, musical and thick / bassy, but UP6 is quite close to neutrality, drawing energy and life into music, creating a rich, textured sound that reveals details well, and which has a strong treble, a forward midrange, and a voltage / power saturation that gives music a strong drive feeling.
Maximum driving power is quite comparable with FiiO BTR17, as UP6 can drive basically the same headphones, equally well, and the same IEMS with just as little noise, but it has a slightly different voltage / current saturation curve, so BTR17 will sound more relaxed / laid-back and darker / fuller, while UP6 sounds more powerful, more driven, has a faster saturation, which indicates it would work a bit better for harder to drive headphones and IEMs, and it also would work better for darker sounding IEMs and Headphones.
Bass – Starting from the bottom end, we still have the powerful Shanling bass, but it is fast, resolute, textured and different from the sloppier, darker presentation that Shanling usually had in the past, UP6 sounding rather quick and snappy, creating a more thunderous than thumpy sound, it has a shorter decay, responds quickly to impulse response and gives music a thunderous, earth-shaking sound in the low-end.
Midrange – UP6 is quite fast in the midrange as well, creating a fast, revealing sound that has a similar strength for both male and female voices, fairly free of color and generally neutral / highly transparent sound. It is great for revealing textures, having a rather punchy and vocal sound.
Treble – Quite different from the usual Shanling signature, UP6 has a rather strong treble, bright extension, airy and sharp treble that reveals details quite well. It is actually a good combo for entry-level IEMs, where I suspect it will be used the most, as it enhances resolution and punch for those, it gives all IEMs a more vivid presentation, a higher resolution, and makes them feel more revealing. You can actually use the built-in EQ to dampen the treble a bit or to increase the bass a bit, if you want to experiment.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – quite different from most Shanling entry-level products, UP6 has a strong texture, it reveals micro bits of information, details and texture really well. This means that it would work well if you want to do some mixing and mastering, you hear the grit in a guitar solo, you hear the texture in the bass, in the cymbals, and UP6 is rather critical of your source material, it requires a fairly clean and high-end refined mastering / mixing to really shine.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – UP6 has a rather powerful voltage / saturation gradient that makes it quite loud up early, and there is a huge difference between the low and high gain. It sounds driven, slightly into the overdrive territory, it is rather powerful and can easily drive even ultra hard to drive planar magnetic headphones, and dynamics too, so it makes a perfect pair for the likes of Erzetich Mania V2024, Audeze MM-100 and Sendy Audio Aiva 2.
Soundstage – UP6 is made to be quite holographic, wide and punchy, it has a good space between instruments, reveals more distant and closer sounding instruments, it has a strong layering and a good imaging. The soundstage is mostly natural and honest, it doesn’t push the boundaries in width or depth, but does not constrain them either, allowing music to breathe naturally for what the source material and IEMs / Headphones allow.
Value and Conclusion
As with most Bluetooth DAC / Headphone Amplifiers, value is especially high, this is a really versatile DAC / Headphone AMP that you can connect to your smartphone wirelessly. The difference in sonic quality between wired and wireless is so small that it is portable and while taking a walk you won’t really notice. It also is well-made, has a good battery life and ultimately Shanling UP6 deserves every dollar in its 199 USD price tag.
At the end of the day, Shanling UP6 strays off from the usual Shanling signature sound, but it is I would argue a bit better for entry-level IEMS, it can increase the perceived resolution thanks to the more neutral sound, and it has a good EQ implementation that allows you to fine tune it for darker or brother sounds, ideal for someone who’s just starting and learning, but also for someone who wants to balance the sound they’re getting from their portable experience.
PROs
- Practical, lightweight from factor
- Strong and reliable LDAC connection
- No USB DAC delay in wired mode
- It can either charge or not charge, great for both smartphones and PC computers
- Neutral, crisp and revealing sound
- Strong textures
- Good battery life for a Bluetooth DAC/AMP
- Really high driving power, and low noise for IEMs
- Perfect for a versatile collection of earphones in general
Cons
- Not as practical to have around your neck as smaller DAC/Headphone AMPs with Bluetooth.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4lcQYwL
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_omtIxgK
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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