Shanling M3X Portable Lossless Digital Audio Player & USB DAC

Product Information

On the top of the device, users have a choice between single-ended 3.5 mm connection or the balanced 4.4 mm out. This lies in stark contrast with the minimalist single port on the original Shanling M8 which can be niftily switched between 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm topologies with the dial tool. Now moving on the audio specs it uses dual ES9219C DAC chip which gets help from KDS crystal oscillators. In single ended mode the separation has improved from 65db with M5s to 75db and balanced crosstalk goes super high to 115DB.

Founded in 1988, Shanling has been developing Hi-Fi products for more than 30 years now. From high-end CD players to classy tube-amps, the brand made a name thanks to great craftsmanship and top-of-the-line performances. Remember, there are only 1500 units available (only 500 available for the international market). So act fast before it is all gone!

Battery life​

Introducing Shanling M3X​M3X is our newest Android Hi-Res portable player, built on the same platform as our previous three Android models. But this time we are aiming at the more affordable part of the market, with a little bit less focus on the most demanding DAC chipsets and the most powerful amplifiers. Part 1 - Non-Audio Opinions​As mentioned above, if you’re not interested in the following, you can skip straight to Part 2 for my sound impressions. However, I'll keep this part very short as I'll only cover things that matter. If you’ve read through my review of the M2X DAP, you probably know that I’m a huge fan of the M2X DAP, and I loved the unique sweet tonality Shanling went for when creating the M2X. The overall support from Shanling is on a whole nother level compared to most companies. This is because they employed a dedicated rep for their DAPs, and they are a high-end audio company from China, having some really expensive products in their store. This means that they mean business in China, where rules are far more strict and where the folks into audio don’t take music lightly. Sound(overall)​ These final impressions were done only off the M3X. I choose not to output to external amps but it can be done via the line out option in the settings. This will be what the M3X sounded like with all the headphones I used. Things like headphone pairings will produce different results and impressions vs what my ears hear on my specific gear. As for the treble, I would describe it as being detailed, airy, and snappy. It is well extended with great "treble air qualities". Just like most of Shanling's sources, the treble is never bright sounding. In M3X Limited's case, it is never bright, fatiguing, edgy, or dry sounding. You will have no issues pairing bright-sounding gears with the m3x limited.

INSIDE: System: Open Android 7.1.1, with AGLO, very fluid, smooth. Excellent brightness and visibility even in sunlight. CPU: 8-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 The M3X sounds smooth and balanced across the spectrum. The midrange has a slight hint of warmth in it and the general presentation is fairly smooth with plenty of details. It feels like a complete all-rounder and provides a good listening experience, regardless of the IEM choice. It has a solid PRaT foundation for a mid-range DAP, especially when using it in balanced mode. Transients are fast and snappy. However, there is a big performance difference between the modes and I will talk about that soon. I find the linear phase filter to sound more natural, with fuller bass and better timbral characteristics. Bluetooth connectivity is also satisfactory, as long as you don’t move or turn around fast the signal remains stable. The device supports receiving and broadcasting a Bluetooth signal, supporting LDAC, SBC codecs as a receiver, and can emit LDAC, SBC, LHDC, aptX HD, and aptX as a transmitter. M3X is our newest Android Hi-Res portable player, built on the same platform as our previous three Android models. But this time we are aiming at the more affordable part of the market, with a little bit less focus on the most demanding DAC chipsets and the most powerful amplifiers.On the outside, M3 Ultra follows closely its predecessor. Staying at 4.2-inch screen, for the ideal balance between system usability and device portability. Aluminium frame keeps the same overall design, just with a few small adjustments, including a new solution for the MicroSD card door. And offering a standard combination of 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced outputs. Hiby R6 2020​The bigger R6 does everything better in terms of sound quality and power under the hood. It is also super big and chunky. I found using the light M3X more enjoyable and it didn’t heat up nearly as fast as the R6 2020. While the R6 and M3X both have a warmer tuning, the R6 has a more detailed and natural sound. If battery life and portability are the main focus, I think the M3X is a better EDC device. The R6 2020 is my favorite around the house or when I need to do more critical listening.