Thanks for this! I was wondering how the Shanling would compare to the Cayin. I prefer dynamics and sounds like the Shanling takes the win. Great work!
ha i found your channel , (had a reply from you on head-fi:D) subbed ! Now this is a proper length review instead of the fast ones found everywhere ! it does require cookies and a soda :P i must ask it .. m6 ultra or the m3 ultra vs this one ? i prefer to stream for now .. and really grew a liking to qobuz , but you already said there are no plans for it, and this only has tidal. Wonderful, wonderful review .. i learned so much :D
Thanks for the sub! The M5 Ultra is what made me switch to Tidal from Qobuz no regrets at all. I would consider doing the same or maybe look at the iBasso DX180 not going to be as warm , for warm Shanling all the way. I had the M6U but upgraded to the M8 ...now for sale the M5 Ultra does it for me though the M6 , M8 are Warner still.
@@tonedeafmonk thanks for your view. I tried the dx260; fantastic in its own right but not for me. Hmm on head-fi Shanling themselves say the m5 is using the DACs they prefer themselves for their house sound. I will contact a store tomorrow.. the m3 can be back ordered the m5 I don’t know.. maybe it’s not distributed in Europe yet
Great video just started to follow you. I have an Astell & Kern SP1000 SS at mo. What would you recommend between the Shanling M5 Ultra or the Kanin Max ?
@@tonedeafmonk I have the Kann Max and Focal. Utopia wondered if you could give me some help on gain settings etc just trying to learn about these. Keep up the videos
@markwhinnem2258 I don't think there is a rule for gain settings it's been rare where I could hear a difference in sound from a DAP by changing gains. My general rule is to set the gain that will allow me to get the volume I want for the Kann that means if I get to 120/150 that's about right for that particular gear.
At sum if we compare only sound quality Cayin N3Ultra and Shanling M5 Ultra which one would be closer to original sound? From you video I heard mixed report. Thanks.
@@tonedeafmonkthanks for the reply. On the other hand, how much do you think the dte900 improves with amplification? The "bad" thing about the mojo 2 is that it has relatively little amplification, at least compared to the m5 ultra.
They have basically put the same dacs in the M5 as the shanling H7 at more affordable price which is excellent value for money considering the price of the H7..ive been waiting for a M8 to appear on ebay for a long time and ive never seen one for sale so i am really glad this is close to M8 sound
And how can I change the battery? There are no screw to open the device. I believe everything is glued. If the capacity of the battery is very low I can only send the device back to the manufacturer to replace the batty and that will be very expensive. So after 3 Years operation I have another electronic waste. Other DAP, like iBasso DX 260 and also Astell&Kern, have the option to replaced the battery.
Same exact OS as my m1s, when there are bad internet conditions, the resolution of the Tidal files adjusts on its own. So suddenly it might drop from 24-192 to 16-44, or to Aac, this is seemless, much better then the Hiby R3 I was using, which would just skip and pause. My only complaint about this video is we don't really see much of the actual DAP under review, it is waved at the camera on occasion, we see three quarters of the machine, that's about it. Although we saw it while reviewing the OS.
Thanks for your detailed review, the comparisons between the differences in sound presentation with other DAP’s is especially helpful to subscribers who are trying to match the sonic profiles you so well describe with their own preferences. I have watched this video a few times already it is so full of info!
Just ordered the M5 Ultra, reminded me of my Ibasso 50 and 90 units from several years ago.. (Don't remember exact model desc). Did not want the Android OS, as I have a YMP-A1 DAP from Temu, which turned out to be a dud. One thing you did not cover was the max SD card storage capacity. Too many DAPs limit the SD card to 128 or 256 MB, got a lot of music.
Iam so happy that shnling added gapless playback, i have the m3 ultra and i have to use power amp app to get around the no gapless playback problem and it is a MAJOR con, i gave it a3 stars instead of 5 in my review because of it
@@wahid-lg1kk if you listen to albums like pink Floyd the wall or marillion misplaced childhood and many other albums like that you will notice that they put a lot of effort in the transitions between songs and that's how the artists intended the music to be heard, if you don't listen to albums like that than that doesn't matter to you. Do you get it now ?
@@nabilchaouli3489 I have never noticed those sorts of gaps in any albums like that, not even on my little Hiby r3, I thought gapless was some way to make the next song start instantly.
Hi bro! Is the M5Ultra suitable for listening to metal and how does it compare to the M6Ultra? Which player is better and preferable for metal? Advise which player is better suited for metal in the price range up to $700 ?Hugging, good luck, thank bro!
Hi i dont know if you have updated the firmware off shanling M5 ultra but there is deffinately an improvement in the sound quality to my ears the warmth has been reduced a little, there seems to be a bigger sound stage with much better instrument sepration, and more clarity overall, the sound has improved quite a bit, the treble seems alot more extended and bass seem more controlled, detail retrival and resolution seems alot better as well, i was listening with hidizs mp145 and slow roll off low gain and also tried medium gain sharp roll off and in either setting there seems to be more clarity, thats the V2.0 firmware version
Thank you for the review . I recently purchased the Shangling DAC H5, which features a microSD slot. The Eddict App on Android is a superb option. The sound is melodious and detailed, with absolutely zero noise.
Im just wondering if M5 Ultra is that good and I truly believe it is that good why there's only very very very extremely few reviewers on this product unlike Hiby R4 or even Cayin N3Pro I just dont get it.
Shanling does not give out samples for review. You must buy the player hopefully with a discount. This discourages the vast majority of average reviewers. I bought one because I like their products and was not too worried about performance not hitting my high standard.
@@tonedeafmonk Thanks you have a point even if Hiby is that gd there's still alot of as if like there's no QC control over the product bugs everywhere that I gather from forum.
Thanks a lot for giving us with such an excellent detail review of the fabulous Shanling M5-U. I'm considering to purchase either the Shanling M5-U or the Fiio M23. I'm one of the loyal Shanling fans for quite a while already, I owned a few of the Shanling M6 series DAPs with different DACs such as AK4497(2020); ESS9038(2021) and AK4493(2022), I enjoy all of them, I even had bought their DAC/Amp known as H7 with the newest AK4499 & AK4191 at the X'mas of last year. I enjoy all their sound quality and characters. They are all phenomenal and fabulous. However, I still have couple questions would like to have your professional options. Wondering if the M5U can install Google Play to download different music apps other than the pre-installed Tidal, because I have no idea where to find those HiRes music without streaming on the internet. I'm not saying that Tidal isn't good, but I have subscribed to other music apps😅. Another question is that the M5U uses the same DAC as H7, would their sound character be the same? Thanks again 😊
No zero android on this player so no Google play going to happen. They may add more streaming services? Not sure on the sound signature of the H7 maybe try asking on the Shanling forum on HeadFi?
I had asked an audio store about the Hiby R6 Pro II, they told me the sound character of R6 Pro II is more detail and analytical, it isn't as warm as the Shanling and also has way less power than Shanling at something around 380 m/W at 32 ohm. Besides, both sub bass and mid bass would probably will let you down either, if you like bass.
@@tonedeafmonk ok , I will do that... watching your video on the XM5 has convinced me to throw in some more pennies.. looking forward to getting the XM5. Cheers.
@@tonedeafmonk It has indeed arrived. Heavier than I thought it would be, but man I know why... what a punch with that bass- you are not kidding .. all kinds of special on this one... I have had it now for about 2 days... it is so refreshing not dealing with Android and SRC nonsense etc... I mainly listen to this with hype 4 or the Dita Project M's and yeah low gain is a plenty.. middle packs a punch .... I kid you not I have not tried high gain. I am pretty much an IEM type so yeah this is more power than I expected. no complaints... thank you for the excellent tip. New found love for Onix and what they did with this ESS dac 9039Pro.. slaps x 10 good stuff.
@@tonedeafmonk Yes, I am very interested in your opinion about iBasso DX180. Especially that it is the same price level so comparision can very very "measurable"
@totorokitano Ah yes some of the good stuff the M5 borrowed from the H7. I prefer a DAP over dac Amps myself, I find I don't use my XDUOO xd05 pro for that reason.
@@tonedeafmonk Totally understand , finally a DAP is more convenient (not dependend for another source as a phone...) the M5U might be the good one :0)
@@tonedeafmonk Thank you very much, and some decent over ears headphones, what you ecomend for this DX180? I heard some Sundara would be great, as i can't wear thos in ear things, they just fal out from my ears, and also they can damage the ears hearing. I am also a beginer in these players, this would be my first ever player adn headphones, i am not a rich guy and i dont want to regret later buying wrong player and headphones. I live in Romania and these things are so damn expensive here, for me at my 55 years and old firefighter, so i would apreciate your advice.
I got this too, but i find the sound to be fatiguing after a short time. Paired with hd660s2, its a bit shouty and overbearing. I wanted to love it because i like shanling players
Sir that's a very good detailed information shared about shanling M5 ultra. Thanks😊
Thanks for this! I was wondering how the Shanling would compare to the Cayin. I prefer dynamics and sounds like the Shanling takes the win. Great work!
I like this player , as I have every Shanling I have owned
Does the M5 Ultra have gapless capabilities ?
ha i found your channel , (had a reply from you on head-fi:D) subbed !
Now this is a proper length review instead of the fast ones found everywhere ! it does require cookies and a soda :P
i must ask it .. m6 ultra or the m3 ultra vs this one ?
i prefer to stream for now .. and really grew a liking to qobuz , but you already said there are no plans for it, and this only has tidal.
Wonderful, wonderful review .. i learned so much :D
Thanks for the sub! The M5 Ultra is what made me switch to Tidal from Qobuz no regrets at all. I would consider doing the same or maybe look at the iBasso DX180 not going to be as warm , for warm Shanling all the way. I had the M6U but upgraded to the M8 ...now for sale the M5 Ultra does it for me though the M6 , M8 are Warner still.
@@tonedeafmonk thanks for your view. I tried the dx260; fantastic in its own right but not for me. Hmm on head-fi Shanling themselves say the m5 is using the DACs they prefer themselves for their house sound. I will contact a store tomorrow.. the m3 can be back ordered the m5 I don’t know.. maybe it’s not distributed in Europe yet
Great video just started to follow you. I have an Astell & Kern SP1000 SS at mo. What would you recommend between the Shanling M5 Ultra or the Kanin Max ?
If you want a warmer dap M5U the Kann is move V shaped mids are a bit dry and pulled back a bit.
@@tonedeafmonk I have the Kann Max and Focal. Utopia wondered if you could give me some help on gain settings etc just trying to learn about these. Keep up the videos
@markwhinnem2258 I don't think there is a rule for gain settings it's been rare where I could hear a difference in sound from a DAP by changing gains.
My general rule is to set the gain that will allow me to get the volume I want for the Kann that means if I get to 120/150 that's about right for that particular gear.
How does the thieaudio hype 10 compare to the elysian pilgrim?
Thanks.
A dap that has it all or not :)
I might be wrong but no streaming :(
Does Tidal not count as streaming? It does for me. I will take Tidal over Spotify 😌
@@tonedeafmonk Good to know. Does Amazon HD stream on the M5 Ultra
Thanks
At sum if we compare only sound quality Cayin N3Ultra and Shanling M5 Ultra which one would be closer to original sound? From you video I heard mixed report. Thanks.
Both are colored about the same The N3U tilted Thinner the M5U warmer
In Sound quality: mojo 2 or m5 ultra? I wanna use whit dte900.
Greetings from Peru
MOJO 2 probably a better pairing if you want a uncolored sound or the M5U would tame those upper mids down a smidge
@@tonedeafmonkthanks for the reply. On the other hand, how much do you think the dte900 improves with amplification? The "bad" thing about the mojo 2 is that it has relatively little amplification, at least compared to the m5 ultra.
They have basically put the same dacs in the M5 as the shanling H7 at more affordable price which is excellent value for money considering the price of the H7..ive been waiting for a M8 to appear on ebay for a long time and ive never seen one for sale so i am really glad this is close to M8 sound
And how can I change the battery?
There are no screw to open the device. I believe everything is glued. If the capacity of the battery is very low I can only send the device back to the manufacturer to replace the batty and that will be very expensive. So after 3 Years operation I have another electronic waste. Other DAP, like iBasso DX 260 and also Astell&Kern, have the option to replaced the battery.
Correct non user replaceable battery iBasso can with DX180
Same exact OS as my m1s, when there are bad internet conditions, the resolution of the Tidal files adjusts on its own. So suddenly it might drop from 24-192 to 16-44, or to Aac, this is seemless, much better then the Hiby R3 I was using, which would just skip and pause. My only complaint about this video is we don't really see much of the actual DAP under review, it is waved at the camera on occasion, we see three quarters of the machine, that's about it. Although we saw it while reviewing the OS.
Thanks for your comprehensive review. How do you compare M5 ultra to M3 Ultra? is it there a noticeable upgrade from M3 ultra sound wise?
Never tried the N3 ultra
How do you compare M5 ultra to Onix XTM5? Which one you prefer?
I did the comparison in my review.
Thanks for your detailed review, the comparisons between the differences in sound presentation with other DAP’s is especially helpful to subscribers who are trying to match the sonic profiles you so well describe with their own preferences. I have watched this video a few times already it is so full of info!
Glad it was helpful!
I was told M5 Ultra and ibasso DX180 volume knob wobble isit true.
My DX180 and M5Ultra is solid and DC07 PRO yes does wobble but it's designed that way and I don't expect any issues.
Just ordered the M5 Ultra, reminded me of my Ibasso 50 and 90 units from several years ago.. (Don't remember exact model desc). Did not want the Android OS, as I have a YMP-A1 DAP from Temu, which turned out to be a dud.
One thing you did not cover was the max SD card storage capacity. Too many DAPs limit the SD card to 128 or 256 MB, got a lot of music.
Iam so happy that shnling added gapless playback, i have the m3 ultra and i have to use power amp app to get around the no gapless playback problem and it is a MAJOR con, i gave it a3 stars instead of 5 in my review because of it
I frankly don't see why gapless playback is such a major issue for so many people.. Really, I don't get it, that's all.
@@wahid-lg1kk if you listen to albums like pink Floyd the wall or marillion misplaced childhood and many other albums like that you will notice that they put a lot of effort in the transitions between songs and that's how the artists intended the music to be heard, if you don't listen to albums like that than that doesn't matter to you. Do you get it now ?
@@nabilchaouli3489 I have never noticed those sorts of gaps in any albums like that, not even on my little Hiby r3, I thought gapless was some way to make the next song start instantly.
Hi bro! Is the M5Ultra suitable for listening to metal and how does it compare to the M6Ultra? Which player is better and preferable for metal? Advise which player is better suited for metal in the price range up to $700 ?Hugging, good luck, thank bro!
M5U is less warm than M6U or if you can squeeze it go ONIX XM5
Hi i dont know if you have updated the firmware off shanling M5 ultra but there is deffinately an improvement in the sound quality to my ears the warmth has been reduced a little, there seems to be a bigger sound stage with much better instrument sepration, and more clarity overall, the sound has improved quite a bit, the treble seems alot more extended and bass seem more controlled, detail retrival and resolution seems alot better as well, i was listening with hidizs mp145 and slow roll off low gain and also tried medium gain sharp roll off and in either setting there seems to be more clarity, thats the V2.0 firmware version
I agree took a while for my brain to understand what I was hearing, this player just keeps getting better!
Thank you for the review . I recently purchased the Shangling DAC H5, which features a microSD slot. The Eddict App on Android is a superb option. The sound is melodious and detailed, with absolutely zero noise.
and what did you like best? M5 Ultra or Hiby R4 ? (excluding price)
M5U is a far superior player , build and power. Both sound good but the Shanling is more represented a higher end product.
Excelente video , thanks for this review ! 👍🏽🎶
Im just wondering if M5 Ultra is that good and I truly believe it is that good why there's only very very very extremely few reviewers on this product unlike Hiby R4 or even Cayin N3Pro I just dont get it.
Shanling does not give out samples for review. You must buy the player hopefully with a discount. This discourages the vast majority of average reviewers. I bought one because I like their products and was not too worried about performance not hitting my high standard.
@@tonedeafmonk Thanks you have a point even if Hiby is that gd there's still alot of as if like there's no QC control over the product bugs everywhere that I gather from forum.
£500 in UK, Wow not cheap
Greetings! Is it possible to use Qobuz streaming service on this device?
Nope not going to be available
Thanks a lot for giving us with such an excellent detail review of the fabulous Shanling M5-U. I'm considering to purchase either the Shanling M5-U or the Fiio M23. I'm one of the loyal Shanling fans for quite a while already, I owned a few of the Shanling M6 series DAPs with different DACs such as AK4497(2020); ESS9038(2021) and AK4493(2022), I enjoy all of them, I even had bought their DAC/Amp known as H7 with the newest AK4499 & AK4191 at the X'mas of last year. I enjoy all their sound quality and characters. They are all phenomenal and fabulous. However, I still have couple questions would like to have your professional options. Wondering if the M5U can install Google Play to download different music apps other than the pre-installed Tidal, because I have no idea where to find those HiRes music without streaming on the internet. I'm not saying that Tidal isn't good, but I have subscribed to other music apps😅. Another question is that the M5U uses the same DAC as H7, would their sound character be the same? Thanks again 😊
No zero android on this player so no Google play going to happen.
They may add more streaming services?
Not sure on the sound signature of the H7 maybe try asking on the Shanling forum on HeadFi?
How good IS the Penon Vocal cable for simgot ea 1000? Worth spending 57 on?
Not a great pairing IMO on two great products 👌
Non android based dap are they more lasting than android based dap?
No necessarily just less bloat and potentially more musical.
Hi. Wich gain and filter gives more neutral sound(frequency response) ?
Fast roll off and med gain
@@tonedeafmonktnx a lot
It would be interesting to compare this to the Hiby r6lll
I liked the spund of the Hiby but that battery life killed it for me.
I had asked an audio store about the Hiby R6 Pro II, they told me the sound character of R6 Pro II is more detail and analytical, it isn't as warm as the Shanling and also has way less power than Shanling at something around 380 m/W at 32 ohm. Besides, both sub bass and mid bass would probably will let you down either, if you like bass.
If you had to choose between M5 Ultra and ibasso DX180 which would you go with?
Warm M5U Neutral DX180 or save up a bit more get the XM5
@@tonedeafmonk ok , I will do that... watching your video on the XM5 has convinced me to throw in some more pennies.. looking forward to getting the XM5. Cheers.
@thedar7164 That's a smart move in my options it's a class or two above the Mid Fi Stuff. Let me know what you think after you pick it up 🙏
@@tonedeafmonk It has indeed arrived. Heavier than I thought it would be, but man I know why... what a punch with that bass- you are not kidding .. all kinds of special on this one... I have had it now for about 2 days... it is so refreshing not dealing with Android and SRC nonsense etc... I mainly listen to this with hype 4 or the Dita Project M's and yeah low gain is a plenty.. middle packs a punch .... I kid you not I have not tried high gain. I am pretty much an IEM type so yeah this is more power than I expected. no complaints... thank you for the excellent tip. New found love for Onix and what they did with this ESS dac 9039Pro.. slaps x 10 good stuff.
An excellent comprehensive review. Just what I needed.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
I have my old shanling m6. Does it make sense to purchase m5 ultra in such case?
Not as warm as M6U bit I do love what this DAP does to some IEM's with its 6.6 ohm output . The iBasso DX180 is close so I will do some comparisons
@@tonedeafmonk Yes, I am very interested in your opinion about iBasso DX180. Especially that it is the same price level so comparision can very very "measurable"
@@tonedeafmonk If you could only get one, M6U or M5U?
No wifi and Bluetooth at the sam time is so odd.
Actually I think that was a bug and was fine after factory reboot
Hello i just wanted to ask. Will you be reviewing the trn medusa in the future?
It's almost here 🙌
@@tonedeafmonk I can't wait for your review. I really like the design lol it's so pretty
Excellent review as usual!Hesitating between this model and the H5?Are they reallly close in term of tuning & sound quality?
What's the H5?
@@tonedeafmonk The portable dac-amp of Shanling (3 models H2/H5/H7)
@totorokitano Ah yes some of the good stuff the M5 borrowed from the H7. I prefer a DAP over dac Amps myself, I find I don't use my XDUOO xd05 pro for that reason.
@@tonedeafmonk Totally understand , finally a DAP is more convenient (not dependend for another source as a phone...) the M5U might be the good one :0)
Timestamps, please.
Sorry something happened and they got deleted back up
Can you tell me the name of the cable that is on 1:45 of this video?
a.aliexpress.com/_mrzPTXs
@@tonedeafmonk i mean the cable wich conected with Pula ))
@@neutral010 a.aliexpress.com/_mOAqtow
It's called NiceHCK Greenmood and it's excellent
@@tonedeafmonk I really like the look of it too. Thank u so much
How would you compare this to the cayinn3ultra , or this model i wanted to pair with my hfman xs
What would be good paring?
I would say the M5ULTRA would compliment the Cans more with it being warmer than the Cayin
Between this M5 Ultra and DX180, wich one you think is best?
DX180 if I had to choose one.
Less colored, more versatile, better UI
@@tonedeafmonk Thank you very much, and some decent over ears headphones, what you ecomend for this DX180? I heard some Sundara would be great, as i can't wear thos in ear things, they just fal out from my ears, and also they can damage the ears hearing. I am also a beginer in these players, this would be my first ever player adn headphones, i am not a rich guy and i dont want to regret later buying wrong player and headphones. I live in Romania and these things are so damn expensive here, for me at my 55 years and old firefighter, so i would apreciate your advice.
@MARYOLIONHEART I am not a headphone guy I only have a set of HiFiMan HE400i I bought used. They make grrat headphone for just not for me.
@@tonedeafmonk Thank you very much.
@@tonedeafmonk I ordered today my DX180, i just can't wait to arrive here :) .
I got this too, but i find the sound to be fatiguing after a short time. Paired with hd660s2, its a bit shouty and overbearing. I wanted to love it because i like shanling players
Use digital filters