Today, Louis reviews the Shanling UA6, the company’s flagship quad CS43131 portable dongle DAC with up to 360mW of balanced output power. It is priced at $159.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I thank Shanling for their support.
Click here to learn more about Shanling products we previously reviewed on Headfonics.
This article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
Most modern-day audio gear manufacturers have their version of a dual DAC chip dongle but models with four DAC chips are a rare breed, and it’s almost indulgent in a dongle DAC if you ask me.
Shanling just released one and it seems to employ not only a quad-DAC setup but also has many features found on some top-tier models and supersedes their previous top models. What I don’t get is how can Shanling offer a flagship model at a reduced price tag.
The sequentially named Shanling UA6 is, at present, Shanling’s top model and we will break it down in this product review. More for less is a good start I would say.
Features
What does the UA6 have inside? Four CS43131 chips were placed inside the Shanling UA6 and that’s a lot of chips to feed but you can also run it in dual-chip mode to save on gas. LDO power regulation is used to supply clean power to the circuitry.
Speaking of gas, the UA6 also has a hybrid 2.0 battery system that takes the weight off your mobile device’s battery, a la UA5. The internal battery is rated at 220mAh which should give you a few good hours if you use efficient IEMs.
Just the same as some manufacturers, Shanling employs this internal battery to supply power to the circuitry and bypass the USB-supplied power directly to avoid any noisy USB power circumstances.
The front end of the UA6 uses a ComTrue CT7601 and combined with the quad-DAC chipset, you’re able to decode up to 768kHz/32bit and native DSD512.
The UA6 also has a USB 1.0 gaming mode, selectable in the onboard screen menu. A six-color LED indicates what format and bitrate the UA6 is receiving.
There’s no mention of a separate amplification section within the basic circuit diagram posted by Shanling. However, the UA6 produces a modest 110mW from the SE side, and 360mW from the balanced side on a 32Ω load.
Design
The design aspects of the Shanling UA6 are not as sleek as the UA5 design and Shanling opted for a rectangular shape with a ribbed side and an anodized finish. This model has some sharp edges that you can feel when hand-held.
All the buttons are placed on one side of the unit and there are three with a multifunction button dead center and two volume control buttons that double up to scroll through the system menu.
The screen size is 1.3 inches and with a color display bright enough to be visible in direct sunlight if properly adjusted.
In stock form, the screen comes with the brightness level halfway and you can adjust the brightness either from within the built-in menu or through the Eddict app. There’s also a screen time-out adjustment.
I/O
The IO is as simple as it comes. There’s a USB type C on one end as mentioned, you can also switch the UA6 to work on UAC1.0. The port seems to be a 3.0 port since the plug has a 3.0 blue plug.
The other end contains the two headphone output jacks, a 3.5mm single-ended, and a 4.4mm balanced Pentaconn connection. Both are gold-plated.
The 3.5mm can be used as a digital SPDIF port, selectable within the system menu but to use that feature, you will have to purchase a separate adapter or connectivity for older iOS gear that uses Lightning connectors.
Eddict Player
I know first-timers will be a bit confused when they connect their UA6 to the Eddict Player for the first time expecting to immediately have access to all the features.
By the way, all the features are accessible within the front panel screen or hidden within the Eddict App.
To access them within the app you need to go to the top, left side of the app and drop the menu below the three-line symbol. Within that menu, you must choose USB control, then you choose the UA6.
There you will find five selectable digital filters, the UAC selector, a two-way gain, brightness, balance, screen orientation, a theme selector, DAC mode, and a few other features that, again, can be selectable within the built-in onboard screen menu.
Battery Consumption
I did notice some battery consumption although the UA6 claims to have a hybrid 220mAh battery. I played 4 to 6 tracks and my available battery level dropped by a percentage.
If I’m not mistaken, the UA5 had a selectable hybrid option but I could not find the same feature within the UA6’s menu. There’s no mention of the feature within the quick start guide either.
Don’t expect the UA6 to run off your mobile device’s power and not consume battery because it assists with powering the device but doesn’t provide an option to be completely battery-powered.
Packaging and Accessories
The box that the Shanling UA6 comes in measures around 3 x 3 inches, has a metallic tint and is well illustrated with product information. Some of the print is hard to read, however, due to lack of contrast.
Inside you’ll find the dongle nestled inside a foam mold and below that a flat black box with all the accessories.
Inside that box you’ll find the USB-C cable with a full-size USB adapter, but no lightning connectivity although, as stated previously, the UA6 is iOS compatible.
Three pieces of literature complete the package. There’s a warranty information pamphlet, a quick guide, and a Shanling product brochure. They also throw in a couple of small Hi-Res stickers.
Sound Impressions
As the main testing source, I used my Moto Edge with Android 14 and the supplied USB-C cable.
I also used the UA6 on my PC with iFi audio’s iPurifier3 to see if power and line filtering would make a difference which in this case it didn’t, indicating that the UA6 is not prone to noise pickup.
The HIFIMAN Sundara were the headphones I used the most but I also used the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano, the Meze Audio 99 Classics, and a couple of IEMs like the THIEAUDIO Oracle MKII and the ORIVETI OH700VB.
Summary
The Shanling UA6 has a clean, detailed, and neutral sound signature with excellent dynamics and a very dark background. It delivers a full-spectrum sound and a natural presentation, with a well-extended but controlled bass, a smooth midrange, and a slightly airy treble.
The low end is neutral and medium-textured and offers clarity over color. It leans toward a more neutral and refined presentation rather than excessive coloration, warmth, or bloat.
The UA6 midrange comes through clear, with good weight, and is natural in tonality. The vocals sound realistic, neither too forward nor recessed.
It also sounds rather expanded. Instrument separation is well-defined, making it a great dongle for vocal-heavy and acoustic tracks.
The highs are crisp but not harsh, providing good sparkle without excessive brightness. There’s a slight emphasis on detail retrieval here, but the overall treble remains smooth, making it non-fatiguing even for long listening sessions.
The highs can attribute their clarity in large part, to the dark background the UA6 produces which helps in detail retrieval and allows the listener to see a clear, transparent picture of what’s contained in a recording.
Staging & Dynamics
The Shanling UA6 has an impressively spacious soundstage for a dongle DAC, with a good sense of depth and width. It seems to excel in height, which was apparent due to the audible, over-the-top presentation it produces.
Imaging seems precise with a minimal amount of crowding, allowing instruments and vocals to be accurately placed, within their contained space and the confines of the soundstage.
The UA6 has an expansive and well-layered soundstage. It presents an accurate image, allowing instruments and vocals to feel well-separated rather than congested.
Click on page 2 below for my recommended pairings and selected comparisons.
