Shanling M6 Ultra Digital Audio Player with Android 10 and AK4493SEQ DAC

The Shanling M6 Ultra is a long-awaited return of Shanling’s premium M6 line of Android players, and of AKM DACs to the series. It was Shanling’s first portable player with the newest AKM AK4493SEQ, using four of them in a quad-DAC design, with a fully balanced OP+BUF amplifier giving up to 720mW into 32Ω. Open Android 10 on a Snapdragon 665, a 5-inch 1080p Sharp screen and a 5,650mAh battery complete a player built from aircraft-grade aluminium and glass.

M6 line upgraded

Inspired by the M8, the robust main chassis is machined from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminium, following the “cut-out” design the M8 established, and sandwiched between durable glass plates for a sleek look. It comes in classic black or a stunning emerald green.

Outstanding touch display

A 5-inch LCD panel from Sharp gives 1920 × 1080 resolution at 441 PPI, with stunning colours and wide viewing angles, fitted into a “floating screen” design on the front panel.

Quad AKM DACs

Four AK4493SEQ chips work in a quad-DAC design inspired by Shanling’s classic CD players, using multiple DACs to get the best from a balanced circuit. The M6 Ultra plays PCM up to 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512, decodes MQA in full (16×) with TIDAL, and has seven preset digital filters.

Fully balanced OP+BUF amplifier

• OPA1612 I/V: four TI OPA1612 chips split the balanced work between all four DACs, for a completely independent, fully balanced output.
• OPA2211 low-pass filter: two OPA2211s, chosen for low noise and high bandwidth, one for each pair of DACs, surrounded by Panasonic tantalum-polymer capacitors.
• LTA8092 + BUF634A: new high-voltage Linearin LTA8092 op amps with the proven TI BUF634A buffer give a slightly warmer, more relaxed sound, following the AKM-based M6 and M6 Pro.
• WE capacitors: high-quality 100µF WE capacitors for refined sound and precise sound-staging.
• KDS oscillators and FPGA: two Japanese KDS active oscillators and Shanling’s third-generation FPGA algorithm improve accuracy and reduce jitter.

New amp, more power

The new amplifier gives more power than earlier AKM-based M6 models, 240mW into 32Ω from the 3.5mm output and 720mW from the 4.4mm balanced output, for better performance with demanding full-size headphones. Three gain levels cover everything from sensitive IEMs up.

Battery

A 5,650mAh battery with Qualcomm QC3.0 18W fast charging gives up to 13.5 hours single-ended, 9 hours balanced or 58.5 hours as a Bluetooth transmitter.

Wireless

Two-way Bluetooth 5.0 sends LDAC, aptX HD, aptX or SBC to headphones and speakers, and receives LDAC or SBC from a phone. A Qualcomm WCN3980 module gives 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi with MIMO for a fast, stable connection, and NAS, DLNA and AirPlay streaming fit it into any home hi-fi system. The M6 Ultra holds Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification from the Japan Audio Society.

Snapdragon 665 and Android 10

The octa-core Snapdragon 665 with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of storage (plus microSD) runs a fully open Android 10, with access to millions of apps through Google Play. Shanling’s built-in AGLO (Android Global Lossless Output) processes music correctly and at full quality, without the degradation of Android’s sample-rate conversion.

Good to know

• In the box: USB-C to USB-A cable, two screen protectors, manual and warranty card. Colours: black or emerald green.
• For more power and an ESS flagship DAC, see the Shanling M7.