Shanling EA5 Plus Multifunctional Music Centre Desktop Player

The Shanling EA5 Plus is an all-in-one desktop music centre: a streamer, an AKM AK4493EQ DAC, a 2 × 100W ICEpower speaker amplifier and a dedicated headphone amplifier in one compact box. Connect passive speakers or headphones, choose an app on the 4.7-inch touch screen and play, with no computer and no complicated set-up. It can also be the DAC for your computer or CD player, so it fits into almost any system.

An independent streaming centre

A deeply customised closed Android system gives direct access to your music collection and to streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz and Amazon Music. Shanling’s AGLO (Android Global Lossless Output) processes the music from every app at full quality, without the sample-rate conversion Android would otherwise apply.

Designed for the desk

The deep black body combines glass and aluminium, with a gold-plated volume wheel for a touch of luxury, a 4.7-inch touch screen (720 × 1280 IPS) for easy control and a circuit diagram on top for hi-fi enthusiasts. It measures 238 × 188 × 55mm.

Powering speakers

A dedicated class D amplifier from Danish specialist ICEpower, the 100AS2, gives 2 × 100W into 4Ω (2 × 55W into 8Ω), enough for a wide range of passive speakers. Three speaker modes suit the room: Standard, Game (+3dB at 100Hz) and Desktop (−3dB at 100Hz). An RCA line output with four levels (0.82V, 1.4V, 3.0V and 4.8V) feeds active speakers or another amplifier.

Shanling house sound

For Shanling’s typical smooth, natural sound, the EA5 Plus uses the classic AKM AK4493EQ DAC with a high-quality separate power supply, drawing on Shanling’s 33 years of design experience for delicate, richly warm sound. It plays PCM up to 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512, and offers six digital filters.

A dedicated headphone amplifier

A newly designed OP+BUF headphone circuit, based on Shanling’s proven architecture, gives low distortion, precise control and up to 570mW into 32Ω from the 6.35mm output, with four gain levels. Each channel has its own Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 amplifier, chosen for low distortion and a fast slew rate.

• CPAF low-pass filtering: Shanling’s own Constant Phase in All Frequency technology.
• KDS crystal oscillators and third-generation FPGA: two Japanese KDS active oscillators and Shanling’s improved algorithm give a more accurate clock and lower jitter.
• Thin-film resistors (0.01% accuracy) and Panasonic tantalum-polymer capacitors: for precision and long-term reliability.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and your network

Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi (or wired Ethernet) gives fast, stable streaming. Beyond the built-in apps, the EA5 Plus plays from a NAS drive and supports AirPlay and DLNA (it is DLNA certified). Two-way Bluetooth 4.2 makes it a Bluetooth DAC for your phone, receiving LDAC and SBC, and it can also send LDAC, LHDC, aptX HD, aptX or SBC to Bluetooth headphones or speakers.

Control it from your phone

Shanling’s Eddict Player app for Android and iOS mirrors the EA5 Plus screen on your phone or tablet, giving you every feature from the comfort of your chair.

Fits into any system

Switch quickly from headphones to speakers, use it on its own or as a DAC for your computer or CD player, or stream from TIDAL or your NAS. On the back: USB DAC input, optical and coaxial digital inputs, a USB port for an external drive, Ethernet, analogue RCA input and output, speaker terminals and a power switch. A microSD slot takes cards up to 2TB. It decodes MQA (8x) from local files, streaming apps and the USB input, and holds Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.

Good to know

• The built-in player doesn’t play DST-compressed DSD files.
• In the box: power cable. Speaker cables and headphones aren’t included.
• For a streamer and DAC without a speaker amplifier, see the Shanling SM90.