Shanling M3 Plus Digital Audio Player

The Shanling M3 Plus is a compact Android music player that takes a big step up from earlier M3 models: four Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, a fully balanced amplifier with up to 800mW from the 4.4mm output, and open Android 13 with Shanling’s AGLO for bit-perfect playback from any app, on a larger 4.7-inch Sharp screen in a 205g aluminium body.

A fresh design, robust construction

Precise CNC machining creates the main chassis from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminium, giving the M3 line a modern look, in Star Silver Grey, Deep Night Black or Smooth Mocha. The M3 Plus grows a little taller to fit a larger 4.7-inch screen for easier control of modern apps, yet at 115 × 70.5 × 18mm and 205g it stays among the most compact Android players.

Four CS43198 DACs

The M3 Plus takes a much more serious approach to its audio circuit than any previous M3, with a quad-DAC array of Cirrus Logic CS43198 chips, for higher sound quality than ever at its price and the dynamic sound Shanling has refined over 37 years of hi-fi. You can choose a dual- or quad-DAC mode; dual gives the longest battery life.

Hi-fi grade parts

• Dual OPA1612 op-amps: a differential amplifier that reduces noise and distortion while using the whole dynamic range.
• Dual SGM8262 amplifiers: pushed further in a new fully balanced circuit, for more power with lower distortion.
• Custom FPGA: Japanese KDS active crystal oscillators at 90 and 98MHz with the third generation of Shanling’s algorithm, for better accuracy and lower jitter.
• Capacitors: Elna Silmic II, from a long line of serious hi-fi designs, and Panasonic tantalum capacitors, reliable, temperature-stable and precise, which play a key part in Shanling’s tuning.

Up to 800mW

The upgraded circuit reaches 800mW into 32Ω balanced and 200mW single-ended, with three gain levels, from hiss-free low gain for sensitive earphones to high gain for demanding full-size headphones. Noise is under 1.1µV from the 3.5mm output, and the balanced output reaches 130dB signal-to-noise ratio. Both outputs can also be set to line out.

Android 13 with AGLO

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, with eight cores on an 11nm process and an Adreno 610 GPU, gives more than enough power for modern apps on the optimised Android 13 system, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage plus microSD up to 2TB. Open Android means many years of updates and wide app compatibility for music and streaming apps such as TIDAL and Spotify, and Shanling’s Android Global Lossless Output (AGLO) keeps every app bit-perfect. It plays PCM up to 768kHz/32-bit, native DSD512 and 16x MQA.

Wireless and USB

Two-way Bluetooth 5.0 pairs with any Bluetooth headphones or speakers (LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC), or turns the M3 Plus into a Bluetooth DAC/amp for your phone (LDAC, SBC). A Qualcomm Wi-Fi module with MIMO supports 2.4/5GHz for streaming, DLNA and AirPlay; SyncLink connects the Eddict Player app on Android or iOS for remote control; and over-the-air updates keep it current. Over USB-C it works as a USB DAC or a digital transport to an external DAC. An LED shows the sample rate and Bluetooth codec at a glance.

Battery

A 3,500mAh battery gives up to 14 hours single-ended with two DACs, 11 hours single-ended with four or from the balanced output, and 61 hours as a Bluetooth transmitter, and charges at 18W with QC3.0.

Good to know

• In the box (Shanling’s list): M3 Plus, TPU protective case, two screen protectors, USB-A to USB-C cable and documentation. Colours: black, grey or mocha.
• A spare M3 Plus protective case is also available.
• For a smaller player without Android, see the Shanling M1 Plus.