Shanling M3 ULTRA Portable Lossless Digital Audio Player & USB DAC

The Shanling M3 Ultra is a compact Android Hi-Res player built around two ESS ES9219C DACs and two Ricore RT6863 headphone amplifiers, with up to 260mW into 32Ω from its 4.4mm balanced output. Android 10 on an octa-core Snapdragon 665 runs any streaming app, Shanling’s AGLO keeps the sound bit-perfect, and the battery lasts up to 20.5 hours.

Built from one piece of aluminium

The main chassis is CNC-machined from a single piece of aircraft-grade aluminium, which makes it very rigid and helps shield against interference, and it is sandwiched between durable glass plates. It is built around a 4.2-inch Sharp touch screen (768 × 1280), a good balance between usability and portability, and Shanling’s improved “cut-out” design fits nicely in the hand and the pocket. Choose classic black or emerald green.

Snapdragon 665 performance

The octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 with 3GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 32GB of storage (plus microSD) gives the same system performance as Shanling’s higher-end players and is a big step up from the original M3X.

Dual ES9219C and a fully balanced circuit

Two ES9219C DACs sit at the heart of an advanced audio circuit with dedicated amplifiers and carefully chosen capacitors, which push the M3 Ultra’s tuning towards Shanling’s traditional house sound. The pair of RT6863 headphone amplifiers handle the headphone load more easily, reducing distortion and improving dynamic range.

• Four 47µF ELNA SILMIC II capacitors: chosen for their sound, a little warmer, smoother and more natural, and a key part of the new tuning.
• Panasonic tantalum-polymer capacitors: highly accurate, less sensitive to temperature changes and reliable for long-term use.
• Shanling FPGA with KDS crystal oscillators: two low-phase-noise 45MHz and 49MHz oscillators keep phase noise extremely low.
• DC-DC voltage regulator: for steadier power and more output.

Power for most headphones

With up to 260mW into 32Ω balanced, the M3 Ultra has enough power even for demanding headphones, while low gain and accurate volume control make it a fine source for sensitive earphones too. Use the 3.5mm output for any ordinary headphones, or the 4.4mm balanced output to get the most from it.

Battery life

The 3,500mAh battery gives up to 20.5 hours from the 3.5mm output with one DAC running, 14.5 hours balanced, or up to 45.5 hours as a Bluetooth source. You can choose single or dual DAC mode, and QC3.0 quick charging at 18W tops it up fast.

Open Android 10 with AGLO

Android 10 is fully open, so you can install any app. Shanling’s AGLO (Android Global Lossless Output) sends all your music out at full quality, avoiding Android’s built-in sample-rate conversion. At home it also plays from NAS drives and works with DLNA and AirPlay, so it slots into an existing hi-fi system, and it works as a USB DAC for a computer.

Bluetooth 5.0 and fast Wi-Fi

Two-way Bluetooth 5.0 sends LDAC, aptX HD, aptX and SBC to wireless headphones and receives LDAC and SBC from a phone. A Qualcomm WCN3980 module gives 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi with MIMO for a fast, stable connection. The M3 Ultra is a full MQA decoder (up to 16x, for example with TIDAL) and holds both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.

Good to know

• It replaces the M3X, with a faster processor (Snapdragon 665 instead of 430), new amplifiers and a unibody frame.
• In the box: USB-C to USB-A cable, two screen protectors (one already fitted), two rear glass protectors, manual and warranty card. Colours: black or green.
• For four AKM DACs and more power, see the Shanling M6 Ultra.