Shanling UA6 Flagship USB Dongle DAC and Amp

The Shanling UA6 is a flagship portable USB DAC and headphone amp: four Cirrus Logic CS43131 DACs, a 1.3-inch colour display and Shanling’s Hybrid Power System 2.0 with its own 220mAh battery, in a 35g metal body. Plug it into a phone, tablet or computer for up to 360mW into 32Ω from the 4.4mm balanced output, PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz and native DSD512, and switch between dual and quad DAC modes. The 3.5mm socket also gives a coaxial S/PDIF output.

Dynamic elegance: new body, new interface

The precisely crafted metal body has a new, modern design, textured for a pleasing touch and available in black or silver. Three side buttons control volume and playback directly on the UA6. The 1.3-inch colour display brings an updated interface with quick, clear information on what is playing and a full settings menu right on the DAC, with four colourful themes, eight fonts and 360° screen rotation to suit any position.

Quad DAC design, hi-fi in your pocket

Four Cirrus Logic DACs work together as a matrix for extremely clean, stable performance and strong current output, reaching the highest level of sound quality for its size. Shanling describes the sound as warm and captivating, and you can switch between dual and quad DAC modes to explore the difference in sound and power use. With high output and full support for hi-res PCM and DSD, the UA6 is the simplest hi-fi grade solution for many listeners. Five digital filters let you fine-tune the presentation.

Hybrid Power System 2.0

A built-in 220mAh battery and a new hybrid power design let the UA6 manage the power it draws from your phone, for a highly efficient system and more stable sound:

• Battery buffer: with phones that have a weak USB output, such as iPhone or Samsung models, the battery helps during the first connection so the UA6 works without problems.
• Power supply optimisation: during playback the battery tops up the phone’s supply, feeding clean, stable power to the audio circuit so it can reach higher output and handle the most dynamic swings.

Impressive output power

The balanced 4.4mm output gives the most power and the best sound, up to 361mW into 32Ω, while the universal 3.5mm output gives 112mW for everyday use. The 3.5mm socket also has a coaxial S/PDIF digital output, turning the UA6 into a USB transport for classic hi-fi DACs. Shanling’s low-noise circuit with an advanced low-dropout regulator gives a pure black background, hiss-free even with ultra-sensitive high-end earphones.

Gaming and the Eddict Player app

For gaming, turn on Switch mode (UAC 1.0) in the UA6’s settings to use it with a Nintendo Switch. The Eddict Player app for Android gives finer volume steps, gain, single or dual DAC mode, digital filters, channel balance and display settings; the iOS version of the app does not offer this, because of Apple’s limits.

USB-C for wide compatibility

The UA6 comes with a 7-core oxygen-free copper USB-C cable, a great-sounding cable that works with the vast majority of devices. Because the UA6 uses a standard USB-C socket, you can swap in a longer or more premium cable at any time. iPhones with a Lightning port need Shanling’s L3 Lightning cable (sold separately); macOS needs no driver, and Windows needs Shanling’s UA series USB driver.

Status light and controls

A small light shows the sample rate: blue for 32/44.1/48kHz, green for 64/88.2/96kHz, yellow for 128/176.4/192kHz, purple for 352.8–768kHz, white for DSD64 to DSD512 and red for 44.1/48kHz in UAC 1.0 mode. On the main screen, the top and bottom buttons set the volume, a double press of the middle button turns the display on or off, and holding the middle button for two seconds opens the settings (ten seconds resets the UA6).

Good to know

• In the box: USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter, quick start guide and warranty card.
• The next/previous track buttons may not work with some phones.
• Want Bluetooth too? See the Shanling UP6. The newer UA6 II uses eight CS43131 DACs.