Digital Audio Player Shanling M6PRO

DAP Open Android / Dual AK4497 768kHz DSD128 with balanced output and bidirectional bluetooth

Shanling’s M6 PRO is a DAP with exceptional audio performance. It uses a version of Android OS specifically customized to maximize audio performance and offer great freedom to its user.

Featuring a tremendous electronic design, it uses two excellent DAC AK4497, and has its own FPGA correction circuit with crystal oscillators. M6 PRO uses a Octa-core Qualcomm processor with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory and a micro SD card reader supporting cards up to 2TB.

PRO version

This prestigious Pro version includes all the features of Standard M6 with many significant improvements to achieve an impressive signal / noise of 123dB (against 119 for the standard version).

The DAC combo uses AK4497 chips instead of AK4495SEQ chips.

The low pass filter circuit uses OPA1662 replacing the OPA1612.

The amplifier circuit is based on two ADA4610 and fourBUF634 chips instead of triple ADI8397, which offers a considerable output power up to 600mW under a load of 32 ohm. This also enables switching between one or two DACs on single-ended output to lower battery use or to improve performance.

The overall aesthetic is not left behind since the entire back panel is now covered by a superb-looking shock-resistant matt glass.

Advanced Audio System

Shanling’s M6 PRO uses two AKM AK4497 DAC chips simultaneously to process separately each channel of the stereo signal. This configuration allows a clear channels separation with a wide soundstage.

Each of these DAC chips is accompanied by a KDS low phase noise crystal oscillator and has a correcting / filtering made by FPGA running an algorithm that has been developped for best performance with the M6 PRO.

Two ADI AD8397 amplifiers drive the balanced output and provide considerable power with extremely low a noise level. A third AD8397 chip is used to make sure all the capacity of the two DACs are used when using its unbalanced output.

As usual, Shanling equipped its M6 PRO with Tantalum-Polymer Panasonic capacitors. Four capacitors ELNA Silmic II are used as well.

The whole audio circuit has its own shielding to provide isolation from the rest of the electronics and to avoid any uptake noise.

Balanced and unbalanced output

The M6 PRO provides a wide range of outputs such as an unbalanced output on Jack 3.5mm connector, a balanced output on Jack 2.5mm connector and a second balanced output Jack 4.4mm connector. This is enough to ensure compatibility with most of the headset technology or models available without any additional adapter.

There is also a very useful USB connector to extract the digital stream to send it on an external DAC if necessary.

All connectors are located on the same side of the case for easy handling.

Android Operating System

The embedded operating system is a version of Android optimized for audio, that is to say the M6 PRO ??benefits from the flexibility of this system without encountering the conversion and sampling issues which are pretty common in Android.

Thus, the M6 PRO ??can install and run with ease all the (many) playback applications, equalization and signal processing available on Android with all the advantages that this represents in terms of scalability.

This also allows the use of all present and future streaming platforms that are Android compatible.

Naturally, Shanling’s playback application is already installed by default and your M6 PRO is operational out of the box without the need for special installation. This simple application is designed to allow easy access to all the DAP capabilities and natively integrates a 10-band graphic equalizer.

Large 4000mAh battery

With its 4000mAh battery, the M6 PRO ??can offer up to 12 hours of continuous playback on its unbalanced output and 9a hours on its balanced outputs.

The unit also benefits from Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology to charge the device quickly.