Shanling UP4 2022 Bluetooth DAC Review – Second Chances, Hiccups Not Included
In this Article
INTRO
Shanling has released a second version of the UP4 called the Shanling UP4 2022 denoting the 2022 version compared to the 2021 version. With the new iteration priced at $119 we get a dual ES9219C DAC chip vs last years ES9218.
It follows many other interesting products like the UA1, UA2, UA3 we have reviewed previously. They also have attractive higher-end products as well in their DAP lineup so if you have not seen or heard of them I suggest you have a look. The Shanling UP4 2022 slides easily into the top spots for Bluetooth DACs with its powerful neutral and clarifying output, but is it enough to dethrone Amazon’s #1 seller?
Disclaimer: Aoshido Audio provided the Shanling UP4 2022 to Audioreviews free of charge and I will roast it over a hot fire. The original Shanling UP4 (22) sent to me had a firmware issue noted as a skipping hiccuping problem, but Aoshida Audio sent a replacement device so hats off to taking care of the problem easily and swiftly. You can get one for $119.99.
FEATURE CRITICAL COMMENTARY
Misses
The Shanling UP4 2022’s sleek plastic body can be snapped into a not as impressive plastic belt clip case. I do not have much faith in the longevity of the purely plastic clip to retain it’s strength but time will tell. The original Ear Studio ES100 suffered from early clip failures and they upgraded that in the MK2 version. I do like that the extra bulk of the clip can be removed.
One of the standout features not found on many other Bluetooth DAC’s is the Near-Field-Communication (NFC) pairing. While it did make pairing quick and easy, I never really thought a one time pairing process needed to be made any easier. It also might cause frustration if people keep NFC turned off on their phones for security reasons.
The other almost there feature is the option to use the Shanling UP4 2022 solely as a USB DAC. Great in theory, on a Windows PC or Mac there is plenty of output. Once plugged into my Android phone it does work, but volume levels are lower by a fair margin, this could be due the battery recharging. Testing indicates it consumes a whopping 350mA. So in a pinch you can use it with your Android phone or Apple with a USB Camera adapter, but I would not recommend it.
The Shanling UP4 2022 can also be paired with their Eddict Player APP available for both IOS or Android, but only Android offers over-the-air firmware updates.
Hits
So It is not all bad news for the Shanling UP4 2022, I particularly love the single knob/button control. This makes actually using it heads and shoulders above models without controls and ahead of the pack even for ones with multi-button controls. For one, less chance of accidentally changing the volume and it’s tucked nicely into the side to prevent accidental button pushes as well.
There is a mode button too for less used features such as output codec and gain control, but that is not used for normal operation, more of a set it and forget it function. It does allow for high/low gain output, which is a feature that is becoming more common and a nice addition to better support the variety of headphones in the market.
There is also a Turbo boost mode that enables the second DAC to super charge the un-balanced single ended output from 70mW to 100mW (not as noticeable as you might think). It also toggles between 4 different filtering modes named: Natural, Accurate, Mellow and Warm.
The Shanling UP4 2022 also supports LDAC, LHDC, APTX HD, APTX Low latency, APTX, AAC, SBC in bluetooth mode and is indicated by the multi-colored LED when switching between them. It does not support the less common UAC from Hiby.
Dual connections flank the top of the Shanling UP4 2022. Users can choose to run the more common single ended 3.5mm connection or opt for 2.5mm balanced output for more power and channel separation.
Battery Life of the Shanling UP4 2022 is a claimed 11.5 hours or 9/5 hours if using balanced output from the 550mAh battery. Standby mode is approximately 300 hours.
PACKAGE CONTENTS
- Shanling UP4 DAC
- Removable Plastic Belt Clip/Cover
- USB-A to USB-C short cable
Paired up with LG G8 and Moondrop Dusk 2.
SOUND
The Shanling UP4 2022 has a neutral profile across the board there is nothing that stands out more than other areas, this is a good thing. The bass is neutral a little less weight behind it than plugged straight into the LG G8. Bass notes sound more rounded out with the LG ES quad DAC when listening to Brian Setzer Orchestra Rumble in Brighton.
If there is a difference in the midrange and treble I am hard pressed to hear it. The LG G8 is using one generation previous of the ESS DAC lineup and given that it is a SoC, there is not a big variance.
The decay in the bass affects how it much room energy is reflected in the listening experience, again the LG G8 sounds ever so slightly larger in terms of spacing and scale.
In comparison to other bluetooth DACs such as the Earstudio ES100MKII, the Shanling UP4 2022 is more mature sounding, better darker levels giving the impression of more depth and layering. Both bluetooth DACs utilize LDAC, the ES100MKII uses the AK4375A compared to the ES9219C.
The other bluetooth DAC I have is not really comparable, the Sony SBH56 since it supports only the SBC codec. The sound is rather dull, bass lacks any kind of articulation, treble is subdued and it mostly sounds midrange focused. The SBC code makes it sound rather elementary.
For another option the equally praised Qudelix-5K Bluetooth reviewed by Jurgen is the class leader if looking at Amazon sales picks. It hosts the same SoC and features for the same price. The Qudelix has a utilitarian plastic body with a metal clip, and the Shanling UP4 2022 has a much sleeker rounded body with a plastic case clip.
The Shanling UP4 2022 uses the bluetooth chip CSR8675 vs the QCC5124 in the Qudelix. The QCC5124 is said to improve battery life up to 65%. It has a dual DAC boost to push the power level up to 100mW in single output mode, but somehow the Qudelix boosts a higher balanced output power of 240mW vs 165mW.
I like the knob better than the buttons personally. It also appears the Qudelix operates as a phone USB dac given the supplied cables and description so more value there.
Final test for the Shanling UP4 2022 was actually making phone calls. My side of the audio was of course clear but having a conversation proved a little less pleasing. If the device was a relatively short distance away it exhibited a tunnel effect, if I held the device up to my mouth and spoke directly into it the results were more “normal”.
FINAL COMMENTS
The Shanling UP4 2022 is geared towards a small market, I am not sure how many people are looking for bluetooth DAC devices, for those that want to connect wirelessly are going for wireless earbuds based on my own sampling of observation. The market segment for the bluetooth DACs has increased, so maybe there are people who like certain wired headsets but need to connect to phones without a 3.5mm jack.
The Shanling UP4 2022 is a great device for those users, I particularly like the knob control, sleek design and removable belt clip. My only gripes are the clip is completely plastic so longevity can be an issue it you want to actually use that feature, and I really wanted to use it as a USB DAC on my phone but it does not work well for that.
It doesn’t sync to more than one device at a time. On the sound front, it is excellent and plenty powerful to drive headphones under 150ohms. When compared to the Qudelix 5K, shaping and the control knob appear to be the only unique selling features, but is that enough you have to ask yourself.
SPECIFICATIONS
DISCLAIMER
Get it from Aoshida Audio Store
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