The Shanling UA1 Plus was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links. The price of the UA1 Plus is $49.99 and you can buy it from Amazon .
Shanling UA1 Plus
The UA1 Plus is the third generation of Shanling’s entry level USB DAC dongle after the original UA1 and the UA1 Pro. Both the original and the Pro models came with a single ESS DAC chip, the ES9281P in the former and the ES9219C in the later. Instead, the new model is now equipped with dual CS43131 DAC chips and a separate CT7601 USB receiver that supports decoding up to 768kHz/32bit PCM and DSD256. The new UA1 Plus also features a detachable cable design and has one 3.5mm headphone output that can provide 80mW/32Ω of maximum power. The UA1 Plus is shielded and optimized for ultra low noise output and extremely clean background.
Power efficiency
Shanling informs us that it has implemented a specialized DAC circuit that takes advantage of all the latest advancements in USB DAC power management and made the UA1 Plus 60% more efficient in standby mode and 40% during playback.
I have performed my own measurements with a generic USB power measuring tool and got the following numbers: Shanling UA1 Plus standby consumption 0.03A (0.17W) – iBasso DC03PRO 0.06A (0.34W). Shanling UA1 Plus playing 24/96 file with the FiiO FA7 at moderate listening volume 0.05A (0.26W) – iBasso DC03PRO 0.07A (0.35W).
Appearance
The Shanling UA1 Plus is one of the most compact and lightweight USB DAC dongles, it weighs 9.5g only and measures 40×17.7×8.2mm, it is so small and thin that there is always the risk of losing it. This is why Shanling have implemented a tiny hole at the upper corner of the chassis where you can attach the supplied lanyard and have the UA1 Plus hanging from your bag. The UA1 Plus has a durable aluminum construction with a smooth finish, it is absolutely well made and is available in two colors, pure black and titanium gray. The new UA1 Plus is much better designed and looking than the previous generations. Next to the headphone output there is a tiny RGB light that will display the current playing sampling rate in various colors.
One button for all
The Shanling UA1 Plus comes equipped with a single tiny button that is located at the side of the chassis and can perform various tasks. Single press during playback will function as play/pause. You can press down the button while connecting the UA1 Plus to the host device to enable UAC 1.0 mode. There is also an extra feature that allows for volume adjustment but it needs a lot of practice in order to master it. Double clicking the button will enable the switch volume control mode. At first action a red color will light up indicating that you can now press the button to increase the volume on the phone. Double click again and the color will become cyan meaning that you can now press the button to decrease the volume. Wait for two seconds to end volume control mode. To be honest the button is so tiny and the actions must be performed so fast that I found the whole thing pretty unusable and rather useless but you may be more skilful than I am.
Eddict player application
The Shanling UA1 Plus is compatible with the Eddict player application which is available for Android OS. You can use it to bypass Android internal volume control and fine tune the volume in 100 steps, select between the five available digital filters, set the gain to low or high and adjust channel balance. The best part is that the UA1 Plus has embedded an EPROM chip that permanently stores the user settings. So you can use an Android phone to configure the UA1 Plus and then it will remember the settings no matter what device it will be connected to.
Accessories
The Shanling UA1 Plus comes equipped with a lanyard, a high quality USB type C to C cable and a USB C to A adapter. A Lightning cable is also available but is sold separately.
Listening impressions
A few words first about the power output of the Shanling UA1 Plus which is one of the most powerful USB DAC dongles with a single ended output. With 80mW/32Ω on tap, it will drive most of your earphones plus some sensitive headphones, like the Sivga Luan while it is hiss free and dead silent without audible noise or any kind of clicking sounds.
Sound quality is really impressive without anything negative to remark. Regular readers will know that I am quite fond of the CS43131 DAC chip, especially with the NOS digital filter and the Shanling UA1 Plus features one of the best implementations so far.
The overall sound signature is focused on timbre realism and musicality while keeping the excellent technicalities hidden at the background. This is a hell of a musical and engaging DAC that pairs well with various earphones, it has a linear frequency response with accurate tonality and great transparency. It is slightly warm and very organic and displays an excellent fidelity without further coloring the sound. It has the ability to reproduce the music by imbuing a natural timbre without never sounding artificial or treble forward but neither dark or overly saturated.
This is a fast and impactful DAC with punchy bass, good resolution for the category, natural sounding mids and plenty of energy in the treble without overdoing it. Definition, layering and detailed retrieval are more than satisfying and nicely bonded together to add to the overall musical realism without making the DAC sound sterile or clinical.
The UA1 Plus sounds quite weighty and not dry while it does a great job presenting a wide and spacious soundstage that enhances the imaging properties of the earphones used. This is an all-round DAC that matches well with all kinds of music and the only thing you have to do is to pick the right earphone for each. Choose the 7Hz Legato for your favorite bass tunes or switch to the LETSHUOER DZ4 for some classical music listening.
Compared to the iBasso DC03PRO ($69)
The iBasso DC03PRO is another compact sized USB DAC dongle that features dual CS43131 DAC chips combined in a single ended output. The main differences between these two USB DAC dongles are more physical and functional related rather than actual sound differences.
Both devices support DSD256 but the UA1 Plus maxes at 768kHz/32bit PCM instead of 384kHz. On the other hand the DC03PRO is just a bit more powerful with 98mW/32Ω instead of 80mW/32Ω but it also consumes a little more power and gets warmer during use. The iBasso DC03PRO has two dedicated buttons for adjusting the volume but you cannot play/pause and is also a bit larger and 1g heavier.
The iBasso DC03PRO is compatible with the iBasso UAC application that allows roughly the same adjustments as the Shanling Eddict player app but the notable difference is that it doesn’t have an EPROM chip so user settings are not permanently stored in the memory. The iBasso DC03PRO retail package includes an additional Lighting cable.
Sonic differences are pretty minimal and can be summarized into the following sentence: The iBasso is just slightly more impactful and dynamic, a bit more transparent and technical but not as organic and natural sounding as the UA1 Plus. The audible differences are really so subtle to the point that I would firstly consider all other non sonic attributes for choosing the one over the other.
In the end
Simply put, for just $49.99 the Shanling UA1 Plus is maybe the best USB DAC dongle with a single ended output. Not only for the flawless sonic performance but also the excellent power management, compact size, great build quality, app connectivity and EPROM memory. There is no way that you can go wrong with the Shanling UA1 Plus, no matter your listening preferences and favorite earphones.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2023.
+ Excellent sound performance + Crystal clear and transparent + Natural timbre + Noise and hiss free + Power efficient + App connectivity + EPROM chip stores user configuration + Compact and lightweight + Excellent build quality + Great value for money - Awkward volume control - Multifunction button is tiny - Lighting cable is sold separately
Leave a comment