Shanling Q1 - bigger brother of M0

Discussion in 'Product Announcements' started by Bina, Dec 22, 2019.

  1. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Could be. It has a glossy lacquer-like finish on top either way.

    Hard to tell rn since it's warm from usage.

    I like it either way, it looks like British racing green in the right light :3

    I just prefer textured bare metal to any kind of paint - professional distortion at play.
     
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    You should talk to @ChaChaRealSmooth to get a loaner on all these stuff you guys have. Been asked a lot about M0 a while back and have heard good things myself. Few people on SBAF have good visibility into your gear.
     
  3. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    @Bina - When will the Q1 be available for purchase in the US?
     
  4. Bina

    Bina MOT - Shanling

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    Touch accuracy is something we are working on constantly, it should get slowly better over firmware updates.

    If you go to system settings, under idle, third page(swipe left), there is hidden setting for screen off timer. If that's what you mean?

    Confirm, it's zinc alloy.

    Thanks, will reach out to him and will check what would be our possibilities.

    Very soon, their order should be already on the way. Musicteck already has open pre-order https://shop.musicteck.com/collections/shanling/products/shanling-q1?variant=31592016052286
     
  5. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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  6. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Nope. Mostly use HP3 at my desktop setup at work and speakers or, rarely , HD800 at my desk at home.
     
  7. EagleWings

    EagleWings Friend

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    A slight off topic from Q1, but since there is some interest in the Q1, might I also add that the Shanling M2X is also worth considering for a tour. It retails for $220. It’s one of the most pleasant DAPs I’ve used to date because of the size and UI. The sound is a clear step up from the M0, although the size is not as tiny.

    I’d say its sound quality is not far from the Sony ZX300 for just half the price. The ZX300 has a slightly larger stage and slightly better bass slam. But I really prefer the timbre and midrange of the M2X and it doesn’t have the scratchiness in the treble that ZX300 has. If you’ve followed the DAP thread lately, you’ll know how I dislike Sony’s lower tier offering, as I feel they don’t sound good for the asking price.

    M2X just like the M0 and most other DAPs comes with plethora of features like 2-Way Bluetooth, LDAC, USB DAC, Digital Out etc. But it also has one feature that is only found on Android DAPs. It has a Tidal client, so you can stream Tidal music on the M2X directly. I am not sure if it supports MQA though, in case anyone is curious.
     
  8. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    Here are my initial impressions:

    Packaging
    - Braided USB C cable is supple and soft
    - 2 screen protectors included (plastic)
    - Silicone case

    Player
    - Solid heft
    - Chunky volume button with just enough resistance
    - Nicely finished
    - Easy to use OS
    - Fast Startup
    - Great Bluetooth capabilities
    - Battery Life
    - USB - C
    - Great screen size for album art compared to the M0/M5/ ZX300
    - Refined sounding player without roughness in the uppermids/treble.
    - Does not sound like the older Sabre’s did. (Dragonfly RED)

    Why did I pay 4 times the price for ZX300 back in the day?
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2020
  9. spoony

    spoony Spooky

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    Got mine too. Initial thoughts (Firmware v1.2):

    Nice finish and heft.
    Bigger than I imagined, size of a boutique hand soap.
    Nice tactility on the buttons.
    Startup logo screams "Welcome to the year 2000", what's wrong with displaying a BW version of the logo with no extra decor?, much more elegant IMO.
    Touch registration feels iffy, scrolling ballistics are wrong.
    Interface speed is OK.
    Navigation is very decent, though sometimes I cannot get back to the playlist from the now playing screen, it'd be nice to be able to return to the origin list at all times.
    Sound is nice in high gain! Even with IEMs. I'll setup an A/B test against the LG V20.
    Digital filters are a nice to have, but I already see some people suffering nervosa over this.
    Uninterrumpted bluetooth playback :headbang:

    Requests / tips (@Bina):
    I am probably still getting used to the shape, but as a right-handed person, I tend to use my thumb to adjust the volume or unlock the device, and my fingers rest on the opposite side accidentally pressing the playback buttons, I know you can lock the buttons while the player is locked but I think you could also provide the option to actuate the buttons with a double tap here as well, without having to unlock.

    Please remove the space before the commas on dialogs in the english localization (at least), it is a typographical error.

    Album artist view only populates files that have the tag present, can we have a fallback in which the Artist get used on those that don't have the tag? I've experienced Album Artist with Artist fallback to be widespread in UIs.

    There are slight inconsistencies in the use of some UI elements; some slide switches are On / Off switches, some of them are A / B option switches, and then you have some menus that lead you to pages with a single A / B or On / Off option or a radio button list, why not make this consistent everywhere?

    There's a feature I've missed since my Rockbox days, which is being to able to pick an album at random to listen to. Sometimes one doesn't know what to hear but knows what not to, so I'd just tap shuffle a few times until I found something to listen to.

    Bugs:
    Haven't been able to replicate this, but I've had the volume overlay bar appear garbled while I was browsing some other screen, just aesthetic.

    I've been able to overload the player navigating the main menu and entering submenus hastily while playback is going on, provoking audio skips and screen stuttering, can't remember the audio file and format being played but bluetooth was on.

    Great work!
     
  10. Bina

    Bina MOT - Shanling

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    Thanks for feedback.

    - Position of buttons, we are getting similar feedback and looking into some settings that could adjust it better.
    - Space before commas, common problem my Chinese colleagues have with English text, will check it again and get it corrected.
    - Album artist problem, I reported this to our software team when we firstly introduced this sorting, still waiting for fix.
    - We try to put switches to all items with only two options. Some items might have switch even one level deeper, but that's because there is some connected setting or some other element. For example buttons lock works this way.

    For problematic file, if you will manage to locate some, you can send it to us and I will forward it to software team for fix. We made such fixes few times before.

    And digital filters, you are correct, it makes people nervous. Especially less experienced users sends me often message, asking for detailed explanation of the filters, how exactly they affect sound and which one sounds the best.
     
  11. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    The Q1 is an excellent little player, especially at its price point.

    Sound
    • I'm using it mostly with the CA Solaris, and it's a better match than any other source I have. (ZX300 - not dynamic, strident upper mids, a little congested; GOV2A - Sabre glare; Pixel 3a - grainy, thin; desktop rigs - too strident//hot, maybe an impedance issue). It also drives the JVC FA01 well and actually does a bang up job with the Verum 1.
    • The sound is balanced with a little warmth to avoid the infamous Sabre glare. It's definitely not as strident as the GO. However it's not overly smooth or boring and does pull out enough detail and punch pretty hard. It's not as detailed as the Sony or GO, but its plenty for portable listening. (I'm not looking to try to eek the last ~10% of details out of a portable source, given background noise that masks microdetails).
    • The biggest negative I hear is that it sounds a little glassy i.e. lacking in texture. That's probably it just not being able to pull out micro details and dynamics, which is to be expected at $120.
    • Hiss only slightly audible in silence. Not an issue.
    • All in all, Shanling hasn't tried to impress with exaggerated details or bass and instead has created a player that doesn't really do anything wrong SQ wise, considering price point limitations. Personally I don't see the need for more SQ out of a portable source.
    Build and Functionality
    • Build feels solid - it's heavier than you expect.
    • The volume knob is tiny and especially with the case is inconvenient to turn. Sony style buttons or a perpendicular volume control might be more user friendly. There is software controlled volume too.
    • The play/pause, forward/back buttons are a little loose and too easy to press. I keep them locked when the screen is off.
    • The screen to bezel ratio could be better.
    • UI is close to the Sony in usability - intuitive and so far glitch free.
    • Battery life is around the advertised 20 hours.
    • The USB DAC feature works well except I'm picking up some pops and crackles sometimes which I don't hear from my other sources. This is my main issue with the player as I use this feature often.
    • A small thing, but I wish folder navigation would always revert to the album folder of the track you're listening to. Currently if you go to navigate to sound settings or use the USB DAC for example, it defaults back to the base menu when you go backwards from the song screen.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
  12. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Anyone have any other thoughts on this or the M2X? I’m considering getting one to replace my lost ZX300.
     
  13. EagleWings

    EagleWings Friend

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    @Merrick I have an M2X here. The sound quality will be a slight step up from your smartphone, but not as good as your ZX300. It has a warm-isn, smooth-is, soft-ish sound. The reason I keep reaching for it is, it has one of the best user experience, when it comes to DAPs because of the ideal size, weight and UI. Although I must admit the UI has become slightly less snappy than how it was new. Since I have a good desktop setup, I don't really seek top notch performances out of my portable setup these days, so M2X gets a lot of use due to its convenience.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2020
  14. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    I prefer the Q1 to the ZX300. ZX300 was more detailed, but dynamics was not there compared to the Q1. (EU version, 3.5 mm out). Tested with Inear SD5, Drop HA-FDX1.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2020
  15. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Does it sound different and/or better out of the balanced output? That’s the only reason I’m considering it over the Q1.
     
  16. EagleWings

    EagleWings Friend

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    Bal sounds very slightly better than SE. A slightly larger soundstage and slightly better separation.
     
  17. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Thanks. For now I’m going to see if I can get a used ZX300 instead.
     
  18. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    What DAC filter do people prefer?I have not noticed any big differences between these...
     
  19. spoony

    spoony Spooky

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    Linear fast for me.

    Edit: Elaborating, the differences are subtle to me with the JVC HA-FDX1, however I find better balance and texture with the linear filters, especially in the bass.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2020

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