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Flagship-level sound quality for the price
Warm, lush, musical tuning with excellent bass weight
Powerful output (1.1W balanced) drives most IEMs & headphones easily
Bold, unique industrial design with minimal bezels
AKM Velvet Sound DAC implementation sounds organic and natural
Non-Android OS = bit-perfect playback and strong sound focus
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OS feels slow and dated
Limited EQ / no PEQ or MSEB-style sound shaping
Wi-Fi can be unstable, especially with streaming
Tidal app feels half-baked (no offline downloads)
Device runs hot with prolonged use
Battery life has noticeably degraded over time
Intro
This is not a first-impressions piece. I’ve been using the Shanling M5 Ultra daily for over a year now, and what you’re reading is a true long-term review, based on extended ownership rather than honeymoon excitement.
The M5 Ultra sits in an interesting place in Shanling’s lineup. It’s a mid-tier priced DAP at $589, but internally, it carries some very serious hardware, namely AKM’s flagship AK4499EX DAC paired with the AK4191 modulator, along with a beefy dual TPA6120A amplifier stage. On paper, this thing looks overkill for the price, and that immediately sets expectations high.
Rather than chasing Android, massive RAM, or flashy UI features, Shanling clearly took a different route here: sound first, everything else second. Whether that trade-off works long-term is exactly what this review is about.
Build & Design
Shanling has really leaned into a new design language with the M5 Ultra, and honestly, I love it. This is not a safe or generic looking DAP.
The chassis is bold, angular, and unapologetically industrial, with sharp lines and minimal bezels around the screen. It looks striking and eye-catching, especially compared to the sea of rounded Android slabs in this price range. At 120 × 75 × 19.5mm and 247g, it’s not exactly pocket-friendly, but it feels dense, premium, and solid in the hand.
The 4.7-inch 720p display is bright and easy to read even outdoors, but to be honest, it’s not fast. Touch responsiveness is acceptable, not great. Swipes occasionally miss, animations feel sluggish, and it never quite feels “snappy.” You quickly learn to slow down and be deliberate with your inputs.
Still, from a purely physical standpoint, the M5 Ultra feels like a serious piece of audio gear, not a toy or a phone replacement, and that’s a good thing.
Hardware & Specifications
Shanling didn’t hold back internally:
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DAC: AKM AK4499EX + AK4191
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Amplifier: Dual TPA6120A
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Platform: Ingenic X2000
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System: Shanling MTouch OS
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Battery: 6000mAh
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Outputs: 3.5mm single-ended, 4.4mm balanced
Output Power
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Balanced: 1100mW @ 32Ω
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Single-ended: 315mW @ 32Ω
This is serious power for a non-desktop device. The M5 Ultra drives pretty much any IEM effortlessly and handles most dynamic headphones without breaking a sweat. Even some planars wake up nicely on the balanced output.
OS, UI & Streaming
This is where the cracks start to show.
Shanling’s MTouch OS is functional, but it feels dated and slow. Navigation isn’t painful, but it’s never smooth either. There’s no PEQ, no advanced EQ options, and nothing like HiBy’s MSEB. What you get is very basic tone control and that’s it.
Wi-Fi performance is hit or miss. Sometimes it connects instantly, other times it refuses to cooperate. Tidal streaming works, but buffering happens more often than it should, even on stable networks.
Worse still, the Tidal app feels half-baked:
- No offline downloads
- Limited functionality
- Occasional instability
This is very much a “stream when it works” experience rather than something you rely on daily.
In short: this is not a streaming-first DAP. If your library lives on a microSD card, you’ll be much happier.
Battery Life (Long-Term Use)
When new, the M5 Ultra impressed me.
Using the balanced 4.4mm output, I consistently got 13–14 hours of playback, which is excellent considering the power on tap.
Fast forward one year later, and reality has set in.
Battery degradation is noticeable. On the same balanced output, medium gain, I now get around 8–9 hours of playback. Still usable, but nowhere near class-leading anymore. Heat likely plays a role here, the device runs hot, especially on high gain or during long sessions.
This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something long-term owners should absolutely be aware of.
Sound Impressions
This is where the M5 Ultra earns its reputation.
Shanling tuned this DAP to be warm, lush, and unapologetically musical. This is not a technical monster chasing resolution at all costs. Instead, it prioritizes tone, body, and emotional engagement.
If you’ve heard older Sony DAPs, you’ll immediately recognize the vibe here.
Bass
The low end is thick, weighty, and authoritative. Sub-bass has real physical presence, while mid-bass carries warmth and body. It’s not the tightest or fastest bass around, but it’s satisfying, musical, and addictive.
This is the kind of bass that makes you nod your head rather than analyze texture.
Mids
Mids are rich and full-bodied. Male vocals sound thick and grounded, while female vocals are emotional, smooth, and intimate. There’s a natural warmth that makes acoustic instruments sound lifelike and organic.
This DAP does vocals extremely well, easily one of its strongest traits.
Treble
Treble is smooth and relaxed. There’s enough extension to avoid dullness, but it never pushes brightness or micro-detail forward. If you’re coming from neutral-bright ESS or Cirrus-based DACs, this will sound noticeably softer up top.
That said, it’s never muddy or rolled off, just intentionally non-fatiguing.
Technicalities
This is not a hyper-technical DAP. Resolution and micro-detail are good, but not class-leading. What it does exceptionally well is coherence and everything sounds glued together naturally.
You listen to albums, not test tracks.
Comparison: Shanling M5 Ultra vs HiBy R6 III (2025)
Side by side, the differences are clear.
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M5 Ultra: Warmer, bassier, thicker, more musical
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R6 III: More neutral-bright, cleaner, more technical
The HiBy digs deeper into detail and separation. The Shanling pulls you into the music emotionally. Neither is better, they just serve very different listeners.
Conclusion
The Shanling M5 Ultra is a clear example of focused design philosophy.
By avoiding Android, expensive processors, and excessive UI features, Shanling poured resources where it actually matters, sound quality. The result is flagship-level sound in a mid-tier priced DAP.
The AKM AK4499EX + AK4191 combo delivers a sound that’s natural, organic, and emotionally engaging, a refreshing contrast to the neutral-bright presentation of many entry-level ESS or Cirrus Logic CS43198/CS9192 based devices.
Yes, the OS is slow. Yes, streaming support is weak. Yes, battery life degrades and the device runs hot.
But if your priority is pure sound, especially a warm, lush, musical presentation, the M5 Ultra absolutely delivers.
This is a DAP for listeners who care more about how music feels than how it measures.
My score: 8.5/10
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