John Darko
After teasing it at Munich High-End 2024, Shanling has formally announced the SM1.3: a touchscreen streaming DAC where an Android 12 OS runs in conjunction with Wifi-6 (or Ethernet) and a 5.8″ touchscreen to support streaming apps from Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, Apple Classical and Amazon Music. The touchscreen’s horizontal orientation suggests these are customised whitelisted apps – similar in principle to those found on an Eversolo device – and not the freely installable apps available from the Google Play store (as we see on FiiO’s R7 and R9).
Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth 5.2 with LDAC and APTX HD are also supported. Those with local NAS drives can feed content to the Shanling box over Samba or UPnP. The press release makes zero mention of Roon Ready.
Already have a streaming source? The SM1.3’s USB (768kHz, DSD512), TOSLINK (24bit/192kHz) and coaxial (24bit/192kHz) hardwired inputs allow it to be used as a standalone DAC. Your choice of single-ended RCA or balanced XLR outputs; or the internal TPA6120 op-amp that drives the 6.35mm headphone socket via three gain modes for up to 1015mW into 32 Ohm loads. In between, a D/A converter built around an AKM4499EX DAC chip and AK4191 pre-processor chip takes care of the signal’s conversion.
Want to use the SM1.3 as a streaming source? Its TOSLINK, coaxial, USB and I²S outputs (with 10 FPGA-activated operational modes) turn it into a DDC.
Shipping begins later this week for US$1199, £1199 or €1199. Your choice of silver or black finishes.
Further information: Shanling
