Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player – New in the Shanling M Line

The Shanling company is known for repeatedly coming up with solutions in the field of personal audio devices that are particularly affordable but at the same time offer solid features. This applies in particular to the product group of so-called digital audio players, or DAPs for short. In 2018, for example, Shanling presented the Shanling M0, a particularly affordable but above all compact DAP, which the company itself described as an ultra-portable HiFi player.

Following this solution, Shanling presented the Shanling M0 PRO Ultra Portable Music Player in October 2022, and now the next generation of the smallest DAP models in the Shanling M Line is set to be available in the form of the new Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player.

Foto © Shanling | Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player

Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player – Great similarity to the Shanling M0 PRO

As the manufacturer explains, the Shanling M0 PRO and Shanling M0s models are said to have many similarities, and the company based its development of the new Shanling M0s on this solution, according to Shanling.

In fact, the new Shanling M0s and the Shanling M0 PRO are said to be identical in almost all core aspects. These include, first and foremost, the ultra-compact design with a light yet robust aluminium casing, intuitive operation thanks to the simple Shanling MTouch system, and extensive connectivity options based on Bluetooth 5.0 with bi-directional signal transmission and USB, as the company points out. All these aspects have contributed to the success of the Shanling M0 Pro and can also be found in the new Shanling M0s.

New converter from Cirrus Logic Inc.

The most significant difference between the two models is therefore to be found in the converter, because while the Shanling M0 PRO uses two ESS ES9219C DACs from the specialist ESS Technology Inc., the Shanling M0s now uses a single Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC from Cirrus Logic Inc.

This makes it possible to achieve a simpler circuit and thus to offer the Shanling M0s at an even lower price, as is explicitly emphasised.

However, this also means that the output power is lower. While the Shanling M0 PRO still had up to 240 mW at 32 ohms, the new Shanling M0s only has 60 mW at 32 ohms. In this context, it is also pointed out that a rather neutral tuning has been chosen.

For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that the new Shanling M0s can process signals in Linear PCM with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz, and DSD is also supported, up to DSD128.

Technical features of the Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player

As already mentioned, the Shanling M0s is housed in a compact aluminium case measuring 43,8 x 45 x 13,8 mm and weighing just 36,8 g.

For ease of use, it features a 1.54-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels.

The signal processing is carried out by a Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC with up to 32 bits and 384 kHz or DSD128, with data being stored on microSD cards with a capacity of up to 2 TB.
The Shanling M0s features Bluetooth 5.0, with the module designed as a transceiver, enabling it to send and receive signals. The codecs AAC, SBC, aptX and LDAC are supported as transmitters, while AAC, SBC and LDAC are available as receivers.

Data can be transferred from a PC or Mac via USB, and the Shanling M0s can also be used as an external D/A converter via USB if required. The USB-C port can also be used to charge the integrated 650 mAh Li-ion battery.

A 3,5 mm stereo mini jack is available for headphones, which is said to provide up to 60 mW at 32 ohms.

Prices and availability

The new Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player is available now at the recommended retail price of just US$ 99,-.

Getting to the point

The new Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player is the latest device in the Shanling M Line, a product line from Shanling that includes particularly compact and affordable DAP models. The new Shanling M0s Hi-res Music Player is intended to replace the Shanling M0, but not the Shanling M0 PRO. The Shanling M0s is to serve as a simple, particularly affordable DAP, whereas the Shanling M0 PRO is a touch more expensive, but offers a better D/A converter, a more powerful output stage and not only an unbalanced 3,5 mm stereo mini jack, but also a balanced 4,4 mm Pentaconn.