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Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter

How do you turn a variety of in-ear headphones into Bluetooth headphones in the simplest possible way? Well, if they have detachable cables and a so-called MMCX connector, then this works with the new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter.


The range of headphones that largely or even completely dispense with cables and use Bluetooth for the signal connection to the source is constantly growing, also in the field of in-ear headphones. So you will find a variety of corresponding solutions if you value the greatest possible freedom of movement free of cables, and in the most diverse price ranges.

Nevertheless, really high-quality solutions in the field of in-ear headphones continue to rely on cables, and some have even had personalised in-ear headphones made, as some specialists in this field offer. Do you have to do without such products when it comes to Bluetooth or even buy new ones? No, of course not, because the market has long had appropriate solutions for this task, such as the new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter.

The only requirement for upgrading an in-ear headphone with Bluetooth with the help of the new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter is that the headphone has removable cables and is equipped with a so-called MMCX connector. Then nothing stands in the way of a signal transmission via Bluetooth based on a high-quality chipset, equipped with an impeccable converter and high-quality output stage. The fact that this solution is also water-resistant and has a long playing time, as well as an integrated microphone for a hands-free function, also speaks for the new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter.

On the one hand, many customers prefer this solution to completely wireless products, and on the other hand, the developers literally have enough room to accommodate the electronics and batteries.

They rely on a Qualcomm CSR8675 Bluetooth chipset, which complies with the Bluetooth 5.0 standard and is equipped with NFC for easy pairing with the source device. Apart from the fact that Bluetooth 5.0 has a significantly lower energy consumption than previous standards and guarantees an even more reliable connection, it also stands out because it supports all relevant codecs. In addition to the lossy SBC, AAC is available for the Apple world here, and aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, as well as LDAC and LHDC (HWA) are also supported. This enables the Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter to transmit audio data up to Hi-res Audio, and this with up to 24 bit and 96 kHz. High-quality headphones are actually used to the fullest possible extent, and the difference to signal transmission via cable is not really dramatic.

The new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter also features a high-quality D/A converter and output stage, specifically an AKM AK4377A.

The output power is specified with 38 mW into 16 Ohm or 26 mW into 32 Ohm.

A microphone has been integrated into the Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter, whereby the manufacturer emphasizes that it should be a high-quality solution for the best possible speech quality. They rely on a solution from Knowles and the eighth generation of cVc noise cancelling technology. With the help of this microphone, the Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter can not only be used for phone calls, but also for voice assistants of smartphones, be it Apple Siri or Google Assistant.

The operation, however, is primarily done via buttons that have been integrated directly into the neckband on the left side. In addition, the Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter indicates which codec is currently in use via the color of a status LED.

  • Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter 07
  • Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter 08
  • Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter 09
  • Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter 10

The Shanling Controller App allows full control of all possibilities of the new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter. Digital filters, an equalizer and the like can also be accessed. Even future updates are possible in this way.

As already mentioned, a MMCX connector is a basic requirement for the use of the Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter, whereby various distance adapters are included in the scope of delivery for optimal mounting. Fortunately, many manufacturers rely on this option, especially for their premium products.

The short cable leading from the neckband to the in-ear headphones is of particularly high quality, the manufacturer refers to it as a quad-core silver-plated copper cable with 18 twisted strands per cable strand.

The neckband itself is water resistant, it is certified as IPX4. Even if this does not apply to the actual in-ear headphones, this at least gives a certain amount of leeway, because the neckband is directly exposed to environmental influences.

The 340 mAh battery integrated here is supposed to offer a playing time of up to 14 hours and a standby of up to 500 hours. Charging is done via USB-C cable and should be finished after about two hours. By the way, the Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter can also be used directly with a PC or Mac via USB-C, as it then works in USB DAC mode.

Apart from the six MMCX spacers already mentioned, the matching charging cable and a leather case for transport are included in the scope of delivery.

The new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter is now available from specialist retailers. The recommended retail price is € 119,-.

Getting to the point

The only prerequisite for upgrading an in-ear headphone with Bluetooth using the new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter is that the headphone has detachable cables and is equipped with a so-called MMCX connector. Then nothing stands in the way of a signal transmission via Bluetooth based on a high-quality chipset, equipped with an impeccable converter and high-quality output stage. The fact that this solution is also water-resistant and has a long playing time, as well as an integrated microphone for a hands-free function, also speaks for the new Shanling MW200 Bluetooth Neckband Adapter.

Manufacturer:Shanling
Distribution:NT Global Distribution GmbH
Price:€ 119,-
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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