Shanling SM90 combines streaming, HDMI ARC and dual DAC design in a compact HiFi component

There is a particular appeal to components that do not overstate their importance and yet end up solving several problems at once. The Shanling SM90 appears to belong in precisely that category. Rather than chasing sheer scale, extravagant casing or a grandiose sense of occasion, Shanling has built a compact component meant to bring modern streaming, local file playback, external digital sources and even television audio into one coherent, practical solution.

That alone gives the Shanling SM90 genuine relevance. A great many music lovers are no longer looking for a network player in isolation, nor for a DAC in isolation, nor for a separate interface between television and stereo system. They want a product that allows an existing HiFi chain to step cleanly into the present without turning the whole installation upside down. This is exactly where the Shanling SM90 begins to look compelling. It is also the second model in the Shanling 90 Line, a product family developed specifically with Desktop Audio in mind, although its potential clearly extends beyond the desk.

Key Facts

• Compact streamer/DAC from the Shanling “90” line
• Dual-DAC architecture based on two AKM AK4493S
• First Shanling model with HDMI ARC
• Closed Google Android 12 platform
• 4,96 Zoll touch display with 1080p resolution
• Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect and Apple AirPlay 2
• Playback from NAS, DLNA, USB drives and internal SSD
• Bluetooth 5.2 input with LDAC, AAC and SBC
• Analogue outputs via Cinch and XLR
• Available from April 2026
• Price: € 999,-

A compact component with ambitions beyond streaming

Shanling presents the Shanling SM90 not simply as another network player, but as a digital command centre for contemporary two-channel systems. That distinction matters. In practical terms, the unit is designed to handle streaming services, access music libraries stored locally or across the network, work as a DAC for external digital sources, and, via HDMI ARC, take on television duties as well. This broader role makes it more than a convenience device. It turns the Shanling SM90 into a plausible answer for systems that need to do more than one thing well.

That is one of the most intelligent aspects of the concept. Increasingly, serious listeners are no longer interested in maintaining a hard divide between “pure HiFi” and the actual media habits of everyday life. They want a component that can deal with dedicated music listening one moment and television audio the next, without either function feeling bolted on. The Shanling SM90 seems very deliberately built around that shift.

Dual AKM DAC topology and an analogue stage that suggests proper intent

At the heart of the digital section, according to Shanling, is a dual-DAC configuration using two AKM AK4493S chips. That is significant not merely as a specification point, but as a signal of intent. Shanling is not positioning the Shanling SM90 as a feature-led transport that happens to include analogue outputs. It is clearly trying to present it as a serious source component with genuine HiFi credibility.

The analogue output stage is said to be built around the Texas Instruments OPA1612, a choice that further underlines that approach. In everyday use, this should mean the Shanling SM90 is not confined to being a practical interface between services and sources, but can stand its ground as a musically relevant component in a more ambitious system. The interesting part is that Shanling has managed to place that architecture inside a cabinet measuring just 28 x 23 x 8,5 cm. That keeps the unit attractive for space-conscious systems, smaller listening environments and elegant living-room installations where full-width hardware is not always the most welcome solution. At 3,3 kg, it also remains easy to position and integrate.

A closed Google Android 12 system with broad service support

For the operating platform, Shanling uses a closed Google Android 12 system driven by a Rockchip CPU. That gives the Shanling SM90 a rather different profile from stripped-back streamers that depend almost entirely on remote app control and offer little sense of direct interaction at the component itself. Here, the idea is clearly broader. The Shanling SM90 is intended to function as a self-contained digital front end rather than as a mere endpoint.

A 4,96 Zoll touch display with 1080p resolution plays an important role in that. This is not just cosmetic embellishment. It has real practical value, because it allows direct access to music, inputs and library navigation without always reaching for a phone or tablet. In a category where many products still treat the front panel as a decorative afterthought, that matters.

Service support is extensive. Shanling names Qobuz Connect and TIDAL Connect, alongside integrated apps for Apple Music, Apple Classical, Amazon Music, Spotify, KKBox, Presto Music and Radio Paradise. Apple AirPlay 2 is included, as are UPnP and dlna. Beyond subscription services, the Shanling SM90 also supports playback from NAS, USB drives and an internal SSD slot. That breadth gives it a wider appeal than many streaming products aimed purely at service-based listening. It should be just as interesting to users who maintain a carefully organised local library and want that collection to remain central to daily listening.

HDMI ARC gives the Shanling SM90 unusual everyday relevance

Among all the features on offer, HDMI ARC deserves special attention. Shanling states that this is the first Shanling model to offer it, and that single detail may do more than anything else to separate the Shanling SM90 from a crowded field of conventional streamers and DACs.

The reason is straightforward. HDMI ARC allows the Shanling SM90 to act as the audio bridge between television and stereo system, which in turn makes it immediately relevant beyond pure music playback. For listeners who have no desire to introduce a soundbar into a carefully considered two-channel setup, this is a far more elegant proposition. It lets the main system do what it should have been doing all along: handle television sound as well as music, without compromise in system logic or visual clutter.

That is where the Shanling SM90 feels especially well judged. It acknowledges that modern HiFi no longer exists in splendid isolation. A component that can combine serious stereo intent with the expectations of everyday media use is no longer a novelty; it is increasingly the sensible solution.

Connectivity that reflects a flexible brief

The connection layout reinforces the impression that Shanling has conceived the Shanling SM90 as a genuinely versatile system hub. On the input side, users get S/PDIF koaxial, S/PDIF optisch, USB DAC and HDMI ARC. For digital output, there are S/PDIF koaxial, S/PDIF optisch and USB digital connections. Analogue output is available via Cinch and XLR, which means the unit can fit comfortably into conventional amplifier-based systems as well as more ambitious installations where balanced signal routing is preferred.

Bluetooth 5.2 is also on board, with support for LDAC, AAC and SBC. Again, that is not just a box-ticking exercise. It means mobile devices can be brought into the system quickly and without fuss when needed, which is precisely the kind of real-world convenience a modern compact component ought to provide.

Price and availability

The Shanling SM90 is scheduled to become available from April 2026. The stated price is € 999,-. In context, that positions it in an especially interesting part of the market. A compact component offering HDMI ARC, dual AKM DAC topology, a substantial streaming platform, local playback options and balanced analogue outputs has every right to attract serious attention at that level.

Conclusion

The Shanling SM90 is persuasive not because it shouts, but because it thinks clearly. It brings together streaming, local library access, DAC functionality, HDMI ARC and an unusually broad connectivity package in a chassis that remains compact enough to suit the sort of systems people actually live with. That alone would make it notable. The more important point, however, is that Shanling appears to understand exactly what many current HiFi buyers need: not another single-purpose digital box, but one component capable of making a modern stereo system feel complete.

Technical Data