Shanling MW200 Review

Features & Technology

The Shanling MW200 features Qualcomm’s CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 Chipset. CSR8675 is a premium-grade chipset which was developed by the semiconductor giant to deliver high quality wireless audio performance. It supports all the high-quality codecs such as LDAC, LDHC & AptX HD.

Shanling combined this chipset with Japanese Asahi Kasei Microdevices DAC, 4377A. The AK4377A is an advanced 32-bit high-quality audio DAC with a built-in headphone amplifier. Its internal circuit integrates digital filters for better sound quality, achieving low distortion characteristics and wide dynamic range. Shanling lets you control these filters via Shanling Controller application. This is a killer configuration for a 119 USD device. I’ll talk more about performance in the sound section.

As for battery solution, the MW200 has a 340 mAh capacity. Shanling states that it can be used for up to 14 hours. Of course that is the SBC codec estimation. Shanling states 11 hours for LDAC use. I did my own test and it took 12 hours to deplete MW200’s battery with continuous LDAC playback.

I love it. Did I mention that MW200 supports fast charging too? 10 minutes of charge means 1.5 hours of continuous playback. How awesome is that?

Moving on to the mic quality, Shanling chose Knowles’ SiSonic microphone. I tested it in crowd places and the result was very good! Recipient heard me loud and clear without a major background chatter. Well done! The Shanling MW200 lets you control many things via physical buttons, you can change the volume, skip to the next or previous track, pause the playback, answer and hangup calls, without touching your phone.

The MW200 also features NFC! If you have a NFC-equipped phone, you can connect to MW200 in just a second. Another surprise for me was the USB DAC function. The 4377A supports USB DAC function for your PC without any drivers however, it is limited to 16.44. Still great to have that option though.

Shanling Controller Application

Shanling has an app to control Shanling Bluetooth devices. The application’s name is Shanling Controller. The app is available both on Google Play Store & Apple’s App Store. The app lets you do OTA (Over-the-air) firmware updates to your devices. There is also an integrated EQ in the app. As for MW200, you can select DAC’s sound filters although their impact on actual sound quality is not really discernible.

Shanling also lets you activate or deactivate codecs of MW200. I deactivated everything but LDAC and I’ve been using it like this ever since. If you’re an Android user, you may want to go to your developer settings and set LDAC’s behaviour to focus on audio quality rather than connection quality. I did not experience any connection issues after configuring my phone like this, so you’re safe.

Sound

Shanling surprised me in a good way, I found myself using this adapter more and more over the course of my testing phase. This does not happen often to me.

The Shanling MW200 really does sound great. Shanling nailed it in my opinion. The MW200 does not add any coloration to your IEMs, it does not saturate your IEM’s signature. It offers Hi-Fi reproduction, wirelessly. That’s a huge step forward in the Bluetooth business if you ask me. I don’t think there is a desktop dac that utilizes 4377A so I can’t do a wired A/B test BUT I can say with confidence that I did not think anything was lacking while listening to MW200, at all.

I tested it extensively with Pears SH-3U, which is a brilliantly capable, technically impressive monitor with a reference signature. If there is any IEM that could slam the problems of one’s dac to one’s face, this is it. 1 month long use and nothing, not even one complaint about sound quality. That’s why it is going to be on HFN Recommendations list. It is perfectly linear with good detail retrieval, good resolution & clarity. Bass is not lacking, mids are not shadowed, treble doesn’t have extension problems.

The most fair comparison I can offer to you is MW200 vs similar form-factor USB-C dacs. I have Hidizs Sonata HD II and Meizu Hi-Fi USB-C DAC here with me. Hidizs utilizes a high-quality 24-192 DAC with a whopping 2x60mW power output. Meizu utilizes Cirrus Logic’s 43131 DAC. They are both low-power high performance designs like MW200. First thing I notice after the A/B session is how silent MW200’s background is. I hear hiss with both of the wired DACs.

Resolution-wise, the MW200 is a step ahead of his wired rivals. Bass is more rounded and powerful with the Hidizs but has nowhere near the quality and texture of MW200. Soundstage-wise the MW200 offers a medium width and depth, definitely reflecting the IEM you combine it with. That’s very nice as well. MW200 has low power output compared to its rivals but I found the amplitude levels sufficient for most IEMs. You may want to tread carefully if you have hard to drive IEMs, though. Overall, I really liked the sound quality of the MW200. It is definitely sufficient for your higher end IEMs, and perhaps it is the best that the industry has to offer at the time of this writing.

Last Words

Shanling, in my opinion, hit the golden ratio of price & performance with this adapter. It is a well-made, well-tuned wireless solution for your high-end needs.

The Shanling MW200 successfully reflects the IEM you combine it with therefore leaving you alone with your favourite signature, without any coloration or saturation. Additionally, with its 340mAh battery, you have more than enough juice for a few days without charging.

It features the highest available codecs as well as an integrated Knowles SiSonic microphone for clear calls. It is a great device and that is exactly why we are awarding it with a spot on the HFN Recommendations List!