Shanling UP6 Review

We’re taking a look at the $199 USD Shanling UP6 flagship Bluetooth DAC/AMP dongle in this two-page article.

Disclaimer: Shanling provided the UP6 in exchange for our honest review. We thank them for the opportunity.

Shanling

Established in 1988, Shanling has over thirty years of experience in high-fidelity audio. Shanling’s broad portfolio ranges from classic home hi-fi systems to modern portable devices, including DAPs, DAC/AMPs, headphones, and earphones.

On Headfonia, we have reviewed many Shanling products, and you can check those articles through this link. Today, we will look at their latest addition to the UA family, the Shanling UA6, their newest flagship of the lineup.

Shanling UP6

The UP series represents Shanling’s wireless DAC/AMP lineup, which previously included models like the UP2, UP4, and the former flagship, UP5. Released over four years ago, the UP5 held the top spot in this range until now.

With the UP6, Shanling returns to the series after a long pause. They explain that the lack of new tech had shifted their focus to the H-series, but the recent advancements prompted them to revisit the UP line and create a new device they felt was worth the wait.

At the heart of the UP6 is a dual-DAC configuration featuring the new ESS ES9069Q chips, paired with Shanling’s signature SGM8262 amplifiers, which have been used and optimized many times in past designs. This combo delivers up to 626mW @ 32Ω through the 4.4mm balanced output.

For wired use, the device utilizes XMOS’s flagship XU316 USB controller with dual KDS oscillators, supporting PCM up to 768kHz and native DSD512. Bluetooth functionality is handled by the Qualcomm QCC5125 module, with support for LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and more.

The UP6 is available for $199 via Shanling’s official store. Key specs are listed below.

• Dual ESS ES9069Q DACs
• Dual SGM8262 Amplifiers
• Qualcomm QCC5125 Bluetooth Chipset
• 3.5mm: 112mW @ 32Ω | 4.4mm: 626mW @ 32Ω
• Supports LDAC, aptX HD/Adaptive/LL, AAC, SBC
• XMOS XU316 with Dual KDS Oscillators
• PCM 32-bit / 768kHz and DSD512 support
• 1.54-inch color display
• 50g aluminum chassis with anodized finish
• Car Mode, UAC 1.0 Mode, SiSonic microphone, NFC
• Battery Life: ~4.5h (Balanced), ~6.5h (Single-ended)
• BAL Output Impedance 1.2Ω
• Available in Black or Blue

Packaging & Accessories

The Shanling UP6 arrives in a compact, color-coded retail box that matches Shanling’s current packaging style. The outer sleeve highlights the device with a glossy product image and hi-res badges. It’s clean and visually consistent with the rest of Shanling’s lineup.

Inside, the UP6 is securely seated in custom-cut foam. The presentation is straightforward but gives a solid first impression. Beneath the foam cradle, you’ll find a small set of included accessories.

Shanling provides a short, highly pliable USB-C to USB-C cable with a rubbery silicone jacket, a USB-A to USB-C adapter, and a longer USB-A to USB-C cable that can serve as a charging cable or do double-duty as a power + data cable. A multilingual quick-start guide is also present here.

Shanling also offers an optional leather case for the UP6, priced at 15 USD. The case has a firm structure and a soft inner lining with cutouts for ports and buttons. While it’s not included in the box, it’s a practical and well-fitted accessory if you plan to carry the device frequently.

Design & Build Quality

The UP6 stays true to Shanling’s well-established industrial design language, combining aluminum and glass in a way that shouts Shanling from a mile away. The chassis is machined from a solid block of aluminum, giving the device a dense, confident feel in the hand. The finish has a muted, matte texture that resists fingerprints.

The front panel is covered by black tempered glass, and the 1.54-inch color display is positioned underneath. This panel is raised slightly above the body, creating a sense of depth that breaks the monotony of the flat front and adds visual flair.

You also get tempered glass on both the top and bottom ends of the unit, which houses the USB-C port and headphone outputs. This glass usage contributes to a cleaner transition between materials, smoothing out the blandness of the matte aluminum and adding polish to the design.

The button placement is practical for a right-hand user, with Shanling’s usual row of controls on the right side, finished with the same alu texture. The power button is circle-shaped and easy to feel without looking.

The UP6 maintains Shanling’s precise machining, and I couldn’t find any CNC or assembly issues. I also like the subtle NFC logo on the front. It can be used to quick-pair with a NFC-enabled phone via BT. Oh, also, there’s a subtle LED that changes color based on the sample rate underneath the tempered front panel.

Overall, the UP6 feels like a premium product. It’s compact and feels rigid without being heavy. Shanling clearly leaned into their strengths here, delivering a refined and familiar design.

UI & Controls

Shanling has taken a hybrid approach to usability with the UP6. You get physical controls for playback and navigation, a full-color 1.54-inch display for visual feedback, and a companion app that unlocks deeper settings. It’s a flexible layout.

The 1.54-inch LCD panel feels like a huge upgrade over the monochrome display of UP5. Pressing and holding the play/pause button opens the menu, and settings can be browsed or adjusted without needing to pull out your phone via the next/previous buttons.

The idle display shows the playback codec, artist, track name, and track progression time/duration. Small badges on the left side give information about the gain level, active DAC filter, dual/single DAC mode, and volume. It also supports 360-degree rotation, which helps if you’re wearing it clipped at different angles. The LED color-coded status indicators show both codec type and sample rate in real-time. It’s a practical interface that doesn’t require you to learn anything new.

If you want deeper control, the Eddict Player app does the heavy lifting. Through the app, you can adjust gain, switch between single and dual DAC modes (3.5mm only), pick from seven digital filter types, and tweak channel balance. You also get a 10-band equalizer along with settings for brightness, screen timeout, font size, boot volume, UAC mode switching, and more.

Some practical features like Car Mode and UAC1.0 compatibility are still here. Car Mode automatically powers the device on and off with your vehicle, while UAC1.0 ensures legacy compatibility with gaming consoles and older USB devices.

The UP6’s Bluetooth pairing is fast and stable. Finally, codec switching is accessible via the app and includes LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, aptX, AAC, and SBC. So you can manually disable codecs you don’t use. The BT stability, in my case, was quite good. I used LDAC with my Android 14 phone via forced 990kbps, which worked great.

My iPhone was limited to AAC, but I discovered it wasn’t too shabby either with the 64 Audio U4s.

Overall, I’m happy about the UP6 except for one thing, and that’s battery life. More on that below.

Battery Life

This is where the UP6 feels behind the curve. In 2025, 4.5 hours of playback over balanced LDAC is simply too limiting. We’re at a point where most users expect at least 6 to 7 hours from a modern, battery-powered Bluetooth DAC/AMP, especially in this price bracket. Even the single-ended output tops out at 6.5 hours, which feels more like a baseline than a competitive figure.

The recharge time doesn’t do it any favors, either. With no fast charging support, the UP6 takes around two hours to fully top up. That’s a long wait for a device that may not even make it through a full day of moderate use on its balanced output.