Dear Andy, thank you for your review. it done well and full of useful details. it's not easy. But you should be more careful in your verdicts. i bought KA5 for my TRN Kirin cause of your positive review of Fiio. Initially I want to buy shanling ua3 because of AKM.. but i saw your reviews and decide to buy KA5. especially because you said in your review that UA3 didnt support hardware volume control - it's like a fake.. But you were wrong. Shanling UA3 has a hardware volume control and it's perfect! You just need to hold stop button to change device volume. Shanling UA3 with AKM sounds much more interesting to me then Fiio. I've send the KA5 back! KA5 is good and functional because of screen but to me it sound is much more simple then UA3. Dear Andy. As soon as you are respectful reviewer you have to read manual more careful before making a judgment. All the best to everybody! UA3 is really pleasant sounding dongle. really good for it price. Like it much more then KA5. Regards to all
You are absolutely right in what you say. After holding down the middle button on the UA3, the volume increases to a sufficient level by using the increase button on the UA3. 👏👏
Great review, Andy. I'm using this dongle, and from my searching, the best filter for AKM DAC should be Short Delay Slow Roll-off. I also use Low gain for all of my iems and full size, FYI!
Andy if you hold the play/pause button for 3 sec or less you will see light blinking, you can then control the hardware volume. This is very good because then we dont have to open app to change hardware volume.
Hi Andy, I was wondering whether you can review your reference gears first - ideally as a single video. Like your Shure IEM, Tanjchim, CEntrance etc vs other people's common reference gears (etymotic, moondrop, Sennheiser, sony, dragonfly, etc). I think this helps generalising your impressions. I really enjoy your in-depth insights on the Dongles btw.
Thanks. That's a great suggestion. The funny thing is, I spent more time using them that I didn't review them at all haha CEntrance DACport HD and B1 does have a review on my primary site
L2B is definitely more organic and smoother with sound output while keeping technicalities, DC03Pro on the other hand would appear a bit more colored and energetic, but not in a way being hard edged sounding compared to UA3. Both LB2 and DC03Pro however sounds richer when paired to my regular rotation of IEMs (which are practically all of them being neutral bright). So it also depends on what sort of IEMs you will use as the end results will vary due to synergy factor
Hey, so i used to love the classic smooth musical AK sound. Now that they're back i want to try their new chip, I'm thinking of getting the AkLIAM dongle with this same chip and pair it with some Sennheiser headphones. Do you think that will be a good pairing?? Or maybe Truthear Shio or FiiO BTR3K be better? Thanks in advance.
From what I have heard so far, I am actually hearing the AKM now sounding like the standard ESS Sabre, edgy, clinical and lacking analog smoothness. Perhaps it is the way they are tuned. But ultimately I no longer care if they are AKM or anything else, what I have witnessed as well, the very best DAC that I love now is the BURSON Audio Playmate 2 which runs on single ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M. BURSON just like CEntrance and Venture Electronics, they have the expertise to tune any brand of DACs to produce sound that is very well balanced and does not sacrifice on the element of analog timbre. I can't speak for BTR3K, but SHIO is a very good dongle indeed
I must say that technically both are pretty much on par with resolution, imaging, details, spatial staging. However I will admit that UA3 seems to be a bit more spacious with soundstage expanse (because DC03Pro has a bit of frontal presentation)
@@donglemadness Hey Andy! I received my DC03 pro today, which I ordered a week ago after watching your review. It sounds exactly how you described it, and i love it for the most part. Except the soundstage, it is as you said, a bit frontal and not very wide. My return window is open for a week, and i can get the hidzis s9 pro just for 20$ more which I believe is a good deal. Can you please tell me if the hidzis will be better sound and technicality wise? Thank you so much. Edit- I will be using warm iems and headphones.
@@donglemadness Thank you so much for the fast response ❤. I wanted to say I watched your blind test of burned in vs fresh iem, and i loved it. I was wondering if you could the same exact test with dongles, it will be interesting. Because many reviewers said they found a huge difference after burning the cayin ru6. And Thank you so much again for putting out such great content, Really appreciate it.
Thanks Milo! For DT990 Pro especially, I would not recommend UA3 pairing. Else you would get something which can be very sharp and edgy sounding combo (unless that's what you are looking for). Even for DT880 I would still not recommend UA3, not even DT770 as well. Beyerdynamic DT series are just natively bright and UA3 is in fact more at home with the likes of Sennheiser HD series - of which the sound will be more balanced. So for DT990, I would recommend something like Truthear SHIO or even iFi GO Link (within the same price bracket of UA3)
@@Milo_Molnar I am familiar with DT series from 770, 990 and 880, regardless of which variants, DT series shared common DNA of being brighter sounding than the likes of Sennheiser HD series. So yes my recommendation stands
From a smartphone, it plays weakly, despite a good chip, on a par with a PC. It shows itself well with a shanling l3 skabel. And also an alternative to AKM Ovidius b1. But you say that it seems to be snook ohm 24om is not very friendly and you also need a good source or with 24 om headphones from usb 2.0 norms. I looked at Ali, there is a new and cheaper, but used.
¿Funciona en modo USB exclusivo? también podría ser que su sensibilidad auditiva requiera más volumen. Algunas personas necesitan un volumen bajo, otras necesitan mucho más
@@7sagarraut No direct USB option? what device are you using. No USB then you can't attach any dongle to it. I personally never use Apple music so it will be hard for me to suggest
If you can find an iBasso DC04Pro for $100 then that would be the best for EA500. Otherwise you can't go wrong with TRUTHEAR SHIO, Tanchjim Space or if you want a bit more of vibrant sound, iBasso DC03Pro - they are all under $100. EA500 is a very versatile IEM and will sound great with equally great DACs regardless of the sound flavoring
Thank you for such a prompt reply. I prefer a slightly warm but not boomy flavour. I hope DC04 can provide that. I'll do some digging for a good deal.@@donglemadness
I think I'll go with the Xduoo Link2Bal. I remember I had read great things about it on your website. Do you think it will be good for the EA500? I prefer a warm-ish sound, but still want good technicalities.@@donglemadness
@@donglemadness Hey Andy, last question, I promise 😅, which one do you think is better, the iBasso DC04 Pro or the xDuoo Link2Bal? My primary use will be with Simgot EA500, and in the future I'll be using the 7hz Timeless.
What can you recommend other than this dac for non sibalant sound. I see you rate Hidizs S9 with this akm chip pretty high. Just bought this UA3 expecting warm sound so this is very disappointing.
Then you would probably like iFi GO Link or Hidizs Xo better, ESS Sabre DACs that sounded like velvety classic AKM. Or if you want to push for max, gor for CEntrance DACport HD, HIBY FC6, Cayin RU6 or iBasso DC04Pro - all of them analogue, organic yet offering Hi-Fi technicalities. You can also consider the smooth sounding Truthear SHIO
Dear Andy, thank you for your review. it done well and full of useful details. it's not easy. But you should be more careful in your verdicts.
i bought KA5 for my TRN Kirin cause of your positive review of Fiio.
Initially I want to buy shanling ua3 because of AKM.. but i saw your reviews and decide to buy KA5.
especially because you said in your review that UA3 didnt support hardware volume control - it's like a fake..
But you were wrong. Shanling UA3 has a hardware volume control and it's perfect!
You just need to hold stop button to change device volume.
Shanling UA3 with AKM sounds much more interesting to me then Fiio. I've send the KA5 back!
KA5 is good and functional because of screen but to me it sound is much more simple then UA3.
Dear Andy. As soon as you are respectful reviewer you have to read manual more careful before making a judgment.
All the best to everybody! UA3 is really pleasant sounding dongle. really good for it price. Like it much more then KA5.
Regards to all
You are absolutely right in what you say. After holding down the middle button on the UA3, the volume increases to a sufficient level by using the increase button on the UA3. 👏👏
Shanling's house sound is a pretty enjoyable sound signature
Another good review with a precise explanation as only you can do. Another good review with a precise explanation as only you can do.
Thank You!
Just got this Dongle over Months now and use the last filter for me , works best in Desktop use for me :)
Great review, Andy. I'm using this dongle, and from my searching, the best filter for AKM DAC should be Short Delay Slow Roll-off. I also use Low gain for all of my iems and full size, FYI!
Thanks for the tip!
one of the best channels I found lately
Thank You🙏
Andy if you hold the play/pause button for 3 sec or less you will see light blinking, you can then control the hardware volume. This is very good because then we dont have to open app to change hardware volume.
Thanks. I was not even aware of that. Silly me
Thanks for uploading, great review!
My pleasure :D
now i just realized why you use tanchjim zero to test dac.
Hi Andy, I was wondering whether you can review your reference gears first - ideally as a single video.
Like your Shure IEM, Tanjchim, CEntrance etc vs other people's common reference gears (etymotic, moondrop, Sennheiser, sony, dragonfly, etc). I think this helps generalising your impressions.
I really enjoy your in-depth insights on the Dongles btw.
Thanks. That's a great suggestion. The funny thing is, I spent more time using them that I didn't review them at all haha CEntrance DACport HD and B1 does have a review on my primary site
What level would it be according to your organic sound chart?
My man thank you for the information. I’m going to buy this now. Shanling should sponsor you😂😂
My pleasure 🙏
@@donglemadness quick replies too? This deserves a sub thanks for the support😁
Review that I need,, thanks you,,, terima kasih,,🙏
You're welcome
Andy how does this compare against the xduoo L2B and ibasso dc03 pro?
L2B is definitely more organic and smoother with sound output while keeping technicalities, DC03Pro on the other hand would appear a bit more colored and energetic, but not in a way being hard edged sounding compared to UA3. Both LB2 and DC03Pro however sounds richer when paired to my regular rotation of IEMs (which are practically all of them being neutral bright). So it also depends on what sort of IEMs you will use as the end results will vary due to synergy factor
Hey, so i used to love the classic smooth musical AK sound. Now that they're back i want to try their new chip, I'm thinking of getting the AkLIAM dongle with this same chip and pair it with some Sennheiser headphones. Do you think that will be a good pairing?? Or maybe Truthear Shio or FiiO BTR3K be better?
Thanks in advance.
From what I have heard so far, I am actually hearing the AKM now sounding like the standard ESS Sabre, edgy, clinical and lacking analog smoothness. Perhaps it is the way they are tuned. But ultimately I no longer care if they are AKM or anything else, what I have witnessed as well, the very best DAC that I love now is the BURSON Audio Playmate 2 which runs on single ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M. BURSON just like CEntrance and Venture Electronics, they have the expertise to tune any brand of DACs to produce sound that is very well balanced and does not sacrifice on the element of analog timbre.
I can't speak for BTR3K, but SHIO is a very good dongle indeed
Thank you so much for this detailed review. Can you please tell me how would this compare to the ibasso dc03 pro technical wise ?
I must say that technically both are pretty much on par with resolution, imaging, details, spatial staging. However I will admit that UA3 seems to be a bit more spacious with soundstage expanse (because DC03Pro has a bit of frontal presentation)
@@donglemadness Thank you.
@@donglemadness Hey Andy! I received my DC03 pro today, which I ordered a week ago after watching your review. It sounds exactly how you described it, and i love it for the most part. Except the soundstage, it is as you said, a bit frontal and not very wide. My return window is open for a week, and i can get the hidzis s9 pro just for 20$ more which I believe is a good deal. Can you please tell me if the hidzis will be better sound and technicality wise? Thank you so much.
Edit- I will be using warm iems and headphones.
@@rohandebnath3525 No. S9 Pro will be even narrower with soundstage. You already have a superior dongle in hand
@@donglemadness Thank you so much for the fast response ❤. I wanted to say I watched your blind test of burned in vs fresh iem, and i loved it. I was wondering if you could the same exact test with dongles, it will be interesting. Because many reviewers said they found a huge difference after burning the cayin ru6. And Thank you so much again for putting out such great content, Really appreciate it.
Excellent review. Can you recommend Shanling UA3 to Beyerdynamic DT 900 pro x headphones? They have 48 Ohm impedance.
Thanks Milo! For DT990 Pro especially, I would not recommend UA3 pairing. Else you would get something which can be very sharp and edgy sounding combo (unless that's what you are looking for). Even for DT880 I would still not recommend UA3, not even DT770 as well. Beyerdynamic DT series are just natively bright and UA3 is in fact more at home with the likes of Sennheiser HD series - of which the sound will be more balanced. So for DT990, I would recommend something like Truthear SHIO or even iFi GO Link (within the same price bracket of UA3)
@@donglemadness Andy thank you very much for this answer.
Andy you talked about DT 990 but I have DT 900 Pro X. Do you recommend the same dongles as to DT 990 ?
@@Milo_Molnar I am familiar with DT series from 770, 990 and 880, regardless of which variants, DT series shared common DNA of being brighter sounding than the likes of Sennheiser HD series. So yes my recommendation stands
@@donglemadness Thanks.
Firmware for shio 1.1 best sound
Moondrop Dawn review soon? You did say you were gonna cover it, right?
Yes. It is already stated in the upcoming list on my primary site
From a smartphone, it plays weakly, despite a good chip, on a par with a PC. It shows itself well with a shanling l3 skabel. And also an alternative to AKM Ovidius b1. But you say that it seems to be snook ohm 24om is not very friendly and you also need a good source or with 24 om headphones from usb 2.0 norms. I looked at Ali, there is a new and cheaper, but used.
For another AKM chip, you can also check JCally AP7 which I liked more than UA3
4 of 100 de volumen
Como es posible
Tengo los hifiman he400se y lo pongo ah 87 😢😢 en salida balanceada 😢😢😢
¿Funciona en modo USB exclusivo? también podría ser que su sensibilidad auditiva requiera más volumen. Algunas personas necesitan un volumen bajo, otras necesitan mucho más
Which is good dongle to use in India?
We have only apple music for hires audio.
I would not know what's available in India, I am based in Malaysia. I hope someone from India can help you with this
@@donglemadness Which is good to be used with Apple music? It doesn't have direct USB option though.
@@7sagarraut No direct USB option? what device are you using. No USB then you can't attach any dongle to it. I personally never use Apple music so it will be hard for me to suggest
@@donglemadness I mean there is no option in apple music to bypass internal Dac and directly use external Dac.
What level would it be according to your organic sound chart?
UA3 would sit high on the Hi-Fi section, clean and articulate like most ESS Sabre, but lacking organic touch to the sound
Do you have DAC tier list?
Yes, all at my primary site: andyaudiovault.com/donglemadness/
hey andy, it will make warm sound?
Definitely NOT warm sounding this UA3
Hi Andy, which dongle dac will be best for pairing with the Simgot EA500 under $100?
If you can find an iBasso DC04Pro for $100 then that would be the best for EA500. Otherwise you can't go wrong with TRUTHEAR SHIO, Tanchjim Space or if you want a bit more of vibrant sound, iBasso DC03Pro - they are all under $100. EA500 is a very versatile IEM and will sound great with equally great DACs regardless of the sound flavoring
Thank you for such a prompt reply. I prefer a slightly warm but not boomy flavour. I hope DC04 can provide that. I'll do some digging for a good deal.@@donglemadness
I think I'll go with the Xduoo Link2Bal. I remember I had read great things about it on your website. Do you think it will be good for the EA500? I prefer a warm-ish sound, but still want good technicalities.@@donglemadness
@@donglemadness Hey Andy, last question, I promise 😅, which one do you think is better, the iBasso DC04 Pro or the xDuoo Link2Bal? My primary use will be with Simgot EA500, and in the future I'll be using the 7hz Timeless.
@@dudenomad Have you watched my DC04Pro review? The comparison I made were clear I think between those two
When trunning usb exclusive mode on I don't have sound.why?
That doesn't sound right. Could be the USB Bus speed is not set correctly. You need to try different USB Bus Speed
@@donglemadness what does Usb bus speed mean ?
have you ever paired ua3 with truthear hexa?
Unfortunately no. But Hexa is the type of IEM that will sound great with any decent sources. It is an efficient IEM
@@donglemadness thanks for the reply!
What can you recommend other than this dac for non sibalant sound. I see you rate Hidizs S9 with this akm chip pretty high. Just bought this UA3 expecting warm sound so this is very disappointing.
Then you would probably like iFi GO Link or Hidizs Xo better, ESS Sabre DACs that sounded like velvety classic AKM. Or if you want to push for max, gor for CEntrance DACport HD, HIBY FC6, Cayin RU6 or iBasso DC04Pro - all of them analogue, organic yet offering Hi-Fi technicalities. You can also consider the smooth sounding Truthear SHIO
@@donglemadness thanks very much
@@donglemadness I think, can we add your last reviewed Fiio Q11 to that list.
@@mmail4700 Yes of course!