The M6 Pro has always been one step ahead of the M6 in terms of chipset and performance. The Shanling M6 Pro 21 is no exception, with a high-performance dual-DAC chipset housing two flagship-grade ES9068AS DAC chips, made by ESS Sabre Technologies. Its capable of providing exceptional high-resolution audio signal decoding with ultra-low distortion and high SNR ratings. This DAP has many features such as octa-core Snapdragon 430 CPU, two-way high-resolution Bluetooth support, Open Android 7.1 OS with global hi-res lossless support, etc.
Earlier we already published a summary of the Headfonia review of this DAP by Shanling. Headfonics also just published a great review, which is definitely worth reading.
Their final verdict has an editorial score of 9 out of 10 mentioning the M6 Pro 21 is a top-notch player with a great balance between performance and design, whilst retaining their dense, powerful signature tuning. This is a highly completed and elegantly tuned design with great value for the price.
Most interesting part of the review is the sound impression: “Out of the box, the newer 2021 rendition of the M6 Pro sounds more open and resolving while boosting an even more dynamic performance than the original build. The house tuning is dense, with meaty mid-lows, and a precise treble are all still going strong after switching to the ESS chipset” . Add to this the expanded sound stage, natural textures  and focused vocals, James of Headfonics defines this as a true and definite upgrade to the former series.
James pairs the M6 Pro 21 with Final Audio A8000, Etymotic Evo and ME700 from Shanling. The power from the M6 Pro 21 is one of the real bonuses for IEM’s that need just a little more power. He also compares this DAP from Shanling with the FiiO M11 Plus LTD , which also had a recent change from AKM to ESS, which makes it interesting as well. Next to this the M6 Pro 21 goes head to head with the M6 21.
A great extensive review, that should be read if you are in the market for a new audio player. Please click the link for the complete Headfonics review of the Shanling M6 Pro 21.
Shanling M6 Pro 21 MSRP €799 incl. VAT
Available in Black Gold or Titanium Gold
