Chinese audio manufacturer Shanling has announced the launch of its new SM1.3 music streamer. Billed as a "feature-packed streamer" which offers "cutting-edge tech" in a compact, simple-to-use package, the new unit's premium price of £1199 / $1199 / €1199 puts it in a space with formidable competition from the likes of Cambridge Audio's five-star CXN100 (£899 / $1049 / AU$1899) and the Award-winning EXN100 (£1599 / $1799).
Shanling recently unveiled a pair of wired luxury headphones – the HW600 – to take on the might of the Focal Clear Mg, and now it is turning attention to music streamers in a bid to make a splash in this increasingly competitive market. To do this, the new SM1.3 uses an AKM4499EX DAC which, when combined with the streamer's AK4191 Modulator, aims to deliver "a new sonic standard at this price".
The new streamer runs on customised Android 12 operating software, is DNLA-compatible and is able to stream music from NAS drives on the same network. Crucially, the compact unit supports playback of hi-res files up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM, DSD512 and MQA.
Shanling's streamer offers support for a wide array of streaming platforms including Tidal, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. Wi-Fi 6 is supported alongside AirPlay 2, while a dedicated ethernet port means you can connect the SM1.3 to your home network using a physical tether. Bluetooth 5.2 is on board, with the higher-quality LDAC and aptX HD codecs both supported.
In terms of physical connections, the SM1.3 offers optical and coaxial alongside RCA and XLR analogue outputs. The new streamer houses coaxial and optical inputs alongside multiple USB inputs and an M.2 SSD slot, meaning you can access stored digital music collections directly via your network player. For private listening, there's also a headphone port at the front of the new network player.
Rather like the Eversolo DMP-A6, Shanling's new unit sports a "clear, fast and responsive" 5.8-inch touchscreen flanked by physical buttons for playing, pausing and skipping tracks, as well as a large rotary dial for adjusting the volume. The SM1.3 can also be controlled via the Eddict app, available for Android and iOS devices.
The Shanling SM1.3 will be available from November 8th, priced at £1199 / $1199 / €1199.
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