Shanling UP5 Vs FiiO BTR5: What's New With the Latest Bluetooth DAC/AMP from Shanling!!

As a successor to the highly-acclaimed UP4 Bluetooth DAC/AMP device Shanling released its latest flagship UP5 Portable Bluetooth USB DAC/AMP last week. UP5 changes the game for Bluetooth Portable DAC/AMP entirely. It brings a high-quality XMOS USB receiver that enables high-res audio decoding over USB connections with the UP5. P UP5 is the current flagship Bluetooth DAC/AMP in Shanling’s lineup. Today we are gonna put it up against the award-winning FiiO BTR5 Bluetooth DAC/AMP. BTR5 has grabbed a lot of positive feedback ever since it is released. It is a hot seller in the category. Let’s check out what Shanling has done with the UP5 and how good is it in comparison with the FiiO’s current flagship Bluetooth DAC/AMP.

Technical Comparison:-

Latest Generation Dual DAC Chipset:-

Shanling UP5 features the latest, third generation of Sabre DAC chipset. It is equipped with two ES9219C DAC chips(Same as with their latest M3X Android Music Player) while the BTR5 uses a previous-generation ES9218P Dual DAC chipset. This latest-generation chipset in the UP5 allows it to achieve better channel separation with better SNR and THD+N ratings contributing to a cleaner output in comparison to the previous generation in BTR5.

Advanced Bluetooth Chip:-

Similar to the latest-generation DAC chip, UP5 utilizes the power of the latest-generation Bluetooth connectivity chip from Qualcomm. Shanling has equipped the UP5 with a QCC5120 Bluetooth chip that is a low-power consumption and high-performance Bluetooth chipset. CSR8675 equipped in the BTR5 is also a low-power, high-performance Bluetooth chip in BTR5. QCC5120 provides better power management over the CSR8675 in the BTR5 and results in overall better battery life while maintaining premium performance and stable connectivity. Shanling UP5 features an extra LHDC wireless codec along with the regular LDAC, AptX HD, AptX LL, SBC, AAC with the BTR5.

More Headphone Connection Option:-

Shanling UP5 features an extra headphone output port over the BTR5. BTR5 featured 2.5mm Balanced and 3.5mm single-ended headphone output ports, but the new UP5 adds an extra 4.4mm balanced connection with the other two ports. So the UP5 supports the latest pentaconn 4.4mm headphone termination too.

Cleaner & More Powerful Output-

Shanling UP5 thanks to the latest-gen DAC system provides a cleaner output among the two with better channel separation, improved SNR, and lower THD+N distortion ratings. It also has more power in the output signal with an output power rating of up to 112mW@ 32 ohms on single-ended connection(Dual DAC mode). BTR5 has an output power of up to 80mW through the single-ended port. Though this increased output power is not seen in balanced connections, where both the BTR5 and UP5 achieve 240mW@32 Ohms. UP5 achieves lower output impedance ratings making it more suitable with hyper-sensitive headphones.

Better Microphone:-

Shanling UP5 uses a high-quality SiSonic HD microphone instead of a standard mic found in the BTR5. While BTR5 voice quality was also pretty good, the UP5 provides crispier and cleaner voice transmissions.

MQA Support:-

Shanling UP5 brings the support for MQA decoding via USB connection in the Bluetooth DAC/AMPs market. Both the BTR5 and UP5 provide hi-res audio signal decoding over USB connections as both use the same XMOS XU208 USB chip. But the latest Up5 also supports MQA decoding support that is not available with BTR5.

Bigger, Better Battery:-

Shanling UP5 is equipped with a bigger 680mAh battery while the BTR5 houses a 550mAh battery. As expected with a bigger battery paired with high-quality engineering, Shanling UP5 provides a continuous playback for up to 15 hours(single-DAC), even with balanced connections(Dual DAC mode only), UP5 provides up to 11 hours of continuous music playback. BTR5 has a battery life of up to 9 hours on single-ended mode and up to 7 hours on balanced connection mode.

Bigger OLED Display:-

Both the Shanling UP5 and FiiO BTR5 features an OLED display right on the front of the device. Shanling UP5 has a larger 0.96” display while the BTR5 has a 0.49” smaller display among the two. This display on both the devices shows different settings such as active Bluetooth codec, Battery life, and more information.

Better Driveability:-

With better power output, two-level gain mode, Better DAC, and advanced Qualcomm Bluetooth Chip the UP5 provides better drivability for your HiFi IEMs and Headphones. It is suitable for both high-power demanding as well as sensitive headphones providing them with a clean and powerful output.

Heavier Build Quality & Better Set of Accessories:-

Shanling UP5 has a better build quality with a slightly heavier and bigger body than the BTR5. Though both the devices look quite identical. Shanling UP5 has a better set of bundled accessories packing a leather case inside the package. BTR5 comes with a standard plastic case.

Final Words:-

While the FiiO BTR5 is an amazing device, Shanling UP5 does everything it does with more advanced features that contribute to its improved performance. Shanling has implemented the latest generation DAC, Advanced Bluetooth Chip, a 4.4mm balanced headphone port, better battery life, MQA decoding, bigger OLED display, and many more features that make the UP5 an amazing choice for 2021!! But all these features come at a cost, BTR5 is available for 109.99$, the Shanling UP5 is priced at 179.99$. For the price BTR5 still rocks its category but with an open budget, the UP5 offers more advanced features. You can purchase both the UP5 and BTR5 from our store.