Compare Shanling UP5 and FiiO BTR5 – The Future of Portable Bluetooth DAC AMP

amazon Compare Shanling UP5 and FiiO BTR5 reviews

Following DAC/AMP Bluetooth UP4, Shanling continues to launch an upgraded version of Shanling UP5 with more improvements. UP5 has completely changed the playing field of DAC/AMP Bluetooth Portable by being equipped with the most advanced USB Interface XMOS to decode Hi-res Audio via USB port. Today we’re going to compare the UP5 with its award-winning audio competitor, the FiiO BTR5.

NEW GENERATION DAC Chips

Shanling UP5 is carrying the latest generation DAC chip, Saber DAC Gen 3. Dual DAC ES9219C (Same as Shanling M3X) while FiiO BTR5 is equipped with Dual DAC ES9218P. The latest generation of DAC chips makes it possible for UP5 to achieve better separation between channels with better SNR ratio and THD+N dynamics for cleaner output than BTR5.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE BLUETOOTH CHIP

Like the new generation DAC chip, Shanling UP5 is also equipped with the latest Bluetooth chip from Qualcomm. Shanling has brought the latest Bluetooth chip, QCC5120, to the UP5. QCC5120 is a low-power and extremely powerful Bluetooth chip. The CSR8675 chip on the FiiO BTR5 is also similar but has been around for a long time. The new QCC5120 Bluetooth chip on the UP5 provides better power management than the CSR8675 chip on the Fiio BTR5 and results in longer battery life while ensuring stable performance and connectivity. Shanling UP5 is equipped with LHDC wireless codec in parallel with familiar codecs such as LDAC, AptX HD, AptX LL, SBC, AAC like on BTR5.

“LHDC (Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec) – is a codec that supports streaming hi-res audio over Bluetooth with bitrates up to 900kbps, bit-depth up to 24 bits and sample rates up to 96kHz.”

MORE OUTPUT PORTS

Compared with the two ports, 3.5SE and 2.5 Balanced on FiiO BTR5, Shanling UP5 has an additional 4.4 Balanced port. So with three output ports, it is extremely easy to combine many types of headphones on Shanling UP5.

Thanks to the latest DAC chip on Shanling UP5 that helps to provide separation between channels for cleaner sound output and improved power. If on the 3.5SE port, the BTR5 has an output of 80mW at 32Ohm, the UP5 is 112mW at 32Ohm. However, the power on the Balanced port is the same; both have an output of 240mW at 32Ohm. With a lower output impedance, the UP5 is easier to match headphones with higher sensitivity than the FiiO BTR5.

MICRO IS BETTER

Although the FiiO BTR5 has a standard microphone, it still can talk with very good sound quality. SShanling UP5 with high-quality conversational mic SiSonic HD is much better than BTR5, with more detailed and clearer sound quality when talking.

SUPPORT MQA CODE

Shanling UP5 with 8x MQA decoding via USB port. Both use the same USB Interface XMOS XU208 for Hi-res decoding, but only UP5 supports MQA decoding.

BETTER BATTERY LIFE

Shanling UP5 is equipped with a battery with a larger capacity of 680mAh than 550mAh on the BTR5. In addition, thanks to the latest Bluetooth chip, the usage time on the UP5 is improved when it can operate for 15 hours in SE mode and up to 11 hours continuously in Balanced mode. While on the BTR5, it is 9 hours in SE mode and 7 hours in Balanced mode, respectively.

BIGGER DISPLAYS

Both have OLED displays on the front of the product. However, Shanling UP5 has a larger screen of 0.96″, while the screen in FiiO BTR5 is 0.49″. Both screens display different parameters such as Bluetooth Codec, battery life, etc.

BETTER ACCESSORIES

Shanling UP5 has a better set of accessories with the included leather case than the FiiO BTR5, which only has a transparent plastic case.

SUMMARY

FiiO BTR5 is a very good value-for-money Bluetooth DAC/AMP product, but in all respects, Shanling UP5 has proved to be superior in all aspects. Shanling UP5 has a new generation DAC chip, high-performance Bluetooth chip, added 4.4 Balanced port, longer lifetime, MQA decoding, larger display, and many other features that make Shanling’s Flagship UP5 a great choice of 2021.

where can you get a Shanling UP5 online

Shanling UP5 Bluetooth Amplifier: Buy it now

ldy Shanling UP5 Dual ES9212C Balanced Bluetooth Decoding Headphone Amplifier USB DAC to 384K/ DSD256 3.5/2.5/4.4mm Headphones Jack: Buy it now

where can you get a FiiO BTR5 online

FiiO BTR5-384K/32Bit Native DSD256 Hi-Res CSR8675 Bluetooth5.0 Receiver/USB DAC/DSD Headphone Amp with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC (3.5mm Unbalanced&2.5mm Balanced Output, Black): Buy it now