Shanling H2 Portable DAC/Amp

Shanling has recently released H2 Portable DAC/Amp which caught my attention. As I previously modded my Chord Mojo to have its Bluetooth receiver (Chord Mojo Bluetooth Receiver), I noticed that I like this type of form factor – a DAC/Amp with a built-in Bluetooth Receiver.

I find myself using this setup extensively, especially when paired with my wired IEM. It seamlessly connects to various audio sources such as my Android phone, DAP, Desktop PC, Laptop, and tablet. Given the increasing trend of devices abandoning the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, this form factor becomes a crucial solution, providing a high-quality wireless 3.5mm jack.

Under this DAC/Amp form factor, Shanling H2 is the latest addition. The previous releases are Shanling H7 and Shanling H5.

Shanling H7, the big brother, priced at USD829, most powerful and biggest size in the family.

Shanling H5, the mid-tier, priced at USD369, similar design to H7, smaller size.

Shanling H2, the latest release, priced at USD169 (promotion with the free leather case now), the smallest in the family, and in my personal opinion, the best-looking one.

Few things that I liked about it, even before getting the unit (I’ve already placed order, now is the waiting game):

  • The size is portable, similar or slightly smaller to the size of my Chord Mojo + Bluetooth Receiver
  • It supports LDAC Bluetooth for high quality wireless audio, and USB-C DAC for wired lossless audio from smartphone or PC
  • It has a micro sdcard slot, which is another feature that is slowly missing from the latest smartphone. According to others’ reviews for H5 and H7, you can browse the songs on the micro sdcard from your connected smartphone and have it played lossless through H2 to your wired headphone. You can also choose to playback directly on the device without your smartphone.
  • the design, with 2 knobs, and the very good-looking leather case

I have already placed my order for a black colour unit, with a free leather case. Will definitely write another article after getting my hands on the unit.

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