Truthear Shio, Shanling UA2 Plus and Hidizs XO Dongle Shootout – ‘Cos You Can Never Have Enough Portable Audio Gear
A critical review of the Truthear Ship, Shanling UA2 Plus, and Hidizs XO dongle DACs.
$70 seems to be the sweet spot for good dongles, with ubiquitous exemplars like the Hidisz S3, iFi Go and Moondrop Dawn. The $70 Truthear Shio doesn’t sound exponentially better than its peers but does offer a 4.4mm balanced jack, a useful volume control and good driving power, especially in high-gain mode—it drove my demanding Senn 650 capably while more sensitive (16-32 Ohm) IEMs maintained their composure and avoided sharpness or shrillness at high volumes.
Less forward and energized than the S3, the Shio hews closer to the neutral-sounding, uncolored Moondrop, perhaps with a somewhat tighter, more sculpted bass. The Shio (like the Moondrop) is an excellent choice for those who want to hear the music exactly as recorded.
The $90 UA2 Plus opts for a brighter, bolder presentation with more high end detail and sizzle; cymbals and high hats sound very crisp and attack transients are very quick. Quite mid-forward (bass is a bit restrained and vocals have a larger-than-life presence and emphasis), with a full-bodied, but well-sculpted note texture. Soundstage seems wider than the Shio’s, and resolution is very high.
It’s a gutsy, exciting signature but over-etched and unnatural at times—your ears get drawn to the individual elements rather than to the cohesive whole. These do pair well with and add some juice to warmer or more reference-tuned phones, though I prefer a less hopped-up dongle for daily use.
The $99 Hidizs XO takes the bright ballsy delivery of the UA2 Plus and amps it up to 11—this MFer plays LOUD, with a giant booming bass and a rich, larger-than-life tone. As with the UA2 Plus, it’s an ear-catching sound which places instruments very accurately across an expansive, 3-D stage. However, like Cerwin-Vega speakers, some refinement is lost amidst the sonic furor—everything sounds over-caffeinated and the low-end emphasis tends to blur some fine nuances.
I also struggle to understand the inclusion of the flashing lights (perhaps there are more Deadheads in Hong Kong than generally known?)—they are the DAC equivalent of spinning rims. Like the UA2 Pro, the XO can enliven flatter pieces, but ultimately I characterize the XO as fun but inessential.
All of the above have their merits, and none registered as poor value, but the Truthear was the best-balanced of the lot and would be my pick for all but the most power-hungry phones. If nothing else, this little exercise should be irrefutable proof that not all dac/dongles sound the same.
