The portable CD player has perhaps never been so trendy. Following on from the highly acclaimed Shanling EC Zero, the Chinese manufacturer is continuing its push to reclaim the CD market with a new, more affordable and compact model: the Shanling EC Play. Designed to recapture the simple pleasure of listening to a CD anywhere, this new player combines retro design, modern functions with a 32-bit DAC, bi-directional Bluetooth and powerful headphone amplification in a particularly portable format.
A portable CD player designed for everyday use
After the highly ambitious Shanling EC Zero T with R2R and tube DACs, followed by the Shanling EC Zero AKM, here Shanling returns to a much simpler philosophy: recreate the CD player experience of the 1990s and 2000s with the comfort of today’s technologies. The Shanling EC Play adopts a more compact and lighter format than its predecessors, weighing in at just 418 grams. Its aluminum chassis, however, retains the manufacturer’s usual meticulous, robust design. Physical controls make it easy to control playback without relying on a smartphone app, while a small 1.12″ screen provides access to settings directly from the device. All this is powered by a 3450 mAh battery offering up to 12 hours of continuous playback. Enough to enjoy several albums without having to search for a power outlet.
Stable playback, even on the move
Like the brand’s previous models, the Shanling EC Play uses an active magnetic disc-holding system. This design perfectly stabilizes the CD during playback, minimizing errors and skipping, even when the player is moved or used while walking. Compatible with CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs, the Shanling EC Play also ensures gapless playback, so that tracks can be played without interruption – a particularly important feature for live albums, classical music or certain concept albums.
Cirrus Logic DAC and headphone amp
The Shanling EC Play player retains a particularly serious audio architecture, with a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC ensuring perfect conversion of audio streams. Thanks to its USB-C port, it can work as a USB DAC, with support for Hi-Res formats up to 32-bit / 384 kHz and DSD256.
The headphone amplifier built into the Shanling EC Play player uses two SGM8262 modules to power both in-ear monitors and more demanding hi-fi headphones. The player features an unbalanced 3.5 mm mini-jack headphone output, as well as a balanced 4.4 mm jack output. On the latter, power reaches up to 700 mW into 32 ohms at high gain, compared with 177 mW on the unbalanced output. Thanks to its low background noise and very low output impedance, the Shanling EC Play should also be perfectly suited to sensitive earbuds.
Bluetooth, USB DAC and digital output
In addition to CD playback, the Shanling EC Play benefits from several modern functions that considerably enhance its versatility. For example, it can function as a Bluetooth 6.0 receiver to stream music from a smartphone directly to its DAC and headphone amplification section. Both AAC and LDAC codecs are supported, so you can enjoy high-quality sound wirelessly. Note that this module is bi-directional, so you can also stream your discs directly to a wireless speaker or to Bluetooth headphones.
The Shanling EC Play can also be used as a USB DAC, with support for Hi-Res files. Finally, a coaxial SPDIF digital output in mini-jack 3.5 mm format enables the player to be connected to an external hi-fi DAC, making it easy to integrate CD playback into a sedentary installation. With the Shanling EC Play, the Chinese manufacturer confirms that the CD isn’t going away just yet. Compact, modern and versatile, this new model is designed for both fans of physical media and users simply wishing to rediscover the pleasure of listening to a full album, away from streaming and constant notifications. More affordable than previous Shanling CD players, while retaining a serious design and powerful amplification, the Shanling EC Play is now available to pre-order on Son-Vidéo.com at a price of €219.
