Shanling ET-3 CD Transport Review - Golden Schlong Worthy

Wow, what a Karen move.

 

The Shandling looks a fantastic piece of gear, looking for an i2s CD Transport to go with my PS Audio Directstream dac.
Love this thing, looks perfect.

A question please?
Regarding DSD playback, the Shanling site taks of *.iso format compatability?

Can I confirm this covers iso SACD rips, and would it pass the DSD layer to my Dac from my Iso backups?

I'm assuming thats Iso playback from a USB drive connected to the ET3?


Thanks for any answers, really enjoyed reading this thread.

 

Yes, ET3 can read .iso files from USB drivers and run them over I2S.

Just watch out for DST compression, that is not supported by our system.


And RIP to Garry Shandling, we still get sometimes tagged on Twitter by his fans by accident.

 

Perfect,
thanks for that answer.

My Oppo 203 lost that ability a few firmware updates back, be great to have it back.
The Shanling guys really have thought of everything, a forward looking bit of gear.

 

I bought the Shanling ET3 primarily based on the articles here. Very happy with it after only 20 hours playing. Previously I had the Audiolab 7000CDT but had bad problems with it vibrating and making a loud noise on CD playback. After experiencing exactly the same problem with 2 units my dealer let me exchange it for the Shanling with a cash adjustment. Wow what an upgrade!
Compared to the Audiolab the Shanling has more detail and separation. Bass is deeper too. Every CD I've listened to I'm hearing new things and lyrics are clearer. No problems with vibration or excessive noise either. I've set it to 192khz using the Coax output. Love the top loading set up as it seems to run cooler than the usual drawer loader, allows me to re-sit any problem CD correctly, loading a new CD is more involving and aesthetically pleasing.
Bad points? The manual does not explain the menu options available but I've managed to blunder my way to set it up for simple CD playback at 192khz.
Overall the Shanling for me is a real ear opener. Thanks to all who helped me decide on the upgrade.

 

Hi, we have Advanced User manual linked on our website and it goes into more details over all the settings: https://en.shanling.com/download/105

 

Hi, I've had my ET3 for a few days now, This was to be used as a CDT into my Everolo DMPA6 which is connect via optical to a pair of devialet phantom 1's (only wired connection available) The main reason was for quality gapless CD playback, which my various CD drives don't do.
I have connected the ET3 directly to the phantoms and have to say they do sound better - will compare at the weekend.

I'm having an issue connecting via BT to my iphone on the ET3 - I'll connect my phone first and it connects - the ET3 screen shows connection. When opening a music app and playing content the connection drops. I reconnect and the ET3 and phone shows connection but I have no sound. I tried to power off pressing the knob on the front but it would not turn off no matter how long or how many times it was pressed. I ended up using the switch at the rear. Tried BT connection again and it worked!
Is this product known to be glitchy or is this a sign that my unit may be faulty? I need a unit that will connect first time especially when the family use it as I did have similar issues with the Eversolo and the family now tend to not bother with it as "it's too much hassle trying to connect".
Also it there a way of adding a BT dongle to enable BT connections to powered speakers?
Thanks

 

Damn, the A6 is not seeing the ET3 when it's connected to the same USB input used for CD drives.

 

Please which firmware version are you running? Latest firmware is V1.6: https://en.shanling.com/article-CDUpdateDec23.html

And are you trying to use your phone for SyncLink connection or as a simple music source for ET3 working as Bluetooth receiver?

CD Drive input on A6 is made for USB CD Drives for CD Ripping. USB output on ET3 is designed as a digital transport to USB DACs, it will not work as CD Ripper for your A6.

 

fw 1.6

 

Hi I bought recently the ET3 because it has an USB audio output and my player DAC (3D LAbs platinum player) https://www.3d-lab-av.com/nano-network-player-51.html
The player works well with the hifirose CD transport RSA780 but it has no eject. I can operate it vis mconnect .
But I haven't found a way to connect the ET3. In formation does't flow to the player. It has to be some setting. The ·D labs plater is set as DLNA server.
Any ideas?

 

This french Nano Network player is your DAC which you have connected to ET3, correct?

Checking on its product page, I don't see any USB DAC data input on it. It just has a few USB ports that are for USB drives only (for its local system to play from the stored files).

Overall it doesn't seem to have any digital inputs, so there is no way how to connect ET3 to such device.

Your Hi-Fi Rose is not a transport, it's just a fancy CD Drive. It works on a different principle than normal Hi-Fi digital transports.

 

It seems the MusicTeck website doesn’t even know about the ET3 even existing, let alone just being “out of stock”.

@Bina do you have any other US authorized distributors? And/or is there an overall shortage/lack of ET3’s versus will it become back in stock either there, or another US distributor?
thanks in advance

 

We are switching to a new dedicated CD player distributor in USA. We should have new dealers starting in middle of September and they will be providing a wider range of our CD players to USA market.

 

Thanks for the quick response, @Bina Appreciate it! Will be on the lookout

 

Thank you for the reply. Tried it with a DAC (Synthesis Roma 69 ) via USB and works well.
Just wanted to ask if I2S is better and if I get a DAC with I2S how to be sure the connection will work since there is no fixed protocol.

 

I found the I2S provides the best sound on the DACs we tested (sometimes with DSD upsampling, sometimes just without SRC, depending on the DAC).

You can find ET3 pinout in its manual and then you need to compare it with pinout of I2S on your DAC. We use the more common pinout, but I2S can vary. Depending on which pins are not matching, it can play fine, it can play fine for PCM only or it can be completely silent.

Worst case, you can get a custom-made HDMI cable, there is a bunch of affordable sellers on Aliexpress that simply ask for which devices you need to connect and will make you exactly matching cable.

 

1.7 firmware just dropped today and it's amazing. DLNA now has gapless so I can use Audirvana again. This thing is a bonafide streamer now in addition to already being a great CD player.

Yay!