Shanling ET-3 CD Transport Review - Golden Schlong Worthy

My urgency just went up a notch. My almost 30 year old CAL Delta transport finally died. Sniff.

@Bina any update on US distributed/authorized reseller yet?

 

Upgrading to 1.7 on my ET3 is now not letting me connect to the network. Lost my ability to stream so far.

 

Here is link to V1.7 Firmware update for evrybody:

https://en.shanling.com/article-ET3v17.html

We now got a few new ones:


Gig Harbor Audio LLC

3019 Judson Street, Suite A Gig Harbor WA 98335

WA

253-313-4699

https://www.gigharboraudio.com/
[email protected]


Fidelis AV

460 Amherst Street Nashua NH 03063

NH

603-880-4434

https://fidelisav.com/
[email protected]


Kazoo Audio

3263 W. Centre Portage MI 49024

MI

269-321-9300

https://kazooaudio.com/
[email protected]


Audio Art Cable

4665 Altadena Avenue San Diego CA 92115

CA

619-255-6451

https://audioartcable.com/
[email protected]


Gramophone LTD

4 West Aylesbury Road Timonium MD 21093

MD

410-308-1650

https://www.gramophone.com/
[email protected]

We updated the Wi-Fi connecting system, it might be best to do a factory reset and then connect again.
If there will be any issue, please let me know, we can downgrade to older firmware and report your case to engineers.

 

You might have to re-establish. WiFi can be a bear sometimes. I had the same issue at the beginning last night for a couple of minutes at first and then it was fine. If it's a problem at first also keep Eddict Player open along with your DLNA program. It seems to help sometimes to have Eddict Player open even if you arent using it.

 

@Bina thank you, and hurray! Fidel is is 35 minutes from my house… for the win!

 

Turns out that my wifi issue with the 1.7 firmware was user error.

I usually select the ET3 in mconnect while the ET3 is in the CD mode. Now when in CD mode mconnect does not show ET3 as an option. However I noticed that the ET3 has a DLNA mode and when in that mode mconnect shows the ET3 and allows me to connect. Working great now. I like it even better because mconnect can't override a CD while it is playing.

 

I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else. There is a new, much more simple CD transport from Shanling called the CR60. It is supposed to be released already but I am only seeing preorder links from very few locations. Hopefully this becomes available soon. I think the CR60 gives me what I want where the ET-3 is overkill.

USBC powered which is weird, but there is also a DC barrel jack so I imagine you could throw an IFI fancy power wart on there and call it good.

 

Looks like it could be a nice portable solution. Personally would not recommend it with iFi power as a transport unless you absolutely could not afford the 350 more for ET3.

 

For the ones wondering:

CR60 will be available before the end of September at just 269 USD MSRP

 

CR60 also rips a CD to a USB drive or to your phone, this is very convenient if there is a large existing library.

 

I’m thinking of getting one. Major caveat seems to be that ripping is entirely non-standard: it exposes the audio as a disc with WAV files for you to only copy from it. Standard ripping tools will not work, as they won’t identify it as an audio disc. Transcoding and tagging will have to be done manually after copying.

 

I came here exactly to say this, since i read it on another forum. What the hell was Shanling thinking by going through a non-standard ripping method?!

 

It was released internationally, local availability might differ depending on the exact stock situation.

For USA, we have a new distributor and new dealers for CD players, they should be getting re-stock of CR60 soon:
https://en.shanling.com/article-USADistro.html


For the ones interested in using it as CD Ripper, you can check this guide for the exact process: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RC4nKcsryD_pcYPEnzzj_UfuETXEw230/view?usp=drive_link

Regarding the solution, it's the best what can be done with the used hardware. While it doesn't work with the CD Ripping softwares on Windows, going from the ripped WAV Files to tagged FLAC files can be done quickly and easily with other software.

If you prefer to use the standard CD Ripping software, that will work with any basic USB CD Drive at 20 USD.

 

Doesn't look like the new firmware is adding any new feature (the native app sucks so SyncLink is of no use to me). If it ain't broke, don't fix it I guess. I think ET3 is great as is - recently discovered ET3 already supported Airplay lossless streaming.

 

Streaming on my ET3 was working fine until recently. When using mconnect it will not let a song play completely through. It will cut the song off in the last 20 seconds or so then move to the next track. Then the next track will not play automatically like it did before. Did not change any settings. Mconnect is still working normal with even gapless playback on an iFi streamer in another system. Any thoughts on what may have gone wrong or what can be done to correct?

 

Hello Bina,
Just ordered the ET3 from us distributor Forte. My question: does it come with v1.7?
Thanks very much
Brian in Seattle

 

Please try to disable gapless option in the Mconnect setting for ET3.

We normally update firmware as the units are built. So it depends on when exactly was that unit shipped out to USA.

When you get it, go to System setting and there you can check current firmware version.

 

Has anyone tried to use just the CD transport and turn off bluetooth, wifi and link function (so turned off the internal radio)? I was thinking about noise reduction and tried this config. I must say the CD sounded more relaxed and fuller sounding through the USB output. The sound through the transport is very close to ripped CD via Jriver to my Linn Akurate streamer (I think Linn still has a slight edge in being more slightly more detailed while being slightly more laid back at the same time).

How much better can a high-end dedicated CD transport (I was looking at one of the Emm Labs CD transports) improve the sound?

 

I'm new here. Happy New Year to you all !

I'm thinking about buying the ET3 ....to replace an aging Simaudio D260 (used as CDT using AES)
Good that Vinyl Valt had his problem solved about defect SACD 1.3....it should never had gone that far - lesson learned for policy decision makers in the company !

....and questions to Bina / Shanling.
I have a Topping DAC D90SE and want to connect with I2S but the pin config is not directly compatible wirh ET3:

I should swap no. 15 and 16 and possible no. 17 and 19.
Now; I have the network streamer SMSL SD-9 connected directly over I2S to the D90SE. That is; I will be one I2S short if I buy ET3. Can I solve the two problems with a HDMI switch box (bi-directional) 1 in/out connected to D90SE and 2 in/out on the other side of the box to the ET3 and the SD-9. Fixing (Cut wires, swap and solding), the pin config inside the box for the one ment for ET3. There are screws on the side of the box so I should be able to open it.
HDMI Switch 4K - Nedis - 159 DKK
Can you; Bina or any other member see any problems with this suggestion ? What about noise ?
Next question to Bina:
I live in Denmark and non of the officially registrered (on the Shanling webpage) dealers in Denmark has the ET3 right now. I have found this dealer in France: www.son-video.com ....who also has a reasonable price - not all dealers have !...and a nice Trustpilot record too...
They have shipping arrangements with a lot of countries including Denmark.
Is this dealer an official Shanling dealer who are in contact with the International group at Shanling support and can this dealer receive relevant spare parts from Shanling for guarantee repairs ?

Regards and Thanks

 

Can confirm Son-Video is our official dealer.
Another alternative is Audiophonics, also French based dealer.

For the switch box, not something I can 100% comment on, but assuming you would be able to change the pinout within the box, it might work.

If the mismatch is just on DSD pins, if you don't play DSD or upsample to DSD, CDs will work just fine with the Topping.