Shanling ET-3 CD Transport Review - Golden Schlong Worthy

Just replied to your email.

 

Thank you for your help.
Everything works fine now.

 

Where is the bass?

When I play CDs using my Oppo 205 connected to a subwoofer, the bass signal comes out from the subwoofer.

When I connect the ET3 to the Oppo 205 using the coaxial or USB option (using the Oppo's DACs and the ET as a transport), the subwoofer doesn't produce any bass.

Any idea how I can get the bass back?

Thank you.

 

ET3 simply sends digital data to the DAC. It would have nothing to do with such output splitting.

In this case you need to check on the Oppo and how it works when used in DAC mode compared to CD drive. If there is some settings for this or some limitations on digital inputs.

 

"ET3 simply sends digital data to the DAC. It would have nothing to do with such output splitting."

That is also my understanding.

"In this case you need to check on the Oppo and how it works when used in DAC mode compared to CD drive. If there is some settings for this or some limitations on digital inputs."

I checked with Oppo and got this answer:

"When using the digital inputs like the USB DAC, the signal is a direct feed to the DAC, so no bass management is applied....so there will not be any output via SW."

Thank you for your input.

 

Oppo is telling you that their product does not allow for subwoofer output when using an external CD player/DAC input to its own DAC, and so subwoofer output only is available when using its internal CD player. This is a limitation of their product, not the Shanling. You would need to find some other solution for the sub. Many amplifiers and receivers would allow for connecting line level outputs to a sub. What is after the Oppo?

 

If I get the Shanling SCD 1.3 player and connect it directly to a pair of mono block amplifiers, how do I connect a subwoofer to this set up?

 

It depends on the capabilities/inputs of your subwoofer. Just consult your sub’s manual for options to connect and then search out a how to for connecting a sub with those input options. You’re usually looking at high-level or low-level inputs or both with multiple options for connecting both.

 

A critical thing is whether the subwoofer has stereo or only mono inputs. If it has stereo RCA low level inputs, all you need is a couple of RCA Y splitters to send the signals to both subwoofer and amps. If the subwoofer only has mono input, you'll additionally need a stereo-to-mono converter.

Some other variations may be possible if the subwoofer also has XLR or high (speaker) level inputs. If you have the subwoofer already, what is the brand/model?

 

"A critical thing is whether the subwoofer has stereo or only mono inputs. If it has stereo RCA low level inputs, all you need is a couple of RCA Y splitters to send the signals to both subwoofer and amps. If the subwoofer only has mono input, you'll additionally need a stereo-to-mono converter.

Some other variations may be possible if the subwoofer also has XLR or high (speaker) level inputs. If you have the subwoofer already, what is the brand/model?"

I have the Rythmik F12G.

 

It looks like there are both low-level RCA stereo inputs and high-level binding post inputs for the F12G from a picture of its back panel. Just use the RCA Y splitters @Metro recommended from the RCA outs on the SCD 1.3 to split the L/R signals to the monoblocks and the sub. This would also work to split the RCA outs from the Oppo 205 to monoblocks/sub instead of using the Oppo's sub out, if you're still using the ET3 with it.

 

Thank you, internethandle and metro.

 

Is "Sky by Gramophone" in Maryland, USA, an authorized seller of Shanling products?

 

My monoblock amps only has XLR inputs. Can I connect the SCD 1.3 XLR left and right output to the monoblock amps' XLR left and right input using XLR cables, and then combine the RCA left and right output of the SCD 1.3 to a single RCA cable and connect it to the F12G line input?

 

Yes, they are.

Article about our new USA distributor and their dealers:
https://en.shanling.com/article-USADistro.html

 

I am unsure if the RCA and XLR outputs for the SCD 1.3 would be active at the same time, so it would be simpler to instead use XLR Y-splitter cables in this instance with a XLR to RCA adapter cable to the sub for each channel. In any scenario, it looks to me like the F12G has *stereo* RCA low-level inputs, so you do not want or need to combine the left and right output to one RCA cable, you want to have a XLR Y-splitter cable from each Left and Right XLR output going from the SCD 1.3 and then to both the monolocks and the sub.

So:

SCD 1.3 Left XLR Output --> XLR Y-splitter cable --> XLR cable to Left channel Monoblock --> XLR to RCA cable to left channel F12G low-level RCA input

SCD 1.3 Right XLR Output --> XLR Y-splitter cable --> XLR cable to right channel Monoblock --> XLR to RCA cable to right channel F12G low-level RCA input

If all of this starts to get too wonky or there are problems, you might need to look at getting an active crossover, but this would be a basic setup as I understand it.

 

I suspect that the RCA and XLR outputs are active at the same time, because the SCD 1.3 manual doesn't describe any way to select between RCA/XLR output. @Bina, could you verify it?

Assuming that they are active at the same time, you can simply connect the XLR outputs to the mono amps, and the RCA outputs to the subwoofer.

 

Yeah fair point, if they're both active you can simply connect RCA to sub, XLR to monos. Forgot we have the manufacturer here to ask.

 

Both active at same time.

 

Thank you for everyone's input!