Shanling ET-3 CD Transport Review - Golden Schlong Worthy

Alright folks, here are full details for the SCD1.3: https://en.shanling.com/article-IntroSCD13.html

Let me know if you would have any questions.

 

Any chance for a loaner, please?

 

I have a couple questions:

• Can it play DSD through I2S?
• Can you use the digital outputs when plugged in as a USB DAC?

 

We can do loaner for most of our portable players, but these big desktop machines are bit tricky. Will see what I can do over time.

SACD playback will go out at 88.2 kHz PCM through digital outs.
Yes, it should work that way.

 

Does this play gapless for SACDs and CDs? For SACDs it seems especially important as the vast majority of SACD releases are classical with seamless transitions between tracks.

 

We have testing CD for gapless and it plays pretty much gapless, on similar level as ET3 (during normal playback you don't really notice it, if you have continuous noise, you might here a tiny gap)

I will try to test with some SACD

 

@Bina

Is there any way that a Left/Right Balance control could be added to the ET3? Some of us have slight hearing imbalances and the ability to slightly reduce the volume of one channel is massively helpful.

 

While you can find Channel balance setting in our other CD players, it only affects the analog output, never the digital output. That's why it's not included in the settings on ET3. So no way to add it to ET3 at current time.

 

anyone care to comment on how the ET3 compares to vinyl? Ive heard some transport which are very competitive with vinyl rigs (to my old ears) and wondered if this was also
best,
Josh

 

Hey I currently have both the ET3 and Audiolab 6000CDT set up, if you are still curious about their differences.

 

I wish Shanling would just do a strict SACD/CD transport. No streaming, no DAC, no preamp functionality or headphone outs. Just a pure disc in, digital stream out transport.

 

Is it just me, or is anything on ET3 impossible to read from just a few feet away?

CD
SRC 192kHz 24 bit
13-6
01:23​

Mine ET3 will primarily be used as a CDT, via it's generous digital outputs, so no airplay, synclink, BT etc. Sure it's a great value for someone who wants to use those features but as some here have already mentioned ...straight up CDT for me. When I look up I would like to see the track and it's run time or remain time.

So the display screen for the CD player portion is something I wish to be able to change. There is a need to have an option to choose a different image. A solid color background imagine would be best with classic blue CD lettering , just would be easier to see. In largest font size possible on the tiny screen. It's beautifully designed transport, the screen size suits it, but the size of the font and white on yellow background is not great.

Not sure why would there be an image of Vinyl with the yellow "sticker" with white digits over it, it all blends together too well from the seating position. It's a serious (and affordable) high end transport so why have this gimmick "vinyl" image, respectively no offense to the designers.

I find it also weird that the CD running time is displayed as 45:4 or 62:7 ...why not 45:04 ?
The SRC rate, with the tiny yellow font is impossible to read from anywhere but up close, since it's something you set once and it's not variable (for the CD section at least) I would rather prefer it it wasn't there at all. It just adds to the clutter, especially with a few rows of white yellow, white on yellow, it all blooms and blends together.

My preference would be:

Place the cd in, it displays ... 10 42:49
Start the CD, it displays ... 01 00:03

At top of the page is in an image of Shanlings new SACD, the blue color that displays SCDI.3 in the image would be amazing on black background on ET3 as an option. I understand that the black background would blend in into the rest of the front panel, which is fine by me but a faint outline in silver or same blue could emphasize the screen circle.

@Bina Do I need to make a formal Shanling feature request for this?

Anyone else thinking it would be great to have an option for display?

 

Thanks Purr1n that answers my question and I am saving for one. Was considering going vinyl and this is much better for me. To bad I got rid of all my CD's and it will be fun to collect again .

 

please bear with a noob question, I have gone through the thread and saw one comparison to an IFI streaming device. My question is how does the streaming capabilities compare to Mercury, raspberry Pi or another high quality streamer. Is it up to the task.
appreciate all thoughts on this. Also is it really easy to use?
best,
Josh

 

Sorry but f**k SACD and all that DRM lockdown shit. This isn’t the 2000s OAFAS life. Redbook for life, and I like the looks of the ET-3 more.

 

@Bina please excuse my crude design, I paid no attention to font or over all design but just to show prefered simplification of the read out. Any chance this could be an option, as an alternative option in display format?