New Products

Shanling has announced the launch of EC Play, a compact portable CD player that combines the, quote, “nostalgia” of CDs with modern wireless and high-resolution audio features.

Said to be “designed to bring back the convenience and enjoyment of portable CD listening,” EC Play is purported to be the most compact model Shanling has produced to date.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in CD player development, Shanling has created EC Play as (in their words) “a lifestyle-focused player that prioritizes portability, ease of use, and a modern design.” According to Shanling, the year-on-year increase of CD sales driven by a younger audience wanting physical media, ownership, and an alternative to streaming is a key part of the launch timing of the EC Play. (And we’re all for that.)

Weighing 418g and measuring 142 x 125.1 x 26mm, EC Play features aluminium construction and a “simple” design intended for use at home, at work, or while traveling. The three EC Play finishes include Feather Green, Onyx Black (shown below), and Moonlight Silver.

At the center of EC Play is Shanling’s advanced active magnetic clamp system, adapted from the company’s previous EC models. The mechanism continuously adjusts pressure and positioning on the CD to improve playback stability while reducing mechanical vibration and noise. Combined with a custom CD drive system developed by engineers with decades of experience in CD player design, EC Play is said to deliver “accurate CD reading and seamless gapless playback support” for CD, CD-R, and CD-RW formats.

In terms of audio performance, Shanling has gone with the Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC alongside dual SGM8262 headphone amplifiers. Tuned by Shanling’s in-house audio engineers, the DAC section is designed to, quote, “balance technical precision with a natural yet fun sound which makes the most of your CD collection.” The amp stage is said to deliver up to 700mW at 32ohms through the 4.4mm balanced headphone output, providing power for both “sensitive” in-ear monitors and “more demanding” full-size headphones.

Users can choose between 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced headphone outs, while a selectable gain setting allows users to match the power needs of their wired headphones to get “the best sound.”

EC Play also includes a 3.5mm coaxial SPDIF digital out to add CD playback to the user’s hi-fi system, compatible speakers, or soundbars.

In addition to CD playback, Bluetooth 6.0 support enables two-way wireless connectivity, allowing the player to function either as a Bluetooth transmitter for wireless headphones and speakers or as a Bluetooth receiver for music streaming from smartphones and tablets.

Receiver mode supports LDAC, AAC, and SBC codecs, while the transmitter mode supports the SBC codec.

EC Play can also operate as a USB DAC, supporting PCM playback up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 through USB connectivity with laptops and phones.

The EC Play 3450mAh battery is capable of delivering up to 12hrs of continuous playback, which is said to make the EC Play Shanling’s longest-lasting portable CD player to date.

The Shanling EC Play is available now, and it sports an SRP of $199 / €220 / £209.

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