Shanling ET3 - Dedicated Digital CD Transport, With USB Drive and Wi-Fi Support

[Private]

I do. But I don't know if I could compare them 100% because I use ET3 when listening to speakers.
And Audiolab CDT9000 when using headphones.
I enjoy them both immensely. It's just that Audiolab CDT9000 is stunning as a component.
Not that ET3 is not, but CDT9000 is a polished beast (heavy) when you look at it with a smooth surface.

Cheers!

Not sure I quite understand what you mean.

 

[fidgeraldo]

Not sure I quite understand what you mean.

Then, I will simplify it for you.
I have both but can't compare them because I don't use the same gear.
One is for speakers, and one is for headphones.

Cheers!

 

[Private]

Then, I will simplify it for you.
I have both but can't compare them because I don't use the same gear.
One is for speakers, and one is for headphones.

Cheers!

K, and I of course understand that, but the comment about heavy and smooth surface are you talking about sonics or device design, as design doesn’t really matter to me.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

 

[fidgeraldo]

as design doesn’t really matter to me.

I add that in case someone is interested, as I do.

It didn't take much time for an answer, so it was no problem.
Sonically, I still believe that CDT9000 is better, but that's opinion without A/B comparing.

Cheers!

 

[damiand]

Hi, sorry if my question has already been answered in a previous post, but I couldn't find anything similar with a simple search. As a CD player, the remote control has only the next/previous buttons to locate and play tracks. Is there another, more convenient way (via the app? I don't know), to enter the track number or to select from a complete track listing, in order to navigate easily through CD titles with a lot of tracks? Thanks.

 

[Shanling]

Love my ET3,
As others have said, it easily bettered my Audiolab 6000CDT and, also in my case a heavily modded Oppo 203, both playing over i2s into the same Dac with same cable.
ET3 just sounds more silky and “high end”.

Is there any future thoughts to making it Roon compatible as a Roon Endpoint?
That would save me a lot of money upgrading my Oppo 203 for Roon.

Thanks.
Helluva product this Transport, well done Shanling.

Glad to hear you like its sound!

For Roon, we are now working with them on a few devices, but can't make any promises on ET3 for now.

Hi, sorry if my question has already been answered in a previous post, but I couldn't find anything similar with a simple search. As a CD player, the remote control has only the next/previous buttons to locate and play tracks. Is there another, more convenient way (via the app? I don't know), to enter the track number or to select from a complete track listing, in order to navigate easily through CD titles with a lot of tracks? Thanks.

Unfortunately no

 

[Kiats]

Glad to hear you like its sound!

For Roon, we are now working with them on a few devices, but can't make any promises on ET3 for now.

Look forward to this. It will be a boon to the ET3.

 

[plikestechno]

Ability to operate as a Roon endpoint would be amazing! Please, please!

 

[Kiats]

ET3 already works with a range of my streaming options anyway. The ones I use the most is Airplay and QPlay (DLNA for QQ Music). I also use it with JPlay.

 

[gazjam]

How do you have to upgrade the Oppo203 to be roon ready? Mine's been roon ready since I bought it years ago.

I agree the ET3 being roon ready would be nice.

Meant that I currently use my 203 as a Roon Endpoint, and have an eye to upgrading it to something better sounding at some point.
As the ET3 sounds better as a CD Transport, (and streaming from it’s USB ever better than from CD imo) a Roon Ready ET3 could be that upgrade I’m looking for.

The Shanling is great as an “all in one” digital transport,
Unless there’s a hardware limitation, and other Shanling products are Roon Ready, just would be perfect if the ET3 received this ability in a future Firmware update.
Would save me, and a lot of other folks I’d presume, a lot of money upgrading.

I’d read good reviews of the Audiolab 9000CDT, and was interested when it first came out.
But the display would be turned off anyway, and coax only digital output to Dac was a dealbreaker for me.

The ET3’s i2s output sealed the deal for me, it’s my Dac’s best sounding input.
AES output too, as well as solid build quality showed me that Shanling had spent the BOM cost on what mattered.

 

[gazjam]

Being able to send Audio from my AppleTV to then Shanling over Airplay (and it’s lossless Airplay 1, not lossy Airplay 2) is fantastic.
For Apple Music it bypasses the Apple TV’s 24/48 upsampling issue, and streams natively to the Shanling over Airplay.

That,
Over i2s into the Dac really improves the sound.
Even for YouTube music it’s now a valid audio source (though there’s some visual latency with video content, can be tweaked in Apple settings but it’s not perfect)

If it could be sorted (and it’s an Airplay thing, not Shanling) it could be used for watching Netflix context with much improved sound.

Previously I’d used the Oppo’s i2s input taking AppleTV and outputting audio from my modded Oppos i2s output.
Sounds great, but Airplay to the ET3 then over it’s own i2s output is noticeably better sounding.

ET3 is a digital ‘Swiss Army knife’… just needs Roon Certification!

 

[DrDen]

Sonically, I still believe that CDT9000 is better, but that's opinion without A/B comparing.

ET3 upsampling enabled definitely makes it sound significantly better in my setup.

 

[gazjam]

ET3 upsampling enabled definitely makes it sound significantly better in my setup.

Agree.

My Dac does DSD,
But playing CD, upsampling to 192K is the sweet spot.
Anything over 16/44 sounds better to me with no upsampling at native settings.

(Dac, system and ears dependant of course)

In fact sounds better than a SACD of the same album (Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral) played over the Oppo 203, output over i2s into the Dac.

That kinda blew me away about the ET3.
With the upsampling working as well as it does, feel as if I now have a whole bunch of SACDs

The ET3 was the best choice when I started getting back into CDs.


Great work Shanling.

 

[DrDen]

Well, just a 60 minute CD playing problem remaining. Please fix it.

 

[Private]

Well, just a 60 minute CD playing problem remaining. Please fix it.

I beg to differ,

The DSD up scaling still does not work properly in most settings and outputs wrong resolutions.

DSD 512 outputs no program.
DSD 64 is outputting improper resolution.
768kHz outputs no program to any DAC even with their fantastic support for the resolutions.
384kHz same
192kHz is 176.4kHz

This is with multiple DACS where DSD or high sample rate conversions are not a problem.

This is an issue that I raised with @Shanling almost a year ago, there was some discussion but no real answers or solutions provided.

A few members including myself suggested a basic QUALITY OF LIFE display change, for the ease of reading the display but that has had seen no change in two update. Crickets.

The ET3 CD transport is undeniably attractive for the features it offers, the form, the potential of it’s sonic’s but frequent discussions about unusual issues on forums suggest there may be concerns about its quality control.

The lack of meaningful action leave me with a negative impression. While no product is without its flaws, the apparent lack of effort to address these concerns stands out to me.

Reading “I’ll speak to the engineers” repeatedly starts to feel hollow when it’s not followed by tangible improvements or solutions. It’s hard to maintain confidence in a product when the same issues resurface without meaningful resolution or communication.