Shanling EC Play Portable CD Player

The Shanling EC Play is the smallest and lightest of Shanling’s EC portable CD players, and its most affordable. Shanling has made CD players for over 30 years, from budget 90s models to large high-end units, and its EC Mini started the current revival of portable CD players. With the EC Play, Shanling set out not to chase audiophile sound, but to bring back the days when a portable CD player was a convenient part of daily life. It still packs an active magnetic clamp, a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC, two SGM8262 amplifiers giving up to 700mW from 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs, two-way Bluetooth 6.0, a USB DAC mode and up to 12 hours of battery life.

Truly portable

The EC Play was designed to be smaller than any of its predecessors and is the lightest at just 418g, yet it keeps a durable aluminium construction. Tactile buttons give easy control on the go, and a small 1.12-inch screen puts the settings on the player itself, with no app needed.

Active magnetic clamp, proven in the EC Zero

The advanced active magnetic clamp continuously adjusts its position and pressure on the disc, improving the stability of the spin and greatly reducing unwanted mechanical noise and vibration from the CD drive. Shanling says this gives extremely stable playback in all conditions, at any angle and even while you are moving.

A custom CD system from CD experts

The custom CD drive system, made by engineers with decades of experience of CD players, aims for desktop-level accuracy and plays every CD gaplessly. It reads CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs.

Cirrus Logic CS43198 and dual SGM8262 amplifiers

The CS43198 is a reliable, top-grade DAC that balances lab-precise measurements with an engaging, dynamic presentation, further tuned by Shanling’s engineers for a naturally pleasing sound. Two dedicated SGM8262 headphone amplifiers give a transparent, powerful output: up to 700mW into 32Ω from the 4.4mm balanced output and 177mW from the 3.5mm output. With two gain settings and accurate 100-step volume control, it pairs as well with the most sensitive earphones as with harder-to-drive full-size headphones.

Two-way Bluetooth 6.0

Use the EC Play as a Bluetooth source, sending your CDs straight to Bluetooth headphones or speakers (SBC). Or switch to receiver mode and it becomes a Bluetooth DAC and amp for your smartphone and its streaming library, receiving LDAC, AAC or SBC.

USB DAC mode

An advanced asynchronous USB module connects to computers and tablets and plays high-resolution files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256, taking the EC Play’s DAC to its full potential.

More than a portable CD player

Its 3.5mm coaxial S/PDIF output sends the CD signal straight to a dedicated hi-fi DAC, so the EC Play fits a desk set-up, a compact bedside system or even a full speaker hi-fi room. It has three sources (CD, USB DAC and Bluetooth receiver) and three outputs (headphones, coaxial and Bluetooth transmitter).

Locks, themes and a long-lasting battery

A physical lock keeps the CD lid shut for worry-free use on the move, a button lock prevents interruptions, and switchable UI themes change the look of the display to match your mood. The built-in 3,450mAh battery gives up to 12 hours of continuous playback, making the EC Play Shanling’s longest-lasting portable CD player: music from sunrise to sunset. It charges over its own USB-C port, separate from the USB DAC port.

Good to know

• The coaxial output is a 3.5mm socket: use a matching 3.5mm to coaxial S/PDIF cable to connect an external DAC.
• Bluetooth transmit is SBC only; LDAC is for receiving from your phone.
• Colours: black, silver, green, blue and purple. In the box: EC Play, charging cable and quick guide.
• Shanling’s other portable CD players include the EC Mini and the EC Zero T with a valve stage.