Shanling EC Mini Transportable CD player & DAP

The Shanling EC Mini is Shanling’s first transportable, battery-powered CD player, and a full hi-res music player too. Two 18650 batteries free it from the mains, so it moves from desk to garden to car; inside, the same CD hardware as Shanling’s bigger players reads CDs and MQA-CDs, while microSD, USB, two-way Bluetooth and a USB DAC mode make it much more than a CD player. Two ES9219 DACs feed 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs and an RCA pre-out.

Compact and independent

The EC Mini packs modern features into a compact body, independent of power outlets and the limits of classic CD players. It fits on a cluttered office desk or a bedside table, moves easily between rooms or to a coffee shop, and goes outside to the garden or a park. It charges from any standard USB-C charger, which makes it a natural fit for the car: connect it to the stereo over RCA or Bluetooth, and its In-Vehicle mode powers it on and off with the engine when connected by USB. For CD playback, Shanling asks that the EC Mini is stationary and lying flat.

A proper CD drive

The EC Mini uses the same CD hardware as Shanling’s bigger CD players, comparable to the CD80 and CA80: a Philips CD drive with a Sanyo HD860 laser for accurate reading of CDs and MQA-CDs, with extra mechanical and electronic anti-vibration systems.

Balanced audio, well-proven Shanling sound

Playback is based on Shanling’s M3 Ultra player: a pair of ESS ES9219 DACs, among Shanling’s favourite-sounding chips, in a fully symmetrical design that gives Shanling’s typically warm, natural presentation, with full hi-res support up to 384kHz/32-bit, native DSD256 and MQA-CD. Dual RT6863 headphone amplifiers give up to 248mW into 32Ω balanced, an LTA8092 drives a clean pre-amp output, and KDS oscillators keep phase noise ultra-low, with Panasonic FC, Elna Silmic and Panasonic tantalum capacitors throughout.

Easy to control

Hardware buttons control CD playback, and a 2.33-inch touchscreen on top browses your music library and settings. The simple, downsized design has extra-rounded edges on its metal body for easy carrying. It runs Shanling’s MTouch system on an Ingenic X1000 platform, and with SyncLink over Bluetooth the Eddict Player app on Android or iOS controls CD playback and browses the microSD card remotely.

Inputs and outputs

• Sources: CD and MQA-CD, microSD cards up to 2TB, USB drives, USB DAC from a computer, and Bluetooth from your phone (LDAC, AAC, SBC).
• Bi-directional USB-C: connect an external USB DAC and use the EC Mini as its digital transport, a rare feature normally found only on high-end CD transports, or use it as a hi-fi USB DAC for a computer.
• Bluetooth transmitter: play your CDs straight to Bluetooth headphones or speakers (LDAC, aptX, AAC, SBC).
• Outputs: 3.5mm headphone, 4.4mm balanced for more power and improved sound, and an RCA pre-amp output up to 2.1Vrms.

Battery

The EC Mini adapts the acclaimed two-18650 battery supply of Shanling’s H7, for consistent sound quality wherever you are: 6,800mAh, up to 25 hours playing from microSD or 7.5 hours playing CDs, charged with standard USB-C cables and chargers.

Good to know

• Play CDs only with the EC Mini stationary and lying flat.
• In the box: EC Mini, USB cable and guide. Colours: black, silver or gold.