Shanling's new portable CD player comes with vacuum tubes and R2R DAC

After the revival of portable cassette players, portable CD players are the latest 'retro' devices to witness a surge in interest. Banking on that trend, Shanling has announced the EC Zero T, a relatively high-end offering incorporating features that should put it on a lot of audiophiles' radars. It will also go up against the FiiO DM13 CD player, although at a significantly higher price band.

For those unaware of the brand, Shanling is a Chinese brand that has been making CD players since the late 90's and, in more recent years, has launched affordable yet well-reviewed digital music players, like M1 Plus (curr. $199 on Amazon).

With the EC Zero T, Shanling developed their own R2R type DAC, which is considered more linear and therefore higher-fidelity (although whether the difference is actually discernible among countless other factors is debatable). They've also used a pair of JAN6418 vacuum tubes to further enhance the premium appeal. The two tubes are supposedly resistant to shock and vibrations and, like with all tube-equipped products these days, are proudly displayed through a small window.

Analog output is handled by two line level ports 3.5 mm and 4.4mm, accommodating a wider range of headphones. Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX adaptive is also available, and using the USB-C connector, you can also use it as a DAC for external sources like a laptop.

Vibrations are of course the enemy of all CD drives, since the tiniest deviation in the position of the laser reading the track can cause skipping, not unlike a vinyl record. Shanling claims to have incorporated some features to tackle that, including a special servo system and motor. They also describe a magnetic mechanism for holding the CD, rather than the bead-type clamp you might remember from your old laptop's CD drive.

Despite the portability-oriented, it is a hefty device at 669 grams. This is thanks to the body being made of solid CNC-milled aluminium. Battery life is 8 hours using the 3.5 mm output, or 20 hours using Bluetooth.

The price for the EC Zero T is set at $589, and it will be available soon via authorised resellers in the US and Europe. It can already be pre-ordered from this UK based seller.