Compared to the Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3

Digital Drive

Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

Posted by creativepart (A) on January 6, 2024 at 08:54:47

In Reply to: RE: New CD Transport Shanling EC3 in the house posted by s.a.b. on January 5, 2024 at 16:24:35:

I had the Jay's for about 6-months. It's a very impressive CD Transport and it's sound was super detailed with great Bass. A bit on the brighter side of things in my hearing of it.

I loved the top loading - much better than a drawer or slot loading.

I appreciated how heavy and solid it was but disliked the huge size. It was bigger than my Naim Supernait3 integrated amp, and that's a large amp.

Soundwise the Shanling ET-3 is a tiny bit warmer but keeps the solid bass floor that the Jay's excelled in. It's only been 5-days since it arrived. I assume there will be some break in changes in the sound.

I love the form factor and that it's still a top loader. I love all the output choices, too. The Jay's had a coax and I2S and AES-EBU - which is plenty for most folks. The Shanling has all of those PLUS USB and Toslink.

My DAC has Toslink, USB and 2-BNC S/PDIF inputs. So, with the Jays I was limited to Coax S/PDIF. So the Shanling gives me choices that the Jay's just didn't have available.

If I wanted a $2,000+ solid chunk of Aluminum CD Transport the Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 is an absolute winner. But if I don't value my CD playback that highly in either cost or shelf space then the Shanling is a great option.

I will add that both the Cambridge Audio CXC and the Audiolab 6000CDT were great sounding choices, too. I preferred the Audiolab soundwise, but preferred the CXC's tray loader to the Audiolab's slot loader.

In all cases I think if you have a run of the mill CD Player, even one that you just use as a Transport plugged into your DAC, that you'll find a dedicated transport sounds better than your CD Player. A CD Player has to juggle the CD reading with an internal DAC. So, the price is a composite of both of these things in one product. Not a great CD mechanism with an even cheaper DAC and output stage. A Transport can put all of that cost into a great CD mechanism and leave the rest to your already good/great DAC that you have sitting on your shelf.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - New CD Transport Shanling EC3 in the house - creativepart 10:07:53 01/04/24 (13)

Looks like a decent choice ... if you need a transport - Feanor 03:58:21 01/06/24 (0)

RE: New CD Transport Shanling EC3 in the house - s.a.b. 16:24:35 01/05/24 (1)

Compared to the Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 - creativepart 08:54:47 01/06/24 (0)

RE: New CD Transport Shanling EC3 in the house - sleeper 21:04:33 01/04/24 (1)

RE: New CD Transport Shanling EC3 in the house - creativepart 08:27:51 01/05/24 (0)

RE: New CD Transport Shanling EC3 in the house - acres verde 13:48:31 01/04/24 (0)

Make that a Shanling ET3... not EC3 (D'oh!) - creativepart 13:28:23 01/04/24 (0)

RE: New CD Transport Shanling EC3 in the house - AbeCollins 12:04:56 01/04/24 (5)

Yes, it's true - creativepart 12:33:43 01/04/24 (4)

Are you Sure? - cawson@onetel.com 03:18:01 01/05/24 (3)

That's the EC-3, the CD Player. Not this ET-3 - creativepart 08:37:19 01/05/24 (2)

But this Thread is about the EC3, Isn't it? nt - cawson@onetel.com 08:40:32 01/05/24 (1)

No, I realized the model name is ET3 exactly what I wanted. Just a typo. (nt) - creativepart 08:46:11 01/05/24 (0)

Follow Ups

Compared to the Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 - creativepart 08:54:47 01/06/24 (0)

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