Shanling - ET3 - Dedicated Digital CD Transport

One clear purpose: top-quality digital transport for high-end DACs. The Shanling ET3 is a compact, CNC-machined top-loading CD transport with I2S, USB, coaxial, optical, and AES/EBU digital outputs — delivering up to PCM 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512 via I2S and USB. CT7302CL upsampling chip, All-to-DSD or All-to-PCM conversion, Philips SAA7824 drive, DLNA/AirPlay, Bluetooth 5.0 LDAC, and MQA Full Decoder. A purpose-built machine, designed to do one thing exceptionally well.

One Machine. One Purpose.

There is a clear distinction between a CD player and a CD transport. A CD player reads the disc and converts the digital signal to analogue within a single chassis. A CD transport reads the disc and delivers the digital bitstream to an external DAC — letting a dedicated, high-quality converter do what it does best, and letting a dedicated transport do what it does best.

The Shanling ET3 is the second kind. Built as a pure digital transport for owners of high-end DACs, it has been designed with a single goal: to extract the data from a compact disc — or a connected USB drive, or a network source — and deliver it to any external DAC with the highest possible precision and the widest possible range of output options. Every design decision has been made in service of that goal.

Where Shanling's EC3 was designed as a versatile, multifunctional CD player for a wide range of users, the ET3 is a focused instrument — a specialist tool for the serious digital audio listener who already owns the DAC they love, and wants the best possible transport to feed it.

I2S & USB — Beyond the Limits of Standard Digital

Most CD transports offer coaxial and optical digital outputs — connections that are limited to PCM 192kHz/32-bit and DSD64. These are capable formats, but they are not the ceiling of what high-end DACs can accept or what the ET3 can deliver.

The ET3's I2S and USB digital outputs raise that ceiling dramatically — supporting PCM up to 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512. This matters for DAC owners whose converters are capable of operating at these resolutions, because the ET3 can both deliver these resolutions natively (from connected USB drives) and upsample CD-quality audio to them via its CT7302CL upsampling chip. The standard coaxial, optical, and AES/EBU outputs remain available for DACs without I2S or USB input, supporting PCM 192kHz/32-bit and DSD64.

CT7302CL Upsampling — All-to-DSD or All-to-PCM

The ET3's CT7302CL upsampling chip provides the option to convert all incoming audio — regardless of source format — to either DSD or PCM before sending it to the DAC. This allows listeners to tailor the transport's output to the preferred operating mode of their DAC, or to explore the sonic character of DSD upsampling on a CD collection. The upsampling function is entirely optional — the ET3 can also pass audio natively without conversion.

MQA support extends to Full Decoder level (PCM 176.4kHz output to all DACs) and MQA Core (PCM 88.2kHz output to MQA-capable DACs), making the ET3 fully equipped for the current landscape of high-resolution digital formats.

Philips SAA7824 Drive — HD850 Laser

At the mechanical heart of the ET3 is the Philips SAA7824 CD drive, paired with an HD850 laser — a respected combination chosen for reliable, precise disc reading across CD, CD-R, and CD-RW formats. The quality of the disc-reading mechanism is foundational to the quality of everything downstream, and Shanling's choice of Philips drive engineering reflects the ET3's positioning as a serious, long-term instrument.

Beyond the Disc — USB, DLNA, AirPlay & Bluetooth

The ET3 is not limited to disc playback. A USB drive input accepts the full breadth of high-resolution audio formats — DSD (ISO, DSF, DFF), FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DXD, MP3, AAC, and many more — and delivers them to the DAC at up to PCM 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512 via the I2S or USB output.

2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi with DLNA and AirPlay support allows the ET3 to receive streams from a local network or Apple device — and it can even act as a NAS server, making connected USB drives available to other devices on the network. Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC, AAC, and SBC support provides wireless input from smartphones and tablets.

Compact CNC-Machined Metal Chassis

The ET3 shares the compact 188 × 255mm footprint of the EC3 — a thoughtfully sized chassis that fits comfortably on any equipment shelf without dominating the space. The CNC-machined metal body provides structural rigidity and effective electromagnetic shielding, and the top-loading disc mechanism gives the ET3 a tactile, engaging character that sets it apart from front-loading designs.

An IPS display (320 × 290 pixels), a multifunctional control wheel, hardware buttons, a companion app, and an included remote control provide complete operational flexibility — from the listening seat or from the unit itself.

Feature Cards

💿 Pure Digital Transport — Designed for High-End DACs

No analogue output. No built-in DAC. One clear purpose — delivering the highest possible quality digital signal to your external DAC via I2S, USB, coaxial, optical, or AES/EBU, with full format and resolution flexibility.

⚡ I2S & USB — PCM 768kHz/32-bit, DSD512

Go beyond the limits of standard coaxial and optical. The ET3's I2S and USB outputs support PCM up to 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512 — unlocking the full resolution capability of any compatible high-end DAC.

🔄 CT7302CL Upsampling — All-to-DSD or All-to-PCM

Convert any source — CD, USB, or network — to DSD or PCM before delivery to your DAC. MQA Full Decoder and MQA Core support included for all MQA source material.

📡 DLNA, AirPlay, Bluetooth LDAC & USB Drive Playback

Dual-band Wi-Fi, DLNA, AirPlay, Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC — plus USB drive playback in virtually every high-resolution format. The ET3 is a complete digital source, not just a disc transport.

Editorial Blockquote

"ET3 is a much more focused machine, designed for one clear use — Top-Quality Digital Transport for High-End DACs." — Shanling

At-a-Glance Bullets

• Pure digital CD transport — no analogue output, no built-in DAC
• Philips SAA7824 CD drive — HD850 laser
• Disc compatibility: CD, CD-R, CD-RW
• CNC-machined metal chassis — compact top-loading design
• CT7302CL upsampling chip — All-to-DSD or All-to-PCM
• MQA Full Decoder (PCM 176.4kHz to all DACs) + MQA Core (PCM 88.2kHz to MQA DACs)
• I2S output: up to PCM 768kHz/32-bit, DSD512
• USB output: up to PCM 768kHz/32-bit, DSD512
• Coaxial / Optical / AES/EBU output: up to PCM 192kHz/32-bit, DSD64
• USB drive playback: DSD (ISO/DSF/DFF), FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DXD, MP3, AAC, OGG, and more
• 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi — DLNA and AirPlay support
• Can act as NAS server with connected USB drives
• Bluetooth 5.0 input — LDAC, AAC, SBC
• Ingenic X2000 platform — developed in-house by Shanling
• IPS display: 320 × 290 pixels
• Multifunctional control wheel + hardware buttons
• Companion app + remote control included
• Power consumption: 15W
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 188 × 255 × 68mm — Weight: approx. 2.5kg

Closing Quote

"The disc is just the beginning. The Shanling ET3 — a pure digital transport that feeds your high-end DAC at every resolution it was built to handle."