Forget the vinyl revival, Shanling's latest CD player wants to bring the "Discman" to Gen Z

Shanling EC Play CD portable player — (Image credit: Shanling)

Shanling has announced the EC Play, a portable CD player looking to take advantage of the format's blossoming revival with younger listeners.

With vinyl booming and even wired headphones making a comeback (thanks, Zoe Kravitz), Shanling has turned its attention to the shiny disc, with the EC Play promising a seamless blend of portability, ease of use and modern design for those trendy youngsters (and anyone else besides).

At the centre of the new CD player is Shanling’s active magnetic clamp mechanism, which continuously adjusts pressure on the CD to improve playback stability while seeking to reduce mechanical vibrations. The EC Play also makes use of a custom CD drive system for more accurate reading.

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In addition to standard CD playback, Bluetooth streaming powers offer two-way wireless connectivity, meaning that you can either use the EC Play to beam your music to wireless headphones and speakers, or receive music streaming from smartphones and tablets. Receiver mode supports LDAC, AAC and SBC codecs, while the transmitter mode supports SBC.

The EC Play can also function as a USB DAC, supporting PCM files up to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD256 via a USB-C connection.

Portability is, naturally, the name of the game here, with Shanling's new CD spinner offering up to 12 hours of continuous playback while weighing in at a modest 418g thanks to its slim aluminium design.

The Shanling EC Play is available now in three finishes – Feather Green, Onyx Black and Moonlight Silver – priced at £209 / $199 / €220.

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Harry McKerrell is a senior staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. During his time at the publication, he has written countless news stories alongside features, advice and reviews of products ranging from floorstanding speakers and music streamers to over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds and portable DACs. He has covered launches from hi-fi and consumer tech brands, and major industry events including IFA, High End Munich and, of course, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or trying to pet strangers' dogs.