The popularity of physical media may not be what it was 20 years ago, but the resurgence of vinyl records and Blu-ray means that there is a market for those seeking high fidelity and a little retro charm. Shanling has launched an inventive portable CD player that looks to bridge the old school with the new by introducing features such as CD ripping, wireless Bluetooth playback (as well as wired), and plenty of details for hi-fi lovers.
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Speaking of Bluetooth, the EC Zero AKM CD player makes a case for its inclusion by supporting the AptX codec, bumping up the wireless audio quality significantly. Of course, for purists, a headphone jack is available. Connectivity options include a 3.5mm line out, a 4.4mm balanced line out, an optical SP/DIF, and two USB-C ports. When operating off battery, Shanling claims about 10 hours of playback.
Another neat trick the EC Zero AKM CD has up its sleeve is real-time CD ripping. Connecting the player to a PC or other hard drive via USB-C allows the users to rip lossless audio in real-time, meaning 60 minutes of music would take 60 minutes to back up to a drive.
The Shaling EC Zero AKM CD player is available now for $319.99.
