The most versatile audio device I've ever used!
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
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A review of the SMSL PL200 CD player, CD transport, DAC, and digital-to-digital converter with headphone amp. Includes comparisons with Shanling EC Mini, Shanling ET3, Schiit Urd, SMSL SU-9 Ultra, and Schiit Midgard.
My top recommended HEADPHONES (prices in USD)
HarmonicDyne Athena - $179 - bit.ly/3QvQdlq
Moondrop Para - $299 - amzn.to/4c1C4F9
Sivga SV023 - $449 - amzn.to/3UKXsZ5
Meze 109 Pro - $799 - amzn.to/3y6l6qi
ZMF Atrium - $2,499 - www.zmfheadphones.com/
Meze Elite - $4,000 - bit.ly/3UMIDWb
Focal Utopia (2022) - $4,999 - amzn.to/44xEHvx
My top recommended IEMS (prices in USD)
KZ ESX - $30 - amzn.to/4bpMyxC
Tangzu FUDU - $89 - amzn.to/3UvOrlk
Simgot EM6L - $129 - amzn.to/4a3SLy1
Meze Audio Alba - $159 - bit.ly/AlbaIEM
Thieaudio Elixir - $209 - amzn.to/3ULd9zr
7Hz Timeless - $220 - amzn.to/3QslVA8
Yanyin Canon II - $379 - bit.ly/YanCanII
Xenns Mangird Top - $530 - bit.ly/XENNSTopLin
Sennheiser IE600 - $700 - amzn.to/44AxcUQ
Sennheiser IE900 - $849 - amzn.to/4b66wxy
Westone Mach 70 - $1,400 - amzn.to/3ULUK5P
My top recommended TRANSPORTS (prices in USD)
WiiM Pro - $168 - amzn.to/4bpTDOw
SMSL PL200 CD - $669 - amzn.to/3Wsd0lJ
Eversolo DMP-A6 (Master Edition) - $1,299 - amzn.to/44sBMUR
Eversolo DMP-A8 - $1,980 - amzn.to/3QxRU1B
My top recommended DACS (prices in USD)
Topping E30 II - $149 - amzn.to/3JQyGkd
Topping E50 - $199 - amzn.to/3WucWSO
SMSL DO200 Mk2 - $469 - amzn.to/4a5Di0C
Topping D70 Pro OCTO - $599 - amzn.to/4a8bubZ
Geshelli J2S AK4499EX - $680 - bit.ly/J2SAKM
Schiit Bifrost 2/64 - $799 - www.schiit.com/products/bifro...
Gustard R26 - $1,650 - amzn.to/3QyZ0mB
Schiit Yggdrasil - $2,299 - www.schiit.com/products/yggdr...
Chord TT2 - $5,295 - chordelectronics.co.uk/produc...
My top recommended HEADPHONE AMPS (prices in USD)
Schiit Magni - $119 - www.schiit.com/products/magni...
xDuoo MT-604 - $169 - amzn.to/4bpNYrW
xDuoo TA-26S - $319 - amzn.to/3UJbfzx
Geshelli A3 Pro - $499 - bit.ly/GLA3Pro
Aune S17 Pro - $699 - amzn.to/4a75v7b
Schiit Mjolnir - $1199 - www.schiit.com/products/mjoln...
Burson Audio Voyager - $5,300+ - bit.ly/4a8Mwcq
My top recommended DONGLE DACS (prices in USD)
Moondrop Dawn Pro - $50 - amzn.to/3y2dd57
Simgot DEW4X - $80 - amzn.to/4b68rlK
Questyle M15i - $349 - amzn.to/4doMSyp
My top recommended WIRELESS 'PHONES (prices in USD)
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe - $40 - amzn.to/3UIXQr4
Soundpeats Air4 Pro - $79 - amzn.to/3Wyj4tj
Edifier Neobuds Pro 2 - $130 - amzn.to/3WwMpEf
Sennheiser Momentum 4 - $379.95 - amzn.to/3WrEqZ0
HiFiMan Svanar Wireless - $499 - amzn.to/4amOhmx
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Like the music in this video? You can get it here: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
00:00 Introduction
01:25 Price & features
03:03 CD player performance
05:27 SMSL PL200 vs Shanling EC Mini
08:07 Does MQA-CD sound good?
10:38 SMSL PL200 as a CD transport
11:27 SMSL PL200 vs Schiit Urd
14:20 SMSL PL200 vs Shanling ET3
16:40 PL200 loading mechanism
18:00 PL200 DAC quality
18:22 SMSL PL200 vs SU-9 Ultra
21:29 Headphone output quality
21:47 PL200 headphone output vs Schiit Midgard
23:16 Early summary
24:17 Device tour
28:58 Wrap-up
#audiophile #audioreview #cdplayer - Наука та технологія
the fact that I never stopped playing CDs now makes me a hipsterosaurus?
LOL. 🙂
No, just an old guy like me.
Not at all! Remember that all the new transports and DACs are just copies of the old masters Philips, Sony and teac-tascam! I have been working with advanced analoge and digital gear for 30 years! Trust your ears,and do not listen to the corrupt hifi frauds!
Dear alpha! I have tried all sorts of advanced streaming, and the sound is good! However it never outperform cd-sacd!
Dear alpha! If you enjoy cd-sacd ,stick to it! I am a dinosaur,but I have tried all sorts of lossless-high resolution streaming! Do not worry, it is never better than a cd-sacd!
You can actually playback CDs without the lid by holding the play button for a few seconds. Enjoyed your thorough review of the PL200.
Thanks for the tip! Glad you liked the review.
Great review. Looking forward to Shanling and Schiit segments.
Glad you liked it. The Schiit Urd was reviewed a little while back so you can check that out now. The ET3 and EC Mini are coming soon and will compare back to the Urd (at least the ET3 will)
0:07 physical media for life.
💿📀
When you cover the various transports, can you address whether they play gaplessly on CDs without gaps and include the correct gaps on CDs with them? A correctly implemented Red Book CD player should do this, but Shanling’s players can’t since they’re actually real-time CD rippers instead of CD transports.
ime both the pl200 and et3 do gapless! And of course when there should be a gap, there is one. Shanling claims the et3 "may" reveal tiny gaps in playback on gapless recordings, but i didn't hear that when I tested it explicitly with some of my favorite operas and eg Slayer's Postmortem->Raining Blood transition. The pl200 is perfectly gapless in my tests. Note however that neither of them claim to be red book compliant :/
good one! - as this can really ruin immersion
I forgot to mention this in the PL200 review, but heard no gaps there. I'll test this on the ET3 and let you know. 🙂
@@PassionforSound were there gaps when there were supposed to be gaps? Keep in mind that a CD isn't a collection of tracks, but rather one long contiguous stream of audio, and the tracks are just pointers into that stream. There could be audio in the gaps (e.g. applause on some live albums), there could be silent gaps, and there could be no gaps. Anything that's marketed as a CD player ought to handle all those cases correctly, as players or transports from established brands like Denon/Marantz, Onkyo/Integra, and Yamaha do.
When a CD player doesn't handle this correctly it's a sign that it's not playing the audio bitstream as a Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) player, but rather using a DVD player mechanism which is being instructed in software to extract segments of the audio in chunks. This has other ramifications - when there's an uncorrectable CRC error a CAV player will insert a "made up" sample in real time and continue playing, where a data extractor will keep trying to re-read the sector until it times out. The data extractor also isn't spinning the disc at 1x and reading out bits as they pass by, so it's depending on a buffer to handle requests for the next chunk of audio and to handle these re-reads. If and when that buffer empties, there will be an audible glitch.
@@lisar3944I have an ET3, played Darkside of the Moon just fine all the way through and never noticed any gaps.
I just dusted off an old Yamaha cd player i had and plugged an Optical cable from it to my SMSL (79$) DAC . Now i have a great sounding cd player for a fraction of the price.
Awesome! Enjoy! 🙂
You are an intelligent person!
I did the same with my junky Marantz cd player......it just schitt the bed though :(
Oh no!
@@PassionforSound Oh yes !
Im liking the Moondrop cd portable. It has an sdhc/hdxc card slot to record to or add tracks. You can load the card from your computer and have a ton of songs. As a songwriter I need this portable so I can use cd demos and save what I want to the card. Also its $200 usd!!! I'm loving it! I'm used to studio quality sound, and I'm very happy with this unit!!!!!!🎉
Thanks for sharing your experiences
I like the lid a lot. Reminds me of the Meridian MCD top loader of the past. There is much more chance of balanced spinning of the disc rather than running the risk of damaging the much more sensitive label side and then spinning violently inside a drawer-loaded version such as the Schiit.
I can't comment on the safety of the Schiit vs the SMSL, but I'm glad you like the system. I don't mind the top loading in general, but would have preferred a single piece system.
Excellent review, very detailed and informative. Loved the comparisons, especially with the ET-3. Keep the good work :)
A question: I’ve noticed on some videos of the PL200 playing that the puck “dances” a bit, looking that it is not concentric. Did you notice that?
I haven't found that with the puck, but I imagine if the disc isn't perfectly symmetrical, the puck will be affected.
Great review and very informative. I was planning in getting this CD Player but you have dissected some lingering questions I had about the player, and I thank you for that. I am going to stick with my Naim CD5I, Pioneer Elite PDR-609, Onkyo C-7070, Emotiva ERC-3, Oppo UDP-205, Rotel Diamond Series DT-6000, Luxman D-03X and Lyngdorf CD-2 among others...
Glad I could be helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting.
You should get a decent blue ray! The laser is superior, and the DAC is very good!
Blu-Ray is optimised for video and won't match a properly setup and optimised cd transport IME.
Interesting review. Thanks!
My pleasure
I Love my Cambridge cxc cd transport. I tend to spend to much time half listening tracks on streaming, on cd i put it on and end up listening to the whole cd. Not sure if this makes any sense.
That's a great point about the physicaledia changing our listening habits (probably for the better)
Seems like very nice stuff. In fact, it looks like a good budget option to the Rotel DT-6000 CD I've been eying as next headphone setup upgrade.
I haven't tried the Rotel, but I suspect the gains (if any) will be marginal, as with the Urd. Not a reason to NOT buy the Rotel, but nice to know that people can save some money if they want to.
@@PassionforSound Yes, think it would probably be the case indeed! And rationality needs to win sometimes haha. It's often a hard feat, though!
Great review. I would be interested to know how this compares to the Emotiva Erc-4. It comes in at a similar price and has a similar feature set.
I don't currently have a contact with Emotiva, but if I get a chance, I'll gladly review it.
Thanks for this Lachlan.
I much prefer a slot loading or lid type system for CD players compared to a tray mechanism, the latter is just not as durable in the long term.
I think, having heard Schiit's reasoning for their choice of tray loader in the Urd, that this depends a lot on the grade of components chosen (i.e. a high quality tray is probably more durable than a cheaper slot loader). However, there's almost nothing to go wrong in a top loader like the PL200 so that probably the ideal in some ways (so long as you don't want to stack the devices)
Very fun series… there’s a bunch of nuances with cd transports that can impact Sq
Definitely! I look forward to diving into the other devices soon...
I think i read somewhere that you can get the cd to play without the lid on the PL200, if you hold the play button down for a little while. Do not know for sure, but it might be worth a try? Thanks for a good and intersting review!🙂 Looking forward to the next one!🙂
Yes. Some.others have mentioned that too. 🙂
It would be great, if you can review the PCM to DSD conversion capabilities of the ET3. Does it really improve the sound?
I'll be sure to test that out
I’ve never had a Slot Loading CD Player where the loading mechanism didn’t either fail, or leave some level of scratching on the CD, usually both. And Players with Tray mechanisms have also been the Bain of my existence, 4 out of 5 (not cheap Units) owned have failed, and been ridiculously expensive to fix. I’ve been trying to find a Component with this style of Top Loading, that didn’t cost a fortune like most of them do, for a long time. It’s still infinitely easier to operate than wrangling with Vinyl, been there done that 40 Years ago. This looks perfect.
Thanks for sharing your experiences (and sorry to read of the challenges). The PL200 is definitely an excellent option IMO
Which players have you owned?!
I think this product would suite a lot of people very well. It's a good CD player that is more or less comparable to others in the price with no glaring sound quality issues.
I'm primarily just buying it as a transport. But still having a DAC that is still useful and is great when you start building your kit and this can be a one and done for a while till you save up for a better amp. A DAC upgrade depending on how much performance you demand, you might just consider it good enough and spend the extra $500 to $700 on a better amp if you are on a budget.
DDC is a take it or leave it, some might like it. I hate all DDC's.
MQA is really pointless.
But yeah, for the money. It's hard to complain to loudly about what it does.
Gorgeous
the teapot lid mechanism will frustrate the crap out of me. Especially if you have a CD in hand ready to go. Good thing you pointed out the magnetic disc as I have not seen that in other reviews.
The ec mini can also be used as a usb DAC, with twin Sabre chips internally. It's also a capable headphone amp and DAP taking micro SD cards up to 2tb. So not just a cd player. Also transportable with its batteries, and can be used in the car.
And it also does MQA. Not so different from the SMSL really.
Also, interesting you liked the Urd tray. It's been criticised for being plastic and not very robust.
I'm yet to deep dive with the EC Mini. I look forward to exploring it.
As for the Urd, the platter itself is plastic, but it runs on solid metal rails so I don't find it flimsy at all.
@@PassionforSound Good to know re Urd. I was disappointed when I heard it had a plastic tray. One of the reasons I picked up a second hand Jay's Audio and upgraded it to MK 3 hardware. That, and the difficulty accessing Schitts gear in the UK. Oh, and no I2S. I loves me some I2S. I think Darko called it "Catnip for Audiophiles".
The mini is an incredibly fun little device. I use mine a lot more than I thought I would. I don't have an ET3, but am sorely tempted for a second system. A very cool device and, unlike you, I love top loaders. Loved this video and look forward to the follow ups.
Great review. If, as you mentioned, one wants a better DAC, then instead of buying a cd player, wouldn’t it make more sense buying a cd transport and a better dac?
Possibly, but something like the PL200 could be an affordable alternative to both or a stepping stone while they save up for the better DAC. The PL200 makes a great transport once there's an even better DAC on hand.
Unrelated, but any plans to review the new Nitch x Schiit collab, Pietus Maximus? I’ve been comparing it with Geshelli A3 Pro and RebelAmp and found it to be the most pleasing sounding of the three and would love to hear how it compares to the amps you have in the $1000 mark.
I'd love to, but I don't have any way to get my hands on one unless Nitsch or someone else sends me one.
You need to try the AES , or USB outputs on the Shanling EC transport.....supposedly much better then coaxial ( smoother, more body, tonal density and even more resolving....
Cheers....
I don't have the EC here, just the EC Mini 🙂
Thank you for such a detail and thorough review. This unit does not sound very special as a CD player When it serves as a transport, it is awesome for the price. I can only compare to my last CD player, LUXMAN U-105D. Since that unit died, the OPPO 971H and UDP203 served as transport connected to the Pontus II. When PL200 connected to the DAC, my CW IV sounded like I never heard before. This CD player brought out the full potential of those speakers. CD after CD, I was not missing the REV sub even 2.1 setup has always been my preference. Letting the REV sub seating idles seem like such a waste. After Bluesound confirmed the Node2i's sub out will work if I connect the optical out to the mini optical in and then optical out to my DAC. Everything seems to be more focus, not artificially larger than life. With well recorded CD, it can replace vinyl and shake the house with 8W SET driving the CW IV.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Nothing wrong with the lid...one less thing to go wrong.
Personally I'd always buy the top loader for this very reason.
Fair point! 🙂
I have a NUPRIME CD player used as a transport. So, its a pain like the ERD as I cannot play a CD-R disc. Therefore,
the more interesting new transports are the Audiolab 7000CDT-CD and the 9000CDT-CD.
That's a good point. The PL200 plays CD-Rs just fine too.
Clumsy is fine with me as long as sound is great. Cd wise.
Yep. That's its saving grace. It does sound wonderful and it makes it worthwhile putting up with the two-part lid.
The headphone jack on the back is a good idea, it allows you to install a cable from the back of the unit to underneath the desk to the front of a custom desktop setup so you don’t have to have a cable running across the top of your desk
That works well for those inclined to setup a custom connector like that, but that's a rarity, I think.
A British Audiophile's review found the SMSL PL200 pretty bad as a CD transport using the coaxial digital output. It would be good to know whether the Toslink output would be any different/better...
I don't recall testing and comparing the digital outputs. I can't offer to test it right now either as I'm flat chat. Sorry.
Problem with all these is they are all single cd transport or players. I prefer the multi disc players myself and use them as a transport via optical or coaxial! Yamaha is back in the multi disc player and I have it and the Onkyo DX-C390. Only thing the Onkyo is better at is holding 6 instead of 5 cd's. Yamaha sounds better to me. I only use them as transports.
Good review as always and very informative. Always look forward to your reviews!
That's a good point. I wonder if we'll see a wave of multi-CD players from China next?
@@PassionforSound never know.
@@PassionforSound McIntosh MCD 205 was the last model they put out. Looking for one of them. I have an older ES model sony I need belt for.
this is so timely - I have recently tested both the pl200 and the et3 myself. I primarily want a new transport to replace an older, ok, but very slow and slightly noisy teac player. As transports, I didn't find that the pl200 vs et3 sound particularly different in my system which is decent, but modest. I will do my best to refrain from commenting on my overall experience with the et3 as I don't want to steal your thunder ;) but overall I prefer the pl200.
Important: you do not need to hold the trigger that is normally depressed by the lid to play without it! Just put the puck on, and hold the play button until it starts to go. That's it - it only takes an extra second or two and you're off and running. This discovery in the manual (yes, i am a dork and read the manuals) was key to my finding a happy experience with the lid/puck design - see below.
Pluses for the PL200: it does sound quite good as a transport. Compared to my old teac player it sounds just a tad "cleaner" but it's not at all bright or harsh. The ux/interaction with the machine took some getting used to, but in the end I came to like it very much. Yes, the two piece puck + lid combination was incredibly fumbly at first, but then I just started playing discs without the cover in place, and bingo! That feels really good to me, and I can just leave the lid sitting on the table until I'm ready to shut it down. Put the lid on to keep dust and cat paws out, and it's all good. The puck and lid are made primarily of aluminum (with a bit of plastic in the puck) so I'm not at all worried about damage if they take a spill onto the floor (unlike the glass lid on the et3...highly questionable). I was interested in a top loader in the first place as I have had a couple of experiences with cd player failures and it was always around the tray or slot mechanisms. With the PL200's sturdy lid I really feel like I have found the lowest chance of "dumb failure" one could get in a player/transport. Score! I like the piano keys - yes they are a bit cheesy but feel good in use. Overall the unit is very quick and responsive in terms of starting play, skipping tracks and that kind of thing - this is a huge improvement over my teac and also much better than the et3, both of which required me to stand there waiting until i could hit the play button.
That said, I have absolutely no use for the rest of the features and i honestly wish they would implement a pure transport version of this unit without the schnickschnack. To my years the dac was especially disappointing (compared to my Topping d70s) which is a bummer as i don't even think I would use that feature even as a backup. Not a small difference - HUGE. And not good. Perhaps it sounds better through headphones? That's not my bag so I don't know.
Anyway I still like it as I primarily listen to cds, and it's GREAT for this use case.
These are
the two I am comparing. My interests are the et3 for AES/Is2 outs and up sampling versus having the pl200 dac/balanced outs. Thanks for the platter notation.
@@EM-sx7mi very important tip: verify the pin configuration on your dac before you count on using i2s from the et3 - for sure the config is not compatible with topping d90 or my d70s dacs, and possibly others. You can theoretically find custom cables to "translate" the pin config from et3 to dac but where and at what cost you can purchase such a cable is not known to me. Related fun note: dsd upsampling only works over i2s (the promised DSD64 over coax/optical/aes does not actually work, according to Shanling themselves) so that may be a double loss depending on your dac. AES on the et3 is a big plus though, granted! I'd like SMSL to get rid of the dac and headphone out on this and replace it with aes out - that would really be fab!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the PL200 and ET3 plus the tip about playing without the teapot lid!
I'm looking forward to playing with the ET3 a bit more
Danke!
Thank you, Rainer!
Just a light hearted comment. It sounds very funny to my 63 years old ears when you, the much younger generations, treat CD players / transports sort of like novelties..
I’m 40 and bought a 1987 Accuphase CD transport and DAC off eBay last year for $3k. I felt crazy paying that amount but it retailed for over $10k back then and that’s not adjusted for inflation. I figured you only live once to understand what top of the line was then. When I got it though I am amazed how this equipment that is almost as old as I am sounds better than much of the stuff made today. I’m accustomed to always believing vintage analog sounds better but vintage digital is always going to be worse, I was proven wrong.
I see them as a bit novelty now because they're much less common than when I started out with CDs back when they were first released. I don't mean that they're novelty from a sound quality perspective, just that they are novel in the sense of being different from the mainstream music playback options.
The superior old,grande masters Philips, Sony and teac-tascam never had the problemes you describe!
Do these CD players have the ability to play CDs wirelessly via Bluetooth to a set of Bluetooth-powered Speakers such as SVS Prime wireless? Thanks
The PL200 doesn't (as far as I know), but maybe the Shanlings will. We'll see...
Enjoyed this greatly, as you ask yourself, L, the kinds of questions that come to my mind. Appreciated the nod that the DAC function is allowed to decode DSD files. Means that this could sit beside my computer that, naturally, is too young to play optical discs. The SMSL could become the external DAC plus CD Player as the computer is not my critical listening station any more. Two other flaky thoughts: the nerve of CD TRANSPORT vendors to avoid spending money on internal DACs, op amps etc and then charge more than a CD PLAYER for their (lack of) effort (yes, the URD at least offers other features but most transports don’t); plus every Player I’ve ever owned since the 80s has also been a transport. Yeah, yeah I know. The sports car has fewer creature comforts than the sedan so it can “do fast” really well. Shrug. I don’t buy sports cars either. I’m not a sporty transport kinda guy.
That's an interesting point about the transports costing more and doing less!
Most full-width chassis CD players internally, are empty space so a player with half-width chassis is a great design feature. Today, a lot of circuitry can be packed into a small box but, the quality of the drive mechanism, the laser and the error correction circuitry is critical - nothing about that is discussed .
I can't comment on the specifics of the drive mechanism, etc. because I'm not an engineer with experience building these devices. I'd just be regurgitating marketing spiels. What a can do (and hopefully have done) is describe and compare how well those components come together to produce music.
HELP!!!!!
I bought this, having issues! I can use RCA, or Coax, or optical to hook it up as my amp has all three options. BUT on optical, the remote will not operate the volume of the player. Only the amp volume works. Also, sometimes, not always, when going from listening to music to the menu, I cannot exit the menu, it just shows "Read'y and is stuck there, till I turn the CD player completely off and turn back onto unstick the unit. Is my unit defective? Or what?
That does sound like a faulty unit. I can't recall if the volume should work via optical and coax outputs, but the getting stuck in the menu issue would suggest problems.
@@PassionforSound Thank you for replying
Do those CD Players or Transports display CD text (when that exists on the CD)? Most newer devices do not and that is a shame. CD Text was used to display CD and track Title (and rarely some other info too) on the player's screen. I'm not asking about the all important 'true to the gaps' or so-called 'gapless' reproduction because this was asked in another viewer's comment below.
why is the device tour at the end? it would be better if you put it after the price and specs right at the beginning…👍🏼
That's what I used to do, but lots of feedback from viewers suggested that most people want the sound quality up front so I flipped things and responses have been almost all positive.
I'll always include chapter markers though so you can get to what you want quickly.
Hi, what is the frecuency response of the device?
I'm not sure. It might be on the SMSL website perhaps...
Does it support gapless audio between tracks?
Yes, it does. Apologies for not specifying that in the review.
Lachlan, check out Hifigo the new Fiio cassette player (walkman) lol
That's one I have zero interest in 🙂
Simple way of telling whether a headphone output using a balanced type socket is a real balanced connection (assuming the device has both 'balanced' and single ended outputs). True balanced output will output double the voltage (+6db), typically 4.4V max, from a balanced connection than from a single ended one (typically 2.2V). If that is not the case and what comes out of the 'balanced' socket does not sound any louder than from the single ended socket then it's not a true balanced output. As simple as that.
Yes, but if one hasn't looked at the specs, there's no way to know. 😉
@@PassionforSound As I said, you can just listen..
Oh, sorry. I get what you're saying. I wasn't looking to answer that question at the time so didn't put any thought into it
Sure does remind me of the Shanling. Doubt if there is much difference since it comes from the house of Shenzhen. I have a couple spinners already and use as a transport. My latest fun thing is my Sound Devices 702 using CF flash media. Professional recorder that amazes me how good it really is. So something like this here is dubious to me. But for some who are 1st timers sure. It will be limited because many already have a BluRay player and their CDs go in there. In an office setup sure. I have the best of all worlds. NAND memory, CD, Analog tape. Don't think I am missing a trick here. I think CD has its place but it is a tough sell for me. Like Vinyl, it has limited allure for me. Not being robust, not being handy, too easily damaged, a laser pickup I have to worry about, well just like a BluRay player but my use on that is pretty rare. My Sound Devices is amazingly good and even the headphone stage is amazing. Plus It will play for hours, and hours and hours. Everyone else's mileage may vary.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
I went back to CDs for many reasons but one big reason is after building hundreds of playlists of thousands of songs on Spotify, frankly it gets overwhelming. There’s something about walking to a shelf full of discs and just visually scanning an album and going “hmmm haven’t listened to that one in awhile”. Digital music is like a Russian nesting doll with folders within folders within folders you just forget what you have.
@@mikeg2491 that is exactly why I like CDs too. I keep my discs in books with cd sleeves for each disc, and it's a completely different experience to flip through to see what catches my eye. I have a bunch ripped as well and I just don't enjoy the "noise" of having to navigate folders and subfolders and...yuk.
I agree. I've had to find ways to approach my digital media (local and streaming) in a way that prevents the overwhelm.
Hey darling. I'm Luca from Italy I have bought the same player, but it struggles with my cds. My older one cd player used to read better. By the end of the day pl200 reads them, but this situation is a little strange. Do you experience the same situations?
I've had no issues at all with the PL200 across a huge number of CDs that I tried. It sounds like yours might have a problem and should maybe be returned under warranty/swapped for a new unit.
@@PassionforSound yes, maybe... Thanks a lot for your advice. Very precious. I have already asked amazon for a return. But I believe that my next one will be bought in a physical shop in order to verify as soon as possible any issue. Thanks for your answer and for all your videos.
How about sound SMSL PL200 vs TEAC VRDS 7 ?
I haven't heard the Teac...
@@PassionforSound ok. thanks
Audiolab 6000 better?
I haven't tried that one - sorry.
What are the applications as a DDC?
It can give you the ability to connect to devices using USB out of your computer/streamer, but coax or optical into the downstream DAC. That can sometimes improve sound by isolating noise that comes from the USB.
@@PassionforSound thanks ! 🙏
It's a matter of semantics but common use of the term 'CD transport' is when the device lacks an internal DAC and 'CD Player' when it includes one. The fact that almost all CD players (since many decades), apart from the really cheapest ones, have also included digital out to bypass the internal DAC does not make the players, 'CD Players/Transports'. That is a term not commonly used in the industry so it is confusing while strictly speaking it is not incorrect.
I described it as both to help people understand the capabilities of the device in a single short phrase rather than having to explain it in detail like this. 🙂
Sample rate make a difference. Wonder how a Xbox or PS5 sound as playback device in comparison.
You'll generally find that a dedicated audio player will have optimised circuits and components and will therefore outperform generic units used for game or video playback.
@@PassionforSound You would think so but sony write the audio codex and is bluray compatable. Which is more demanding than a CD.
The difference is likely the choice of the output stage design (either digital or analog), how well it's isolated from the rest of the circuits, power noise, etc.
@@rodm1949 That has nothing to do with anything.
Writing the codex gives you the opportunity to optimise them for your own system. Sample rate and buffer are the basis of nearly every CPU and memory stick function. Has every thing to do with it, just not unicorn tears.@@ChrisStoneinator
Showing my age, but I had a Marantz CD63 or something back in the day. However CDs were very expensive and then my drinking career took off.
These days I have no time for nostalgia, so a Node N130 feeds Qobuz to the DAC via a short USB cable.
Yes, I remember when CDs were an expensive purchase too!
Maybe buy the cd a second time when comparing devices?
If I find myself doing lots of transport reviews, I might do that, but they're still a bit of a niche product and the fact that the differences are small enough to be tricky to define when not rapidly switching is quite informative in its own way for this who might want to save a bit of money and not have to worry about missing out on any really significant differences.
Marantz for me.
You can press and hold play/pause to start playback without the lid.
Oh cool. Thanks for the tip!
@@PassionforSound I've bought the PL200 myself recently and I'm really enjoying it. I like the ceremony of taking the lid on and off and placing the cd and puck. It kinda slows me down. Makes me more mindful of what I'm about to do. I also like the physical aspect of holding the media and looking at the cover art ect. I'm more likely to listen from start to finish with a cd than skip tracks with files and streaming.
I was tempted to go for the Shanling e3t myself as it's cheaper with a discount here in the UK. But I wanted something compact that was stand alone and could easily be moved about.
I'm looking forward to your review of the e3t and especially the up sampling feature.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the PL200. There is something to be said with the deliberateness of it, I guess. Kind of like a tea ceremony! 😉😂
@@PassionforSound did you notice a protective film covering the cd laser lens? Mine didn't have this protective film. The UA-cam unboxing videos I've seen have this but their version has a silver surround around the lens, mine is the updated carbon fiber.
Mine didn't have one either and is also the carbon fibre
SMSL PL200 vs SHANLING ET3
Discussed in this video and I'll review the ET3 in full soon.
Thanks and I plan to purchase your top recommendation post review, I will look for the affiliate link!@@PassionforSound
a Chi-fi $5 prod cost for $700 wow I mean WOW!!!
Wait… the lid comes off?…. Cheesie….
I guess it would be worse if it didn't come off
What if you only have one hand 😂
Lots of picking up and putting down
Why do I suspect both of the cd players with the same teapot lid cover come from the same Chinese factory.
The lids are actually quite different other than being a completely removable disc. As far as I know, Shanling and SMSL aren't related at all. I believe Topping, SMSL, Loxjie, and Sabaj might be, but not Shanling to my knowledge.
@@PassionforSoundtopping and smsl are featured heavily on Apos so wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the same. Shanling I think is independent because they like to communicate in the SABF forums and don’t seem to indulge in the SINAD wars like the other chi-fi brands.
Shanling have been in the audio business for decades. Chinese they may be, and the transport mechanism in their new models is about as Chinese as it gets, but don't lump them in with the other lot. They're no fly-by-night. They do know how to design a proper device if they apply themselves, and I highly doubt they're using the same fabs.
I agree about Shanling not getting into the SINAD wars. Which brands Apos stockmdoesnt really mean anything. They're just another retailer with contracts/distribution arrangements with various brands.
Or maybe its just your imagination.😊
What's that?
Or else just get a CD player for under $1,000
This is under $1000
Empty talk. Play some music.
Rant Warning ( & spread the word)..................
Constantly mistaken, "Begs the Question" does NOT mean raises the question! Defenders always point to "Urban Dictionary" and it's ilk as a counter argument, but it proves correct only in these recent slang definitions due to the frequency of the common error.
Quickly, "Begs the Question" is a very old term. Back in the days of those robe wearing Philosophers. Philosophy is a collegiate subject of study, within which is the discipline of "Logic" and the theorems of "proving truth".
THERE MUST BE A QUESTION FOR IT TO BE "BEGS THE QUESTION"! And furthermore, the TERM is NOT the PHRASE "begs the question", the correct TERM is "Begging the Question" because it is "begging" the respondent questioned (redundant for emphasis) to tacitly agree to a statement as Fact when it is NOT!
To understand, the following example is usually offered. A Prosecutor asks the Defendant this question; "When did you stop beating your Wife?". This argument logically fails the theorem of Truth because it is "BEGGING" the jurist to accept, as fact, that the man beats his wife.
Dangling Participles raise questions, not begs (it's begging) the question. Get it? Whew.
Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
I like the thought of top loading cd player but my niggle is aesthetics it doesn't offer a black option.
I2s would be nice too .
Caveat.. How would it sound through a Denafrips DAC ?
Other than that it's a good looking item
It will sound great with any DAC so that will be fine, but the colour is a tricky one. Have you considered the Shanling ET3?
hi, I think you have the most realistic reviews and your opinion means a lot to me. What is your opinion about the Evrrsolo z8, although I'm not someone who likes everything in one. I looked at the review, but I don't know if you have any other suggestions, it could just be a headphone amplifier...thanks
The DAC-Z8 is mostly a DAC with an OK headphone output, but I wouldn't really recommend it as a primary headphone driving solution. I.e. I would only buy it as a DAC for a separate amp and use the onboard headphone output occasionally for convenience.
Are you looking for both a DAC and a headphone amp?
@@PassionforSound Can only a headphone amplifier up to 500 dollars and I don't need extra power because the most demanding headphones are 250ohm? I have a DAC, SU 9ULTRA..Thanks
Ok. Definitely stick with the SU-9 Ultra and don't get the Z8. If you can get the Geshelli A3 Pro, it's brilliant at the price. If not, the Jotunheim 2 or Midgard from Schiit are nice, or the Singxer SA-1.
@@PassionforSound HI, it doesn't have to be that much, it can be up to 300-400 dollars, I don't need extra power, but I can't buy American products because I'm in Europe and they are much cheaper than in the USA? Thanks
Unfortunately, I don't have any good European recommendations and the Chinese products are all quite similar below the SA-1. Something like the SMSL SH-6 is a nice option, but there's probably a newer equivalent to it at this point. You'll generally be safe with SMSL amps in my experience.