Shanling CD player - Is it safe & what about service ?

[timetohunt]

Hi there, I am thinking of buying a Shanling CD player. Don't ask why, as I have found many topics that debate the logic of that in general.

What I want to know is: I am looking at an ebay seller from hong kong that has good feedback and apparently has sold many of these with good feeback. I am in the process of contacting some of the buyers.

First, are there US dealers for these. I could not seem to find any by searching the web.

Second, am I looking at a service nightmare if required? And then service in the long term?

thank you.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi there, I am thinking of buying a Shanling CD player. Don't ask why, as I have found many topics that debate the logic of that in general.

What I want to know is: I am looking at an ebay seller from hong kong that has good feedback and apparently has sold many of these with good feeback. I am in the process of contacting some of the buyers.

First, are there US dealers for these. I could not seem to find any by searching the web.

Second, am I looking at a service nightmare if required? And then service in the long term?
thank you.

Shangling do not approve of the method by which you are purchasing that CD player. You will be on your own for service. Buying it on eBay from a Hong Kong seller is just plain daft.

http://www.shanling.com/product_e.html

You can get it from Music Hall In the US anyway.

http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MHSHPCD300

Please learn how to use your browser. I had all this in less than a minute.

 

[highfihoney]

Have you ever even listened to a Shanling player,if not why are you looking to buy one,dont get caught up on looks my friend unless you've heard a peice in person.

 

[timetohunt]

I saw that shanling did not endorse sale of their products by other than authorzied dealers. Did not catch the music hall page though. I know how to use my browser dang it.

I was just wondering if there are brick and mortar places that sell them. Certainly could not find any my area.

And if one were to be purchased from a non authorized source or even used for that matter then what are repair options. Are there places that do that. I guess some of those fancy hod rodder audio electronics places might be one to look at.

Chances are I will not go this route and its doubtful that I will get a Shanling, hey but just shopping. Heard some good, heard some bad, as with all audio.

 

[fmw]

Have you ever even listened to a Shanling player,if not why are you looking to buy one,dont get caught up on looks my friend unless you've heard a peice in person.

There shouldn't be any reason to listen to it. It most likely "sounds" like every other CD player. You buy something like this for glowing tubes and machined metal, not for sound.

 

[stratman]

I don't know, but those Shangling products look more like bells and whistles than real substance. Like HH said, listen before you buy.

 

[cornelius]

One dealer that I've used in the past is Pacific Valve:
http://www.pacificvalve.us/

I liked dealing with them...

 

[TLS Guy]

I saw that shanling did not endorse sale of their products by other than authorzied dealers. Did not catch the music hall page though. I know how to use my browser dang it.

I was just wondering if there are brick and mortar places that sell them. Certainly could not find any my area.

And if one were to be purchased from a non authorized source or even used for that matter then what are repair options. Are there places that do that. I guess some of those fancy hod rodder audio electronics places might be one to look at.

Chances are I will not go this route and its doubtful that I will get a Shanling, hey but just shopping. Heard some good, heard some bad, as with all audio.

If you buy from an unauthorized source, it will be fix it yourself! Unless it something really simple an experienced repair shop won't be much help either. Modern boards, are all now stuffed, (some would say F*****), by robot with surface mount components. These boards are pretty much throw away when anything goes wrong. It is unlikely anyone over here would be able to get a board for that machine. That is why where possible I keep vintage electronics going where it can still do as good or better job than new gear. And yes there is more vintage gear than you might imagine that is better than what we have to put up with now. Even better I can service it.

 

[highfihoney]

There shouldn't be any reason to listen to it. It most likely "sounds" like every other CD player. You buy something like this for glowing tubes and machined metal, not for sound.

Wheres my calender,we agreed on something Thats exactly why i bought the Shanling,too bad i hated the way it sounded in my systems.

On a side note,since when did tube outputs start sounding the same as ss outputs.

 

[fmw]

Wheres my calender,we agreed on something Thats exactly why i bought the Shanling,too bad i hated the way it sounded in my systems.

On a side note,since when did tube outputs start sounding the same as ss outputs.

Whenever they are competently designed and implemented. I'm assuming this unit was not?

 

[highfihoney]

Whenever they are competently designed and implemented. I'm assuming this unit was not?

I couldnt speak of the compitence of the designer but the player did not sound right, nor did it measure the same response as the Mcintosh solid state player i was going to replace at the time.

 

[fmw]

I'm old enough that I can remember when solid state was first implemented in high fidelity amplifiers. The audiophiles quickly complained about "sterile" and "analytical" sound. What they really meant was that the amps handled all of the high frequencies without rolling them off like so many of the tube driven amps of the time did. They were more accurate or "linear" as the popular term would put it.

Nothing has changed after all these years. Many audiophiles still prefer tubes to the "sterile" and "analytical" behavior of solid state amps. Many audiophiles prefer "warm and toasty" to accurate. But, if tube circuits are well designed, they can also reproduce all the highs without rolling them off and they can "sound" exactly like solid state circuits with the same accuracy and transparency. I've had some extremely linear tube components that were indistinguishable from solid state in terms of music reproduction. I think you do too. Aren't you the McInosh guy? My impression is that the McIntosh tubed amps have always been pretty accurate, haven't they? I know my Audio Research stuff was indistinguishable from solid state.

People like to attribute "tube sound" to tube amplified circuits but they don't have to have any particular sound at all. And solid state amplifiers can be designed to produce warm and toasty rolled off highs just as effectively as tube circuits. It is just that they rarely are, while tube circuits often are. That was my only point.

You're saying the Shanling output stage had rolled off highs or some other sort of non-linearity in frequency response and that doesn't surprise me. I would have guessed it just based on its appearance (target audience.)

 

[TLS Guy]

Tubes again.

Wheres my calender,we agreed on something Thats exactly why i bought the Shanling,too bad i hated the way it sounded in my systems.

On a side note,since when did tube outputs start sounding the same as ss outputs.

Ok! Don't get me started. There is nothing magic about tubes. They are a nuisance though. I hate to admit but I started out in an era when tubes were all we had. We could achieve good results, as good as the best solid state devices no way!

Tubes loose performance with every hour of use. The are inclined to become noisy. I seem to remember swearing a few oaths at EF 86 tubes for that affliction. To keep top performance there is need for rebiasing. They get hot and all that filament heat is energy none of which gets to your speakers.
They tend to roll off a little in the top end. Not all with good designs, but that affliction is common. Ah! but tubes are so linear the advocates say. Well I'll tell you this there are good op amp chips around for pennies, that are more linear than a tube ever will be.

Now the loony high end have become obsessed with detail and imaging. Now go to a concert, not rock or with any acoustic instruments, and close your eyes, and see how good the imaging is. Go on try it. Now look for the detail. Now pay attention to the whole spectral balance. Its wonderful! Smooth silky soft, filling the whole space. Now go listen to one of these highly touted good imaging detailed systems. Not even remotely like the live experience!

These over wrought high end systems need softening up. But we can't use a tone control device can we? Enter a tube stage with a little high end roll off and we have a slightly sweeter sound. Well I never!

That is one of the reasons I design and build my own speakers. To get the closest to the live experience. And I do. The only tubes are in the vintage preamp to EQ the different 78 disc labels.

http://mdcarter.smugmug.com/gallery/2424008#127077317

This post will likely get me into more trouble than usual, but the loony high end set have run up a big ticket with me.

 

[highfihoney]

Ok! Don't get me started. There is nothing magic about tubes. They are a nuisance though. I hate to admit but I started out in an era when tubes were all we had. We could achieve good results, as good as the best solid state devices no way!

Wow Simmer down there big fella,i never said tubes were magic nor did i say they were better than solid state,i was merely pointing out a fact, that tubes do not perform the same way as solid state.

Man,all it takes on this site is the mere mention of a peice of tube gear to get everybody all riled up,i thought hobby's were supposed to be fun

 

[TLS Guy]

Wow Simmer down there big fella,i never said tubes were magic nor did i say they were better than solid state,i was merely pointing out a fact, that tubes do not perform the same way as solid state.

Man,all it takes on this site is the mere mention of a peice of tube gear to get everybody all riled up,i thought hobby's were supposed to be fun

Yes, and that's why they need to go to the museum. Seriously though the hobby is fun. It's the high end loonies who have spoil it all, with what has been one far out superstition after another. They really do have a lot to answer for. They have held up genuine progress.

Peter Walker was very upset with them in his latter years, and launched some good broadsides into them, which really hit the mark. He was unrepentant, even to the point where it hurt his company, Quad. On one occasion he said "If you don't like my bloody stuff, then buy somebody else's bloody stuff." I still love his "bloody stuff."

 

[highfihoney]

Yes, and that's why they need to go to the museum.

Believe me,my interest in tube gear is strictly from an investment perspective,i take full advantage of the loonies at resale time

 

[hondajake]

Audio Advisor www.audioadvisor.com is a seller of Shanling CDPs. They are located in Grand Rapids, MI.

 

[TLS Guy]

Believe me,my interest in tube gear is strictly from an investment perspective,i take full advantage of the loonies at resale time

Not so fast! Audio DiffMaker is on the job.

http://www.libinst.com/Audio DiffMaker.htm

This is so important, I'm going to post a new thread.

 

[fmw]

Wow Simmer down there big fella,i never said tubes were magic nor did i say they were better than solid state,i was merely pointing out a fact, that tubes do not perform the same way as solid state.

Man,all it takes on this site is the mere mention of a peice of tube gear to get everybody all riled up,i thought hobby's were supposed to be fun

Just trying to be conversational. Obviously that doesn't work with you. See you around.

 

[timetohunt]

Thanks for all of the input. Most of it backs up my gut feelings on it anyway. No way I will get the Shanling. Just not enough there to think that is will play anywhere near what it looks like and then the whole service and use life of the product are questionable.

I think I am gravitating toward a Denon3930ci or maybe a Yamaha S2700BL. I feel like I might scrap the separate CD player idea altogher by getting a universal it will save money.