- A CD player with aptX Adaptive and a Hi-Res Audio DAC
- A cheaper version of one that also had a tube amp (!) built in
- $319 (around £244 / AU$490)
We’ve been impressed with Shanling’s portable CD players (the Shanling EC Zero T was one of our favorite products at the High End Munich 2025 audio show), so we’re very interested in the company’s new ECZero AKM, which does much more than just play CDs.
The ECZero AKM is a very talented little device. As Darko Audio reports, what Shanling has basically done here is removed the tube amplification from the Model T that we liked, and instead opted for an all-digital design, with an AKM AK4493S DAC and SGM 8262 op amps.
That has drastically reduced the cost, although it means losing the “meaty” sound of the tube model that we liked so much, but tube amps are always a bit of a risk in a portable device anyway, so perhaps this is ultimately the smart decision.
With multiple outputs and USB-C input, ECZero AKM can rip your CDs in real time to USB storage, stream music to your wireless speakers and headphones via Bluetooth, offer balanced and unbalanced outputs for your wired headphones, act as a CD transport for your hi-fi equipment, and function as a DAC for other digital devices.
Shanling EXZero AKM: Key Details and Pricing
The headphone jack outputs 525 mW into 32 ohms and the balanced output can go up to 836 mW per channel if the Shanling is connected to wired power – more than enough to power even fairly demanding headphones. In battery mode, you can expect about 10 hours of playback depending on how hard you use your headphones.
There’s a 3.5mm line out, a 4.4mm balanced line out, a combined coaxial/optical SP/DIF and dual USB-C, and there’s Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX and aptX Adaptive. These are not quite They deliver fully lossless CD-quality sound wirelessly (you’d need aptX Lossless for that), but they’re close enough that you’ll feel like you’re getting the most out of your records if you have a pair of the best wireless headphones that support them.
However, there is no LDAC – it’s just aptX here. And it’s notable that Bluetooth only transmits – you can’t use it to receive audio from your phone to listen to with the best wired headphones connected to the Shanling.
However, if you connect the USB-C input to your computer or other devices, it can support high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD256, so it’s a big plus to have.
Controls are minimal and there’s a small 1.68-inch color LCD screen that lets you know basic details like track information, volume, and where you are on the track. There are three selectable gain levels and a 100-step digital volume slider.
The ECZero AKM is much cheaper than the EC Zero T, which had an introductory price of $589; This new model costs a much more affordable $319 (around £244/AU$490). You can find out more on the Shanling website here.
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