Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Shanling EC Zero & EC Zero T review
EC Zero T
Linsoul* - bit.ly/LECZeroT
Global* - amzn.to/49mkhdw
AU* - amzn.to/47DiMFc
EC Zero
Linsoul* - bit.ly/LSECZero
Global* - amzn.to/4pmruiz
AU* - amzn.to/47Jg96g
Buy from Linsoul to support Passion for Sound* - bit.ly/LINPFS
*affiliate links help support the channel - thank you!
Need help? Message me on Minnect: bit.ly/HiFiHelp
Join my Patreon community: patreon.com/passionforsound
Become a Passion for Sound YouTube member: bit.ly/PFSMember
Get MERCH! bit.ly/PFSMerch
I'm diving deep into the resurgence of the compact disc (CD) format with the Shanling EC Zero and Shanling EC Zero T portable CD players. As a music lover, I wanted to find out if the magic of a dedicated CD player could truly compete with modern digital audio players (DAPs) and dongle DACs, or even beat them.
I compare the two models: the standard EC Zero with its AKM DAC versus the flagship EC Zero T, which features an R2R DAC and switchable tube amplification. Is the extra investment worth it for a richer, more spacious soundstage? I put the EC Zero T head-to-head against my trusted reference portable DAC/amp, the Chord Mojo 2, and the results were genuinely shocking. I also test the all-important gapless playback (perfect for albums like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon) and explore how these devices perform as a high-quality CD transport or external USB DAC. Watch to find out if one of these is the absolute best portable CD player solution for your high-end headphones or IEMs.
BEST AUDIO BARGAINS BELOW!
Koss PortaPro headphones
Global* - amzn.to/42gDtEm
AUS* - amzn.to/4cgzEUh
Apos Gremlin headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/43FZjna
Global* - bit.ly/GremlinAmp
Fosi Audio ZA3 speaker amp
Review - bit.ly/4chWQRO
Global* - amzn.to/4jfMi8g
AUS* - amzn.to/41TS3Tg
WiiM Pro streamer
Review - bit.ly/4cicA7p
Global* - amzn.to/4lflPcE
AUS* - amzn.to/4leQgzP
FiiO FT1 headphones
Review - bit.ly/4lfVCLd
Global* - amzn.to/4iC4VTG
AUS* - amzn.to/3Rmdp5q
FiiO K11 R2R DAC & headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/42ww7h6
US & CA* - bit.ly/494DVs5
AUS* - amzn.to/4fTzxPD
Global* - amzn.to/40VpdSt
FiiO FT1 Pro headphones
Review - bit.ly/3EfxG9V
Global* - amzn.to/3Fzi41j
AUS* - amzn.to/4iyCINK
xDuoo TA-66 tube amp
Review - bit.ly/448jRoo
US & CA* - bit.ly/xDuooTA-66
Global* - amzn.to/3VWWSYS
AUS* - amzn.to/45MagTc
SMSL RAW-HA1 speaker amp & DAC
Review - bit.ly/4i442T0
Global* - bit.ly/RAWHA1
US & CA* - bit.ly/SMSLRAWHA1
AUS* - amzn.to/3XKHZtf
SMSL RAW-MDA1 DAC & headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/447p3J5
US & CA* - bit.ly/RAW-MDA1
Global* - amzn.to/3ZV8Tk9
AUS* - amzn.to/4eXLx1l,
Meze 105 AER headphones
Review - bit.ly/42lNccF
Global* - bit.ly/Meze105
US & CA* - bit.ly/Mez105AA
AUS* - amzn.to/3RlGRJb
xDuoo TA-20 Plus headphone amp & preamp
Review - bit.ly/42hKu7R
US & CA* - bit.ly/TA20P
Global* - amzn.to/43wK3ZD
AUS* - amzn.to/4hVEAPp
SMSL RAW-DAC1 DAC
Review - bit.ly/43EXDKC
US & CA* - bit.ly/RAWDAC1
Global* - amzn.to/4hgqgkJ
AUS* - amzn.to/3PxxW6q
Chord Mojo 2 DAC & headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/43F0Rhg
Global* - amzn.to/3E5GNKj
AUS* - amzn.to/4i4vAI3
Meze 109 Pro headphones
Review - bit.ly/41Z9T7x
US & CA* - bit.ly/Meze109P
Global* - bit.ly/Meze109Pro
FiiO K17 streamer, DAC, headphone amp & preamp
Review - bit.ly/42hKvIX
US & CA* - bit.ly/FiiOK17
Global* - amzn.to/3QWziIH
AUS* - amzn.to/42bZRyJ
SJY Horizon Closed Carbon headphones
Review - bit.ly/3DTKMd5
Global* - bit.ly/SJYHCCA
ZMF Bokeh headphones
Review - bit.ly/4hXLhAN
Global - bit.ly/42vMLwo
Schiit Mjolnir 3 headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/44cnrOi
Global - bit.ly/SchiitMJ3
ADAM A7V
Review - bit.ly/4i2hO8L
Global* - amzn.to/43mIbma
AUS* - amzn.to/4i7oMJP
Linear Tube Audio Velo headphone amp and preamp
Review - bit.ly/42Eeknp
Global - bit.ly/LTAVelo
Any discounted HiFiMan headphones
Global* - amzn.to/42gwnQk
AUS* - amzn.to/42v7SQo
00:00 Shanling EC Zero review
00:45 Design & features
03:51 Gapless
04:50 EC Zero vs FiiO DM13
07:05 EC Zero vs EC Zero T
11:31 More on the EC Zero T
14:13 Final thoughts
#audiophile #hifi #portableaudio #cdplayer #shanling #shanlingeczerot #r2rdac #tubes #tubesound #chordmojo2 #digitalaudio #hifiaudio #personalaudio #audiophilereview #headfi #headphoneamp #cdtransport #musiclover
Shanling EC Zero & EC Zero T review
EC Zero T
Linsoul* - bit.ly/LECZeroT
Global* - amzn.to/49mkhdw
AU* - amzn.to/47DiMFc
EC Zero
Linsoul* - bit.ly/LSECZero
Global* - amzn.to/4pmruiz
AU* - amzn.to/47Jg96g
Buy from Linsoul to support Passion for Sound* - bit.ly/LINPFS
*affiliate links help support the channel - thank you!
Need help? Message me on Minnect: bit.ly/HiFiHelp
Join my Patreon community: patreon.com/passionforsound
Become a Passion for Sound YouTube member: bit.ly/PFSMember
Get MERCH! bit.ly/PFSMerch
I'm diving deep into the resurgence of the compact disc (CD) format with the Shanling EC Zero and Shanling EC Zero T portable CD players. As a music lover, I wanted to find out if the magic of a dedicated CD player could truly compete with modern digital audio players (DAPs) and dongle DACs, or even beat them.
I compare the two models: the standard EC Zero with its AKM DAC versus the flagship EC Zero T, which features an R2R DAC and switchable tube amplification. Is the extra investment worth it for a richer, more spacious soundstage? I put the EC Zero T head-to-head against my trusted reference portable DAC/amp, the Chord Mojo 2, and the results were genuinely shocking. I also test the all-important gapless playback (perfect for albums like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon) and explore how these devices perform as a high-quality CD transport or external USB DAC. Watch to find out if one of these is the absolute best portable CD player solution for your high-end headphones or IEMs.
BEST AUDIO BARGAINS BELOW!
Koss PortaPro headphones
Global* - amzn.to/42gDtEm
AUS* - amzn.to/4cgzEUh
Apos Gremlin headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/43FZjna
Global* - bit.ly/GremlinAmp
Fosi Audio ZA3 speaker amp
Review - bit.ly/4chWQRO
Global* - amzn.to/4jfMi8g
AUS* - amzn.to/41TS3Tg
WiiM Pro streamer
Review - bit.ly/4cicA7p
Global* - amzn.to/4lflPcE
AUS* - amzn.to/4leQgzP
FiiO FT1 headphones
Review - bit.ly/4lfVCLd
Global* - amzn.to/4iC4VTG
AUS* - amzn.to/3Rmdp5q
FiiO K11 R2R DAC & headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/42ww7h6
US & CA* - bit.ly/494DVs5
AUS* - amzn.to/4fTzxPD
Global* - amzn.to/40VpdSt
FiiO FT1 Pro headphones
Review - bit.ly/3EfxG9V
Global* - amzn.to/3Fzi41j
AUS* - amzn.to/4iyCINK
xDuoo TA-66 tube amp
Review - bit.ly/448jRoo
US & CA* - bit.ly/xDuooTA-66
Global* - amzn.to/3VWWSYS
AUS* - amzn.to/45MagTc
SMSL RAW-HA1 speaker amp & DAC
Review - bit.ly/4i442T0
Global* - bit.ly/RAWHA1
US & CA* - bit.ly/SMSLRAWHA1
AUS* - amzn.to/3XKHZtf
SMSL RAW-MDA1 DAC & headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/447p3J5
US & CA* - bit.ly/RAW-MDA1
Global* - amzn.to/3ZV8Tk9
AUS* - amzn.to/4eXLx1l,
Meze 105 AER headphones
Review - bit.ly/42lNccF
Global* - bit.ly/Meze105
US & CA* - bit.ly/Mez105AA
AUS* - amzn.to/3RlGRJb
xDuoo TA-20 Plus headphone amp & preamp
Review - bit.ly/42hKu7R
US & CA* - bit.ly/TA20P
Global* - amzn.to/43wK3ZD
AUS* - amzn.to/4hVEAPp
SMSL RAW-DAC1 DAC
Review - bit.ly/43EXDKC
US & CA* - bit.ly/RAWDAC1
Global* - amzn.to/4hgqgkJ
AUS* - amzn.to/3PxxW6q
Chord Mojo 2 DAC & headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/43F0Rhg
Global* - amzn.to/3E5GNKj
AUS* - amzn.to/4i4vAI3
Meze 109 Pro headphones
Review - bit.ly/41Z9T7x
US & CA* - bit.ly/Meze109P
Global* - bit.ly/Meze109Pro
FiiO K17 streamer, DAC, headphone amp & preamp
Review - bit.ly/42hKvIX
US & CA* - bit.ly/FiiOK17
Global* - amzn.to/3QWziIH
AUS* - amzn.to/42bZRyJ
SJY Horizon Closed Carbon headphones
Review - bit.ly/3DTKMd5
Global* - bit.ly/SJYHCCA
ZMF Bokeh headphones
Review - bit.ly/4hXLhAN
Global - bit.ly/42vMLwo
Schiit Mjolnir 3 headphone amp
Review - bit.ly/44cnrOi
Global - bit.ly/SchiitMJ3
ADAM A7V
Review - bit.ly/4i2hO8L
Global* - amzn.to/43mIbma
AUS* - amzn.to/4i7oMJP
Linear Tube Audio Velo headphone amp and preamp
Review - bit.ly/42Eeknp
Global - bit.ly/LTAVelo
Any discounted HiFiMan headphones
Global* - amzn.to/42gwnQk
AUS* - amzn.to/42v7SQo
00:00 Shanling EC Zero review
00:45 Design & features
03:51 Gapless
04:50 EC Zero vs FiiO DM13
07:05 EC Zero vs EC Zero T
11:31 More on the EC Zero T
14:13 Final thoughts
#audiophile #hifi #portableaudio #cdplayer #shanling #shanlingeczerot #r2rdac #tubes #tubesound #chordmojo2 #digitalaudio #hifiaudio #personalaudio #audiophilereview #headfi #headphoneamp #cdtransport #musiclover
