I've owned this a year...anything but anemic and polite....my prior was a BAT VKD5se and feel the Droplet is superior in everyway....much more tuneful and robust bass,great imaging and staging...plenty of detail...I have yet to encounter an owner who didn't feel the same way...I can't imagine the Shanling would compete...not familiar with your old Cary.And I also find the Droplet's unique design to be appealing. BTW the build quality is as good as it gets. Prior to the BAT I owned a Wadia 830 and that was good but definitely 2D presentation.
Larry
Larry