Got my ET3 last May, so I’ve had a good few months to assess it. As I described in my post of Jan. 2 (q.v.), the transport has been a significant upgrade over my previous spinner, a (no longer made) Cambridge Audio CXU, which is actually, at heart, a Blu-Ray player but very competent with CDs and SACDs.
There are some quibbles I have with the ET3, one being that the remote doesn’t work, and in fact, never has, but I can control it from the Eddict Player app. However, the available options are limited through that app. Mostly, you can start/ stop/pause and choose next/previous track, but you can’t access tracks randomly. The ability to upsample is a definite plus--I find that 384000 setting the best sounding in my system. I’m not a fan of the detachable lid though. The small disc inside it that engages the CD is a bit fragile, and I had to have that replaced pretty early on. Fortunately, it’s an easy DIY fix, and Shanling was kind enough to send me a replacement at no cost.
As for how the ET3 sounds, I’m generally pleased with it. Some time before, I had briefly owned an Audiolab 6000 CDT but really didn’t like the sterile presentation of that player--accurate and detailed, but lacking body and fullness across the entire frequency spectrum. The ET3, on the other hand, offers a much more pleasing musical presentation, even if it is still a bit matter-of-fact. As I said in my above referenced post, I’d like a bit more midrange heft, but on balance, there is little to criticize.
I have the ET3 connected to my Denafrips Pontus 15th DAC via HDMI I2s, which is, I think, the best sounding of the available connections.
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