Audiphile enthusiasts, get ready for a sonic treat: Shanling's latest CD player is touted to provide a heavenly listening experience for both over-ear and in-ear monitor headphones.
Introducing the Shanling CD80 II: A Modernized CD Player for Audiophiles
Shanling, a renowned name in the world of audio, has unveiled an upgraded version of its CD80 CD player - the CD80 II. This new model is designed with a focus on headphone users and modern connectivity, offering a range of improvements over its predecessor.
Priced at approximately $359 USD, the CD80 II is set to cater to a wide audience of digital audio enthusiasts.
Key Features of the Shanling CD80 II
The CD80 II boasts several notable features, including:
- Balanced Headphone Outputs: The CD80 II comes equipped with 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced sockets on the front panel, delivering 215mW and 850mW into 32 ohms respectively. The output impedance is IEM-friendly, being sub-1.0 ohms.
- A new 4th-generation tray-loading CD mechanism has been incorporated, taken from Shanling's more advanced CD-S100 model. This improvement enhances loading and playback reliability.
- The CD80 II boasts an all-new DAC system supporting high-resolution audio playback from USB sources, including PCM up to 768kHz and DSD512, and various formats like FLAC, WAV, APE, ALAC, MP3, and more.
- The CD80 II offers multiple output modes, including pre-out, line-out, and headphone out.
- Bluetooth streaming capability with LDAC codec support allows for wireless music streaming from smartphones or other devices.
- The CD80 II features a menu system for configurable settings, including gain setting, digital filters, channel balance, gapless playback, and USB replay gain.
- The CD80 II also includes the SyncLink feature, enabling remote control via a smartphone.
Improvements over the Original Shanling CD80
Compared to the original CD80, the CD80 II offers significant enhancements:
- The CD80 II significantly improves headphone output power and adds balanced outputs for better driving of headphones and IEMs.
- The CD80 II incorporates USB playback of high-res audio files and Bluetooth streaming, features not present in the first generation.
- The CD mechanism and DAC in the CD80 II have been upgraded, improving reliability and sound quality.
- While the original CD80 had two versions - a standard CD80 CD player and a CA80 integrated amplifier - the CD80 II has so far appeared only as a CD player with headphone amplification. A similar amplifier version may follow at a later date.
Pricing
The Shanling CD80 II is priced at approximately $359 USD (~£269 / AU$550). In comparison, the original CD80 was priced around £339 in the UK, slightly higher in local currency terms than the CD80 II in some markets.
In conclusion, the CD80 II offers a more modern, feature-rich experience targeted at headphone users and digital audio enthusiasts, improving on the original CD80’s playback mechanism, adding balanced headphone outputs, high-res file playback via USB, and Bluetooth streaming.
[1] Shanling CD80 II Official Product Page [2] Shanling CD80 II Review on Head-Fi [3] Shanling CD80 II First Impressions on Audio Science Review [4] Shanling CD80 II Unboxing and First Impressions on Audio Sanctuary [5] Shanling CD80 II Announcement on Shanling's Official Facebook Page
The Shanling CD80 II, a modernized CD player, not only showcases advanced technology but also caters to today's gadget enthusiasts with its Bluetooth streaming capability and multiple output modes. The CD80 II's all-new DAC system supports high-resolution audio playback from various formats, making it a gadget for digital audio technology aficionados.
