Today, Marcus reviews the Shanling CA80, which is an integrated desktop ES9219MQ CD player with Bluetooth and up to 100W of amplification output. It is priced around $539 upwards.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I thank Shanling for their support.
To learn more about Shanling products we previously reviewed on Headfonics click here.
Note that this article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read here.
I have another CD player for review today, and again it is from Shanling but this time it’s a desktop player rather than the more transportable EC-Mini reviewed earlier in the year.
The Shanling CA80 is priced at $539 upwards and is part of a double launch with its slightly cheaper sibling, the CD80 in Q3/Q4 of 2023. The main difference is the CA80’s additional amplifier feature for hooking speakers directly to the player, something that the CD80 player does not have.
Otherwise, both players are the same in almost every way from the driver mechanism, DAC, CPU, Bluetooth capability, and general external design.
Thus, much of what you will read in the review below will apply to both units and since we are a headphone audio website we will primarily focus on how well the CA80, (and CD80) works with headgear.
If you are an EC-Mini owner looking for the next level up, the CA80 is not quite as feature-rich. However, the performance and coloration are more dynamic and tonally accurate which might suit audiophiles with more of a purist preference.
Features
Most people will primarily view the Shanling CA80 as a desktop CD player. Its Philips slot-loading CD drive and a Sanyo HD860 optical laser are a consistent choice by Shanling for their player at this price point. However, as noted in the EC-Mini review, I found the damping on this version to be superior and quieter.
The CA80 (and CD80) will play standard 16BIT/44.1kHz or Red Book-type CDs, and MQA-CDs but no SACD capability.
It also has the same DAC chipset as the EC-Mini, a single ES9219MQ chipset. However, there is no direct interfacing with PC and Mac. Rather, you have a front slot USB-A to load local files via a flash drive with decoding rates of up to PCM 32BIT/385kHz, native DSD256, and MQA unfolding.
The CA80 also offers an SE 3.5mm TRS output for IEMs and headphones. It is a similar setup to the EC-Mini with dual RT6863 opamps, however, a better power supply and upgraded capacitors produce a more dynamic performance which you can read in more detail on page 3 of this review.
The CA80 PO output is nothing special at 130mW into a 32Ω load. It should be enough for most IEMs and a few efficient headphones. I found the CA80’s (CD80) peak performance was on its SE LO rated at a standard 2Vrms.
The Amp-out for passive speaker connectivity is pretty good at 50w@8Ω (0.3%) and 100W@4Ω (0.3%) so enough on tap there for a decent set of bookshelf or efficient tower speaker system.
And in a nod to modern audiophile tastes, the CA80 can also operate as a wireless receiver, (no transmission) with a BT5.0 module offering SBC, AAC, and LDAC but no aptX.
Design
The Shanling CA80 is a mid-sized CD player, nothing too bulky or wide at 5cm x 20.5cm x 5.2cm, and a solid weight of 2.4 kg. I can see it slotting in nicely between a set of bookshelf speakers, on a small rack, or even beside your PC at work depending on your preference.
You can buy the CA80 in either black or silver and normally I prefer silver but this time I think black looks ideal due to the tube-lit display panel.
The styling is quite retro in my eyes. It has a boxy but well-built shape with ribbed side paneling and a clean front panel with narrow but wide physical control buttons under a front-loading slot mechanism.
The front facia’s large digital tube display reminds me of my Meridian CDP 506 20 BIT player, a high-end vintage player from the 1990s with all that information accented with a welcoming yellowish glow.
The finishing on the aluminum chassis is excellent with very few visible screws save for 2 on the rear panel and thankfully the housing is not a huge fingerprint magnet. Four rubber feet on the base of the CA80 yield a firm grip on various surfaces so it will not move around either.
I/O
The rear panel is where you will find those major differences from the CD80 version and the reason behind the increased price point of the CA80 with two speaker posts slightly to the left. Thankfully they are banana plug compatible which is my preferred setup though there is no bi-wiring capability.
To the far right of the CA80 rear panel, you have provision for two SE analog connections, an input and a pre-output so you can receive an analog output from a DAC and output directly to speakers or use the pre-out for variable volume or fixed volume output to an amplifier.
The final output is a classic optical output that will send a maximum of PCM 24BIT/96kHz to a 3rd party digital-to-audio decoder.
Just one final note on the power supply. It is switchable with no fixed regional variations which is different from their all-in-one players such as the EC3, (which we also have in for review).
Controls
You can control the CA80 in three ways; manually via the physical control buttons on the front panel, via a supplied remote control, or a BT connection using your smartphone or the Shanling Eddict app.
The front controls are very easy to understand and use with welcome instant feedback upon pressing.
The CD playback buttons are just underneath the slot loader, with a volume rocker and the power/source selector under the lovely digital tube display. All buttons have good pressure with an audible mechanical switching sound when changing the current source.
You can also navigate and play local files loaded via USB though my experience was that it is a bit fiddly going manual with long playlists or large media libraries. It is easier to manage your media on USB via the Eddict app or remote control for this mode.
The remote control will duplicate most of the manual options but this is where I wish they took a leaf out of the Cayin Mini-CD MK2‘s remote design by including individual digit buttons to allow you to select specific tracks.
Currently, you can only round robin track selection (in a linear manner) which makes for a lot of button mashing to get to your desired song if the CD has a long list of tracks.
SyncLink
You have several controls available to you via Shanling Eddict App which can connect to the CA80 via Bluetooth.
Acting as a remote control you can switch between CD playback, USB, or AUX though I wish there was some way for the player to replace the physical remote control for CD playback when connected.
You can also operate a 2-stage gain control though this only applies to the PO output of the CA80. I heard no change when using its lineout to a headphone amplifier.
There are two digital filters available, a linear fast phase and an Apodizing fast roll-off. Of the two I preferred the fast phase which sounds a bit clearer and more dynamic. The final option is a channel balance slider control and it does work with both the lineout of the CA80 and its PO.
Slot Loading
The CA80 uses a front-loading slot system which will divide CD player enthusiasts as I know some prefer trays or lids.
However, I have been using the CA80 for a few months now, and not once have I found the player to fail to read any CD I inserted, even ones I wouldn’t necessarily rate as clean on the underside.
I also rate the CA80 slot-loading mechanism as a lot quieter and faster with better damping than the cheaper EC-Mini which is very noisy in comparison.
Disc read times are average on loading, and not as fast as the competing SMSL PL200’s reading speed but once loaded track selection, play, and pause were decent enough in response times.
Packaging & Accessories
The CA80 comes in Shanling’s regulation brown box and foam ensemble. I have quite a few of these boxes lying around the office from previous Shanling units such as the EM5. They are surprisingly compact with excellent protection for the unit during shipping.
You do not get a lot of accessories inside, not even batteries for the remote control. To be fair, that is beyond Shanling’s control due to Chinese shipping regulations.
Aside from the unit, you get a manual, warranty card, the remote control, and a detachable 3-prong (may vary according to region) AC power cable.
