[Shanling]

There is an input for the ECMini, the Bluetooth receive. If the ECMini were to output audio through USBC and RCA out then this could replace something like the Fio BTA30 Pro. This allows people to send Bluetooth audio to their computer or a USB Dac to listen to sound from a device that transmits bluetooth like their phone. If you had included WIFI streaming and Roon compatability, OMG, this would have been my dream device as it would have become a CD player and streamer. Maybe next time.

Ok, to be precise, ECMini cannot work as USB input for the computer, that was the original question.

ECmini can act as Bluetooth receiver, with RCA and USB out to DAC.

 

[African Audiophile]

I have been using the EC Mini for the past two weeks. I use it with HD560s headphones and Pioneer DM40BT speakers. Here are my pros and cons

Cons
- It is a bit loud when playing CD’s. This was initially annoying when using speakers at a very low volume. However, two weeks in I no longer notice the annoying CD spinning noise.
- Not the fastest when it comes to loading and reading CD’s

Pros
- The sound quality is good enough for me. Both via headphones and speakers.
- Bluetooth, USB and RCA options come in very handy
- Portable-ish.

On balance, I am really happy with my EC Mini. I have loads of CD’s with music that is not available on Apple Music and I can enjoy them once again.

 

[Shanling]

Firmware Update V2.1 Released

Full notes and download on our website:

https://en.shanling.com/article-ECMiniV21.html

 

[Elegiac]

Wait... so it has gapless, as long as the album was meant to play gaplessly? That's the only type of gapless I need lol

 

[Inju]

I just received the EC Mini yesterday. Initial impressions, I need a manual for it. I really can't figure out a few things I'm trying to test such as pluging in a DAC, how do I output to the DAC? There is a preout toggle but I don't know if that's for the RCA or usb C. How do I go to the home menu when it's playing a CD? I do see a gapless toggle.

 

[Gift]

I just received the EC Mini yesterday. Initial impressions, I need a manual for it. I really can't figure out a few things I'm trying to test such as pluging in a DAC, how do I output to the DAC? There is a preout toggle but I don't know if that's for the RCA or usb C. How do I go to the home menu when it's playing a CD? I do see a gapless toggle.

Just plug the DAC on USBC out and that's all.
Slide your finger to the right on the panel and Will go to home menu.

Cheers

 

[Inju]

Just plug the DAC on USBC out and that's all.
Slide your finger to the right on the panel and Will go to home menu.

Cheers

Yeah finally figured it out. In terms of using a USB dongle DAC, I did just plug it in. I've tried four so far the Qudelix 5k and an inexpensive usbc to headphone jack out DAC. I toggle the headphone off from the swipe down menu while cd is playing, Astell and Kern SR35 and Fiio BTR3.
Some things I noticed.

Screen Navigation Tips.
1. Home screen is swipe from left to right from the outside edge of the screen.
2. Play menu is swipe from up to down from top edge of the screen.

Bluetooth
1.Bluetooth input mode has to be chosen from home menu If you want to use it as a bluetooth headphone amp for your mobile devices. Ldac is working with the Samsung Fold 5.
2. Bluetooth headphone doesn't work unless you have linksync turned off, linksync allows you to control the unit with your phone using their app, Eddict Player. In other words you can't control the unit with your phone if your using Bluetooth headset.

Usb Dac for Mobile Phone.
1. Works with my Android 13 Samsung Fold 5 with usbc to usbc cable.
2. Does charge the phone slowly but I believe it may be dependent on how strong your adapter is.

As a side note, this thing is heavy. It's technically portable but not something you're going to want to take on a hike. Don't know if the front panel is glass or plastic, which concerns me as you're plugging your headphones in and out of the device may start creating scratches. If plastic it's fine since I can polish the scratches out but I also can't tell if the text on the front panel is above or below the panel which would make that difficult. I of course would have preferred glass.

I'll put down more as I go through it in the days to come.

 

[Inju]

Plugging a dac seems to not work for me. Anyone have any pointers?

 

[Digriz29]

Hi folks. Just got my ec mini and had a fun afternoon playing cds and files from sd card on headphones via the balanced socket. Very nice indeed. However I then hooked it up to my pc, downloaded the usb drivers, everything recognised and..... no sound from the analog outputs. In case the input on my amp had failed I took it to another amp and this time played a cd. Again no sound from RCA. I am sure I am missing something blindingly obvious, but I didnt see anything about having to switch from headphone to rca outs in the manual, and cant find anything in the menu allowing me to so do. I did see a tab in the menu for preamp functionality and switched to that, but still no sound and now I cant find that damn bit in the menus again.
Any thoughts ?

 

[Digriz29]

Ooops. I get it. For everything else you swipe sideways. To get to the pre out toggle you swipe down. Fair enough. Got there eventually and it explains why I saw the pre amp toggle once by accident then could not find it again. I obviously did nt switch it on like I thought I had. Anyway, problem solved.

 

[Inju]

Ooops. I get it. For everything else you swipe sideways. To get to the pre out toggle you swipe down. Fair enough. Got there eventually and it explains why I saw the pre amp toggle once by accident then could not find it again. I obviously did nt switch it on like I thought I had. Anyway, problem solved.

Yeah swiping down from the playback brings you the option of headphones or preout. Have you gotten an external DAC to work with it? I've tried four different DACs without success.

 

[Digriz29]

Hi Inju,
I hadn't, but nipped next door and tried it with my Burson Conductor 3XP and it worked flawlessly. I will try with my Terminator Plus later. I also have a Topping E50 but can't remember if it has a usb input. If it does I will try it.
At first I thought it wasn't connecting. I presumed you would have to put it in DAC mode, and when you do that it says there is no connection. However when I just played it, it worked fine.
I assumed that as it is bidirectional usb it would show in DAC mode as being connected, but it only shows that if you are using the devices own internal DAC.
Hope that helps. What DACs did you try ?
Jim

 

[Digriz29]

Yeah swiping down from the playback brings you the option of headphones or preout. Have you gotten an external DAC to work with it? I've tried four different DACs without success.

Sorry Inju. I did reply but not correctly so you may not get notified. If you look above you will see my post. The short answer is yes, with a Burson.

 

[Inju]

Sorry Inju. I did reply but not correctly so you may not get notified. If you look above you will see my post. The short answer is yes, with a Burson.

I tried it with the following Dacs, the Qudelix 5K, Astell & Kern SR35 DAP, a Fiio BTR3 and an inexpensive usbc to headphone out dongle DAC. I didn't try it with my desktop Dacs. I also have a Topping E50 I may try tomorrow and my audio interface which is an Antelope Audio Zen Q.

I have had success using the EC Mini as a USB Dac for my mobile phone connected through USBC.

 

[Digriz29]

I tried it with the following Dacs, the Qudelix 5K, Astell & Kern SR35 DAP, a Fiio BTR3 and an inexpensive usbc to headphone out dongle DAC. I didn't try it with my desktop Dacs. I also have a Topping E50 I may try tomorrow and my audio interface which is an Antelope Audio Zen Q.

I have had success using the EC Mini as a USB Dac for my mobile phone connected through USBC.

Actually, I have a Cayin RU6 dongle dac. Hadn't thought of trying that but might give it a go. Good luck with it.