Space-Age Audio to Break the Bank May 2, 2008

Read more Digital Audio , Gadgets , Hi-fi , Music

We all love gadgets and most of the time the flashier and more space age the design the bigger the wow factor.

There’s a fine line between stylish innovation and ‘just a bit silly’ though, and Chinese manufacturer Shanling seems to have no qualms about crossing it.

The CD-T3000PRO looks very much like a cross between a second generation flux capacitor and something you’d dig up around Area-51. Nothing wrong with this per se, particularly if time-travel is on the agenda, but sadly it’s just a rather elaborate CD player with a few unnecessary flashy lights.

Admittedly it does appear to be a pretty high-end device from its specifications, with Philips CD-PRO 2 disc mechanism, an aluminium alloy chassis and 8x Burr-Brown DAC (four per channel) offering some pretty impressive sound. You’ll also find two aluminium remote controls and protection against mechanical and electromagnetic interference.

At the end of the day it’s still an outdated technology though, and with an asking price of $6,995 (or around £4,000 in the UK) you’re going to need to either be a serious Trekkie or seriously loopy to front up the cash. – Paul Lester

[Shanling] [AudioElevation]

CD gadget hi-fi