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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want maximum battery life and true active noise cancelling in a lightweight over-ear headphone that suits small ears, choose Edifier ES850NB; if you need a portable CD player with a high-end DAC and LDAC Bluetooth in both directions, choose SHANLING EC Play. These are two completely different products that happen to share one spec: LDAC. That single codec is why shoppers searching for LDAC headphones land on both, and it's the reason this comparison exists.
If you're specifically hunting for LDAC headphones for small ears, the Edifier is the one that even fits that description — a foldable, 260g over-ear with leather cushions. The SHANLING isn't a headphone at all. It's a source device: a portable CD player and USB DAC that streams LDAC to whatever headphones you already own. Once you see that split, the decision basically makes itself.
• Edifier ES850NB — biggest strength: 92 hours of playback (ANC off), hybrid ANC rated up to -45dB, and 40mm titanium-coated drivers with Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification over LDAC.
• Edifier ES850NB — biggest trade-off: It's an over-ear headphone, so it takes up bag space and depends on its own battery — no wired-only fallback beyond the 3.5mm jack for listening, but no CD or DAC duties either.
• SHANLING EC Play — biggest strength: A genuine portable CD player with a CS43198 DAC, dual SGM8262 amps, up to 700mW @32Ω output, and two-way Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC transmit and receive.
• SHANLING EC Play — biggest trade-off: It doesn't make sound on its own. No headphones included, and it weighs 418g, so it's a companion device, not a standalone listening solution.
• Buy the Edifier ES850NB if you want one finished product that plays music wirelessly, cancels noise, and stays comfortable for hours.
• Buy the SHANLING EC Play if you own CDs or want a dedicated DAC/amp front end and already have good LDAC headphones to pair with it.
The ES850NB is the straightforward pick for anyone who wants a complete listening setup in one box. It's an over-ear Bluetooth 5.4 headphone with hybrid active noise cancellation rated up to -45dB, and it gives you four ANC modes to work with: high, medium, wind reduction and ambient sound. That range matters more than it sounds. Wind reduction is the mode you'll actually want on a breezy walk or a commute, while ambient sound lets you hear announcements without pulling the headphones off.
Audio-wise, it runs 40mm titanium-coated dynamic drivers with LDAC and SBC support, plus Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification. There are three sound profiles — Music, Game and Spatial — so you can shift the presentation depending on whether you're listening to albums, playing something competitive, or watching a film on a laptop. Touch controls handle playback and calls, and Touch-to-Chat is there for quick conversations without removing the headphones. Multipoint connection means you can stay linked to a phone and a computer at the same time, which is the feature home-office buyers tend to appreciate most.
Battery is the headline number: up to 92 hours with ANC off, 53 hours with ANC on, and a 15-minute fast charge that gets you up to 11.5 hours of playback with ANC off. Charge time to full is listed at 11.5 hours. The build is 260g with skin-friendly leather ear cushions and an ergonomic steel headband, and the whole thing folds. For anyone looking for the best over ear headphones for small ears, that combination — light weight, soft cushions, foldable frame — is exactly what makes a full-size headphone wearable for long stretches rather than a clamp you tolerate for an hour.
Who should skip it? If you need a wired reference chain, a dedicated DAC, or you still play CDs, this isn't that product. It's a wireless daily driver, not a desktop component.
The EC Play is a very different animal, and it's worth being blunt about that. It's a portable CD player built into a full aluminum alloy CNC body, measuring 5.59" x 4.93" x 1.02" and weighing 418g — SHANLING describes it as smaller and lighter than its predecessors. Inside, you get a CS43198 DAC with dual SGM8262 amps, support for up to 384kHz/32bit and DSD256, and an output rated up to 700mW @32Ω. Connections include 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone outputs, coaxial, and USB. It also works as a USB DAC, which is the part that makes it genuinely useful beyond CD playback.
The CD mechanism uses a magnetic suction anti-vibration disc clamping structure to reduce vibration and prevent skipping, so playback stays stable while you're walking or traveling. There's a CD lid lock and a button lock for uninterrupted playback, a 1.12-inch screen, physical buttons, and switchable UI themes. The 3450mAh battery is rated for up to 12 hours of continuous playback.
Bluetooth is where it connects to this whole LDAC conversation. It's two-way Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, AAC and SBC support, meaning the EC Play can act as both a Bluetooth receiver and a transmitter. In transmitter mode it sends LDAC to wireless headphones or speakers. In receiver mode it takes a stream from your phone. That flexibility is unusual at this size.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for all-day battery life → Edifier ES850NB. 92 hours with ANC off versus 12 hours of CD playback on the EC Play.
• Best for noise cancelling → Edifier ES850NB. Hybrid ANC up to -45dB with four modes. The EC Play has no ANC at all.
• Best for wired output power → SHANLING EC Play. Up to 700mW @32Ω with 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs, plus a CS43198 DAC.
• Best for CD playback → SHANLING EC Play. It's the only one of the two that plays discs, with an anti-vibration clamp and lid lock.
• Best as a Bluetooth transmitter → SHANLING EC Play. Two-way Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC means it can send lossless audio to your existing headphones.
• Best for small ears and long wear sessions → Edifier ES850NB. 260g, leather cushions, steel headband, foldable.
• Best for home office calls → Edifier ES850NB. Touch controls, clear calls, multipoint, and Touch-to-Chat.
• Best for a desk or travel rig with wired headphones → SHANLING EC Play. USB DAC duties plus coaxial and 4.4mm balanced output.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Edifier ES850NB — and it's not close for most people. It's a finished product: put it on, connect, and you have 92 hours of Hi-Res Audio-certified LDAC playback, hybrid ANC, and a 260g foldable frame that works for small ears. In my opinion, that's the better single purchase for commuting, travel and home office use.
The SHANLING EC Play is the better buy only if you specifically want a portable CD player, a USB DAC, or an LDAC transmitter for headphones you already own. It's a superb source device, but it can't be your only device. Buy the Edifier if you want headphones; buy the SHANLING if you want a source.
what is ldac headphones
LDAC is a Bluetooth audio codec that allows higher-bitrate wireless transmission than standard SBC or AAC, which is why it's associated with Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification. "LDAC headphones" is the informal way shoppers describe headphones that support that codec — in this comparison, the Edifier ES850NB supports LDAC, and the SHANLING EC Play supports LDAC as both a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver.
what is ldac support in headphones
LDAC support in headphones means the headphone can receive an LDAC stream from a compatible source, such as a phone or a player like the SHANLING EC Play. Both devices here support LDAC, but they use it differently: the Edifier receives it as an endpoint, while the EC Play can send and receive it.
what is ldac codec in headphones
It's the same codec, just named from the technical side — a Bluetooth audio encoding method that carries more data than the standard options. The practical takeaway: to actually use LDAC, both your source and your headphones need to support it. The Edifier ES850NB covers the headphone half; the EC Play covers the source half.
what is ldac sony headphones
LDAC was developed by Sony and is often associated with Sony's wireless headphones, but it's licensed broadly. The Edifier ES850NB supports LDAC without being a Sony product, and the SHANLING EC Play supports it as a two-way Bluetooth codec alongside AAC and SBC. You don't need Sony gear on either end.
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