The M7 is a great sounding device but i put the M8 higher. It just has a more mature sound for me. It has amazing, smooth treble and the bass has a real bone. I even prefer the M8 to the M9 which i had for almost a month. I loved it (im Shanling's tuning fanboy) but the M8 is a pinnacle of their daps to this day IMHO.
I think the m8 probably didn't sell well in Japan.
. Just enough treble to bite and warm enough for most headphones. I think some reviewer may find it peaky as the dynamic and impact of M7 is pretty strong. so when the cymbal crash, it crash pretty hard..lol. That goes the same for bass. I would say the bass is more pronounce in the entire spectrum. At least it slam way above my legacy fiio m11pro. The bass slam is almost in the same league as my desktop tube amp. Lots of power when needed.I've only got 30-40 hours on it so far so will see how it goes. I know those Elna Caps need at least 100 hours of burn-in before they settle.
The dynamic is really strong and it does hit hard with a lively signature, but boy, does it make that music come alive! It extracts a lot of detail as well, and you can hear all sorts of different cues in the music come to the fore.Agee. The M7 treble is just nice .. not too warm, not too analytical It's just nice...
You should have read my review, and if you did, you should have believed what I said.I've been drawn towards the M7 for a while now but been put off by some reviews saying the treble was pretty sharp and a bit peaky. Some users have mentioned it has a warm tinge to it too which puzzled me but I couldn't help myself and took the plunge to find out for myself. I was lucky enough to pick an M7 up from a fellow Headfier the other day (thanks again Darren!).
I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard, the player put a smile on my face right away. There's me getting caught up with the pre-conceived idea of the ESS DAC and wasn't expecting to like it, only to find it was totally opposite of that. Talk about extremely musical! The bass is really something special here, it hits hard and you get drawn in right away, it has a lovely density/texture and goes very deep. All while having superb clarity and no mudiness whatsoever. It sets the foundation of the sound.
A bit of that warmth goes into the mids, they are rich, but with great clarity and just come alive. This player is very lively and sounds pop out of a pitch black background with superb dynamics. It's extremely emotive and you can't help but move to it. There is also a lot of detail in the treble, which again is crystal clear, with enough bite and body to drive the rhythm of a track without going overboard...it's the nicest treble I've heard in a player. The imaging and layering are also outstanding, set within a big airy stage, it shouldn't work with the big bass and that warmth but it just does.
It defies belief that a player so small can deliver such an emotional wallop of a sound. It's a winning package all round and comes close or even equals the sound of the DX320 and AMP12EXN-S I had recently to my ears. I can't give it higher praise than that! Thanks Shanling!
That was said in jest!Yours was one of the reviews that helped me make up my mindYou should have read my review, and if you did, you should have believed what I said.
Seriously, the variations in what people hear surprises me sometimes. Ultimately, settling on a reviewer who shares your perception of sound and preference is so important, you could have ended up with something you dislike had you not taken the brave decision to try the M7 despite the conflicting reviews.
The M7 is a very good DAP which pulls out unexpected detail from some reluctant earphones and headphones, yet gives you the quality and quantity of bass that warms the soul.
. One of the other reviews from Soundnews was very indepth and talked about the internal compenents used, that got me very interested as well. He nailed exactly how the player sounds.The DX320 is a really nice DAP but it benefits more with one of the modded amps which takes it up another level. The M7 reminds me of that sound, it's close, around 95% of that sound, which is impressive seeing as it's cheaper and in a more compact size which is better for on the go. Looks like Shanling did a great job with the amp section in M7.
I was IBasso funboy but switched to the Shanling house sound after having the M9 for some time (have had dx80, dx200, dx220, dx300, dx320 with amp12EXN, amp13).
I had the M8 a while back and loved it, it was a lovely warm sound and fairly technical too. I must admit I prefered the DX320 with EXN-S, that was the best sound I've heard coming out of a portable device. I think the M7 comes fairly close to that sound, and I find that amazing in such a small package. The one thing about the M8 was the fact that it was too warm with certain genres and IEMs, which is where I prefer M7 as it's more dynamic, with more air, plus extra clarity without sacrificing the musicality.
