100hrs burn in done. Some short impressions and comparisons as I aim to 200hrs burn in - my dx240 was burned in 200hrs + when I sold it, m8 300hrs and m17 which I still have 300hrs+.
I already wrote about build quality which is excellent (beside the volume wheel I’m not a fan of). A step above the iBassos dx240 and dx300.
I decided to test the m7 with my denon d9200 with stock cable from SE. This because I have read a couple of reviews online in which the sound profile of the m7 has been characterized by an extended treble and it was suggested to be careful with pairing with neutral/bright gear. The denon d9200 are linear headphones with very extended treble. Many people suggest to swap the stock cable as it can make them overly bright so I thought it could be a good test for the m7 sound signature. I must say that I have never found the d9200 treble overly extended neither peaky. I have also found that swapping the stock cable to a pure copper one would make them overly warm and bassy (to my ears). As a disclaimer, my preferences in sound go to a balanced warmish sound with hard hitting full bass and good separation of the sounds.
After 100hrs with denon d9200 stock cable from SE I would characterize the m7 sound profile as balanced, clear, sparkly (not dry or overly bright) with extended hard hitting sub bass and treble. Mid bass hits strong and fast, mids have a tinge of warmth and treble is extended and airy. Instrument are not smoothed out or rounded like in M8.
The soundstage (and bass on another note) improved a lot with burn in from out of the box. It’s definitely wide, with holographic placement of instruments and quite a bit of air. This is helped by the very black hiss and noise free background. Vocals are not placed overly forward and this helps greatly with possible sibilance which is absent. To really put the treble to test I listened to a couple of songs from guns and roses as axel rose vocals are notoriously peaky. Tbh I found the whole experience pretty smooth and not harsh or peaky.
The m7 is a very clear and balanced dap. I must also say the different filters make a noticeable difference with sound. The stock one is sharper than the minimum slow roll off which is more laid back so you can select filter depending on your taste.
Comparisons
Vs dx240 amp 8 mk2 (from memory): Tbh I was never a fan of dx240 amp 8 mk2. The fact I bought it almost at the same time as the m17 didn’t help as I found the m17 sound 10 steps above in sound quality. Build quality is better with m7. Sound quality - To my ears the M7 is clearer, cleaner, airier with wider soundstage and much blacker background. The dx240 had much more forward high mids which I found at time fatiguing. Not the m7 which is more balanced. Even though the dx240 amp8 mk2 was slightly more “analogue” sounding with warmer (and slower) bass, I must say I vastly prefer the m7 sound. Some people may find the m7 too clear and linear for their preferences but I think this quality makes it more universal in terms of pairings.
Vs M8 (from memory): The M8 is a completely different dap compared to m7. The M8 was smooth, lush and v shape. It had super strong full bass which made it a bit difficult to pair as some of my gear sounded sublime (ier-z1r), others sounded way too bassy or smoothed out (u12t, d9200, duo). It was mostly my sit down and relax dap but it somehow lacked a bit of transparency and air. The m7 is way more linear with way less warmth and strong bass. Airier, wider more holographic soundstage (to my ears) with faster bass. M8 was more “analogue”, m7 is clearer and more sparkly. I find m7 more universal with pairings. Not even a comparison from a speed point of view. M7 OS is way faster and snappier if you are streaming. It also has both 4.4 and 3.5 which I find more convenient than the m8 and m9 replaceable sockets. In fact, that was the reason why I went for m7 instead if m9.
Vs m17: Not a fair comparison considering the use scenarios which are quite different between the 2 daps. The M17 is double the weight and the size, has desktop components, m7 gets warm but m17 gets warmer. Soundwise, M17 is the best dap I have ever had or tried (and I was not even a fiio daps fan before trying the m17) but I can see the size and weight to be quite a problem for many users. The m17 is impressively quiet considering how power it has but still the m7 has a blacker background. Tbh the m17 is noise free with all my gear. However when testing the m17 low gain SE with the notoriously hiss monsters solaris se I hear noise while m7 is very quiet.
Soundwise, I find the m17 slightly warmer and more euphonic than m7. Bass impact is fuller and stronger, Dynamics are more highlighted, soundstage is bigger in all directions and more holographic . Instruments are slightly more smoothed out and rounded in m17 while M7 is more linear and sparkly. If the m17 is mostly a neutral warmish powerful dap, the m7 is a neutral linear sparkly dap.
Soundwise, for my preferences, I prefer the m17 but, As I wrote, comparison between the 2 is not fair and it would also not make much sense if you are looking for a portable dap. The m17 is mostly an at home dap. Or a brick if you need a weapon for self defence when out. The m7 is perfectly portable. I’m happy to have both and I’m curious to see where the m7 will stand after another 100hrs+ of burn in.
All in all I like the m7 and I vastly prefer it to his main competitor dx240. I also prefer it to m8 which was less airy, more vshape hence more tricky with pairings.
I will be waiting for more impressions and reviews from other users/reviewers with different gear.
