[walkmanforever]

The size of the unit is much the same however the H7 is thicker/taller, prob 50% from memory
Like a half deck of cards next to a full deck!

The H7 indeed looks thicc compared to the Gryphon.

 

[Skullar]

I'm also in same dilemma, which one to buy Gryphon or H7. I'm upgrading all my gears so being extra careful . Apologies if I'm bringing too much of Gryphon discussion in H7 thread. H7 seems to be a great product but Gryphon being much cheaper, I'm trying to see which one is better for the cost paid. All observation are from the reviews and 30min demo with Gryphon.

H7
1. approx $400 more costly and heavier.
2. Heavier then Gryphon.
3. Doesn't have xbass , xspace kind of feature.
4. It is less warmer and more bright (my liking is more warmer and bright as in Gryphon, but H7 seems to have better staging which is a good thing)

Gryphone
1. Has battery deep discharge problem but ifi may fix it in future software update.
2. Has hiss with sensitive IEMs. I'm trying to find out if it hisses too much with indigo & Mest MK2 or not.
3. Has lesser output power and lower battery backup than h7

Other than that I think Gryphon is as good as H7 in all aspects but less costly. To be precise, two issues with Gryphon based on reviews which I'm worried are, battery issue due to two different capacity internal batteries and the hiss with sensitive IEMs. I plan to use DAC with Indigo, Mest MK2, and Arya Stealth.

Will it hiss with Arya stealth as well with 4.4mm? All members: your suggestions will really help here

Gryphon does not hiss with Mest mk2. I had indigo sold before Gryphon but i cant see why it shoud hiss either. Theyre not sensitive iems.
I also dont have any battery issues with my current units.
Gryphon is silly good as portable decive. If H7 size fails as portable device. I just dont know whats its use then. It will be like a vacuum cleaner with a shower hose.

 

[SqureSky]

I recently received my H7 and tried it out, and I do indeed have the same symptoms.

When play MQA on Tidal, the H7 side starts the process of determining if it is MQA or not.
The "MQA/magenta lamp" will light up. In this time, a hiccup occurs.

This symptom disappears when the volume on the smartphone is lowered or loudness normalization is turned on,
as it is no longer MQA direct playback.

Note that in my environment, hiccups occur frequently during MQA playing on Tidal. (Pixel7Pro).
Hopefully a firmware update will improve this....

Regarding hiccups that occurred previously during TIDAL MQA playback.
I was able to avoid this by using the UAPP.
Missing sound at the start of playback cannot be avoided, but those occurring during playback could be avoided.

 

[McCol]

Gryphon does not hiss with Mest mk2. I had indigo sold before Gryphon but i cant see why it shoud hiss either. Theyre not sensitive iems.
I also dont have any battery issues with my current units.
Gryphon is silly good as portable decive. If H7 size fails as portable device. I just dont know whats its use then. It will be like a vacuum cleaner with a shower hose.

I don't think the size fails as being portable, it's the same size in the palm of your hand just thicker. Let's face it, not many of today's 'portable' devices are that portable bar small dongles or the small DAPs being made.
Neither Gryphon or H7 are exactly pocket friendly

 

[galaxysound25]

Gryphon does not hiss with Mest mk2. I had indigo sold before Gryphon but i cant see why it shoud hiss either. Theyre not sensitive iems.
I also dont have any battery issues with my current units.
Gryphon is silly good as portable decive. If H7 size fails as portable device. I just dont know whats its use then. It will be like a vacuum cleaner with a shower hose.

I don't think the size fails as being portable, it's the same size in the palm of your hand just thicker. Let's face it, not many of today's 'portable' devices are that portable bar small dongles or the small DAPs being made.
Neither Gryphon or H7 are exactly pocket friendly

I agree with both of you actually. It is actually the 'ease of portability' with higher end portable DACs. Fiio Q7 is even heavier. We have to put them in bag mostly while travelling but based on my short demo with Gryphon, it is certainly pocketable but can't be used while jogging etc..

@Skullar Thanks for the information that Mest mk2 was not having hiss issue with Gryphon, with 4.4mm I suppose. And also no battery issues in the new batches as you said. It makes me almost certain to go with Gryphon. Sorry H7, but if no other issue I'd prefer warmer sound of Gryphon with Mest.

 

[McCol]

I agree with both of you actually. It is actually the 'ease of portability' with higher end portable DACs. Fiio Q7 is even heavier. We have to put them in bag mostly while travelling but based on my short demo with Gryphon, it is certainly pocketable but can't be used while jogging etc..

@Skullar Thanks for the information that Mest mk2 was not having hiss issue with Gryphon, with 4.4mm I suppose. And also no battery issues in the new batches as you said. It makes me almost certain to go with Gryphon. Sorry H7, but if no other issue I'd prefer warmer sound of Gryphon with Mest.

Agree with your point about portability, it's what I was trying say

You won't go wrong with the Gryphon, I owned it for a while, also dont just be swayed by my opinion on the warmth, we are talking fine margins here and by my ears with earphones, others might report differently

 

[galaxysound25]

Agree with your point about portability, it's what I was trying say

You won't go wrong with the Gryphon, I owned it for a while, also dont just be swayed by my opinion on the warmth, we are talking fine margins here and by my ears with earphones, others might report differently

Yes true. From the reviews I understand H7 is great device as not many complaints even with the initial batch release, unlike Gryphon which had so many issues at the time of first batch. Now they have also fixed most of those issues.
My other big reason to chose Gryphon is the lower cost, as saving $250 (in USA) (in my area the price differece is $350 including taxes) would help me to buy my first desktop DAC.

 

[Skullar]

I don't think the size fails as being portable, it's the same size in the palm of your hand just thicker. Let's face it, not many of today's 'portable' devices are that portable bar small dongles or the small DAPs being made.
Neither Gryphon or H7 are exactly pocket friendly

Well my portability gauge is a bit different then. i think Gryphon is perfectly portable. In fact i was working commuting with sp2k for over a ear no probs. Even went out jogging with it on a few occasions lol.
But i get what you mean, and a lot more will agree with you than me haha.
I do have some criteria what passes for portable. Thickness is usually a big factor. Weight not so much as im usually in jeans and belt anyways. Also controls and connectivity layout might be a pain.

Anyways,hopefully I should be able to demo one soon and find out.

 

[Skullar]

I agree with both of you actually. It is actually the 'ease of portability' with higher end portable DACs. Fiio Q7 is even heavier. We have to put them in bag mostly while travelling but based on my short demo with Gryphon, it is certainly pocketable but can't be used while jogging etc..

@Skullar Thanks for the information that Mest mk2 was not having hiss issue with Gryphon, with 4.4mm I suppose. And also no battery issues in the new batches as you said. It makes me almost certain to go with Gryphon. Sorry H7, but if no other issue I'd prefer warmer sound of Gryphon with Mest.

Oh Mest is so sweet with Gryphon. It also helps that Gryphon has some nice tonal adjustments on hardware level. For instance you can add presence boost if you feel like vocals are being slightly reccessed(saw some people complaining). Or just go mad and bass boost the hell out of it and make it a bass cannon. Its a brilliant synergy with more energetic iems. Im currently having a blast with Kublai Khan and Anima.

 

[McCol]

@Skullar
Totally agree on the portability thingy, everybody different. I'd happily put the H7 in my coat or jacket pocket.

Also agree on the tonal adjustments that the Gryphon has over the H7.

However purely from a sound perspective I prefer the H7 but they are close and for some people it will be purely be down to those factors of portable use, sound signature etc.

 

[gylyf]

Someone had asked for a pic comparing the H7 and Gryphon and I thought I'd oblige before shipping the Gryphon off to its new owner.

Both are great units, but I ultimately prefer the H7, in spite of its larger size (I use these DAC/amps in bed, so portability is not a priority for me). I get the feeling some have come away with the impression that the H7 is on the bright side, which I don't think is the case (speaking as someone who's very sensitive to treble). I find it cleaner than the Gryphon, with marginally less warmth and more detail. Very resolving and engaging, especially with my TGXear Ripples, but not bright at all.

 

[galaxysound25]

Someone had asked for a pic comparing the H7 and Gryphon and I thought I'd oblige before shipping the Gryphon off to its new owner.

Both are great units, but I ultimately prefer the H7, in spite of its larger size (I use these DAC/amps in bed, so portability is not a priority for me). I get the feeling some have come away with the impression that the H7 is on the bright side, which I don't think is the case (speaking as someone who's very sensitive to treble). I find it cleaner than the Gryphon, with marginally less warmth and more detail. Very resolving and engaging, especially with my TGXear Ripples, but not bright at all.

Thanks a lot for your comparison. Actually my requirement is more for portable purpose. That is one reason to chose Gryphon. Other reason is the price difference, I'm planning to save that extra money to buy a higher range desktop DAC for hone to be used with headphones. But I understand from you that H7 is not that bright as it seemed.

 

[gylyf]

Thanks a lot for your comparison. Actually my requirement is more for portable purpose. That is one reason to chose Gryphon. Other reason is the price difference, I'm planning to save that extra money to buy a higher range desktop DAC for hone to be used with headphones. But I understand from you that H7 is not that bright as it seemed.

The Gryphon is great and has served me very well in the time I’ve had it. I don’t think you can go wrong with either unit and if portability is a priority, the Gryphon definitely makes sense.

 

[Tex Irie]

Someone had asked for a pic comparing the H7 and Gryphon and I thought I'd oblige before shipping the Gryphon off to its new owner.

Both are great units, but I ultimately prefer the H7, in spite of its larger size (I use these DAC/amps in bed, so portability is not a priority for me). I get the feeling some have come away with the impression that the H7 is on the bright side, which I don't think is the case (speaking as someone who's very sensitive to treble). I find it cleaner than the Gryphon, with marginally less warmth and more detail. Very resolving and engaging, especially with my TGXear Ripples, but not bright at all.

I appreciate the size comparison and the clarification about the sound signature. I'm more than likely going to run with the H7. In the interim, I picked up a Hifiman HM1000 Red to see how R2R fares with my headphones and IEMs. I'd like to thank everyone that provided impressions, reviews, comparisons, and helpful input. This will be my first time purchasing anything from Shanling.

 

[Tex Irie]

I figure the H7 could be excellent for Road Trips.