[Rick T.]

I've been deciding whether to buy an M7 or an M9 for a few days, since the Z1Rs spend too much on my budget. I mainly listen to instrumental music, especially jazz, solo piano, some electro, type Autechre, Boards of Canada, Plaid ... I'm a big crush on the EX1000 and I don't know to what extent one of these two models would be an improvement or just a complement.

Thank you very much in advance!

I don’t own the M9’s or the EX1000’s.. But for the music you crave from acoustic, to Boards of Canada and Autechre, the M7 would be a great all-rounder. It has an even tonal balance with a linear response without any major spikes and dips, but it’s also never boring. In fact it is very nuanced and sounds quite engaging and non-fatiguing, at least to me.. What it won’t do is that same impactful bass like the best DD driver, on let’s say some old school Jamaican Dub.. It has great fast and extended bass though for a BA, just not as visceral.

 

[Mal Waldron]

I don’t own the M9’s or the EX1000’s.. But for the music you crave from acoustic, to Boards of Canada and Autechre, the M7 would be a great all-rounder. It has an even tonal balance with a linear response without any major spikes and dips, but it’s also never boring. In fact it is very nuanced and sounds quite engaging and non-fatiguing, at least to me.. What it won’t do is that same impactful bass like the best DD driver, on let’s say some old school Jamaican Dub.. It has great fast and extended bass though for a BA, just not as visceral.

Thank you very much, Rick. I'm still doubting between M7 or M9 or if it might not be better to wait a little and save to buy the Z1R. This hobby ends up causing you to buy more and more things even if you don't really need them.

 

[PaganDL]

Thank you very much, Rick. I'm still doubting between M7 or M9 or if it might not be better to wait a little and save to buy the Z1R. This hobby ends up causing you to buy more and more things even if you don't really need them.

@Mal Waldron,

Just my humble two cents as a more than satisfied M7 owner, before deciding on the M7 almost a year ago, I extensively demo all three Sony IERs & aside from budget concerns, personally & subjectively, Z1R is very similar in tone & sound to M7 so it wasn't adding much for me, not to mention it was a little too blinged out from an asthetics POV, Z1R also lost out.

Overall, aside from your own preference on how accurate & detailed you want your sound, your source & source quality will matter...a lot...so as long as those two things are potentially good, you will have no issue being immersed or enjoying said sound.
Since the M7 is classed more as a monitoring IEM, it has good accuracy & detail across the frequency range which I doubt you be disappointed with though if you can, I would still try to demo more if you haven't already.
@Rick T. gave a pretty accurate description on the M7 sound.

As a side note, personally & subjectively, I find with some irony Sony DAPs don't play well synergy wise with their IER series, especially M7 or Z1R though I'm sure there will be some who disagree on this but this is my take so mileage will definitely vary.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[Mal Waldron]

@Mal Waldron,

Just my humble two cents as a more than satisfied M7 owner, before deciding on the M7 almost a year ago, I extensively demo all three Sony IERs & aside from budget concerns, personally & subjectively, Z1R is very similar in tone & sound to M7 so it wasn't adding much for me, not to mention it was a little too blinged out from an asthetics POV, Z1R also lost out.

Overall, aside from your own preference on how accurate & detailed you want your sound, your source & source quality will matter...a lot...so as long as those two things are potentially good, you will have no issue being immersed or enjoying said sound.
Since the M7 is classed more as a monitoring IEM, it has good accuracy & detail across the frequency range which I doubt you be disappointed with though if you can, I would still try to demo more if you haven't already.
@Rick T. gave a pretty accurate description on the M7 sound.

As a side note, personally & subjectively, I find with some irony Sony DAPs don't play well synergy wise with their IER series, especially M7 or Z1R though I'm sure there will be some who disagree on this but this is my take so mileage will definitely vary.

Hope you have a great day !

Thank you, @PaganDL.

I've read what you've said about Sony DAPs sinergy. Unfortunately, I've a WM1A...

 

[PaganDL]

Thank you, @PaganDL.

I've read what you've said about Sony DAPs sinergy. Unfortunately, I've a WM1A...

No problem, happy to help.

Yes, as stated, @Mal Waldron, synergy in audio gear is ridiculously important & is often understated & very misunderstood.
It is one of the things I comment on the most on headfi...

Subjectively & personally, Sony DAPs make it tricky to make a good decision not just on the IER series but also IEMs in general, at least from my experience so mileage will defintely vary.
I haven't heard the iBasso DX 50 so can't comment how it will sound but you can always try, shouldn't hurt.

In this case, if possible, try to borrow &/or demo the IERs you are interested in with another DAP to potentially make a better decision, though I would suggest steering away from any AK DAPs as subjectively & personally, I find them too similar to Sony DAPs.
Fiio M7 or M9 may work for you though closer to a more natural, distinctive sound, any of the following with also do nicely :

Cowon Plenue D
Cowon Plenue D2
Cowon Plenue R
iBasso DX 150


Hope you find something which works for you to help you make a good IER choice.

Be interested to know what you end up with.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[AlexFL]

Hi @stormers,

Can't comment on the Xelento, have not tried it nor not interested in Beyerdynamic in the least so this will certainly be biased.

However, I have tried both M 7 (I own this) & SE 846.
This is highly personal & subjective but after extensive demos over the years, especially with the SE 846, I eventually picked the M 7 which personally has better overall sound across the spectrum & frequency range which is more 'true' to the music or sound source as the artist intended.
After all, M 7 is classed as monitoring IEMs, though I'm sure some will disagree.
Keep in mimd, source synergy matters with this IEM, as it does with the whole Sony IER M Series IEM range.
So any DAPs &/or sources which are neutral &/or flat will not play well with the M 7 in particular though this is very true with others in the IEM Series, especially with the IER M 9.
Astell & Kern, Sony DAPs (almost ironic) are among those DAPs which the M 7 will accentuate the DAPs neutral &/or flat tones, no matter what music you play so everything may sound 'lifeless' or at least unexciting...
Your mileage will vary, of course so a demo is highly recommended & cannot be overstated enough, especially with different sources.

Just curious, what are you upgrading from ?

Hope this all makes sense, feel free to ask more if you need.

Hope you have a great day !

@PaganDL How do you find bass impact and details of M7 comparing to SE846? I loved them for bass and mids but sold due to slightly recessed and not much revealing highs and most important that sound had a feeling of coming from tubes. I love s8freedom but they don’t have the mids and bass impact of SE846 and looking at graphs of M7 I think the tonality is just perfect _ I cant stand sibilance. Thank you

 

[JoshG1217]

Hey all,
I cur ently have the Z5 as my go to. First iem that made me think iems could sound good. Huge bass and Soundstage. More like an overear. Wondering what the bathroom upgrade path is. I've been told moondrop a8, and Sony M7 or M9. Anyone compared z5, A8, and m7?

 

[thesheik137]

M9 is my favorite IEM (for now). Incredible extension on both ends and it sounds like a live studio experience. Have not heard M7 though but if its anywhere close to M9 then its probably alright. But I would highly recommend M9 if its possible for you.

 

[JoshG1217]

What do you like about m9? Xoming from Z5. Shape and the loose mmcx are my only issues. Sound and bass are just outstanding.

 

[thesheik137]

Fit and isolation are amazing, but probably similar to M7. Bass quantity/texture, mids smoothness, treble extension/texture, imaging,soundstage. These are a few of the amazing points from M9. There are those who knock it's dynamics, but I really don't hear it lacking energy, but rather it just has great tonal balance throughout the frequency range. I know this is M7 thread but if it's even close to M9 its a winner. Afaik M9 bests M7 mainly on treble extension.

 

[DynamicEars]

yeah i write up short comparison between M7 and M9 on other thread. M7 & M9 its all bout coherence and vivid imaging with magnificent layering. Precise IEMs.

 

[PaganDL]

@PaganDL How do you find bass impact and details of M7 comparing to SE846? I loved them for bass and mids but sold due to slightly recessed and not much revealing highs and most important that sound had a feeling of coming from tubes. I love s8freedom but they don’t have the mids and bass impact of SE846 and looking at graphs of M7 I think the tonality is just perfect _ I cant stand sibilance. Thank you

Hi @AlexFL,

Apologies for the delay in reply, not on headfi much these days due to life getting in the way, anyway, to answer your question...

Subjectively & personally, M7 is a monitoring grade IEM so any sound you hear will be as true to your source & source quality so it really all depends on your hearing & how you perceive sound.
As such, using a neutral DAP isn't a good idea unless you like a dry, almost sterile sound but that's just my humble opinion...
As a suggestion, if you after a tube like sound, then just pick a warm &/or smooth DAP.
So mileage will definitely vary but for me, tonality is certainly ridiculously good & I find the M7 hard to put down when I use said IEM...


In general terms, M7 has good impact across the bass & mid range with good accuracy & detail with a 'natural' air in the highs & that tonality does make the sound compelling, at least to my ears.

Honestly, I wouldn't 'trust' a graph, demo is still the best way to decide.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[mityfang]

I just ordered the IER M7 based on positive reviews and my itch to finally step into top tier iem's. How much of sound quality benefit would it be to get a balanced DAC/amp or balanced DAP like the Sony ZX300 versus just using a regular DAC/Amp? Right now I am using a dragonfly red and streaming from Tidal Hifi. I like this because it's super portable and convenient and I have access to a nearly unlimited number of songs through my phone, ipad, or laptop. I feel no need to get a different DAC/amp other than for the option to use the balanced cables that come with the M7. From my understanding (since I have a live sound and DJ background), balanced helps with reducing interference but this only makes a big difference with long cables and for personal audio, the lengths are less than 10ft so it wouldn't make much of a difference right? I get that it might have better L/R separation but does that actually enhance details or bring out a different sound signature? Or will it just have better imaging? Honestly I've been happy with with the DFR and never felt the need for any other DAC/amp but the IER M7 has got me tempted with the balanced cables on potentially investing in a balanced DAC or DAP setup. Just not sure if it's worth it. Thoughts? If it helps I listen to a large variety of genres: alternative, pop, hip hop, jazz, edm, acoustic, rock.

 

[PointyFox]

I just ordered the IER M7 based on positive reviews and my itch to finally step into top tier iem's. How much of sound quality benefit would it be to get a balanced DAC/amp or balanced DAP like the Sony ZX300 versus just using a regular DAC/Amp? Right now I am using a dragonfly red and streaming from Tidal Hifi. I like this because it's super portable and convenient and I have access to a nearly unlimited number of songs through my phone, ipad, or laptop. I feel no need to get a different DAC/amp other than for the option to use the balanced cables that come with the M7. From my understanding (since I have a live sound and DJ background), balanced helps with reducing interference but this only makes a big difference with long cables and for personal audio, the lengths are less than 10ft so it wouldn't make much of a difference right? I get that it might have better L/R separation but does that actually enhance details or bring out a different sound signature? Or will it just have better imaging? Honestly I've been happy with with the DFR and never felt the need for any other DAC/amp but the IER M7 has got me tempted with the balanced cables on potentially investing in a balanced DAC or DAP setup. Just not sure if it's worth it. Thoughts? If it helps I listen to a large variety of genres: alternative, pop, hip hop, jazz, edm, acoustic, rock.

I've never heard a difference other than the balanced being louder at the same volume setting.

 

[CoryGillmore]

I've never heard a difference other than the balanced being louder at the same volume setting.

Same here. With the M9 on ZX300 I heard no difference using balanced 4.4 other than being able to use a lower volume setting. There are people who swear up and down to hear a difference though.