Shanling M7 Review

Design

Shanling introduced a new design for the M9, departing from the Sony-influenced design of the M8. The same design is applied to the M7 too, and this one is much more authentic than the previous generation.

Shanling remarks that the design is derived from their 25th-anniversary edition HiFi line. The chassis is from a single piece of aviation-grade aluminium. The sides of the player have a complex “wave” created by CNC processing. The backside and the top of the player are made from glass.

I think this design stands out more than the previous generation with a distinctive look. I like those waves on the sides. The topside is a nice touch from Shanling with glass as well. However, the M7’s chassis is a bit shinier and metallic-like, which isn’t the case with the M9. I liked this look more than the flagship, to be honest as it looks sleeker. The small secondary screen on top of the M9 is not present with the M7.

Those aside, I think the M7 looks superb since it is much more compact. This takes the new wave design to an even better point as it has just the right size and weight. One of the best looking DAPs for sure.

Build Quality

The M7, just like the M9, feels like a rock in the hand, and the aluminium chassis has good weight and toughness. The premium feeling is quite close to the A&K and Sony players, if not the same. The glass top adds an extra layer to the luxury feel. The sides of the player feel great in particular when holding the device. This is one of the best portable compact players I’ve held in terms of overall feeling and quality. It even gives a better feeling than the M9 with its compact body. That M9 is massive.

My comments about the volume dials of these players still stand though. I don’t quite like this volume dial. The dial wobbles around a bit and it doesn’t look quite as luxurious as the rest of the player. This dial also acts as a power button so it’s frequently used. It has good ergonomics, but I think should have a better and more robust design, something to note about.

Package

There’s a protective case, and a USB Type C cable inside a nice premium box. You also have a screen protector film, one pre-applied and one spare. The case that comes with the M7 is different from the M9, but similar to the M8. I think Shanling doesn’t have much concern about the temperatures of this model, unlike the flagship.

User Experience

The Shanling M7 has a very good and satisfying user experience from top to bottom. The hardware and software upgrades over the M8 provide excellent usability and comfort. I didn’t have any significant problems while using the player.

Size

The Shanling M7 is quite compact. The M9 is almost in the transportable category but the M7 is a great daily companion for me. It’s even smaller than the M8. You can think about taking it outside and doing activities or running around. It’s also good for trips on a train or bus, and it’s also a genuine companion for walking outside. It’s perfectly doable.

I can fit it in my pockets without too much problem but bear in mind that this is not the most pocketable DAP either. You can put it in your small bag and control it from your smartphone though. The “SyncLink” feature allows you to do that, which I will mention below.

Hardware

The CPU performs very fast for a DAP, almost like a smartphone’s quickness. Going through different screens, apps and songs is no problem at all. It’s fluid, smooth and very easy to operate. The switch between Android Mode and Prime Mode is very fast in particular. The device opens up quick as well, and the 6GB of RAM allows good multitasking.

As far as a DAP goes, this is almost a perfect experience. I recommend modifying the animation scale to .5x from developer options in Android. I do this with all my Android phones to get a faster feel. As for WiFi, I find out that it has great reception which is as good as my Android phone with a great 5 GHz performance.

As the Shanling M8 owners would agree, the M8 was a hot running DAP. M9 gets a bit hot too, but I can say that the M7 is the best of the three in terms of thermals. It’s cooler than both despite the smaller footprint.

Page 1: About the Brand and the Device

Page 3: Display, Software, Sound Quality

Page 4: Power & Synergy, Comparisons, Conclusion