Shanling ME700 Review

Design & Build Quality

[responsivevoice_button]

Shell

Nowadays, IEM manufacturers only got two ways of doing things properly. Either they can go for CNC-Milled metallic cases, like the ME500 and BGVP’s DMG, or they can choose to 3D-print their IEM’s in acrylic or resin.

The Shanling ME700 uses the latter choice: 3D Printing with “skin-friendly medical-grade resin from Germany”. A good option, which gave astounding results on most universal custom IEMs, and this one is no exception.

Shanling ME700

The shells are fairly big, even more for “simple” five drivers in-ear. If I were to compare them to my Unique Melody Maestro, embedding 12 drivers, the scale would be nearly 1:1,5. Even though, the clean design and neat construction give the whole package a very classy vibe. That and the marble faceplate.

Like a piece of art, each ME700 gets his own, hand-made, faceplate. Carefully designed by Shanling’s artisans, those cool plates exhibit white veins, running over the black background, like real marble. It’s a little trick, but once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it.

Overall, it’s a very nice IEM and most of all, very well built.

Build quality

The Shanling ME700 build quality is top-notch, like every product of the brand if you ask me.

Shanling ME700

The MMCX port fits perfectly, the metallic nozzle makes the tips easy to change and the junction between the nozzle and the shells doesn’t show any gap. Once again, I’m amazed by how far 3D-Printing has advanced: no steps, no shard, just one smooth surface all-over the shell.

• Every metallic part is gold-plated. 
• The nozzle? Gold plated.
• The MMCX port? Gold plated.
• Dynamic driver? 24K too.

If Shanling could, I’m pretty sure they would have gold coated the whole in-ear, as they did with the ME500 Platinum. Prove me wrong!

Shanling ME700

Also, I have to praise Shanling for the cable provided with the ME700. A nice, 8-Core-Pure-Silver one with a, wait for it, gold-plated 2.5mm TRRS plug. Yes, the Shanling ME700 is provided with a great, balanced, cable, straight out of the box.

And you’ll be even more surprised to discover, what’s inside the full box.

Bundle and Comfort

Inside the box

The Shanling ME700 comes in a big, black, holographic box. I’ve seen headphones with smaller boxes, even circum-aural ones. And boy, how cool is that bundle!

Shanling ME700

Inside the box you get :

• the Shanling ME700
• a braided Octa-Core Neotech Silver Cable
• 1x 2.5mm TRRS to 4.4mm Pentacon adapter
• 1x 2.5mm TRRS to 3.5mm Jack adapter
• a clean-tip to… clean your ears
• 4x Six pairs of tips to craft your own sound + a pair of comply foam
• a synthetic leather case, big enough to fit the ME700, an adapter, and a small USB-DAC

Lots of tips, two high-grade adapters, a balanced cable straight of the box. What could you ask for? Kudos to Shanling!

Additional accessories

Honestly, with their ME700, Shanling already provides more than you might ever need.

• Balanced cable? Check.
• 4.4mm or 2.5mm? The choice is yours.
• Good old 3.5mm? It’s here.
• Quality case? You’re served.

All you’ll ever need from my point of view will be a good DAC/AMP or DAC, and you’re ready to go!

Shanling ME700

Comfort

3D Print + Resin + semi-custom shape = excellent fit, or almost.

Last time, I reviewed the AudioSense DT200, another set of 3D printed semi-custom IEMs, and praised their comfort. And, in a perfect world, I’d have praised the Shanling ME700 to equal measures.

Sadly, the ears being so big, I had a few issues with the right one, when the left ear fitted perfectly all the time. If the Comply foam mitigates the issue, it remained painful when used too long. I asked a few friends to try them out and out of five, I was the only one getting the issue. So yeah, those are pretty comfy earphones, but not suited to my ears alas!

Bonus point for the cable: thick but not rigid, with a good amount of weight to hold the ears in the right position, with over the ear cable positioning. 

So, time to check the specs!

The article continues on Page Three, after the click here