When Shanling released the flagship M9 portable player at the end of last year, it represented a big step forward for our Android DAPs. Coming with a significantly more powerful CPU, allowing to upgrade to the Android 10, offering more memory and all packed into an aluminium body featuring the new “Wave” design.
Now they are going to squeeze these new features into a smaller body with the Shanling M7.
It features the same 5-inch Full-HD screen as our older M8, but in a sleeker “Wave” design body, measuring 129 x 78 x 20 mm at 312g. On the inside, it adopts advancements from the M9, including the single-piece aluminium inner body and the single-board integrated acoustic design.
The audio circuit of the M7 is based around ESS Sabre ES9038PRO DAC. The flagship model of the ESS line is a power-hungry 8-channel beast and DAC. All the experience of adapting it into a classic Hi-Fi machine helped Shanling optimizing its performance for the M7.
The ES9038 PRO is run in its current-mode operation, combined with a matching ESS ES9311 voltage regulator, a power circuit adapted from the M9 and an in-house developed I/V conversion stage. When paired with our OP + BUF amplifier architecture, which was further optimized for the M7, the new DAP actually getting Shanling’s best measuring portable player so far.