CONCLUSION

   To test the M7 Portable High Resolution Music Player we used the same methodology as with the M3K so aside using the Triple Driver BT Headphones by 1MORE (for Bluetooth tests) we also used the Triple Driver Over-Ear Headphones again by 1MORE the On1 Monitor Series by Thinksound and the TMA-1 Fools Gold by AIAIAI. We also compared the audio quality of the M7 to that of the M3K and several smartphones including the Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Huawei P9 and P9 Lite. The end results using our wired headsets were impressive with the M7 delivering far my accurate and clear audio compared to the M3K and all the smartphones we have here (the difference is audio quality is very easy to notice especially in tracks with many instruments and vocals – for the best possible results do keep in mind that you will need to use lossless FLAC material). Unfortunately audio quality via Bluetooth connectivity was very similar to that of both the Samsung S7 Edge and the S8 and although that was expected (Bluetooth bypasses the onboard DAC after all) we may revisit this if we ever get an even higher end wireless headset model. Battery life is also great since with the M7 we managed to squeeze up to 17 hours with the default brightness settings, almost full volume and Bluetooth connectivity (with wired connectivity we almost hit 15 hours). That being said with the brightness of the screen set at max (just like the volume) we hardly hit 10 hours so battery life depends a lot on that. Of course the 3.2 inch screen can’t be compared with the screens of the smartphones we have here (not only in terms of colors and resolution but I also wouldn’t say no to a music player with a 6 inch screen) but for a music player that’s really not very important. We were somewhat surprised to see that although the lower-end M3K supports micro SD cards of up to 2TB in capacity the M7 supports only up to 512GB in capacity (we used three 256GB micro SD cards by Toshiba, Kingston and Patriot Memory without issues) but we reckon that for most people that will be more than sufficient.

   Currently the M7 Portable High Resolution Music Player by FiiO retails for USD199.99 inside the USA (Amazon) and for 178Euros inside the EU (Amazon UK) a price tag which may seem quite high for the majority of the consumer base but for audiophiles and consumers in general who know exactly what is contained in the M7 it’s more than balanced (also based on the price of competing products). At the end of the day if you’re looking for a very good all-around music player with plenty of features and crystal clear and impressively detailed audio clarity the M7 by FiiO should be at the top of your Christmas presents list and that’s why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Aluminum Housing)
- Excellent Audio Performance
- LDAC & AptX-HD Codecs
- 3.2 Inch Touch Screen
- 2GB Onboard Storage
- Supported Audio Formats (APE/WAV/FLAC/WMA/OGG/ACC/ALAC/MP3)
- 1880mAh Rechargeable Battery (Up To 30 Hours Of Playback)
- Supports Micro SD Cards Up To 512GB In Capacity
- Available Colors (Silver / Black / Red / Blue)
- Customized Android v5.1 OS

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Micro SD Card Capacity (Compared To The M3K)