Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP – Simpler DAP included

With the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP, Shanling Audio is taking a big step into the premium segment, says Shanling Audio about the latest solution in the field of personal audio devices that it is now presenting. Even though this is first and foremost a portable D/A converter with integrated headphone amplifier, the possibilities of the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP go much further. This solution can also be called a portable hi-res audio player, ultimately playing somewhere between a pure D/A converter and headphone amplifier and the DAP segment.

Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP – Converter from AKM

The heart of the signal processing of the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP is said to be a converter from the specialist Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation, an AK4499EX DAC, which Shanling Audio describes as their flagship D/A converter and uses in combination with the AK4191 modulator. This enables the Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP to convert all relevant digital formats, namely Linear PCM, DSD as well as MQA, and to do so in outstanding quality.

S/PDIF and USB

The first input is an optical and coaxial S/PDIF interface, which are combined in one connection. In addition, there is also USB, where XMOS technology is used to guarantee the best possible signal transmission and processing.

Bluetooth for Hi-res Audio

Another option for using the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP is the integrated Bluetooth module, which supports not only the lossy codecs SBC and AAC, but also aptX and LDAC, and thus signal processing including hi-res audio.

Powerful output stage

In order to be able to operate any headphones without problems, the Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP has a particularly powerful output stage. According to the manufacturer, the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP is capable of delivering up to 1.2 W at 32 ohms.

As far as connections for headphones are concerned, it offers everything that can be expected in this class, because in addition to an unbalanced 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, there is also a 6.3 mm stereo jack as a further unbalanced connection, but also a balanced 4.4 mm Pentaconn.

Pair of cinch sockets as line out

It seems particularly interesting that the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP is also equipped for direct integration into audio systems, because it has a Line Out, designed as a pair of cinch sockets.

Integrated microSD card slot

Another interesting feature of the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP is that it has a microSD card slot, so that corresponding storage media with digital audio data can also be played back directly.

This means that the Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP is not only a D/A converter and headphone amplifier, but also a so-called DAP, i.e. a digital audio player or portable hi-res audio player.

The only “restriction”, if you want to call it that, is that there is no generous display available, as one would expect in the field of DAP, which Shanling Audio also admits in no uncertain terms, and therefore understands this feature as a kind of “goodie” for the customer.

But the Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP does not have to do without comfort when it comes to its use as a DAP, because the manufacturer provides the Eddict Player App for Google Android and Apple iOS, so that a smartphone can ultimately take care of the control.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the power supply is of course provided via a USB-C port, which is available in addition to the USB-C port for use as a DAC on the front of the Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP.

Pricing and availability

Shanling Audio has not yet announced a price for the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP, saying only that it will be on the market in autumn 2022.

Getting to the point

The most interesting thing about the new Shanling H7 High-end Portable DAC/AMP is, of course, the high-quality D/A converter, the high output power of the headphone amplifier, but also the possibility to use it as a DAP, even if not with the comfort one is normally used to in this category. All in all, this new solution from Shanling Audio is a coherent concept, in our opinion.