Short answer
Both are portable players, $1599 against $1249.
The Shanling M7 reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here, the iBasso DX320 on 565.
| Specification | iBasso DX320 | Shanling M7 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 380 mW | 406 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 81 mW | 87 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 40 mW | 43 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 20 mW | 22 mW |
| Output impedance | 0.34 Ω | 1.0 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | 1.6 µV |
| Price | $1599 | $1249 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 565 | 566 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | iBasso DX320 | Shanling M7 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | 4.4mm |
| Power into 32Ω | 1.2 W | 920 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 168 mW | 98 mW derived |
| Output impedance | 0.38 Ω | 1.0 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | 2.2 µV |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | 566 |
Through the balanced sockets the iBasso DX320 reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here and the Shanling M7 on 566. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | iBasso DX320 | Shanling M7 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. iBasso DX320 publishes at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω; Shanling M7 at 32 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 300 Ω only the iBasso DX320 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
1 headphone reaches 100 dB on the Shanling M7 but not on the iBasso DX320 — Moondrop PARA.
15 headphones are left alone by the iBasso DX320 under the one-eighth rule but coloured by the Shanling M7 (64 Audio Nio, 64 Audio Volur, Campfire Audio Andromeda 2023, 12 more).
565 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
Across all eight the two stay within half a decibel of each other, which is a way of saying that on power this pair is one product.
The hiss columns are empty for iBasso DX320 because that maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | iBasso DX320 headroom | Shanling M7 headroom | iBasso DX320 hiss | Shanling M7 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +34 dB | +35 dB | not published | 19 dB |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +14 dB | +15 dB | not published | -1 dB |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +23 dB | +24 dB | not published | -3 dB |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +19 dB | +19 dB | not published | -8 dB |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +16 dB | +16 dB | not published | -9 dB |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +12 dB | +12 dB | not published | -15 dB |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +8 dB | +8 dB | not published | -19 dB |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +6 dB | +6 dB | not published | -21 dB |
The iBasso DX320 costs $350 more than the Shanling M7. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 15 more models left alone under the one-eighth rule.
It does not run one way only: the cheaper Shanling M7 drives one model to 100 dB that the iBasso DX320 does not, which is the part worth checking against your own headphones before paying the difference.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: iBasso DX320 and Shanling M7.