Review: Fantech Aria XD7 Huano Version Gaming Mouse

The Fantech Aria XD7 seems to follow the same story of a previously covered an egg-shaped mouse that had performance that punched above its price point. It rocks a PAW3395 sensor, weighs 59 grams, supports 1000Hz polling rate – priced at an entry level price of US$58.80. Use discount code ‘TECHJIO‘ to enjoy 10% off!

Unboxing

In the box, you’ll find the following:

• Fantech Aria XD7 Wireless Gaming Mouse
• Extra set of skates (2 types)
• Grip tape
• Back shell
• USB-C to USB-A Cable
• USB Wireless Receiver
• USB Extension Adapter
• Quick Start Guide
• Stickers

Tech specs

Build quality and weight

The Fantech Aria XD7 is available in two colour options – (1) white, and (2) black. The design is simple, with no cut outs at the bottom for any weight reduction. When it comes with build quality, the Fantech Aria XD7 exhibits solid overall construction all round.

I did not hear any rattling sound when shaking the mouse nor any creaking when squeezing the sides of the mouse tight. No accidental clicks of the main and side buttons occured when slamming the mouse. As for weight, it comes in between 59 to 60 grams depending on which back shell you use. Fantech offers both solid and perforated shell, but the perforated ones only offer 1 gram less of weight. If you prefer mouse without holes then you can use the solid shell.

Buttons

The unit I have is the Huano version, which uses Huano transparent blue shell pink dot switches instead of the Kalih GM 8.0 switches found on the earlier version. Having used mouses that has these switches, I personally preferred the sound and feel of the Huano blue shell pink dots. 

The main buttons are snappy and have good tensioning to them. I’d consider the weight to be light to medium, great for spamming. Both M1 and M2 buttons feel identical, with very minimal pre-travel and post-travel. The buttons are one of cleanest sounding that I have tested to date.

Side buttons are very good as well. They use Huano black shell shite dot switches, and have little pre and post-travel allowing them to feel snappy and good for spamming. The button sizes are generous and are also conveniently placed for quick thumb actuation. 

You can check out the clicks and scroll wheel sounds below:

Scroll wheel

Scroll wheel uses a TTC gold encoder, which has a nice scroll weight to it – lightest I have used to date. It’s noticeably lighter than the VGN Dragonfly F1 MOBA as a comparison. Despite the light scroll feel, it still retains good tactility between the well-defined steps. Clicks on the scroll wheel are similar Pulsar X2 Mini, with a high pitched sound.

Coating / Texture

There is a very slight coating on it. On first feel it doesn’t feel like much due to its matte texture that doesn’t leave too much fingerprint stains on it. In game when my hands get a little sweaty, I do find the plastic of the Fantech Aria XD7 to offer a decent about of grip. There are included grip tape in the packaging which is always nice to see. They are decent quality and offer average performance when compared to the third party options available, but hey free grip tape grips better than the bare plastic.

Shape and fit

Yes, it’s another egg-shaped mouse but the hand feel is slightly different from one egg-shaped mouse to another. I’d say the Fantech Aria XD7 feels like a larger sized Zaopin Z1 Pro.

The left side of the Fantech Aria XD7 has a slight recess inwards to offer an ergonomic curve where your thumb rests. On the right side of the mouse, the edges has a slight curve to it instead of going completely flat. The hump of the Fantech Aria XD7 is located in the middle, and it slopes down rather gently from it. I’d say the only other difference apart the size when compared to the Zaopin Z1 Pro, is the steepness of the slope from the hump. Fantech Aria XD7 has a slightly more gentle slope, leading to a little more contact at the back of my palm.

My hand size measure 18cm * 8.5cm, and use a relaxed claw grip. The slight flared out tail of the Fantech Aria XD7 gives me the additional contact and grip when I pull back the mouse for a more locked-in grip. The feel in my hands is really similar to the Zaopin Z1 Pro, just that it is a chunkier hand feel. So if you prefer a more dense feeling, the Fantech Aria XD7 is the perfect alternative. The Fantech Aria XD7 is best suited for claw grip, and for those who favour a wide side-to-side grip distance.

Performance

The stock feet of the Fantech Aria XD7 felt a little scratchy at first, but after a few hours of gaming I think it has broken in more and feels smooth. But it is not at the level of third party options like Tiger Ice. Fantech did provide an extra set of skates which is again nice to see.

Fantech Aria XD7 packs the latest Pixart 3395 sensor that supports up to 26,000 DPI. In its default setting, the Fantech Aria XD7 comes pre-programmed with 6 different DPI steps: 400, 800, 1600, 2400, 3200, and 6400. The mouse has a dedicated software which you can install to do the typical customisations – buttons remapping, DPI adjustments, macros, sensor tweaks, etc. When testing in games like Valorant, I did not encounter any issues or lag with the Fantech Aria XD7. Everything was precise and responsive.

Battery life is on the low side with just 30 hours on a full charge. If you daily drive this with work and game you may have to charge it every week. You can opt to use Bluetooth for work to conserve battery so you do not have to charge so frequently.

Conclusion

The Fantech Aria XD7 is a very solid gaming mouse for its asking price of US$58.50. The mouse is well-built, and the Huano switches feel very premium and snappy – something that I usually feel on more premium gaming mice. Performance is reliable and responsive.

The only gripe I have is with the lower than average battery life. After all, shape is king. If a larger egg-shaped mouse is what you game best with then the Fantech Aria XD7 might be the one for you.