Hidizs ST2 Nebula – the new great option for audio fans with a smartphones missing a dedicated analog audio output and for those, who don’t like cumbersome desk setups with the external DAC/AMPs. All-in-one, universal solution that combines everything – high-quality IEMs, type-C DAC/AMP and even HD mic with phone control button. Time to test whether such bundle does the trick of delighting a demanding user, performing good in both – audio and everyday general use.

Hidizs is giving away ST2 Nebula bundle and other prizes for free. Join this draw here: LINK

You can get the least price and support this product on Kickstarter: LINK

Kickstarter Launch Date: December 19th, 2024, at 10:30 AM (EST)

Pricing Details:

ST2 PRO Nebula (Super Early Bird): $39.00 (Limited to 500 units)
ST2 PRO Nebula (Early Bird): $49.00
USB-C DSP 0.78mm 2-pin/MMCX Earphone Cable (Early Bird): $36.00

Being a fan of single dynamic IEMs, I am glad that Hidizs intends this bundle in particular. Not limited to single type of IEMs – you can use any model of your choice with 2pin / MMCX connector to use with this DAC/AMP on a cable – but the supplied IEMs are the most universal in its tuning, shape, performance and price. Single DD, 10mm DMC lightweight diaphragm, large resonance chamber and H-2019 target curve – what can be more convenient for most of the ears? What I mean by that is that Hidizs made a move to present something that can go easy on every person, no matter which smartphone/laptop/pc/tablet and OS he uses, no matter the music genre he or she likes and no matter what size and shape of the ears he/she has. Nebula should fit and satisfy any. Type-C brings the possibility to connect to most of the modern devices, custom shape is the most versatile, H-2019 curve and dynamic diaphragm combination makes music smooth and crosses out high peaks. Plus the ability to use mic and watch videos with zero-latency… It is only left to try out and find whether everything declared goes flawlessly.

Hidizs ST2 Nebula specs:

IEMs:

• 10mm DD, dual magnetic circuit diaphragm
• resin + aluminum alloy etching shells
• freq.range 20Hz-40kHz
• 0,78 2pin/MMCX ports
• inline control + HD mic
• sensitivity 108dB
• impedance 32Ohms
• weight 7g

DAC/AMP

• ES9281AC PRO
• 32bit/384kHz / Native DSD 64/128
• MQA 8X
• distortion 0,0012%
• snr 118dB
• dynamic range 122dB
• ch.separation 63dB
• output power 70+70mW

ES9281AC PRO used in Hidizs type-C DAC is the flagship SoC with integrated USB. It is not that common among its rivals and let’s say – above the line. Although, what matters more than the chip itself – is the integration and circuitry around the chip that can either disclose SoC potential or place it below the worst products. Hidizs team has large experience of building compact audio products that allows them to go the first way – build a tiny DAC/AMP that sounds like a DAP or even some desktop devices. But I’d leave it for the sound test section.

Box contents, design and build quality:

Nebula fits to small black box, traditionally with silver shiny names, logos and product pics. Two layers inside, one to secure IEMs in place and additional pouch with handy opening mechanism found underneath. Cable is located inside this pouch. Personally, I don’t like that the pouch has some soft cloth inside as the velcro tape around the cable is quite sticky… Anyway, it does it job of keeping IEMs scratch-free in real life. Additionally, there are couple of small bags with a set of silicone ear tips and USB A -> USB C adapter.

Having such adapter means that Nebula has everything you need to use it with PC/laptops that don’t feature type-C ports.

Always been a fan of transparent materials used in the design of electronic equipment. ST2 features not only transparent IEM shell to see its neat cable management and channels but also the body of DAC/AMP is a combination of aluminum and glass. This opens its internal circuitry for observation and brings the additional feature: LED sample rate indicator. This has been a distinctive feature across all Hidizs products for a long time now. Not saying that it is very informative, but you can easily differentiate SD/HD track sample rate, at least.

IEM shells are available in dark / light options, all equipped with 0,78mm/2pin ports for cable and have long protruding output nozzles, ending up with protective mesh.

As far as I understand, Hidizs would also make ST2 Nebula cable with integrated DAC/AMP available separately, in two versions: 2pin and MMCX types of connectors. This would allow make any IEMs compatible with most of type-C devices.

Cable that came in my bundle is 0,78/2pin type, wrapped in textile yarn, has flexible ear guides, equipped with HD mic and inline remote button and ends with the aluminum DAC/AMP shell. Feels sturdy enough to live long and serve its purpose for many IEMs that I would like to try out in such scenario in the future.

In use:

Couple of words here about ST2 Nebula operation: as already mentioned – it is compatible with any USB type-C equipped device that has the ability to recognize external DAC. Windows, Mac OS based desktops or laptops, perhaps Linux based platforms, Android/iOS tablets and smartphones with OTG support… Hidizs says that only IPhone 15 and later are compatible (I am not Apple fan – only IPhones starting from 15 has type-C????). Even if you don’t have type-C, you can try to use USB A -> type-C adapter or some USB hub. Even Hidizs AP80 player running Linux-based HiBy OS has successfully recognized Nebula as an external DAC.

Since this device is passive (doesn’t have a battery) – it relies on USB power. Not a big deal for any device, except the smallest ones like Hidizs AP80 DAP which recognizes and utilizes USB DAC perfectly but the battery drain goes faster. What I’ve noticed is that Nebula gets quite warm, especially with HD quality tracks. About 42 deg.C after 15-20 minutes of indoor use. SD quality doesn’t have such impact. Anyway, 42C is nothing to worry about. Just having a warm little powerhouse in your pocket. Power consumption is about 50-55mA @ 5V.

Sound quality:

Since IEMs are tuned accordingly to H-2019 curve, they produce smooth sound with no accents or unexpected peaks. This is a slight V-shaped tuning with rich but slightly congested lows, dynamic and tight mid bass, natural and mellow mids and balanced treble. Amount of details and resolution are not overwhelming but IEMs still sound clear and have well defined instrument spacing and their layering. Nothing gets lost in the mix, each small detail is present. Stage depth and width are moderate but not too tight. I would say that those IEMs belong to 70-120$ single DD class, no more and no less. Perhaps, the least detailed here is the treble – lack of lightweight airiness and slight tendency to hisses. Although, this is compensated by the overall good balance and its timbre which make those IEMs sound natural and immersive. Was surprised how good it handled most of the music genres, including rap and hiphop, but noticed a bit of harsh high notes in heavy metal.

DAC/AMP SoC on its own is unexpectedly powerful for the bundled pair of IEMs – even 30% volume is quite a lot. I even tried Hidizs MP143 planars to pair with it and IEMs felt decent with this level of power output. Didn’t notice any obvious coloration or accents in comparison to Hidizs AP80 player – quite close. The only difference is that AP80 DAP is pushing slightly more noticeable texturing across the ranges and a little bit more delicate on treble. Such details are only apparent after long A/B testing in quiet surroundings, not on the go as intended by Nebula nature.

HD mic works fine on my Xiaomi smartphone but I wished that it would be a little more sensitive and less prone to incoming noises. It captures voice clear and loud indoors but might suffer from the surrounding environment and rubbing against clothes outside.

Conclusion:

Hidizs ST2 Nebula is good, convenient and universal bundle of IEMs and type-C DAC/AMP designed to be used with most of type-C equipped devices, no matter indoors or on the go. IEMs are both – comfortably tuned and ergonomically fit while DAC is cross-compatible between different OS, devices and IEMs, as well as powerful enough to drive even more demanding planars. Therefore, buying such bundle we get 2 devices at once that can be used independently. But I like the synergy it produces as a bundle and the intention of Hidizs to create the balance between the connectivity, sound quality and convenience of everyday use of this combo. I would leave my planars and DAP for more dedicated listening while ST2 Nebula bundle can join my smartphone when I leave home.

Hidizs is giving away ST2 Nebula bundle and other prizes for free. Join this draw here: LINK

You can get the least price and support this product on Kickstarter: LINK

Kickstarter Launch Date: December 19th, 2024, at 10:30 AM (EST)

Pricing Details:

ST2 PRO Nebula (Super Early Bird): $39.00 (Limited to 500 units)
ST2 PRO Nebula (Early Bird): $49.00
USB-C DSP 0.78mm 2-pin/MMCX Earphone Cable (Early Bird): $36.00

Hidizs, as a company, already has extended lineup of ultra-portable USB DACs to suit any taste and compatibility. Some were enhanced versions of the previous iterations, while others brought completely new form-factor and functionality. The reason for another generation of S8-series model is shifting again to Cirrus Logic DAC chips that impact the resulting sound more than the form-factor, design or sound tuning. Hope that one day Hidizs would release something like this based on the beloved AKM DACs that sound the most mellow and musical to my personal taste. Although, this review would shed some light on how or whether CRL DACs sound better or worse compared to its S9 Sabre siblings.

S8 Pro “Robin” sales has launched on 20th of May with $69 listing price. First 100 order would receive 5%OFF automatically, resulting in the price of $65.55. Additionally, even the first 100 orders as well as the consequent ones may use our discount coupon code ZMCR5OFF to bring prices down to $61.75 and $65,55 respectively. This all applies whenever the product is ordered in Hidizs official store: LINK

In the box:

S8 PRO (codename “Robin”) shares the box design with S9-series USB DACs – very compact and sturdy. High quality prints all around the wrap, full list of specs and features on the back side. Box itself is made of recyclable plastics, inside you’d find soft foam holding the DAC and small compartment underneath that stores all of the additional accessories.

Apart from the DAC itself, there are the next items included:

• “HiRES” stickers
• Type-C to Type-C cable
• Type-C to USB A adapter
• Type-C to Lightning adapter

Having the latter in the box provides the compatibility of S8 Robin with iOS devices equipped with the corresponding port.

Full specs of S8 Robin are as following:

• 1. Dual 32-bit High-performance DAC Balanced Architecture – CS43131×2
• 2. PCM Supports Up to 32bit/384kHz
• 3. Native DSD 64/128/256
• 4. 4.4mm Balanced & 3.5mm Single-ended Output
• 5. CNC Aluminum Alloy Integrated Molding
• 6. Practical Function Buttons (volume +-/filter switching)
• 7. Sampling Rate Indicator
• 8. 80mW+80mW@32Ω 3.5mm SE / 160mW+160mW@32Ω 4.4mm BAL
• 9. Compatible with All platforms: Windows/Mac OS/iPad OS/Android/iOS/Harmony OS
• 10. Hi-Res Audio Certification

Looking at the design – it also resembles previous generations of S8 and S9 DACs, with some new features and more complicated elements. S8 Robin case is made of aluminum with glass panels covering front and rear of the device. The newly designed are the decorative fins on the right side, and all buttons on the left. Pity is that the central crown is not a rotary element as it seems to be. It is a mere push-button that serves only one purpose – to play|pause. Other two buttons are for changing the volume (long press) / changing effect filters (simultaneously press both).

Since this DAC is fully balanced (2 DAC chips + parallel L+R circuitry) – it is equipped with 4.4mm Pentacon balanced connector along with single-ended 3.5mm one. USB type-C is used to connect S8 Robin to the source (Windows, Android OS, iOS, MacOS devices and HiBy OS DAPs).

S8 Pro Robin is very lightweight (only 17 grams), doesn’t require external power supply and doesn’t heat up notably which makes it perfect companion for phones, tablets or laptops.

In operation:

Undoubtedly, the central design element of this DAC is the semi-transparent logo at the front that also lights up with different colors resembling current sample rate and the chosen filter effect. To understand it, here is the list of color and corresponding meanings:

Effects:

• Red: High Pass Filter
• White: Wide Band and Flatness Mode
• Green: NOS Filter
• Blue: Deem Phase Filter
• Yellow: Fast & Slow Filter
• Pink: Phase Compensated Filter

Sample rates:

• Yellow: DSD 64/128
• Purple: DSD 256
• Blue: PCM 176.4/192kHz
• Red: PCM 352.8/384kHz
• White: PCM 705.6/768kHz
• Green: PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96kHz

I’ve paired S8 with Xiaomi Redmi Note 8PRO, Lenovo Thinkpad E14 laptop, DooGee tablet – all recognized S8 Pro as USB DAC straight away. But I would recommend to use some specific audio player apps on Android (like HiBy Music) and ASIO drivers for S8 Pro on Windows 10/11 (available at Hidizs official website download page) in order to bypass system mixers and get the best sound quality.

As to the power draw from a smartphone – S8 Pro is pretty effective. I’ve noticed around 3-4% increase during 2-3 hours of listening to music with the screen off.

Sound:

Lows:

There is a slight emphasis on the bass which gives a bit of warmth to the overall sound which is quite good for my taste. Just getting border of the crispy sound of the Sabre siblings. Bass extension is pretty good. Lows are apparently outlined, exhibit moderate detalization. Mid bass is tight and punchy with most of the sensitive IEMs and gets slightly dull with large overheads. This region is the most vulnerable for power-hungry headphones of any types. Anything below 72Ohms should be good to go but I would not recommend the most of the ultra-potable USB DACs for anything above that.

Mids:

I like how the warmth that bleeds in from the lows add the wight and timbre to the mids. Mids manage to stay close to neutral but the warmth make it feel more volumetric and standing forward. This also helps to keep the control of the upper mids which doesn’t exhibit sibilants or hissing. Higher resolution is evident here, separation and layering of the instruments are quite good. S8 Pro is definitely demonstrates the best performance in this range – rich, resolved, natural sound and appealing timbre.

Treble:

Again, treble is sensitive to type of the IEMs or headphones used. The best performance when there is no notable shading is with the armature-based sensitive IEMs while closed-back overheads might tend to dark sound when you’d obviously lack treble amount. I wouldn’t say that treble is not crispy or detailed enough. Neither it is not under-emphasized – presence is pretty balanced with the most neutral IEMs. But the rest – resolution, amount, crispness and extension is headphones-dependent, more than with Sabre siblings. Part of this comes from the overall slightly warm sound character. Again, with neutral of bright IEMs – treble feels excellent, with no fatigue and pleasant for long listening sessions even at high volume levels.

Conclusion:

There is almost a full lineup of USB DACs from Hidizs in my possession, as well as 5 other ultra-potable DACs from other brands (ColorFly, Audirect, etc). And among those my favorite ones are from Hidizs due to the combination of price/power output/sound quality. Recent S9 generations were based on ESS Sabre DAC chips with its prominent treble clarity and performance but I’ve always tended towards warmer sound and mellow timbre. That is why DAPs based on AKK ships are the main sound sources for me throughout the years. At last, Hidizs has made a DAC with the sound character much closer to such preferences. It sounds rich, warmer, puts a slight emphasis on mids, brings it forward, resolves lows pretty well and doesn’t make you feel tired after long listening sessions due to the reasonable amount of treble.

Hidizs S8 Pro “Robin” is available at official Hidizs store page: LINK

Use ZMCR5OFF coupon code to get 5% off the listed price.

Small but mighty – this is the only phrase that comes to my mind after using USB type-C dongles of this kind. This time it is Hidizs SD2 – the newest USB dongle that is designed to squeeze more juice to drive headsets to the appropriate levels when compared to the integrated sound amplifiers. It is not the first take of Hidizs on dongle DACs and by this point they have quite an experience and knowledge to design tiny, yet powerful DAC&AMP. Although, there were always pros and cons of using such devices which would be described in this article.

Hidizs SD2 has been released to public only couple of days ago and the first 200 units would be sold at special prize (31,99USD).

Link to the official Hidizs store: LINK

Link to Amazon store: LINK

You can use ZMCR5OFF as 5% discount code.

First, specs&features:

As seen from the specs, SD2 is compatible with all types of devices out of the box, supports PCM32bit/384kHz sampling and DSD128, as well as in-line remote and mic. Therefore, it not only brings back 3,5mm jack output to all of the devices free from it by the hand of marketing managers, but also gives the possibility to enrich sound quality and use your phone functions in the most convenient way. Hidizs also claims that the sound has zero delay what makes it possible to watch videos and play games apart from listening to music.

Box contents:

Apart from the SD2 itself, you’d get USB A -> type-C adapter and Lightning -> type C adapter which covers most of the possible variety of modern devices. If I am not wrong, this is the first time when Hidizs adds lightning adapter to the bundle and makes this device fully compatible with Apple smartphones out of the box.

Design, fit and build quality:

SD2 is really small. Much smaller than most of the USB type-C dongles available from other brands. It is only 20×34,5x10mm in physical size and designed in such a way that 3,5mm output comes out of the case at 45 degrees angle. This clever design serves two roles: type-C port side has enough surface length to press against the device and eliminate side flex and headphones output brings the jack closer to the source device, making the load shoulder even smaller. In real life, SD2 sits quite securely at place and doesn’t make me feel that it would destroy type-C port of my phone. I can’t say that such hard-type of connection is better than using a cable in-between, but the connection itself is stronger than I thought it would be. On the other hand, such connection would depend of the type of bumper or case that is used with the smartphone. If it is thick and soft – SD2 would not feel that tight.

Device in use:

SD2 is designed to work straight forward out of the box – connect it to any source like Android smartphones or tablets, Windows PC or Apple smartphones and it should be recognized by the system as USB audio device. Furthermore, such apps as HiBy Music on Android would also recognize it as bit-perfect device to bypass system audio mixers and send data directly to USB.

Common for all Hidizs devices, SD2 shows incoming audio quality with different LED colors: red for PCM 44.1-48kHz and blue for PCM 88.2-384kHz & DSD128.

While using this device there were no noticeable lag in audio while watching movies, neither there was case heating or extraordinary fast smartphone battery drain. Seems that Hidizs did a good job on optimization on internal circuits.

Sound wise, first what I was after is the capability of SD2 to handle full-sized headphones such as Audio-Technika ATH-M50 and Logitech Astro A10. First is pretty tight closed back with 50Ohms impedance, second ae the gamins ones with a mic and 32Ohms impedance. All driven from Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro smartphone which is not great at all on its own 3,5mm headphone output. Not great means that it feels anemic, low powered, artificial, with smeared highs and soft on mid bass when trying to drive such types of headphones… SD2 definitely nails it and is capable of driving both at much more appropriate levels, bringing the life and juice to mid bass, much better clarity of treble, together with higher volume in overall. Music starts to feel more engaging and transparent, when each instrument has its place and room. Layering and imaginary scene gets better. And all of that is apparent, no need of recurrent tries. In my opinion, SD2 is doing much better that integrated dac/amp of this particular smartphone.

Conclusion:

It is great that we still get the possibility to have 3,5mm headphone output in almost any device despite the decision of marketing that it is no longer valid for the end-user. Denying the will of having higher audio quality on wired headphones or IEMs and forcing to be content in bluetooth boundaries is more about making more profit on more expensive devices, rather than providing the best quality or unleashing the potential. It is great that there are such product as Hidizs SD2 that bring back the possibility, functionality, compatibility, quality and passion… SD2 is one of the smallest, yet capable devices that makes wired headphones useful again, while overcoming the shortcomings of the integrated circuits.

Link to the official Hidizs store: LINK

Link to Amazon store: LINK

You can use ZMCR5OFF as 5% discount code.

Not very common review today since it consists of two interesting units from the same brand – Hidizs. This brand has been quite active and brought intriguing and worthy stuff for the past couple of years. Their latest MP145 planar IEMs made some noise before the launch and early bidders have already started to receive their parcels and supply own very positive impressions.

Glad to see that the feedback on the sample items the reviewers have shared this summer finally turns into pleasing satisfaction of Hidizs customers and supporters and the campaign turned out a success in overall.

This time I’d share my experience and impressions of spending several weeks with Hidizs S9 Pro Plus USB DAC|AMP dongle and the latest SDD IEMs – MS1 Galaxy. And since the devices create a great pair, I’d review those together in one article, starting with the dongle.

First of all, S9 Pro Plus (codename “Martha”) is a successor of the previous versions of S9 lineup: S8 -> S9 -> S9 Pro -> S9 Pro Plus. Currently, Hidizs is pretty strong in such devices and has a long list of dongles: S8, S9 series (3 devices), XO, S3 Pro. Previous S9 dongles were widely reviewed and commonly placed on top among similar products of other brands and S3 Pro even has been mentioned in New York Times as the best budget pick. Back to S9 series…

Personally, I would say that S9 Pro Plus is a direct successor of S9 Pro whereas the original S9 is a standalone product. The main difference is that the original S9 is built on AKK DAC while S9 Pro and the newest Plus versions share similar ESS ES9038EQM DAC chip. Here we can see all the difference:

Despite that architecture of S9 and S9 Pro is different, their design and some features are more similar to each other than between S9 Pro and S9 Pro Plus. Plus version now offers 4.4mm BL & 3.5mm SE ports instead of 2.5 + 3.5 combination, it now features physical buttons, different design layout and additional switching filters. And on top of that there is more than 30% gain in power comparing to the original S9 version.

Full S9 Pro Plus specs:

• Dimensions: 55×25×11mm
• DAC Chip: ESS9038Q2M
• DSD: Native DSD64/128/256/512
• PCM: up to 32bit/768kHz
• Outputs: single-ended 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm
• Sampling rate indicator: yes
• Shell material: CNC integrated aluminum alloy
• Function buttons: 2
• Switching filter: 7
• USB interface: Type-C
• OS compatibility: Android, Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS, Harmony OS (Please note: a Lightning to Type-C cable with OTG function has to be purchased separately to support iOS)
• Net weight: 17g
• Colors: Black, Sliver, Blue
• Packing list: Type-C to Type-C Cable×1, Type-C to USB-A adapter×1, User manual×1, Warranty card×1

Audio:

Under 32Ω load:

• Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
• Distortion: PO (3.5): 0.0019%, BAL (4.4): 0.0008%
• Signal-to-noise ratio: PO (3.5): 123dB, BAL (4.4): 120dB
• Separation: PO (3.5): 75dB, BAL (4.4): 115dB
• Output power: 138mW+138mW SE 3.5mm, 180mW+180mW BL 4.5mm

What has also changed is the design of the box – it became significantly smaller and features hard case with soft insert now instead of cardboard in previous dongles. Comes with the device itself, one USB type C -> type C cable and the additional USB A -> type C adaptor for older PC or Mac that don’t have type-C on board.

S9 Pro Plus has the dimensions of 55x25x11mm, consists of the aluminum chassis with front and back glass panels. Design is resembling all Hidizs products with its sharp edges put under different angles.

Another heritage is Hidizs logo at front which also acts as RGB LED indicator for sampling rates and different sound filters. Looks beautifully when active but I wouldn’t call it informative. I would prefer slightly more expensive dongle with OLED screen and full information about rates, filters and track quality. Anyway, here is the list of LED colors and their meanings:

Sample rate indication:

• Yellow: DSD 64/128
• Purple: DSD 256/512
• Blue: PCM 176.4/192(kHz)
• Red: PCM 352.8/384(kHz)
• White: PCM 705.6/768(kHz)
• Green: PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96(kHz)

Filter selection (pressing 2 buttons simultaneously during playback):

On the right edge we have 2 physical buttons now that are responsible for 2 functions: Volume and Filter. Pressing one button increases or decreases the volume respectively, while pressing two at once would change filter mentioned above. Each press of 2 buttons scrolls to the next filter and there is a change in LED color to identify which filter is currently active. Changing volume with dongle buttons is quite discrete and sometimes it is better to control volume from a source in order to get some preferrable values in between.

Top edge of the device contains 2 ports: 4.4mm BL Pentaconn type and 3.5mm SE. Since the technical design of S9 Pro Plus claimed to be fully balanced – BL port provides the maximum potential in terms of output power and sound quality. 180mW/channel is pretty high figure that is not expected from such a tiny device. Just for example: the most advanced Hidizs AP80Pro X DAP has 70mW per channel on SE and 190mW per channel on BL outputs which is much lower on SE and only ~5% higher on BL in comparison to S9 Pro Plus dongle. This is despite the fact that AP80 DAP is much larger, has its own LiON battery as power buffer and much more space under the hood for its schematics.

Bottom edge contains type-C USB port which is compatible with PC, MAC, Android and current iPhones with type-C ports. There is also Lightning to type-C adaptor that can be purchased separately to connect to the older iPhone versions. For Windows, there is a dedicated ASIO driver available on Hidizs website. Having such driver on PC is crucial for the best audio experience as it bypasses system mixers, utilizes bit-perfect stream and opens sampling rates up to 32bits/386Khz under driver properties to avoid the additional resampling.

This type-C port also used to upgrade S9 firmware, although I don’t know whether it would be available for public. I have been provided with the firmware upgrade for my early sample that replaced track switch function with volume buttons when dongle is connected to PC to its direct function: volume change. I assume that all final version devices would already come updated. But if interesting: FW change requires PC connection, PID finding and adding to special FW update app plus the FW hex file to push it to the device. Takes about 5-10 seconds to finalize, restart and get back to music.

In respect of the sound I can state that S9 Pro Plus is a huge update to a regular audio output of general Android, iPhone, PC, Mac or tablet; some addition to the previous S9 Pro version and make some subtle difference when compared to AP80 Pro DAP. Any regular phone or PC sounds less powerful, has notably lower mid bass slap, less layering and instrument separation as well as less resolution. S9 Pro Plus adds the clarity and defines the stage better, provides better control throughout all frequency range and is able to drive IEMs and headphones to a better extent. In comparison to S9 Pro, the newer dongle adds slightly in gain, mostly notable at mid bass and can provide the additional preferences when switching between different filters. Filters do behave differently, adding / subtracting from the mid portion and making the sound less / more balanced. In case with AP80 Pro DAP found some difference in resolution (AP80 Pro sounds more crisp) but this is quite subtle. I would say that S9 Pro Plus and AP80 Pro sound on par if certain filters are chosen on S9.

To summarize: I am impressed with the performance of Hidizs S9 Pro Plus USB DAC|AMP in most possible ways. It is small, lightweight, universal for most of the devices, has unexpectedly huge power output and sounds close to AP80 Pro DAP. It is quite and addition to upgrade the sound source in our pockets and can even be used in the desktop setup if larger and more expensive stationary items are not an option. It might been lacking more informative screen or smoother controls but it definitely doesn’t suffer in audio quality.

If Hidizs S9 Pro Plus is interesting to you – here is the trick how to get it with the lowest price possible: the preorder for S9 Pro Plus in Hidizs official online store would start on November 16th, 2023 (9:30AM EST) and would end on Nov 30, 2023 (9:30AM EST). During this period first 100 units would be sold for 69,99USD and the rest for 79,99USD. You can also additionally apply our special 5% discount code: ZMCR5OFF (code would be available from Nov 15, 2023 12:00AM CST). Preorders would start shipping from Dec 5th, 2023.

Now, back to the newest least expensive Hidizs IEMs – MS1-Galaxy.

Similar to S9, MS1 Galaxy are not the first single DD budget-friendly IEMs by Hidizs. There were MS1 Rainbow and Seeds preceding Galaxy and I still honor Seeds as one of the best single DD IEMs with very accurate and delicate sound. Unfortunately, those have been discontinued and had one huge drawback – integrated audio cable. I even had 2 versions of Seeds at once – SE and balanced to switch between the sources. Therefore, Hidizs has the expertise to design and build good budget single DD IEMs.

MS1 Galaxy specs:

– High-Performance Dual Magnetic Circuit Dynamic Driver
– 10.2mm PU+PEEK Composite Diaphragm
– Optional Inline Control & Microphone
– High-Density German Makrolon Resin Shell
– Silver-Plated Oxygen-Free Copper Wire
– 0.78mm 2-Pin Plug
– Ergonomic Liquid Silicone Ear Tips
– Ergonomic Design with Comfortable Extended Wear
– Perfectly Aligned With The H-2019 Target Frequency Response Curve
– 3.5mm Gold-Plated Plug & Durable Metal Shell & Splitter
– Hi-Res Certification

FR Graph:

MS1 Galaxy comes in a small white box with the design and graphics resembling anime culture what makes them a desirable gift for younger generations. My 14 years old daughter spotted it on my shelf and tried to free me from this pair at day one after its arrival. I am not a fan of anime, but still the design is fresh and unique to my liking. Even my wife was starring at the box and IEM shells despite staying far from this hobby.

Box includes IEMs, 3 pairs of silicon tips, audio cable and some papers.

MS-1 Galaxy shells are made of transparent resin which already draws the attention. Front facing plates shine with different colors and remind of diamonds or stars. Cable ports and sound nozzles have golden finish and add to the entire aesthetics.

Chambers, cables and driver combination inside look accurate and neat. Sound output nozzles are covered with aluminum mesh for the additional dust/dirt protection.

Cable looks similarly gorgeous: silver braid in transparent isolator with aluminum housing on gold-plated jack and resin housing on 2pin IEM contacts. Additionally, it has ear guides formed of transparent heatsink material.

Nothing to be worried in terms of fit since the shape is the most universal for the majority of people, nozzles are quite long and ear guides secure IEMs and cable at place. Choice of ear tips is limiter to 3 sizes and only one material but the diameter is common and most of the aftermarket products would fit nicely if needed.

Now, the sound… I’ve tired MS-1 Galaxy with different sources: AP80 Pro DAP, tablet, PC, S9 Pro Plus DAC/AMP and my Android Xiaomi smartphone. In all cases the sound can be described as tending to warm with large bass presence, juicy mid bass, slightly recesses mids and fairly accented treble. Lows and mid bass are the strongest virtues of MS-1 Galaxy. Great presence, good texturing, good control and layering here. Mid bass has good dynamics. Mids are slightly less resolved and slightly pushed back. Male vocal sound pretty rich and natural whereas female vocals might suffer from hisses and sibilance with less capable sources (smartphone, for instance) and low quality tracks. The better the source is, the less this tendency to hiss is pronounced.

Treble, in its turn, is completely enough in presence but lacks in clarity and transparency. In overall, MS-1 Galaxy with its virtues and imperfections in sound still up ahead of many budget IEMs that passed through my hands and builds the impression of good musical IEMs. Perhaps, its warm signature creates this charm which goes smooth and easy on my ears. I would prefer such type of tonality over crisp and cold when it comes to everyday use. Furthermore, its signature fits ESS-based sources well, making the sound softer and more velvet-like while maxing out the resolution which the driver is capable of. But I wouldn’t use it with AKK-based sources or with tubes cause the sounds starts to feel a bit muddy.

In overall, Hidizs MS-1 Galaxy is a good budget IEMs, great for those who like bass and warm tonality and less interesting for analytical or precise listening. It wouldn’t irritate throughout the day, neither with its fit, nor with the harshness in sound. It feels warm, flowing and smooth, like lounge music that plays on background all day long, suitable and pleasing for everyone. Strong contender, with its pros and cons, excellent build quality, universal fit, relaxing sound, at very low price.

Hidizs MS-1 Galaxy already available at Hidizs official online store: LINK

Seems that Hidizs company is on march with the release of new products this year. A whole bunch of USB dongles, DAC/amps and several IEMs. Most of the products have either became a bestseller or joined the leading tribe, at least. The last announcement was S9Pro – more powerful and revised version of S8/S9 type-C ultraportable DAC/amp that won several customer polls in social networks as one of the most balanced / feature-packed options. The passion has not yet subsided while Hidizs has announced S3Pro type-C USB DAC dongle with fresh design and MQA support – which is the topic of our review for today.

What makes S3Pro different in comparison to S9Pro, for instance? Most apparent are: significantly smaller and more handy form factor which is more likely to fit into any pocket and 8x MQA support that was not available in S8/S9/S9Pro dongles. The rest of the features are quite close, some of which are slightly more advanced in older series with only one that would really matter – the output power. Let us remind you that S9 produced 90mW @ SE / 120mW @ BL outputs (for 32Ohms load) while S9Pro has jumped up to 100mW @ SE and 200mW @ BL which is astonishing for such size and has made this dongle one of the mot powerful portable devices. Similarly, S9Pro supports DSD up to 512 and PCM up to 32bit/768kHz. Now, let’s look at new S3Pro specs:

• DAC: ESS9281C PRO
• DSD: up to 128
• PCM: up to 32bit/384kHz
• MQA: up to 8X unfold (Tidal Masters, HiBy Music, etc)
• Interface: type-C, USB A converter
• LED: sampling rate indication
• Output type: 3.5mm SE, supports in-line remote and mic
  • Output specs:
    • Power: 55mW @ 32Ohms
    • FR: 20Hz – 40kHz
    • SNR: 117dB
    • CH Separation: 70dB
    • THD+N: 0.0008%
• Size: diameter 20mm, thickness 10mm
• Weight: 6g
• Hi-Res audio certified

10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Hidizs S3Pro is already launched on Kickstarter platform: LINK

Hidizs would also open pre-sale at their product page: LINK

So, the difference in power output is apparent but still much better than in most of the smartphones. 55mW @ 32Ohms is a good figure, almost 2X as much… Anyway, in such comparison between S3Pro and S9Pro we can see very different targeting – one is made for maximum versality + Hi-Res streaming services and the other, more powerful one, to retrieve maximum quality from offline audio collection.

S3Pro packaging and design:

Hidizs S3Pro made its way from China in a perfect state and totally undamaged. The main reason for keeping box shape in a perfect condition during the transportation is that Hidizs used hard plastic box with cardboard outer layer this time.

Besides that, such box can further be used as secure storage case for S3Pro. Outer layer contains all necessary technical/manufacturer data and product graphics at facing side.

Box contents are:

• S3Pro dongle
• USB A adapter
• Warranty card
• User manual
• Plastic storage box (i.e. main box)

Not much, no additional clip. Although, the purpose of this device is fully covered by the box contents except for Lightning adapter for iOS users. Peculiar thing is that there is a special Lightning to Type-C adapter cable that Hidizs has developed for iOS and S8/S9/S9Pro dongles but it wouldn’t do any good to S3Pro users since it has integrated Type-C cable. We hope that Hidizs would release Lightning to Type-C adapter in a similar form factor of their Type-C -> USB A to satisfy iPhone fans.

Regarding design and choice of materials: S3Pro is fully made of aluminum, feels sturdy and solid. Our sample has “gun metal” color but there would be some other color options to choose from. Round notches forming concentric circles radiating outward together with sampling rate LED indicator at the center of the top (facing) side are playing the main role in S3Pro design. Reverse side has nothing to catch a glance at while the SE output is located on the edge. The opposing side of the edge is where the integrated 2 core, 60 strands OFC wire comes from and which ends with Type-C connector in aluminum wrap.

Twisted cable is thick enough to last long, additionally equipped with anti-banding protection. And yes, S3Pro is very small, close to a size of one US cent with only the significant thickness showing that we are dealing with tightly packed high-quality element base. Such small dimensions are much easier to fit into a pocket together with a smartphone. No need for additional clip to hang this dongle on your clothes like with S9, for instance. When connected to a smartphone, S3Pro feels more like a regular IEM cable with large aluminum Y-splitter or other design furniture on it, rather than a separate device.

In overall, S3Pro design is great. It is made of durable material, looks great, perfectly crafted, has active multi-color LED that shows sampling rate and it is very small for such sophisticated features.

Device in use:

Similarly to S8/S9 series, this DAC requires type-C interface connection to smartphone or PC and USB-A adapter from the bundle to be able to connect to PCs that are not equipped with type-C USB port. Android-based smartphones require some applications that would implement USB OTG function and force audio stream to pass to S3Pro. Such as HiBy Music app, UAPP, etc. Or streaming services like Tidal with MQA support to use S3Pro as unfolding processor. We have tried all features with Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro running Android 10 and HiBy Music V4.1.0 b.5546 and found no problems in the consistency and logics of this device operation. Switching back and forth between different types, containers, quality and formats of tracks, changing volume, reconnecting didn’t cause any issues which means that the current FW is stable and reliable.

Not sure whether any updates would be available in future but what we would really expect from Hidizs is to release ASIO drivers for Windows 10/11 in the nearest future. It would provide more control over the resulting quality when connected to PC. For now, S3Pro is natively recognized by Windows OS as USB DAC, has no apparent audio lag but only allows to use WASAPI transport in such popular audio software as Foobar.

LED identifies sampling rate but when there is nothing being played for more than 5 seconds – S3Pro LED goes off. We would prefer some indication of “standby” state just to know that S3Pro is correctly connected and consumes smartphone battery charge.

As usual, be sure to set the volume in an app to lower level after connecting S3Pro to any device since it might be set to maximum on the first power cycle. Additionally, in order to control volume in DSD over PCM/DSD native modes with HiBy Music app – volume control should be set to “Hardware volume” in Settings->”Volume Mode” and USB device volume control should be unlocked (USB output setting -> USB Audio volume lock -> Unlock).

Now, about the firmware. First of all, S3Pro is a flashback to what was initially introduced in Hidizs Sonata type-C audio cables/dongles – different FW versions for different purposes. But now, instead of different processing paths, S3Pro firmware versions would cover 3 tuning styles. The default one would be “Tonal Balance” whereas other two (treble and bass-oriented) would be available at Hidizs website support section for further manual uploading. (Interesting feature that needs more development from Hidizs: allowing end-users to tune sound to their liking in some dedicated smartphone app that would also allow to push different FW to S3Pro.)

One thing noticed is that S3Pro case heats up noticeably during audio processing and stays ~47C until music is stopped. Perhaps, very tight space inside and aluminum chassis are playing the main role in heat dissipation as a result.

Sound:

In general, we liked it. We have tested it with different fairly neutral headphones like Hidizs MS1 / MS2, and impedance up to 32Ohm. In such combination and loaded with “balanced” firmware, the output power is quite enough for good driving ability at high volume (half the level). If you go higher than half, noticeable distortions in the sound caused by a lack of power step in – the sound becomes louder, but the quality on treble and midbass begins to suffer. Therefore, we can conclude that there will be no problems with headphones up to ~ 32-50Ohm even in noisy environment. Higher loads are better for enjoying in quiet environments.

Despite the fact that the firmware is balanced, the bass portion is quite pronounced which enlarges stage size and volume. Bass is deep, well-defined and does not overwhelm the rest of the frequencies. Midbass is powerful and dynamic, with excellent attack and moderate pitch – not too sonorous and not ruining the overall impression of tonal balance. Mids are full-bodied, a little thick due to the lower part of the range, which is rather a plus (certainly not dry or flashy thin). Treble is clean, but simplified in detail – sounds accurate and doesn’t hurt with sibilants, but not astonishing in terms of the amount of details. The overall resolution as well as the stage size are average – neither disappointing nor astounding, but quite impressive for a device of this type. Significantly better than a smartphone, but worse than a good DAP in $100-200 price segment.

As a result, the sound is very good, especially considering the main purpose and size of the device. More than enough to deal with Hi-Res streaming services with noticeably better sound quality and drive than from a regular smartphone.

Conclusion:

Truthfully, it is a tough decision for us, personally, which device to choose from a whole bunch of “S” series Hidizs type-C DAC/amps. S9 and its Pro version have BL outputs and outstanding ability to drive significant loads. S3Pro is less capable in this respect but offers MQA support for streaming services or offline MQA collection. We think that this choice is more about lifestyle and personal preferences in music. Maximum mobility and constant curiosity in current music trends would definitely be better off with Hidizs S3Pro, whereas S9/S9Pro are more closer to calm, desktop type of use with once established audio taste and music collection. If to consider on its own, S3Pro is a tiny piece of tightly packed and perfectly crafted technology, both software and hardware-wise, that totally does its job, yet delivering much better sound quality than a regular smartphone or PC and driving end headgear much better. With the declared price and features, we think that Hidizs has managed to create another participant for its winner formation.

Hidizs S3Pro is already launched on Kickstarter platform: LINK

10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Hidizs would also open pre-sale at their product page: LINK

About a week ago Hidizs has announced the launch of a successor to its highly popular balanced S9 USB DAC/amp that is already on pre-order state. We have reviewed the original S9 some time ago and defined it as highly recommended for those who want to upgrade smartphone/tablet/laptop sound and squeeze out much more juice from music quality.

New version gets PRO suffix due to some significant changes in HW that increases output power and improves other characteristics of this small but mighty device. While the exterior left untouched, main differences are hidden under the hood and here is the table that compares all generations of “S” series units:

This table discloses the main improvements and changes in new S9Pro. For us, the most important is the output power that has increased from 90 to 100mW @ 3.5mm SE output and from 120 to 200 mW @ 2.5mm BL output. Hell lot of additional power on balanced port. Not sure how Hidizs has managed to do that while maintaining similarly small package. Perhaps, shifting from AKK5593EQ to ESS9038Q2M made it possible and also improved other sound spec-related values. For now, it seems that S9Pro is one of the most powerful USB stick-type of DAC that doesn’t rely on its own battery. Just think – it is more powerful than AP80Pro (190mW on 2.5mm BL) with larger dimensions and LiON battery inside which is completely enough to drive 150Ohms overheads…

10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Hidizs S9Pro on pre-order (20% OFF): LINK

Anyway, now about S9Pro full specs:

What we have noticed just now is that specs declare that S9Pro is compatible with mic equipped earphones. Good to know that when such device is connected to a smartphone you would still have a possibility to accept calls and have a conversation without switching to internal phone mic or loudspeaker. Although, we would still check how can it be possible when S9Pro is occupied by something like HiBy Music app in exclusive USB audio mode. Usually, such mode won’t let other sounds from the system mixer to pass through… Not enabling this mode would solve such problem but the sound might be affected by the system processing. We would give our feedback on this further in this text.

Packaging and design:

Nothing much has changed in terms of packaging. It is still logistic-friendly small matt black box but instead of silver outlines new box has glossy product picture on the facing side. Box is stiff and comes undamaged after a long trip from China to other parts of the world. Internal box structure consists of two compartments where the device is located on top in a special soft insert and all accessories are stored underneath. Contents are:

• S9Pro DAC/amp
• transparent plastic holder / clip
• USB type C -> USB type C cable (65см)
• USB type C -> USB type C cable (15см)
• USB type C -> USB A adapter
• leaflets, cards…

Design of this unit has not changed either, therefore we would comment ourselves next:

S9Pro is a small unit (close to AA battery size) but still shows quite complicated design. It�s shell is made of aluminum (CNC) whereas both front and back sides are covered with glass panels. Such approach is inherited from other Hidizs products and resembles the design principles of this brand.

Personally, we like such approach which adds the value to the device in terms of overall feel. In fact, S9Pro feels very solid and durable while looking pretty for its combination of aluminum and glass. There are no buttons and no screen, side edges are left free of any elements. USB type-C port is located at the bottom edge and both SE & Balanced ports are situated one over the other on the thickest part of the shell — its top edge.

The only indication that S9Pro has on board is represented by semi transparent Hidizs logo under the front glass panel. Not only it gets lit upon incoming power supply, but also its colors are synchronized with the sampling rates of played tracks.

Plastic clip / holder that comes as a part of the bundle is really great accessory. It securely holds S9Pro at place, protects it from physical impacts and allows to attach it to clothes. It doesn�t limit the connectivity or usability of this device. Both short and long cables are similar — soft and flexible transparent braid, aluminum type-C connectors and banding protection at both sides. USB type-C -> USB A adapter is applicable whenever someone wants to connect to laptop or PC.

Device in use:

Since S9Pro has type-C to USB A adapter along with type-C cables – we can try it with laptop/PC as well, not only with Android smartphone. In case of a smartphone everything is straight forward: use type-C to type-C cable to connect devices, HiBy Music App to send audio data over USB. S9Pro gets recognized as USB DAC and there are no problems whatsoever. S9 LED color would resemble track quality:

• Yellow: DSD64/128
• Purple: DSD256/512
• Blue: PCM176.4/192KHz
• Red: PCM 352.8/384KHz
• White: PCM 705.6/768KHz
• Green: PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96KHz

The only small inconvenience here is the absence of control buttons on S9Pro. Volume is being regulated on a smartphone for USB device and might be at its maximum upon initial connection. It might be harmful for sensitive, low impedance IEMs. So, just keep in mind to set the appropriate volume level after connecting S9Pro to smartphone before hitting playback.

In case of Windows 10 laptop/PC – S9Pro gets natively supported as USB DAC but there would be a dedicated ASIO driver that was announced by Hidizs and should become available for download a bit later. Initial S9 already has this driver and S9Pro is on the waiting list. ASIO drivers would give the most sound quality while native Windows 10 driver would have the lowest audio lag possible.

S9Pro shell gets warm during operation but not much, around 32C with SE output and 37C with BL output.

Sound:

Tested with Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro, Lenovo Y500, Hidizs MS2 SE and Hidizs MS2 BE, Audio-Technica ATH-M50.

Repeating the success of its predecessor, S9Pro can easily be compared to best representatives of entry level DAPs — significantly better than vast majority of smartphones with their weak sound output and similarly better than even most of the laptops. Smartphones can’t perform with such clarity, can’t retreive this much resolution and its dynamics lacks power.

S9Pro is much better in resolving lower range, retrieving good amount of textures and its mid bass performance is way ahead. Extension of the lower end gets increased, lows gain in clarity and give a feeling of volume. It is much better separated from mids. Although, lower end is is not accented in S9Pro and this unit definitely not tending to dark signature.

Resolution on mids is somewhere close to AP80Pro DAP, maybe slightly less obvious… Slight tendency to bright delivery is present, making a bit more accent on female over male vocals. Still male voices sound pretty thick and natural. Great amount of details retrieved from upper mid range. S9Pro on mids is definitely sounding more transparent and rich than muddy and mixed result of the same track coming from a smartphone.

Treble is also handled much better, it is more clear, crisp and airy. Extension is greatly increased, making the entire sound picture brighter and detailed on the upper end. Small amount of sibilance is present with some sensitive IEMs but absent with overheads. In general, this range is accurate and in a good balance with mids and bass.

Similarly to S9, Pro version can greatly improve every aspect of the sound on a smartphone or laptop that don’t feature dedicated, good quality DAC. Both devices sounds more natural and at the same time deliver more details with better extensions and stronger dynamics. This goes to both output types, while 2.5mm BL is twice as powerful – making stage slightly wider and instrument separation slightly better.

Finally, yes – we have check whether HiBy Music app would allow other sounds to pass to USB device in USB exclusive mode: no, it won’t let it pass. Therefore, in order to use mic and talk over S9Pro – USB exclusive mode is not used and audio quality might get worse due to Android OS mixer being used.

Compared to Hidizs S9:

S9 and S9Pro have common exteriors, similar philosophy, compatibility and features. Although, sounding slightly different. Since S9Pro has significantly more powerful 2.5mm BL output – it has better drive and dynamics that results in more punchy mid bass. Slightly more bright and colder picturing makes upper end more detailed and crisp. Instrument separation seems to be slightly better and stage a bit wider. At the same time, S9 is still a good unit since it is thicker on mids and tends more towards lows.

Compared to Hilidac Beam 2:

The main advantage of Beam 2 is MQA support (if you are still not disappointed with it). It has slightly more power on BL output but doesn’t support this much of PCM or DSD as S9Pro does. Sounds pretty much similar, with slightly wider stage but more prone to sibilance and even brighter. The main disadvantages: more expensive and both outputs are located on the side which makes it less convenient to store in a pocket.

Conclusion:

With the release of the initial S9, Hidizs has proven than even a small power-dependent USB DAC can be powerful enough and sound as good as most of the entry-level DAPs. Now the successor, S9Pro – sets the new standards on the market for such tiny audio companions in terms of maximum output power and driving ability as a consequence. This also results in unexpectedly reach sound, large amount of textures and details, good extensions at both ends, sufficient dynamics and enlarged stage. All of that produced by a small unit, enclosed to durable aluminum chassis that does not require charging and doesn’t weight anything… Perfect and small, with large sound!

10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Hidizs S9Pro on pre-order (20% OFF): LINK

One product from a very much hyped brand in DAC/amp field – SMSL. This is our first experience with the brand as well as the new experience of playing with a pure desktop standalone DAC. All of previous products that we have dealt with were equipped with headphones output, at least. But not this one… SMSL M100 MKII is designed to be used only with active speakers or as a preamp for home audio system, not providing any types of outputs besides RCA. Such products do have the demand on the market, especially for those who have desktop PC’s and well arranged work place. In fact, we are not one of those and mostly shifting around with laptops in hands, leaving no chance for fixed setups. Anyway, this doesn’t mean that M100 MKII cannot do its job in pair with a smartphone or digital audio player and active speakers. So be it… We would try all possible scenarios to check how capable it is.

As to SMSL, we think that it doesn’t require any introduction for masses since this brand is one of the most popular ones in DAC/amp fields with lots of solutions with different form factors, functionality, hardware base and price tags. If to ask someone involved into this hobby, surely SMSL would be named among first originating from China. In future, we would definitely hunt for more sophisticated SMSL devices that interest us the most in its large product range.

SMSL M100 MKII specifications:

Here is the description of differences between first gen and second gen of M100:

So, second generation have switched from AKM4452 DAC chip to ESS SABRE9018Q2C which is usually perceived and described as more precise on details but might sound a bit more cold and sharp. We do not have a possibility to compare between the two but we would describe sound signature further in this article.

Some additional technical details:

• XMOS 2nd generation USB Audio solution
• Supports PCM signal up to 32bit/768kHz and native DSD up to DSD512
• Can be hooked up with smart phones via OTG USB input
• Two ultra-low phase noise crystal for 44.1/48kHz multiple frequencies
• High performance 32bit/768kHz DAC (SABRE9018Q2C) for high dynamic range and more details
• Built-in high-efficiency power module and lots of low-noise LDOs provides pure power for analog circuit
• Aux power supply for phones connection
• Lots of audio grade components, include MELF resistors, NP0 capacitors
• Gold-plated jacks

Packaging and design:

Not really sure whether all SMSL devices have unified type of packaging but M100 box didn’t impress too much in particular. It does its job of protecting the device during the transportation but not that neat and attractive as other brands regularly use. What is good that it is definitely small and saves transportation cost. Inner compartment has soft insert and split in two parts – one for M100 itself and the other one is for the cable.

The entire list of accessories looks like this:

• M100 MKII DAC
• USB type A -> microUSB cable
• user manual

Nothing else. The package is really a minimalistic one and all the rest of accessories should be bought separately. We would recommend SMSL to consider adding coax / optical cables at least to make this set more appealing for a customer…

M100 MKII is fully made of aluminum with glass panel at front which adds interesting element to such design. There is absolutely no rattle, no moving parts and no gaps between front panel and aluminum shell. Back side contains all I/O and power ports. Coaxial, optical, USB data, USB power are the inputs while RCA are the only available outputs.

All ports and their labels are neatly cut and precisely printed. Four screws in corners hold this construction together. Front glass panel, besides being a central design element, hides and protects small LED indicators behind it. Single control button with LED indicator at its center is located on the right. Bottom side has rubber legs to leave some space between device and surface.

In overall, M100 MKII looks good, perfectly crafted and makes a good impression by its high build quality. It is kind of small, but at the same time unexpectedly heavy and tightly packed piece of technology.

Device in use:

First of all, there is no power adapter included to this bundle while the device requires one for the most stable and interference free operation. Any 5V|1A and higher would do, which should be connected to a separate USB power port. Unfortunately, M100 MKII still uses microUSB type of port and what is even worse – closely located to another microUSB port for data. It means that only cables with straight type of connector shells would fit at the same time in case of we feeding data from audio source over USB.

When power is supplied, LED indicator would turn red and long button press would bring M100 alive. Each further short button press would change source input and another long press would activate standby mode. The only role of a LED “screen” is to show track quality and input source. As simple as that, no other functions.

As seen from the specs, the most of the audio quality is supported over USB input – 32bit/768kHz, DSD512. Optical / coaxial inputs are limited to PCM 24bit/192kHz only. Although, the peculiar thing is that native Windows 10 driver would only act in 32/768 mode with no possibility to switch to other quality which is not very convenient while using something like Foobar2000. Such software would prevent tracks with lower audio quality to be played over Wasapi transporter unless the conversion is allowed (which is bad). Therefore, in order to have bit perfect stream and best audio quality we would have to use ASIO driver provided by SMSL. It is a good way and we are very glad that such driver is available but the main flaw of such drivers is larger audio lag when watching videos. We had to play with size of buffer to get the acceptable sync between audio and video while watching videos.

Another problem that we have faced is that M100 MKII couldn’t connect to our Hidizs AP80 DAP in OTG USB DAC mode. We never had any issues with other DACs and AP80 before, this is the first device that couldn’t make it. Personally, we think that the problem is actually on the side of AP80. It might have rejected the connection since M100 declares itself as 32/768 DAC which we doubt that is supported by such an old DAP. On the other hand, no problems with the same type of OTG connection to 2 years old Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro Android smartphone. Hiby Music app identifies M100 correctly and sends bit perfect stream over USB. No problems with changing between different track quality and audio formats.

M100 MKII doesn’t tend to heat in long time operations, stays stable in all modes and with all types of audio formats. We haven’t found any glitches, disconnections, clicks or noises during its use.

Sound quality:

Test setup: in order to carry out some adequate tests we have used AudioTechnica ATH M50 headphones connected to RCA outputs of M100. Why? Because using active speakers would not allow to evaluate this device as we got used to when working with different DAPs and IEMs. Therefore, having headphones connected instead of active speakers told us much more about M100 MKII…

Lows and midbass:

M100 MKII is very capable of resolving this range with large amount of textures and details and at the same time delicately deliver bass with well-outlined boundaries in just-the-right amount. Extension is very good, bass is decaying neither too fast or too slow. This range has good clarity, large volumetric feel and doesn’t ted to mix with mids and treble. Bass is not accented but fully perceptible, making the stage wider. Midbass is very good as well: adequately tight and powerful. Dynamics and articulation is enough for natural reproduction of drums.

Mids and vocals:

The most of the resolving potential in concentrated on mids which still remain neutral in overall. Vocals are rich, with plenty of textures, pleasantly thick. Despite ESS Sabre DAC mids don’t tend to show monitor-like or dry sound. Neither there is a tendency towards female vocals or accented upper treble range. No harsh and screaming notes. Male and female voices sound equally natural, perfectly exposed and both have a slight touch of warmth. Most of resolution is spotted on bow and string instruments. Very good instrument separation also dedicates much to enlarged stage depth. Mids feel smooth and natural indeed.

Treble:

Treble are well-balanced to other ranges and do not produce any piercing effect or cold tonality. This range if clear but not crisp. Extension is just a moderate but the amount of presence is adequate. Small amount of sibilance is produced that might slightly affect vocals and some instruments in mid range but it depends of the track quality and initial mastering EQ. Treble is accurate and transparent, although slightly simplified in general and normally compensates bass presence without resulting in any piercing effect thus allowing long and relaxed listening sessions.

Soundstage:

M100 MKII producing one of the largest imaginary stages in width and depth. When paired with the the stated headphones, at least. Stage is quite large and has precise instrument locations, well-defined contours and good layering.

Compared to Tempotec Serenade IDSD:

Serenade is more universal since can also act as headphone amplifier. It also allows to experiment with different Op-amps, has separate volume knob and more convenient power supply. Although, sound-wise, it is more harsh on treble and not that good on lows. It also lacks good DSD support and is limited to 24/192 over USB.

Compared to Hidizs Sonata DH100:

DH1000 is a very good PORTABLE DAC/amp. Not very good on DSD, less capable on lows but equipped with own battery, volume buttons, headphone amplifier and balanced outputs. Although, limited to 24bit/192kHz and has no RCA outputs and line out for home systems or active speakers.

Conclusion:

Among all DACs that we have tested SMSL M100 MKII is the only “pure” desktop DAC, perfect in its simplified form factor and functionality. It does exactly what it is made for – converts the highest quality possible digital audio stream to analog signals in stationary use. Some cons in a form of limited accessories and tight space between USB ports are present but the pros are much stronger and prevail: perfect crafting, stable operations, great sound quality. It might become a bargain when searching for a good, space-saving sound converter in desktop setup to feed active speakers. Or even to work with large home audio system on DAC/pre-amp stage. The only thing to decide is whether headphones would be a part of such setup.

SMSL M100 MKII is available for purchase at Aoshida-audio store: LINK

Great news from Hidizs: right after the release of new hybrid MS2 IEMs, Hidizs has announced two more products: DH80 and DH80S. The chosen names are inherited from and join portable DAC/amp “DH” family lineup which will now consists of 3 devices. The first one – DH1000 – was released quite long ago and still stays one of the most balanced product in this niche with very smooth and appealing sound. Despite the similar final purpose, DH80 and DH80S intended to be used differently and have the unique features and scenarios which we would like to describe in this article.

First of all, just to clarify: DH80 and DH80S are similar DAC/amp devices and the only difference is the form factor. DH80S is a standalone universal battery-powered portable DAC/amp suitable for various usage scenarios with lots of different audio sources. Best to be used in “sandwich” type setups or in any other physical combinations. Whereas DH80 is designed to accompany Hidizs AP80 DAP family lineup – it is designed to fit AP80 as a cradle and to expand its features even further. Of course, such shape might also fit other DAPs and even some of the smartphones with USB type-C port but no one can guarantee that such physical combination would not cover other important control elements or ports and what is the most important – that it would not put excessive physical stress on USB. Therefore, the choice is obvious – DH80S is universal, while DH80 is solely for AP80 DAP series.

DH80/DH80S tech specs:

• DAC: ESS ES9281C PRO
• OpAmp: RT6863C X2
• Max Sampling Frequency: 32Bit/384Khz
• DSD:Up to 128
• MQA: 8X unfold
• Independent Volume Control
• Gain: High/Medium/Low
• Sampling Rate Indicator (Red:44.1k-48k, Blue:88.2k-384k, Pink:MQA)
• Inputs: USB Type-C
• Outputs: 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm balanced
• Battery:1300mAh 3.7V Li-Polymer Battery
• Charging Time: ~2.5 hours
• Battery Life: balanced: ~6 hours, single ended: ~8 hours.
• OS: Windows 10, Mac OS, iOS, Android (for iOS users, the Lightning OTG cable has to be purchased separately)
• Dimensions: 70×50×12mm
• Net Weight:76g

Specs for audio outputs:

Packaging and design:

Hidizs DH80S comes in small but stiff rectangular box with glossy product picture at front and technical specs printed on the back side. This box consists of two compartments inside, one has soft insert that holds DH80S at place and below that you’d find the rest of the accessories and leaflets. Full set is as following:

• DH80S
• type-C to USB-A converter
• type-C cable
• type-C to type-C OTG cable
• coin type separator for sandwich setup
• warranty card
• User manual

If DH80S had a screen – it would’ve been hard to distinguish it from AP80 DAP. Very similar profile, materials and dimensions. It is built upon unibody aluminum chassis with one main design element in form of leather cover over the facing side.

Leather feels nice, has natural surface texture, protects the other device from scratches in sandwich setup and adds the grip to DH80S slippery shell. The opposite flat side contains all prints such as logos and names.

Top edge is left free on any controls. Left edge got 3-position Gain adjustment, right edge has two volume buttons, main power switch and power LED indicator.

All inputs and outputs are located at the bottom edge: 3.5mm SE, 4.4mm balanced, sampling rate LED and type-C USB charging + type-C USB data ports.

DH80S is neither thick, not heavy, weights only 76g which makes it very good for sandwich setups with different portable audio sources. It would still create Frankenstein awkward look in such stack but would fit in into a pocket, at least.

In standalone operations, DH80S is nicely looking and monolithic in hands, comfortable to hold and operate. Although, we should mention that buttons do rattle a little and LEDs were not aligned well with body openings in our particular pre-mass production sample. We have not spotted similar issue on the pictures of samples that were released later.

Device in use:

One of the first questions that comes in mind – why there are two separate type-C USB ports? One is designed solely for charging and another one accepts data. With such design, battery charging is done only through charge port. What advantages does it bring to us? It means that the source battery would not be drained to charge DH80S. On the other hand, if DH80S runs out of charge in the middle of nowhere, our source device would not be able to power it up… We would need a powerbank or other power source to bring DH80S back to life. One question which is not quite clear is the logics of power LED. It lights up shorty when power switch is on and stays lit green during charging process. Not really what we’ve got used to.

Charging from empty to full takes around 2.5 hours and battery lasts for about 8 hours of use through SE audio output at ~70% volume. DH80S never got hot during charging or regular operations.

This DAC/amp can be used either with Android or iOS smartphones or with desktop OS like Windows 10 and Mac. All of those would natively support DH80S, with no need for extra drivers. Although, for the best audio quality under Windows environment it is better to wait until Hidizs would release a dedicated ASIO driver which is not yet available. With Android OS – we have used HiBy Music app to feed bit-perfect stream over USB. No issues. For those who have Tidal or Qobuz subscriptions – DH80 series support an impressive 8X MQA unfold over USB.

All control buttons, apart of volume, are represented by multi-position switches (sliders) for the sake of easy blind operations and faulty triggering protection. Volume buttons are regular press-to-operate with tangible click and reasonable force to be applied. Unfortunately, those operate in discrete steps, far less precise than any analog potentiometer. GAIN switch has uncommon three (!) positions (LOW, MID, HIGH) with significant change in resulting amplification. Additional care should be taken when tuning GAIN to your liking with sensitive low impedance IEMs as those might just burn with MID, HIGH settings at higher volume. The amount of power output is not too impressive, but still unexpectedly high from such tiny device – 210mW at BL / 32Ohms and 125mW at SE / 32Ohms. It results in ~0.5W with 10-15Ohms impedance IEMs on balanced output which is a significant figure for the most of hybrid or armature IEMs. Thus, DH80 makes sense even in stack with AP80Pro – it would add significantly more power, 4.4mm BL output and MQA support.

General operations did not cause any troubles, no issues and faults were found during couple of week of heavy testing. There were couple of random reboots in forced unlikely operation, for example – trying to quickly switch between DSD/FLAC tracks not even waiting for the track to begin to play… But this was a part of experiment that was also submitted to Hidizs for additional checks. Regular usage is straight forward, fluent and not causing any issues. BTW, sampling rate LED does its work and is synchronized to track quality, even indicates MQA with pink color. Therefore, we can conclude that DH80S has the consistency and provides good user experience.

Sound quality:

Test gear: Hidizs AP80 DAP + Hidizs DH80S DAC/AMP + various IEMs + AudioTechnica ATH-M50

Lows and midbass:

Hidizs DH80S resolves lows with above average amount of textures, capable of delivering it with nice outlines in perfect balance with other ranges. Extension is on the pros side, bass is neither too fast or slow. Lows show adequate volumetric feel and do not interfere with mids and treble. Bass portion is fully perceptible, making the stage wider and the complete picture warmer to a reasonable extent. Although, we can not tell that this DAC|amp is warm or dark, let’s say neutral or even a little bit dry. But lows and mid bass do a great job on making it less analytical. Mid bass is decent – sounds natural and powerful. Dynamics and articulation on drums are both impressive.

Mids and vocals:

More resolution is observed in this range while the entire picture stays similarly neutral. Vocals are not popping out or recessed, show slight tendency towards emotional side but not sounding too thin. They do take a central part on the stage and close to monitor reproduction. No harsh and screaming notes. With slight emotional appeal male vocals still maintain good touch of warmth. Instruments of upper range show the most amount of tiny details. Excellent instrument separation positively results into stage depth. In overall, mids feel natural, energetic and emotional.

Treble:

Treble is perceived balanced to the rest of the ranges with no extra emphasis or excessive capabilities. It has enough clarity and crispness and the extension and micro dynamics are good. Treble is accurate in general and naturally compensates good bass presence without any piercing or dirty effects. The potential of this range might only be compromised with very expensive BA or piezo drivers while for the most of IEMs and overheads DH80 treble has the excessive potential.

Compared to Hidizs DH1000:

DH1000 is very similar in its purpose and nature. It has a better battery life, more comfortable volume control and more appealing look. Moreover, it sounds more delicate, accurate and less dry. But it is more expensive, has not-that-convenient 2.5mm BL output, less power… We would say that DH1000 would be better for desktop use while DH80S is a better companion for any smartphone on-the-go.

Compared to Hidizs S9:

S9 is very interesting external power dependent small DAC/amp with BL and SE outputs. Since it is so tiny – it is limited in driving potential and power compared to DH80S. It also does not feature MQA and processes sound with less amount of details, creating less separation and smaller stage. Apart from that, S9 is great ultra-portable DAC|amp that might be chosen over DH80S if charging another battery is boring and carrying another relatively large device in a pocket is cumbersome.

Conclusion:

Our conclusion is that Hidizs DH80S really sounds neutral, it even has a tendency to monitor-like, dry performance. It would be a good starting point for anyone who searches for transparent performance with analytical approach which would nicely pair with most of the end gear, not coloring the resulting sound. Tonality is neutral, no extra emphasis or accents, good amount of textures and details, high power and driving potential on balanced output, plus 8X MQA support – attractive combination of great features within low budget. We have already made it a part of our travel setup as it is the smallest and the most powerful DAC/amp. Two weeks – so far, so good. Wishing you the same… ��

You can get DH80/DH80S in Hidizs official website: LINK

10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Welcome the new adept of xDuoo portable DAC/amp series �� Just can’t stand sharing the overall impression pertaining to the conclusion at the beginning of the article. Some companies deserve the appreciation for their remarkable product with outstanding combination of clever R&D, functionality and smooth performance. Like with xDuoo XD lineup – it is the love from the first sight – starting with the design and ending with the feel of a great bargain.

Short note about xDuoo company:

Shenzhen xDuoo Technology Co., Ltd. is a professional company specializing in the development, design and sales of high-end audio products. We have a strong technical team with professional knowledge background and unique tune tuning audio method, and we have been given many well-known brands ODM for many years and won good reputation and trust. While developing and growing, the company has carefully created its own brand and successfully launched it to the market, which has won wide acclaim. Our products involve headphone amplifiers, audio decoders, USB interface audio decoders (PCHiFi), various types of power amplifiers, audio players, etc. The total number of products designed is more than 100 models, and we have a number of patented technologies that can meet the needs of users.

This is not the first experience with xDuoo for us – we have been playing with very popular X series DAPs several years ago. First DAPs were so popular for its price/performance/functionality ratio that has grown the community and driven some individuals to develop third-party firmware that pushed the functionality and sound quality even further. Yep, such builds were also addressing some initial software flaws in first iterations of the product as well as weak technical support, but at the end – the hardware part was functional, allowing end-user modifications and software enhancements. Later DAP models, according to the end-user feedback, granted the expected maturity and polished performance by utilizing more common operating system and market standards.

With XD series of DAC/amps everything is other way around – you get a perfect product from the box with the possibility of further customization if you would dare to make one. XD05/XD05 Basic/XD05 Plus are so widely used that those are very frequently spotted in feeds of various Facebook audio communities, on forum pages and articles, in sound quality test and comparisons and listed in almost every single online audio equipment store worldwide. Integrated to home audio systems, used as shelf or portable DAC/amp for headphones, earbuds and IEMs, aiding smartphones, laptops, PCs and tablets – XD05 run good in most scenarios, make these possible, left as it is or being heavily modified by users. The good thing is that xDuoo constantly monitors such feedback and takes it into consideration for their future products which is apparent from the functionality and convenience of operation.

Back to the topic – xDuoo XD05 Plus – which is the flagship in the lineup of portable DAC/amps for now.

XD05 Plus specifications:

• Compliant operating systems: Windows XP/7/8/10, Mas OS X, IOS, Android
• Screen: 0.91″ OLED
• Buttons: Input, Source, Filter
• Switch: Boost, Bass, Gain
• DAC chip: AK4493EQ
• USB chipset: XMOS XU208
• Coaxial/optical chip: CS8422
• FPGA: Altera-EPM240T
• Signal AMP: OPA1612
• Circuit AMP: BUF643U
  • USB (PCM): 16–32bit / 44.1–384kHz
    • DSP: DOP / NATIVE mode, DSD64–256 (1bit / 2.8M–11.2M)
    • DXD: 24–32bit / 352.8K–384kHz
  • OPT/COA (PCM): 16–24bit / 44.1–192kHz
    • DSD: 1bit / 2.82 Mhz (DOP)
• Output power: 1000mW at 32 ohms
  • Frequency response (amp): 10Hz~100kHz (±0.5 dB)
  • Frequency response (USB/SPDIF): 20Hz~20kHz (±0.5 dB)
  • THD+ N (USB/SPDIF in): 0.0016% at 1kHz
  • THD + N (aux in): 0.0009% at 1kHz
  • S/N: 117dB
  • Crosstalk: ≥75dB
• Inputs: Coaxial/optical 3.5mm, Aux 3.5mm SE, USB type-C
• Outputs: Headphones 6.3mm, Aux 3.5mm SE
• Charging port: USB type-C
• Battery: 3.8V / 5000mAh
• Battery life: ≥13 hours (USB in), ≥21 hours (SPDIF in), ≥40 hours (aux in)
• Size: 139.5*75*23mm
• Weight: 276g

xDuoo Xd05 Plus available at the official store: HERE

Couple of words about the difference between XD05 / Basic / Plus versions: Plus, as already mentioned, is the most expensive and most advanced option. Main (but not all) differences of Plus with other two are:

• More advanced AK4403EQ DAC chip (instead of AK4490)
• Type-C ports for USB input and charging (instead of micro USB and type A)
• XMOS XU208 chip (instead of U8)
• DSD 64 (DOP) support over Optical/Coaxial input (new feature)
• Double DIP-8 Op-amp sockets, easy swappable, comes with single Op-amp OPA1612 in socket adapter
• 1000mW @ 32Ohms (instead of 500mW)
• 5000mAh battery (instead of 4000mAh)
• Better THD+N and SNR specs

Therefore, Plus version is quite better than both of its predecessors, especially by its outstanding output power, playback time and possibilities to change Op-amps for custom sound experiments easily. Although, we should state that there is one significant (but not vital) drawback – Plus version, in contrary to Basic or initial XD05 does not feature External / Battery power source switch any longer. It means that if you would use it as a shelf DAC/amp with permanent connection to wall outlet – it would lead to fast battery deterioration (since it would be constantly left on charge, which is very bad for any type of battery).

Packaging and design:

xDuoo XD05 Plus comes in a beautifully designed box with shiny schematic device outlines in blue (outer cover) and glossy black (main box) with lots of product information imprints. Inner box compartment consists of two levels with the amp resting in special cutout of the soft insert on top and rest of the product accessories located underneath.

Box contents consist of the following:

• XD05 Plus DAC/amp
• Short angled USB type-C -> micro USB cable
• Short angled USB type-C -> type-C cable
• Long USB A -> type-C cable
• 2 special pins for 3.5mm input/output protection
• 10 pairs of silicone stand offs
• silicone pad
• 6.3mm -> 3.5mm jack
• 4 spare screws
• user manual and warranty card

Unfortunately, haven’t found any rubber band to hold the sandwich together when you want to use DAP and XD05 on the go. Neither there are coaxial, audio or optical cables included. Glad to have silicone legs and spare screws in this package since shelf usage and experiments with Op-amps are definitely among our intentions in future.

Design of XD05 Plus is the first virtue you would love it for. It is clean, modern and functional – perfectly fits its purpose. We would also call it military – it reminds us of a weapon: burnished metal appearance, cold feel of a gun and AK47 style barrel vents on the edges. Really appealing to men, either looking at or holding it. Feels very solid and rigid, thanks to the excellent build quality, rough surface finish, choice of material and precise manufacturing process.

The shell is made of a single piece of aluminum profile with front and back covers held by 4 torx-type screws. Top, bottom and right side are free of any controls but have some imprints: logo on top and left side button label at the bottom.

Back side includes all communication ports (3.5mm Coaxial/Optical input, Aux 3.5mm input/output, type-C USB input, type-C USB charging port) and status LEDs (red for charging, blue for USB data reception).

Facing side consists of 6.3mm headphone output, 0.91″ OLED screen, volume knob with integrated power switch, two 2-position switches (Boost, Bass) and one 3-position switch (Gain). SRC, Filter and Input buttons are located on the left side. Vent openings on both sides are designed to dissipate heat produced by the board elements, therefore – should not be covered.

Now, let’s take a look at the internals.

Easy to open – just unscrew 4 screws on the front panel and pull out the entire board from its shell. Shell has guiding slides for the board while the board has one springy ground pin at the bottom and similar pin at front. Be careful not to damage the bottom pin when sliding it back in place.

Board is accurately populated with high-quality elements, all are well-aligned, soldering is neat, no signs of flux spills. Here you would find all declared chips of dac, amps, and processors. Single OPA1612 op-amp uses 2 slots with the adapter and can easy be swapped to other model, either single or paired. Great that the battery is not soldered to board and uses 4-pin connector instead. This is a peculiar thing: it is labeled as 3.8V (seems to be LiHV type of cells) 5000mAh but consists of 2 cells (in parallel, 4 wires connection). Usually, each cell have similar label or a set of cells has the summarizing label. In first case we would get 3.8V, 5000mAh X 2 (since in parallel) = 3.8V, 10000mAh. Or, if it means the set, we should have 3.8V, 2500mAh/cell but the label should state “2P”. Since xDuoo declares that XD05 Plus has 3.8V, 5000mAh battery – than, it is the second case but “2P” was not stated.

Back to the warning that there is no external / battery power switch: since there is no switch – shelf use with constant charging cable connection would cause fast battery deterioration. We doubt that xDuoo has implemented smart charging circuit when the device is powered from the external source which would omitt battery charging when the charge gets full. Neither XD05 Plus works when the battery is removed. Therefore, the only way to get rid of the battery is to make power source + capacitors with 4 pin adapter and supply voltage directly to battery connector.

Op-amps: for now we have stock dual TI OPA1612 and we are pleased with the resulting audio quality. But people report that they are even more pleased with Burson V5i or 2 x single Muse 03 op-amps.

Device in use:

First of all, the battery should be charged. Since XD05 Plus comes with no wall charger – you can use stock USB -> type-C cable with any 5V adapter. It would take about 4.5H to fully charge XD05 Plus battery. xDuoo states 4.5H fast charge and 11H for regular charge. Not sure what do they mean by that but in our understanding it is not about fast charge technology, but the output power of the charger. If it takes 4.5H than the charger should be able to supply ~1.5A for 5000mAh battery. Fortunately, XD05 Plus can take charge and function simultaneously. Red LED on the back would be lit throughout the charging process and gets off when done, no matter XD05 Plus is powered on or off. If it is in ON state – it would also indicate charging process with on-screen battery level. No excessive heat of the shell is spotted during charging, thanks to large aluminum chassis and enough room inside.

Further steps would depend of the main usage intentions. There are lots of scenarios XD05 Plus can be used at, some requiring the additional cables and some are good to go with the stock bundle. Let’s consider each one:

• Using it as external DAC/amp for DAPs / Android smartphones & tablets / Windows based PC / laptops with USB A or USB type-C ports for headphones/IEMs/earbuds: no additional cables needed. Only ASIO driver in Windows environment for the best audio quality (can be downloaded from HERE).
• Using it as external DAC/amp for iOS smartphones & tablets / MAC based PC / laptops for headphones/IEMs/earbuds: additional Type-C -> Lightning cable needed. (can be purchased on the official product page together with XD05 Plus or separately HERE).
• Using it as external DAC/amp for any source over Optical/Coaxial for headphones: additional Coax/optical -> 3.5mm Coax/optical cable is needed
  • To use with active speakers or as preamp for home amplifier: you would need one more 3.5mm Lineout -> active speakers/amplifier cable
• Using it as external amp for any source with 3.5mm line out -> XD05 line in -> headphones out: additional 3.5mm -> 3.5mm cable is needed
  • Using it as external amp for any source with other types of analog line out -> XD05 line in -> headphones out: additional corresponding line out -> 3.5mm cable is needed

Therefore, the main usage scenarios cover most of the types of use, including DAC function of XD05 Plus or excluding it and running it in amplifier mode alone. In this case, the output is possible only to headphone port since the Line out and Line in are combined and occupied by the input from a source. We wish that those outs were separated to a different ports to be able to use XD05 Plus as preamp for a DAC in home setup. It still can be used this way by feeding headphone signal to home amp, but this requires accurate tuning of volume level and care about the position of front switches.

Android-based smartphones and tablets, as well as most of the DAPs won’t have any problems with connecting XD05 Plus as external DAC/amp over USB. It would be better to use some applications such as HiBy Music that are capable to provide bit-perfect data stream directly to USB device while omitting OS audio processing. DAPs would do the same with its DTA architecture or proprietary OS builds. In Windows environment, it is better to use the ASIO driver provided by xDuoo to fully utilize the device features. Although, native Windows 10 driver detect xDuoo correctly and allows 32bit/384kHz as well. Both drivers have virtually no audio lag while watching videos. Perfect.

To summarize this section – every single tested scenario went smooth, with not a single hiccup from XD05 side. DAPs, smartphone and laptop didn’t hang even once during the tests despite large amount of reconnections during the tests, different types of interfaces used and fast swaps of tracks with different audio quality and formats. Perfectly polished user experience and reliable, glitch-free performance.

Controls:

Really love volume knob on XD05 Plus. We’ve seen it one that someone has reported channel imbalance on low volume level but our unit is free from that flaw. Tangible power ON/OFF click, tight rotation, precise position, no rattling whatsoever. Volume starts from almost quiet to full, increases smoothly, utilizing ~90% of rotation. No harsh popup sound when the power is turned on/off. Just to mention 1W of power: for example, AudioTechnica ATH-M50 (38Ohms impedance, 99dB sensitivity) is driven loud with 50% of volume knob rotation (Gain and Boost switches at minimum position). Gain Mid / High can damage such overheads easily at max volume. More sensitive headphones/IEMs and earbuds with lower impedance might be burnt easily even in Gain Low at high volume levels. Therefore, be careful with Gain switch and do not change its position accidentally.

Front switches also feel nice and tight to operate. Boost stands for 2 position impedance switch (low = <150Ohms, high = >150Ohms), Bass is responsible for boosting lows/midbass and Gain does what expected in 3 significant changes in its level. Left side buttons serve to scroll through inputs (Input), upscale coaxial/optical input stream (SRC) and to change PCM/DSD filters (Filter):

• Sharp roll-off (PCM1 on screen)
• Slow Roll-off (PCM2 on screen)
• Short delay Sharp (PCM3 on screen)
• Short delay Slow (PCM4 on screen)

Filters in DSD:

• 39Khz = DSD64 at DSD1 (on screen)
• 78kHz = DSD128 at DSD1 (on screen)
• 156kHz = DSD256 at DSD1 (on screen)
• 76kHz = DSD64 at DSD2 (on screen)
• 152kHz = DSD128 at DSD2 (on screen)
• 304kHz = DSD256 at DSD2 (on screen)

Filter, source as well at the sample rate would be indicated on screen. The screen, on its turn, is quite small but totally good for its purpose and bright enough to be seen in shady conditions. Having the screen in such device is not that necessary imbut adds to the functionality and convenience. Not saying that it also adds to the overall value and satisfaction of using XD05 DAC/amp series.

There is one more thing that makes XD05 Plus even better – possibility to connect add-on Bluetooth module XD05 BL (fits Plus and XD05) that would turn your device into Bluetooth receiver with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-LL, aptX-HD, LDAC codecs on board. This module would occupy Coax/optical and line 3.5mm input ports.

Sound test:

Our sound setup during the test: HiBy R5 Sabre DAP + xDuoo XD05 Plus + AudioTechnica ATH-M50 + ArtMagic DH3 IEMs + Edifier M1100 active speakers.

XDuoo XD05 Plus feels quite linear in its delivery throughout the entire range, not showing significant peaks or accents until requested with bass boost or gain switches. At lowest switch settings, sound feels well-balanced with quite deep, contoured, energetic lows and good amount of textures, great midbass control, power and dynamics. With the bass boost this portion gets brought forward, the increase is evident but lows loose contours and become quite moody.

Even rendering of male and female vocals in mids, free of peaking notes and harsh presentation. Mids also exhibit quite high level of resolution, pleasing thickness, excellent instrument separation and legible mix. Treble part is not accented, neither underpowered. Enough of clarity, good extension, great amount of tiny details. Sounds impressive when paired with BA/piezo driver IEMs. With higher gain settings treble might get a little bit harsh, resulting in unwanted sibilance with low impedance IEMs.

Furthermore, changing Bass boost and Gain switch settings to anything from low, to our liking, makes sound worse than XD05 Plus is capable of. When set to min – it sounds very balanced and delicate. And of course, those switches have no impact on line output. Another great aspect of XS05 Plus sound is the stage size – it builds a perception of large and especially wide imaginary stage with large distance between the instruments.

In overall, the sound of XD05 Plus is mature, full-bodied and balanced, slightly leaning towards warmer presentation. The closest DAP that we once tested is HiBy R6Pro but the amount of power and driving ability is much higher with XD05 Plus. It sounds very good across the entire range, reveals lots of details and renders large stage. Perhaps, experimenting with other Op-amps might make it sound even better but we are pleased with the stock combination.

In comparison to Hidizs Sonata DH1000:

DH1000 has many things in common concerning the usage scenarios and sound quality. It is not that advanced as XD05 Plus since less powerful, doesn’t allow Op-amp change, doesn’t act as pure amplifier, cannot accept data through coax / optical inputs. But it has balanced circuit and output and sounds quite close with the same headphones. Similarly balanced and detailed, brighter, though. xDuoo XD05 Plus is just a better bargain if to consider all of its features and specs.

In comparison to Tempotec Serenade iDSD:

iDSD is designed for shelf usage only. It doesn’t have battery, better to be used as a DAC/preamp for home system for its limited power headphone output. But it also gives the possibility to experiment with other op-amps and delivers balanced and detailed sound. We would say that if the will is to have shelf DAC/preamp only – iDSD would do. But again, it is not a competitor to XD05 series versatility, power and functionality.

Conclusion:

We are in love with xDuoo XD05 Plus, its features, specs and possibilities it delivers. Excellent design and decent build quality, connectivity options with full processing power on all inputs, good set of accessories, high power output… And last but not the least – excellent sound with good resolution and wide soundstage. All of that makes the impression of having mature and highly functional device that builds a confidence in a great bargain among other options. Add here op-amp customization feature for the most conscious fans – and you are getting the ultimate device, able to initiate a whole new movement, that would definitely settle down for long in various setups.

xDuoo Xd05 Plus available at the official store: HERE

PS: xDuoo has announced the launch of XD05 BL DAC/amp with 4.4mm balanced output along with 6.3mm SE output, revised controls, more decoding power (32bit/786kHz, DSD512) and, probably, inbuilt Bluetooth module. It also would have external/battery power switch back. But the expected price is ~$429 which is significantly higher than $289 of XD05 Plus. Therefore, if balanced output is not that important for you – we are still considering XD05 Plus a better bargain for its lower price.

What innovations in ultra portable personal audio products to expect now when most of the popular brands have already exploded with their interpretations of HiRes smartphone / laptop companions — smallest DACs & AMPs… Plenty of formfactors, equipped with screen or extra buttons, different connectivity options out of the box, with and without the battery — choose whatever you like. Despite all of that, Hidizs with their new ultra portable audio product has found one more way to differentiate and intrigue — Hidizs S9 has both single ended and balanced outputs on board!

Hidizs S9 technical specifications:

• DAC chip: AK4493EQ (new generation premium 32-bit 2ch DAC with VELVET SOUND technology)
• THD+N: 113dB
• Dynamic range: 123dB
• Output power: 90mW SE | 125mW Balanced
• PCM: 32bit|768kHz
• Native DSD: up to 512
• Outputs: 3.5mm SE + 2.5mm Balanced
• Indicator light: multi LED, sync with sampling rate
• Supports: Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS, Android
• Hi-Res Audio 10 certification
• Shell material: aluminum with glass panels
• Size LxWxD: 6 x 1.7 x 1.1cm
• Weight: 12g

Packaging and design:

Hidizs S9 comes neatly packed in relatively small black matt box with shiny silver logo and specifications imprints. Traditional package by Hidizs for the most of their products.

Inside the box you would find S9 DAC resting on the special soft insert and list of additional accessories hidden underneath. Box contents consist of:

• S9 DAC&AMP
• transparent plastic holder / clip
• USB type C -> USB type C cable (65см)
• USB type C -> USB type C cable (15см)
• USB type C -> USB A adapter
• leaflets, cards…

S9 is a small unit (close to AA battery size) but still shows quite complicated design. It�s shell is made of aluminum (CNC) whereas both front and back sides are covered with glass panels.

Such approach is inherited from other Hidizs products and reflects the design principles of this brand. Personally, I like such combination which adds the value to the device in terms of overall feel.

There are no buttons and no screen, side edges are left free of any elements. USB type-C port is located at the bottom edge and both SE & Balanced ports are situated one over the other on the thickest part of the shell — its top edge.

The only indication that S9 is currently in use is represented by semi transparent Hidizs logo under the front glass panel. Not only it gets lit (purple) upon incoming power supply, but also its color is synchronized with the sampling rate of the currently played track.

Plastic clip / holder that comes as a part of the bundle is really great accessory. It securely holds S9 at place, protects it from physical impacts and allows to attach it to clothes. It doesn�t limit the connectivity or usability of this device.

Both short and long cables are similar — soft and flexible transparent braid, aluminum type-C connectors and banding protection at both sides. USB type-C -> USB A adapter is applicable whenever someone wants to connect to laptop or PC.

Hidizs S9 in use:

Fortunately, most of the current Android based smartphone platforms (as well as iOS) already support OTG connection and feeding audio through it. No additional drivers are needed, everything is plug&play. The only question is that it seems that both cables have host and slave sides (host is connected to a smartphone, marked with Hidizs logo) and would not work other way around. This also raises the question of cable compatibility in future if original one would fail or get lost one day…

Anyway, just connect it (LED indicator on S9 should get lit), run your favorite music app (I am using HiBy Music) and hit PLAY button. From the opposite side — headphones — S9 would automatically switch between SE / Balanced depending of the current physical connection. Furthermore, unlike many other DAC&AMPs — this device doesn�t have any battery inside and relies on the power fed by USB. Great that there is no need to charge it independently but the battery of your smartphone would drain faster.

By the time of writing this review Hidizs has not yet provided any dedicated Windows ASIO driver for S9. It is now being recognized by Windows 10 as USB DAC with its native driver and allows all sound to be passed to it with no obvious audible lag between video and audio streams. Which is great. Traditionally, ASIO driver that would probably show up soon would have better (if you can differentiate it) audio quality but the situation with the lag would get worse. I would recommend to use native Windows 10 driver and avoid installing additional TUSB ASIO drivers.

Sound quality: 

Tested with Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro, Lenovo Y500, Hidizs Seeds SE and Hidizs Seeds Balanced versions of IEMs.

As expected, in overall the impression of the sound quality of Hidizs S9 is close to what one should expect from the entry level HiRes DAP — much, much better than regular smartphone output, significantly better than regular laptop output and little bit behind of what such DAP as AP80, for instance, may offer. Smartphone lacks the clarity, resolution and power, its sound is quite blurred, weak and mixes up all instruments, especially at higher volume. Laptop holds better but lacks the overall clarity, bass extension and mid bass power.

S9 improves almost every aspect of the sound of both devices. It sounds more neutral but at the same time more transparent and holistic. Mid bass gets the appropriate power and tight feel, both frequency response ends are more extended while their textures get more pronounced.

As to the 3.5mm SE V/S 2.5mm Balanced comparison: here I can say that the best analogy would be as if you switch from gain low to gain high. +30% of power create more driving potential and deliver more juicy sound, especially obvious at lower volume. Moreover, not compromising the noise floor. By the way, the background stays dark with both outputs, any interference from a smartphone has not been observed either.

Conclusion: 

Current amount of ultra-portable HiRes DAC&AMPs on the market makes it quite confusing to take a right choice of the most appropriate option. Hidizs S9, apart of being based on mighty DAC chip and having highly competitive specifications, has its own unique feature that positively differentiates it from its closest rivals. Having both — SE and Balanced — outputs addresses more audio fans, gives more freedom in IEMs / headphone selection, significantly increases the output power and improves the driving potential. This is one of the most unique, handsome and powerful ultra-portable DAP&AMPs that has ever been rolled out to masses until now. Happy to possess and gone for the further experiments 

Hidizs S9 official store and page: LINK

10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Official Hidizs Amazon store: LINK

Thank you for reading.

Stay tuned, more reviews to come!