Reviews by 8bitfanatic
PROS
Value for money
Rock solid OS
Physical knobs
Build quality
Sound quality
CONS
Back scratches easily
No volume- and skip control in screensave mode
Only one custom EQ setting
A little heavy
SUMMARY AND THE BIG WHY
Welcome to my hands on review of the Hifiwalker H2 Hi-Res Audio. In this review I’d like to answer the big ‘why’. Why should you buy this device and how could it be to your benefit? Good to know these are my personal experiences. I bought the device myself and did not review for a third party, but for the community. I think there roughly three reasons for you to buy this device:
1. VALUE FOR MONEY
Value for money and price
The main reason for many of us to buy this device is the attractive price tag. It’s roughly over $ 100 and therefor the entry level of Digital Audio Players. Most recommended DAP’s from respectable brands will set you back at several times this money. Easily going up to 4 digit numbers. The reason you are reading this review is because you are looking for much value for little money. This DAP is exactly that. It obviously has its quirks but the pro’s do prevail over the cons, I promise you that.
Build quality
The build quality is great. It’s mostly made of metal with sturdy physical knobs, and a non-touchscreen interface. It’s surprisingly heavy, so I wouldn’t take it on a run. It’s best use is on a desk or in your pocket. The screen does not scratch easily as long as you transport it in the supplied pouch. The back of the H2 does but that doesn’t bother me.
Functions
The H2 will enhance your audio hobby with multiple functions under 1 hood. It’s a digital audio player, a DAC, a headphone amp and a Bluetooth send/receiver. Each of this functions could cost you the price of the H2, and the H2 does all of that at the same time without blinking an eye.
2. SIMPLICITY
OS
I think one of the great reasons to use a DAP instead of your smartphone is lack of distraction. No WhatsApp noises, no incoming mail, no Instagram sounds, just music. Right now I am writing this review listening to the H2 with no distractions from the OS. The interface matches this philosophy. It’s rather simple and to the point. No flashy animations, only text and simple graphical elements. It is sufficient to do what it does best: play great music. It has never bugged me once and is rock solid in stability.
Physical controls
The competitors of the H2 are for example the Shanling Q1 or M0 pro. They provide a nice touchscreen and -interface with minimal physical controls. You will swipe a lot to perform basic tasks and browsing your collection. The H2 chose for a jog dial wheel and physical knobs, like the early iPod did. That means you don’t get to touch your screen. You use only knobs. That’s weird at first after years of use of smartphones. It works fine! The interface is neither deep (no unnecessary menu-diving) nor complex. All functions reside behind a few menu options and are relatively fast accessible. The physical knobs are: rotating wheel, volume up/down, skip forward/back, play/pause/select, return, menu and power. I encountered only one flaw in the OS. The skip- and volumebuttons do not work when the screen is in power save mode. To use these buttons one has to press power once. There is no such thing as a perfect OS…
Music management
All music is stored on the supplied removable micro-SD card, my H2 came with a 64GB card. You can put in the number of GB’s to your need. I just copied my collection (mostly Apple Music AAC) from my computer to the card, keeping the original directory layout. I suggest you do metadata management on your computer before putting music on your H2. The H2 scans your collection and uses this meta-data to build a database. After scanning you can browse your collection by artist, album, song etc. Nothing special but it works like a charm. You are able to mark your favorite tracks and there is a function to build custom playlists.
3. STEP UP IN SOUND QUALITY
Sound quality
Well how does it sound? I compared it to my iPhone using an inexpensive Bluetooth receiver and my Mac Mini using a Sabaj D5 DAC/Amp. The IEM’s of choice were Tinhifi T2, Etymotic ER3SE and KZ PR1. The DAC of the H2 sounds bright, a bit analytical and spacious. Compared to my other equipment I find it a very attractive sound palette. Especially music with electronic and organic instruments, like the French electronica band ‘Air’, have a great separation between the sounds. The sounds are greatly distinct, very clear and spacious. Vocals are not buried in the mix but sound forward and close. Sounds which are panned to the sides really sound far outside your head. A very detailed description of the bass, mids and treble you will have to look for elsewhere. I experienced no problems in this area. To me the sound is clean, evenly distributed and tight. I am able to get more out of my IEM’s than with my other equipment.
Volume controls
Not only the timbre of the sound is important. Sometimes devices have only so many steps to control the volume. Sometimes the volume increase in 1 step is just too big to set a comfortable volume. The H2 has 100 volume steps which is a bliss. Depending which IEM you are using, you always are able to create a comfortable listening environment.
EQ
The H2 has a 10 band equalizer with the usual presets like pop, classic, blues etc. I couldn’t tell you if the presets are any good because I do not not use them. It is possible to create one custom EQ. That comes in handy to correct for example a treble spike or to add some warmth to a cold IEM. The H2 lowers the overall volume of the music in relation to your increase of DB’s in EQ to prevent distortion. Nice. I would have favored to have more custom EQ settings but the supplied EQ is fine.
Power handling
The H2 has more than enough juice to drive all my IEM’s and it handles high and medium sensitive over-ear headphones as well. I would not feed your lowest sensitive 4-digit planar headphones to the H2, but that is obvious.
END
Thank you for reading my review. Please let me know what your thoughts are and if you decided to buy this DAP or something else.
Value for money
Rock solid OS
Physical knobs
Build quality
Sound quality
CONS
Back scratches easily
No volume- and skip control in screensave mode
Only one custom EQ setting
A little heavy
SUMMARY AND THE BIG WHY
Welcome to my hands on review of the Hifiwalker H2 Hi-Res Audio. In this review I’d like to answer the big ‘why’. Why should you buy this device and how could it be to your benefit? Good to know these are my personal experiences. I bought the device myself and did not review for a third party, but for the community. I think there roughly three reasons for you to buy this device:
- Value for money
- Simplicity
- Step up in audio quality
1. VALUE FOR MONEY
Value for money and price
The main reason for many of us to buy this device is the attractive price tag. It’s roughly over $ 100 and therefor the entry level of Digital Audio Players. Most recommended DAP’s from respectable brands will set you back at several times this money. Easily going up to 4 digit numbers. The reason you are reading this review is because you are looking for much value for little money. This DAP is exactly that. It obviously has its quirks but the pro’s do prevail over the cons, I promise you that.
Build quality
The build quality is great. It’s mostly made of metal with sturdy physical knobs, and a non-touchscreen interface. It’s surprisingly heavy, so I wouldn’t take it on a run. It’s best use is on a desk or in your pocket. The screen does not scratch easily as long as you transport it in the supplied pouch. The back of the H2 does but that doesn’t bother me.
Functions
The H2 will enhance your audio hobby with multiple functions under 1 hood. It’s a digital audio player, a DAC, a headphone amp and a Bluetooth send/receiver. Each of this functions could cost you the price of the H2, and the H2 does all of that at the same time without blinking an eye.
2. SIMPLICITY
OS
I think one of the great reasons to use a DAP instead of your smartphone is lack of distraction. No WhatsApp noises, no incoming mail, no Instagram sounds, just music. Right now I am writing this review listening to the H2 with no distractions from the OS. The interface matches this philosophy. It’s rather simple and to the point. No flashy animations, only text and simple graphical elements. It is sufficient to do what it does best: play great music. It has never bugged me once and is rock solid in stability.
Physical controls
The competitors of the H2 are for example the Shanling Q1 or M0 pro. They provide a nice touchscreen and -interface with minimal physical controls. You will swipe a lot to perform basic tasks and browsing your collection. The H2 chose for a jog dial wheel and physical knobs, like the early iPod did. That means you don’t get to touch your screen. You use only knobs. That’s weird at first after years of use of smartphones. It works fine! The interface is neither deep (no unnecessary menu-diving) nor complex. All functions reside behind a few menu options and are relatively fast accessible. The physical knobs are: rotating wheel, volume up/down, skip forward/back, play/pause/select, return, menu and power. I encountered only one flaw in the OS. The skip- and volumebuttons do not work when the screen is in power save mode. To use these buttons one has to press power once. There is no such thing as a perfect OS…
Music management
All music is stored on the supplied removable micro-SD card, my H2 came with a 64GB card. You can put in the number of GB’s to your need. I just copied my collection (mostly Apple Music AAC) from my computer to the card, keeping the original directory layout. I suggest you do metadata management on your computer before putting music on your H2. The H2 scans your collection and uses this meta-data to build a database. After scanning you can browse your collection by artist, album, song etc. Nothing special but it works like a charm. You are able to mark your favorite tracks and there is a function to build custom playlists.
3. STEP UP IN SOUND QUALITY
Sound quality
Well how does it sound? I compared it to my iPhone using an inexpensive Bluetooth receiver and my Mac Mini using a Sabaj D5 DAC/Amp. The IEM’s of choice were Tinhifi T2, Etymotic ER3SE and KZ PR1. The DAC of the H2 sounds bright, a bit analytical and spacious. Compared to my other equipment I find it a very attractive sound palette. Especially music with electronic and organic instruments, like the French electronica band ‘Air’, have a great separation between the sounds. The sounds are greatly distinct, very clear and spacious. Vocals are not buried in the mix but sound forward and close. Sounds which are panned to the sides really sound far outside your head. A very detailed description of the bass, mids and treble you will have to look for elsewhere. I experienced no problems in this area. To me the sound is clean, evenly distributed and tight. I am able to get more out of my IEM’s than with my other equipment.
Volume controls
Not only the timbre of the sound is important. Sometimes devices have only so many steps to control the volume. Sometimes the volume increase in 1 step is just too big to set a comfortable volume. The H2 has 100 volume steps which is a bliss. Depending which IEM you are using, you always are able to create a comfortable listening environment.
EQ
The H2 has a 10 band equalizer with the usual presets like pop, classic, blues etc. I couldn’t tell you if the presets are any good because I do not not use them. It is possible to create one custom EQ. That comes in handy to correct for example a treble spike or to add some warmth to a cold IEM. The H2 lowers the overall volume of the music in relation to your increase of DB’s in EQ to prevent distortion. Nice. I would have favored to have more custom EQ settings but the supplied EQ is fine.
Power handling
The H2 has more than enough juice to drive all my IEM’s and it handles high and medium sensitive over-ear headphones as well. I would not feed your lowest sensitive 4-digit planar headphones to the H2, but that is obvious.
END
Thank you for reading my review. Please let me know what your thoughts are and if you decided to buy this DAP or something else.
Hands on review Master & Dynamic MW07
True Wireless Earphones
Introduction
Master & Dynamic is a company from New York who targets itself on the creative community. But a community who is willing to pay some extra for beauty next to sound quality. What were my expectations from this obvious premium product? I am used to some nice (but wired) Chifi in ear products from KZ and Tinaudio, and some over ear candy from Sennheiser. Recently I got a little disappointed after testing the brand new wireless Momentum. I was hoping for an improvement in wireless performance, and sound- and build quality next to Chifi. And I was willing to pay the price for beauty...
Well, the price is certainly premium. They did go as high as $300 but prices dropped to $199. Why would you wonder? Well, Master & Dynamic introduced a successor (MW07+) which has active noise cancellation (ANC) and a better battery life. There is also a cheaper knock-off (MW07 Go) which has cheaper build quality and no ANC. Amazon had a great deal for the ‘steel blue matte acetate’ for $99. I threw my money at them and a few days later the mailman came.
Unboxing and build quality *****
I’ll keep this brief as I don’t care too much for the packaging. It’s definitely better than cheaper products. A very neat white package contains a black cardboard box. Inside the box you will find:
“Beautifully eye-catching and durable finish, with a lightweight, slim design. Each pair of earphones may vary in its exact pattern and color due to the material and hand finish.”
Comfort ****
This is always very subjective. My ear canals are very small although my ears are not. So I benefit from a very slim earphone. This ones are not. They are rather bulky but they have some tricks up their sleeves... Master & Dynamic supplied additional ‘silicone fit wings’. This are some sort of additional supportive wings so the ear tip rests better inside your ear shelf. And I took some time to discover the best eartips for me. After some testing I found Spinfit CP100 in 2 different sizes to be adequate.
After this little ‘hack’ comfort is great! Although the earphones are rather big, they stick really well. They slide in my ears easily and I can wear them for longer times without pain or discomfort. For me a slimmer design would work even better. But of your ear canals are medium, or big, they will fit easily.
Sound quality *****
Now for the most important part: how do they sound? I am no outspoken audiophile so I will try to use terms which everyone should be able to understand
.In general these are v-shaped earphones, so the bass and treble are somewhat boosted. No EQ is necessary to make them sound good. The soundstage is wide but not to the extremes. For example: my cheaper MPOW M5 sounds little wider, almost outside my head. But the presentation of the stereo field is far better on the MW07. Note: please let them run for like 10-20 hours before testing them. You will find that after burning in, the sound quality will be much more pleasing than at first start.
I really love the bass! It goes so low you can feel it in your chest, although this is of course impossible. It’s got ‘meat’ and it never bores me. The level of detail is far better than many wired earphones. Because the bass does not seem to be boosted, the mids can really shine. So vocals sound direct and intimate also with lots of detail. I am a treble lover and these cans perform. Treble is not boosted but there is plenty of airiness and detail in the high frequencies. Again the level of detail confirms you are listening to a premium product. Call quality is nothing special, it’s perfectly possible to have conversation as long as you don’t walk in to strong wind or ride a bike.
Controls ****
Controls are different from other brands. On the left earbud, two physical knobs provide volume control. On the right earbud, one physical knob is multifunctional (pause, play, next etc.). I found out physical knobs are great compared to just a touch sensitive area.
Connection **
The earbuds can connect to 2 devices simultaneously. So you can listen to music on your tablet while it’s possible to answer your phone. Great! But my connection drops when I walk away from 1 device without disconnecting the other properly. Also I have experienced random connection drops while walking. After putting the cans into the charger, connection is reset. That could be better.
Conclusion
I am in love with these earphones. They outperform all my former Chifi earphones and I even wear my Sennheiser HD-600 less. Music sounds vivid, fun, and a critical listener will also be pleased with the sheer audio quality. On the office, they block enough noise and put music all around me. At home, I watch Netflix without any audio latency and call my friends. I love the way they look. True, if you travel a lot, maybe their successors (MW07+/MW07 Go) will be a better choice as battery life is considerably better. For me however, 3.5 hours on 1 charge is enough. Are they worth the price? Well for a premium product I would say that between $100 and $200 this is a fitting price. If you in it for the money, try to find an Amazon deal as I did. If money is less a subject, do not hesitate and buy the MW07 or the MW07+ in the color of your likings.
Cheers!
Specs
Battery life of 3.5 hours
Charging case extends this to 14 hours in total (3 charges)
Beryllium drivers 10mm
Bluetooth 4.2 with 20m of connectivity
Weight: 9 gram per earbud
IPX 4 splash proof
True Wireless Earphones
Introduction
Master & Dynamic is a company from New York who targets itself on the creative community. But a community who is willing to pay some extra for beauty next to sound quality. What were my expectations from this obvious premium product? I am used to some nice (but wired) Chifi in ear products from KZ and Tinaudio, and some over ear candy from Sennheiser. Recently I got a little disappointed after testing the brand new wireless Momentum. I was hoping for an improvement in wireless performance, and sound- and build quality next to Chifi. And I was willing to pay the price for beauty...
Well, the price is certainly premium. They did go as high as $300 but prices dropped to $199. Why would you wonder? Well, Master & Dynamic introduced a successor (MW07+) which has active noise cancellation (ANC) and a better battery life. There is also a cheaper knock-off (MW07 Go) which has cheaper build quality and no ANC. Amazon had a great deal for the ‘steel blue matte acetate’ for $99. I threw my money at them and a few days later the mailman came.
Unboxing and build quality *****
I’ll keep this brief as I don’t care too much for the packaging. It’s definitely better than cheaper products. A very neat white package contains a black cardboard box. Inside the box you will find:
- A silver shining charger containing your new gems
- A soft pouch
- QuickStart guide
- A good quality charger cable USB-C (with USB adapter)
- Ear tips in 5 different sizes
- 2 sizes of silicone fit-wings
“Beautifully eye-catching and durable finish, with a lightweight, slim design. Each pair of earphones may vary in its exact pattern and color due to the material and hand finish.”
Comfort ****
This is always very subjective. My ear canals are very small although my ears are not. So I benefit from a very slim earphone. This ones are not. They are rather bulky but they have some tricks up their sleeves... Master & Dynamic supplied additional ‘silicone fit wings’. This are some sort of additional supportive wings so the ear tip rests better inside your ear shelf. And I took some time to discover the best eartips for me. After some testing I found Spinfit CP100 in 2 different sizes to be adequate.
After this little ‘hack’ comfort is great! Although the earphones are rather big, they stick really well. They slide in my ears easily and I can wear them for longer times without pain or discomfort. For me a slimmer design would work even better. But of your ear canals are medium, or big, they will fit easily.
Sound quality *****
Now for the most important part: how do they sound? I am no outspoken audiophile so I will try to use terms which everyone should be able to understand
.In general these are v-shaped earphones, so the bass and treble are somewhat boosted. No EQ is necessary to make them sound good. The soundstage is wide but not to the extremes. For example: my cheaper MPOW M5 sounds little wider, almost outside my head. But the presentation of the stereo field is far better on the MW07. Note: please let them run for like 10-20 hours before testing them. You will find that after burning in, the sound quality will be much more pleasing than at first start.I really love the bass! It goes so low you can feel it in your chest, although this is of course impossible. It’s got ‘meat’ and it never bores me. The level of detail is far better than many wired earphones. Because the bass does not seem to be boosted, the mids can really shine. So vocals sound direct and intimate also with lots of detail. I am a treble lover and these cans perform. Treble is not boosted but there is plenty of airiness and detail in the high frequencies. Again the level of detail confirms you are listening to a premium product. Call quality is nothing special, it’s perfectly possible to have conversation as long as you don’t walk in to strong wind or ride a bike.
Controls ****
Controls are different from other brands. On the left earbud, two physical knobs provide volume control. On the right earbud, one physical knob is multifunctional (pause, play, next etc.). I found out physical knobs are great compared to just a touch sensitive area.
Connection **
The earbuds can connect to 2 devices simultaneously. So you can listen to music on your tablet while it’s possible to answer your phone. Great! But my connection drops when I walk away from 1 device without disconnecting the other properly. Also I have experienced random connection drops while walking. After putting the cans into the charger, connection is reset. That could be better.
Conclusion
I am in love with these earphones. They outperform all my former Chifi earphones and I even wear my Sennheiser HD-600 less. Music sounds vivid, fun, and a critical listener will also be pleased with the sheer audio quality. On the office, they block enough noise and put music all around me. At home, I watch Netflix without any audio latency and call my friends. I love the way they look. True, if you travel a lot, maybe their successors (MW07+/MW07 Go) will be a better choice as battery life is considerably better. For me however, 3.5 hours on 1 charge is enough. Are they worth the price? Well for a premium product I would say that between $100 and $200 this is a fitting price. If you in it for the money, try to find an Amazon deal as I did. If money is less a subject, do not hesitate and buy the MW07 or the MW07+ in the color of your likings.
Cheers!
Specs
Battery life of 3.5 hours
Charging case extends this to 14 hours in total (3 charges)
Beryllium drivers 10mm
Bluetooth 4.2 with 20m of connectivity
Weight: 9 gram per earbud
IPX 4 splash proof
