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).



First, specs&features:

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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.

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.



reble, 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

Hidizs 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.



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.

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.

It’s been a while since the last review posted on this blog due to extended logistics. Sending items for the review to Ukraine is quite cumbersome lately, thanks God it arrives undamaged. Hidizs has made quite an effort on assuring that their new MS3 IEMs would finally reach in here, even resending the package twice. Anyway, MS3 are with me now and I can acknowledge the audience of this blog with my own impressions.

Last pair of IEMs reviewed by me were quite peculiar and unusual – KZ ZEX with electrostatic driver in its schematics and Dethonray Tender 1 pure planar IEMs. I’ve had enough time to rest from dynamic/armature hybrid combination and Hidizs MS3 would be the first in series after this pause. Most of the time I am using pure 1 dynamic driver IEMs either from Hidizs/Tanchjim or HiBY since it is the most engaging sound for me, especially when driving IEMs with tube amp. Although, armature/dynamic hybrid IEMs have obvious advantages for some genres and in some aspects that build my interest to find out how technically good the new Hidizs product is.



Hidizs MS3 have been released just a month ago and already have generated a positive wave of impressions by the first owners and reviewers. Promising in the declared features, seems that MS3 really have the potential of becoming a great bargain in less expensive niche comparing to its highly ranked MS5 many-driver flagship predecessor. Good formula applied here by Hidizs – consider the buzz around the flagship product, borrow the most important virtues from it and project it on the less expensive product… Let’s see if the new star was born.

Here is the declared specs:






Features:

– 10.2mm Dual Magnetic Circuit Dual Cavity Dynamic Driver
– Knowles SWFK-31736 Composite Balanced Armature Driver
– Aviation Aluminum Alloy Integral Molding Shell
– Three Hidizs Pneumatic Tuning Filters
– Oxygen-free Copper Multi-conductor Cable with 192 Ultra-small Wires
– Highly Approaching the H-2019 Target Curve, and HIDIZS Art Styles
– “Shark Fin” 0.78mm/2PIN Cable Plug
– Hidizs Customized Storage Bag
– Hi-Res Certification



Back to the shipping set and build impression before jumping to the sound experience:

As said before, thanks to quite stiff Hidizs box, this package arrived undamaged. Box carries full product information, product image and manufacturer info. Inner compartment consists of three inserts: foam holding IEMs, foam holding all filters and ear tips and the additional box with audio cable and some papers. Truthfully speaking, Hidizs MS3 are one of the best IEMs in terms of set of accessories. 9 pairs of ear tips, 3 pairs of filters, storage bag, cable – can’t imagine what else might have been included to make anyone totally satisfied… Perhaps, IEMs Fortunately, they are also included.



Build quality is great all around. IEMs look and feel perfect, great choice of materials, precise finishing and construction. No gaps between elements, no rattling. Design is quite complex and very neat and beautiful at the same time. Attracting combination of black body with gold edging. Similarly excellent quality of audio cable: unexpectedly thick, consisting of 4 twisted strands, ending with aluminum 3.5SE or 4.4BL plug housing at one side and transparent easy to pull “shark fin design” 0.78 2pin connectors on the other side. This is probably the thickest cable for IEMs I’ve encountered in my reviewing career. Feels durable and makes an impression of being able to last for ages.



Ear tips are all silicone-type but 9 pars divided to 3 sizes and 3 groups of vocal, low and high frequency oriented use. The changes might be subtle depending of its final fit but accompanied by Hidizs special tuning filters that would add more evident changes to the sound. Filters have different types of mesh to cross out / pass some frequencies that would end up in more lows, mіds or treble-tending tonality: silver – more treble, rose – balanced, red – more lows. Here is how Hidizs measured the changes produced by all 3 pairs:

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My personal opinion about how effective those filters are: yes, there are audible changes in the sound, especially between red (low) filters + lows-oriented ear tips and silver/rose filters with the respective ear tips. The difference between rose/silver is less obvious due to highly pronounced armature nature in treble/upper mids segment.



The sound:

Consisting of 2 high-quality armature Knowles drivers + single but mighty dynamic driver, MS3 IEMs produce rich and engaging sound. The tonality feels bright which is an outcome of armature driver outstanding capabilities that goes far beyond human perception abilities on treble and some accent placed on upper mids as the consequence. V-shaped tuning is evident, although not distracting since the treble is quite expended, full of nuances and details. On the other side of the range single DD does a good job on mid bass dynamics and presence of lows. The extension of bass is limited but the amount on lows, speed and tightness of mid bass are perfectly enough. Sometimes lows might bleed in and desynchronize with treble and upper mids since it is slower on changes but mostly on such genres as energetic metal/punk rock and only if the quality of the recording/track file is low.



Apart from that, MS3 sound impressive, especially on layering and instrument separation. Every sound is laid out on its shelve, each instrument sounds exposed. Resolution grows with the frequency, treble is the most resolved, upper mids and vocals have great clarity and texturing, whereas the lows are well-exposed but slightly lagging behind in detalization. In overall, MS3 sound great technically. Especially for the slower genres, songs and with high-quality recordings. Musically, it is on the brighter side with excellent overall detalization, layering and mid bass performance but limited on the lowest bass register.



Fit:

MS3 are designed so that it would fit most without any problems. Such shape, pretty long nozzles, over-the-ear hooks and variety of ear tips would allow almost anyone to use it comfortably, even during the active workouts.



Conclusion:

Hidizs MS3 hybrid IEMs posses all the necessary qualities to become a bargain for many audio enthusiasts and even for some demanding audiophiles. Technically MS3 are sounding great – impressive overall resolution and treble extension, great layering and articulation, excellent and tight mid bass. Build quality, feel and especially the possibility of the additional tuning are all exceptional. Musically, MS3 would be great for those who love V-shaped tuning and brighter sound, bass heads would rather stick to some more bass-oriented options. Nevertheless, Hidizs MS3, considering its price, bundle and sound quality, set the bar pretty high for its rivals on the market. Definitely a great option to save some funds and be totally satisfied at the same time. Well done, Hidizs! Anxious to see would be the next product under this brand…

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: Official Hidizs store

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: Amazon

Hidizs MS3 IEMs on sale: AliExpress

One device for one function – I admire Anson’s unique and stable approach of developing masterpieces in every audio hardware niche… Let’s be honest, even a perfect device with limited functionality is risking to be buried down by millions of all-in-one mere consumer choices just because it is more convenient to use… DSLRs are almost out of the consumer market, as well as voice and video recorders, book readers, DAPs, etc. Most of the users would still agree that prosumer or pro-level stand-alone devices deliver much better quality but who cares if the content is made for and consumed in social networks? Personally, I regret the times when everyone tried to acquire the best shot out of 24-36 frames instead of storing thousands of useless files… That is why all Dethonray products impress me this much – they build a reference to those good old times when everything was designed for “pro”, forcing users think and progress.



Pegasus SG1 is not an exception. It is a sixth masterpiece developed by Anson and released in June 2022 that fills Bluetooth audio niche in Dethonray lineup. DTR1 DAP was the first, followed by Honey AMP. Later came one of the best bundle in portable HiRes audio world consisting of DTR1+ and Tender 1 planar IEMs and now comes the Pegasus. Here is the corresponding retrospective picture from the official Dethonray website:



All of those devices are highly rated by the reviewers and respected by both – audio “fans” and “philes”. Personally, I am using DTR1, DTR1+ and Tender 1 for a long time and can state that both DAPs and Tender IEMs still remain the ultimate audio performers with no problems in technical aspects either. Moreover, those devices had already gained some magic aura around and turned to collectibles. I still wouldn’t call Dethonray a “boutique” brand since boutique means something extravagant and limited in amount but not necessarily having high quality of the production. Opposingly, Dethonray is managing to deliver high quality of functioning along with similarly high quality of the production even despite smaller volumes compared to market mastodons. Therefore, I would rather name Dethonray as high-end brand working in the respective niche.



So, the Pegasus SG1 – what is it designed for? Here are the specs first:



As can be seen from the specs – Pegasus main and the only purpose is acting as Bluetooth receiver -> processing the incoming stream -> converting to audio signal. It incorporates various popular audio codecs, including the HiRes LDAC (24bit/96kHz). Outputs presented by both – 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BL ports. The main feature shared across all Dethonray devices is also present in Pegasus technical design – DPPU (Desktop Plus Power Unit)：

DPPU adapts dual high-density battery customized power system, designed for High-Fidelity while ensuring separation of digital and analog power to eliminate digital circuit noise from the source, alike an enhanced DAP + Amplifier system but with a minimal path and hard soldered joints with no compromises.

Click to expand...

There is one additional feature that is very important but rarely stated about Pegasus: the ability to change sound signature by different FW versions. It comes with “Rhapsody” FW by default and can be changed to “Serenade” FW on behalf of a user. I’ve seen such implementation once before in Tempotec / Hidizs USB DACs that really did a job of changing the sound to user preference. This is much more convenient than replacing Op-Amps or any part of the hardware but still requires some understanding and PC skills.



Back to Pegasus SG1 description:

It comes in black box regular for all Dethonray devices. Box is stiff and perfectly does a job of securing its components. Single layer inside consisting of foamy insert with the cutout that holds Pegasus at place. Than goes the beauty – Pegasus SG1 resting there with its perfectly polished glass top cover facing outwards and tiny aluminum bezel around.



I’ve seen 4 body colors available: purple, red, black and mint and I can say that red and purple look punchy.

Dethonray logo underneath front glass panel has multicolor LED backlight that resembles the device current state.



Another beautiful element is the volume knob that combines clever design for comfortable grip with peculiar shape, appropriate color and matt finish.



Both output ports are located on the top edge. All control buttons gathered on the left edge.



Bottom edge holds type-C charging port and the additional LED indicator that duplicates front facing logo in its behavior.



Very neat, strict and beautiful design at the same time. Feels rigid and comfortable in hands. The only drawback is that placing it in a pocket with keys, phones or other stuff might leave the marks on its perfect surfaces. Jello-stickers would definitely help here.

Pegasus SG1 in operation:

Since the Pegasus is a BT receiver, first thing to do after initial charging is to connect it over Bluetooth to any audio source. Of course, the best performance can only be achieved with the sources capable of LDAC or apt-X HD codecs. Most of the recent phones, tablets and DAPs would surely support at least one. Although, Apple users would still be limited to lossy AAC codec instead due to Apple closed politics on that (devices for the professionals, I bet).

There is no multipoint feature in Pegasus, therefore – only 1 device at once. But the previously connected would be stored in BT controller memory for fast reconnection in the future.



The process of pairing is very fast, LED comes of a help to show whether Pegasus is still pairing (blinks) or has already paired (constantly lit). You would only have to choose PEGASUS SG1 under phone BT available devices and tap on connect. Most of the sources would state codec that is being used for audio transfer between the devices. In my case it is the most capable LDAC (Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro). Unfortunately, battery status is not being transferred from Pegasus to phone. Dethonray claims around 8 hours of continuous performance with SE and 6 hours with BL output. Real world tests proved those figures right.



Upon the connection, there are 3 buttons on Pegasus that work as expected: PLAY|PAUSE, NEXT and PREVIOUS. Buttons feel tight, no rattling. The additional two-way switch is designed to change from low to high gain depending of the headphones impedance. It is really better to stay off selecting high gain for IEMs lower than 16Ohms or it might be damaged. Volume knob has pleasing feel of tight travel and comfortable grip. It acts pretty accurately, delivering smooth volume change in both directions. Much more convenient than discrete volume buttons found in phones, USB DACs and in some DAPs that change it quite abruptly. Here you can select any desired levels, starting with the barely heard ones.



Pegasus stays stays cold during operation with only slight warming up while the battery takes charge. Type-C port is only used for charging | FW upgrades but the function of USB DAC is not available.

FW change:

As said before, this BT DAC has two different firmware versions. Rhapsody (default) is more assertive and Serenade is more calm and melodic in its signature. Changes in sound are audible but not vital. It is more about rounding some edges and slightly changing the entire timbre. Personally, I prefer Serenade version over Rhapsody for its slightly added warmth and smoothness. Phapsody is better for more aggressive and rhythmic genres.

Here is the link to FW download on Dethonray website: LINK

The process of switching to another FW is quite cumbersome but doable. Here are the steps:





The sound:

Pegasus SG1 is impressive. Sounds linear with the emphasis on mids which sound thick and pleasingly warm. Sound perception is natural and balanced. Quite hard to notice any discrepancies that would disclose its wireless connection.



ass is well-resolved and emphasized. This bleeds into mid bass and affect the entire sound with such pleasing warm and thick strokes. Fortunately, mid bass section is still maintaining great dynamics and tightness to sound juicy. Mids stand out as the central part of the presentation and deliver voices and instruments naturally. No hisses or sibilants even with sensitive IEMs. Lows definitely have more impact on mids than treble. Slight lack of texturing due to BT connection but still feels very musical due to accurate and smooth delivery. Despite wireless connection, treble is well-extended, with no abrupt nuances. Good clarity and correct balance with other ranges without any emphasis makes treble very accurate and appealing, leaving the whole sound closer to the dark side.

Great choice of tuning for such BT DAC. Possibly the best to go away from dry and analytical approach to very musical one that also hides some imperfections.



Conclusion:

Pegasus SG1 is the best sounding Bluetooth DAC among all BT audio devices of al types I’ve tried so far. IEMs with BT lace, BT earhooks, TWS, BT ultra-portable DACs – all suffered from apparent wireless connection limitations especially noticeable on abrupt treble and limited extensions. It might be the outcome of device hardware size, design or multifunctional abilities when some are developed appropriately and some are just for show. Pegasus, on its turn, is made for one function and made perfectly: in terms of design, logics and performance. It uses the best BT codecs possible, shows no hiccups in operation and makes the sound truly appealing. Moreover, it sounds almost indistinctive to very good portable wired setup combinations. Feels like with the Pegasus SG1, going wireless is no longer a compromise either with headphones or in desktop use with active speakers or amps.

Link to Pegasus SG1 at AliExpress: LINK

Link to Pegasus SG1 at Amazon: LINK

Our world moves forward, the future is inevitable, new technologies would change our habits… All of that comes in mind when we think of our own previous convictions that were broken by the success of modern products and approaches. TWS IEMs – true wireless, means that such products represent a bunch of interconnected technologies to create flawless and pleasant experience, totally wireless, with high audio / voice quality, fluent and versatile functionality that would free you from wires… Still sounded quite assertive couple of years ago as we were testing TWS of that time one after another and found such claims more of less veridical depending of the product. This forced us to get back to the best wired IEM representatives. Right to this point when we’ve laid our hands on Momentum True Wireless 3 by Sennheiser.



Sennheiser, as a brand, doesn’t need our presentation. It is among the largest and oldest manufacturers of personal and professional audio products, located in Germany and existing for more than 75 years. No doubt that their professionalism allows to create the most polished used experience mixed with the highest functionality at the forefront of the progress. A bit of conservatism that stops them from releasing raw products just to overtake the competition only show brand strength and differs it from smaller, less patient and picky ones. As the result, the end customer might play with the latest technology from the smaller brands, but the will to try similar products from the industry leaders still remains.



Back to Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3:

Technical specs:



Most interesting features to outline in this product:

• Supports aptX and aptX Adaptive (24bit/96kHz, up to 620Kbps) Bluetooth codecs
• Active Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology with Transparency mode
• 3 mics / channel
• Smart control application for iOS and Android
• Wireless and wired charging
• IPX4 waterproof
• Multipoint support (2 devices at once)
• Great fit by exchangeable ear tips and fins

Device packaging and bundle:

Momentum 3 IEMs arrived bit later than expected due to reasonable problems in the logistics between China and Ukraine. We were still surprised that it took only 16 days by a regular air parcel method to arrive. European hub reported that it arrived from China in 8 days, the rest was truck transportation from Germany to local hub and to its final destination afterwards.

The appearance of the product was definitely created with the intention to greet the customer with Christmas and New Year celebrations. Creativity and care stands behind the additional outer wrappage which also contains Voonaudio CEO (Samantha Lind) signature.



Thanks guys, happy New Year too!

Here is the standard Momentum 3 box without the additional cover:



Box contains large amount of product and company information but the most important is the availability of counterfeit protection sticker that shows that it is 100% original Sennheiser TWS.



The insides are split in two vertical compartments, one holds IEMs with charging case and another stores all provided accessories.



Apart from TWS and its case, the bundle consists of:

• 4 pairs of silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, L)
• 3 pairs of fins (with slightly different shape)
• type-C to USB A charging cable
• user manual, warranty card and couple of leaflets

Can’t tell that this is the best bundle we’ve seen among all TWS that we’ve tested, but the availability of different sizes of fins and tips builds the confidence that the fit should be great.

Design, feel and fit:

As the representative of TWS IEMs, Sennheiser Momentum 3 consists of left and right channels and charging case that plays a role of a power bank. Case is made of plastic, fully wrapped with cotton material. Sennheiser logo at the top, type-C charging port with LED indicator at front.



Top case cover holds quite tight by the large integrated magnet. No way it would open by itself. Inner IEM contacts also hold each channel in the compartment with relatively strong magnetic force that would secure it from falling out if turned up side down. Case build quality is excellent, everything is perfectly aligned and crafted.



IEMs have similarly perfect finish and crafting – made of plastic but feels rigid. Perfectly aligned parts, clear openings and neat look. Top covers consist of brand logo, couple of mics and touch sensitive panels:



4 contacts, additional mic, proximity sensor and LED indicators on the bottom.



Sound channels are covered with nylon mesh for dust protection purpose. Additionally, each ear tip has its own dust protection in a form of foamy insert. Glad to have that since the most of the problems with IEMs happen due to dust and dirt getting inside the shells.



At first we were not confident about the fit – IEMs look pretty large and feels heavy. Although, its shape together with different fins and ear tips allowed to find the most comfortable and tight sitting option that even allows to use Momentum 3 during active workouts. Weight is not causing any inconvenience either. When fit is great you just forget about IEMs in your ears. Of course, it would not win over any custom-shaped wired IEMs, but surprisingly good and gives the additional freedom due to being wireless.

One of the most important questions – how good is the fit comparing to other types of TWS, like earbuds (certain Apple products) or IEMs with long leg (like Huawei FreeBuds 4i), for instance…. Unfortunately, it is still a question of compromise:

• Earbuds are the most comfortable for long and calm use but least secure for fitness and worst in sound quality due to lack of passive noise isolation
• IEMs like Huawei FreeBuds 4i are less secure than Momentum 3 during active movements and have worse sound due to lack of room inside the case but should have better voice pick up due to lower position of microphones.
• Momentum 3 feels much more secure but heavier. It might not be as comfortable than other two through the whole day.
• As to such types of TWS as ear hooks with IEMs (FiiO UTWS 3) – best sound quality due to optional preferred IEMs but the worst fit – feels bulky and not too natural.

Apart from physical comfort and fit, there is also such very important aspect of TWS IEMs as its acoustic feel. Some people might have bad experience with wearing in-ear monitors for a long time. It really might cause a lot of discomfort, physically as well as psychologically. Constant pressure against tympanic membrane may cause dizziness, headache, nausea, etc. But we can assure you that it is not about the Sennheiser Momentum 3 – it has the necessary transparency modes among all of its features to completely remove any negative effect during the long-time wearing session.

Functions and user experience:

Momentum 3 is quite sophisticated products that features all expected functions that should exist in modern TWS. Besides, all declared functions tailored well in its logics, which is one of the main advantages of having more expensive product from the leading brand. We would like to go over main functions to describe the implementation quality and our feedback about each one:

• Active Adaptive Noise Cancellation: can be activated in two modes (only wind noise reduction or full noise cut off), controlled with the touch on sensor panel (types of tap and channel side can be set in the app). Does really impressive job in full noise reduction mode. No audible change in sound quality but leaves most of the distracting external noises out. Active noise reduction in Huawei, Xiaomi, Apple TWS is definitely less capable (never tried Sony though, people say that it is pretty darn good as well). Of course, if using Momentum 3 only to isolate from the surroundings, without listening to anything, the effect of extra pressure would be apparent. Switching to wind noise reduction only or to transparency mode totally removes possible negative feel. In real usage scenarios, when listening to audio or speaking over the phone with ANC activated to its full potential – you would barely notice any external noises and can totally focus on the sound coming to your ears from IEMs. One note about ANC control: touch sensors on IEM housings allow only to switch between OFF and one of ANC modes (wind reduction, full), whereas the app allows to select any ANC mode in real time and to set which one would be activated with the touch.
• Transparency mode: can be activated in 2 modes (along with audio and activating pause when enabled), controlled with sensor touch (types of tap and channel side can be set in the app) or by the app. Again, app allows to select either of 3 modes (OFF, along with audio, pause the audio) and sets which of the modes would be selected apart from OFF. Similarly to ANC, does a very good job on amplifying surroundings right to your ears. Releases any type of pressure that might annoy during long wearing sessions. Of course, the best effect is when the audio is set on pause, but the incoming voices are quite audible even when the music plays (if it is not very loud). Most of the amplification applied to upper mids rather than treble or lows.
• Multipoint connection: when updated to the latest FW, Momentum 3 can be connected to 2 devices simultaneously. It would allow audio and phone calls from either device, whichever initiates it first. At the same time, we can connect to other devices and store it in TWS memory but only two of those would be active at a time. The rest would be inactive until one or both of the active two would get disconnected. New device pairing process can be initiated by tapping and holding both channels for 3 seconds. Channel LEDs flash red/blue when pairing takes place. The entire list of all stored and currently active devices is shown in the app.
• aptX and aptX Adaptive BT audio codecs: first of all, base or enhanced codec that would be used to play audio with Momentum 3 is defined by the smartphone. If it is relatively modern and supports aptX / aptX Adaptive – aptX would be selected by default with the ability to switch to aptX Adaptive from the app. The difference is mostly vital for lossless audio tracks and respective music player apps that can handle it. aptX is commonly known as 16bit/44.1KHz while aptX Adaptive is substituting more recent aptX HD and bringing 24bit/96KHz, 620Kbps stream with lower latency. Therefore, being almost similar to LDAC and UAT, aptX Adaptive the the best codec currently available for Bluetooth audio – the closest match to the full-frequency quality over the wires. Currently used codec is displayed upon connection in the app itself and under BT connection settings of a smartphone. If aptX is not available, regular codecs like SBC would be used instead.
• Separate use of channels: either left or right channel can be used independently for audio and phone calls. It takes only about a second to activate and synchronize when the second channel is taken out of the charging cradle. The difference between left and right would maintain in types of controls programmed for each one. If some side functions are programmed for the left – the right one would not activate it if you pick it instead. And vise versa. But main functions would remain the same for either one. Another way to control missing functions when using single channel – is to use the app. Both channels equipped with the proximity sensor which means that audio would be stopped or initiated when wearing it. Transparency mode would work and can be manually activated even with a single channel.

It seems that Sennheiser did a great job on developing the application for its TWS products. It is the first time in our practice when the app really helps to see what’s going on and allows to use various additional functions. Therefore, we would like to describe what it is capable of:



The initial screen allows to connect new and see the list of all Sennheiser products that has been located on this device:

First app screen shows the main functions:

• Shows cradle and active channel battery level
• Shows current connection status
• Allows to see the list of connected/paired devices
• Allows to tune and set EQ (it is possible to create own 3-way EQ profile or select one of the presets)
• Allows to run sound check and tune the sound (means running any audio and selecting different presets in special wizard which finally creates your own preferred sound profile)
• Allows to select Transparency mode and to set which one would be activated with the touch
• Allows to select ANC mode and to set which one would be activated with the touch
• Allows to create sound zones based on the location (activating functions in different GPS locations)
• Allows to set touch controls for each channel
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Discover tab is for the product and interest related news feed

Settings tab:

• Allows to see and update FW version: updates take about 12-15 minutes, no matter whether earbuds are placed in or outside the case. LEDs would flash green/purple during the process until finished. Smartphone should stay in the area of BT coverage.
• High res audio mode: allows to force aptX Adaptive codec if supported by a smartphone
• Smart pause: allows to set music on pause when either one of the channels is removed
• Allows to automatically accept calls: picks up the phone if any channel is removed from the cradle
• Sets auto-power off interval when removed from ears but not placed in cradle
• Activates and deactivates tone & voice prompts
• Shows currently used BT audio codec
• Displays model name
• Allows to select app language
• Allows to select tiles (functions) that would appear on the main app screen
• Allows to perform factory reset
• Allows to send user feedback
• Lists FAQs and short help on different functions
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Pretty powerful and informative application in comparison to most of the app from other vendors which are used once per quarter to check if there is an update. You would definitely use it for ANC, Transparency mode activation, EQ tuning along with FW updates or new device connections. For example, Huawei TWS app feels too heavy and slow with its smart hub and plugins. Moreover, it is not that informative. You visit it once to learn how to control TWS and never go back. Better to skip Huawei updates as well – the last one made ANC almost unusable (non-existent). We’ve already had one FW update for Momentum 3 – its changelog was clear and promising as well as the final TWS performance became even more comfortable. We think that such consistency and wise approach from Sennheiser would remain and this is another valuable side of purchasing products from a leading brand.



Momentum 3 audio/voice quality:

We’ve tried Momentum 3 with Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 PRO, Windows 11 E14 ThinkPad Notebook, Hidizs AP80 Pro DAP and Xiaomi Qin F2Pro. There were no problems with connecting to either one of these devices; discovery process and connection went fast. Connection keeps stable within one room and shows rare frame drops behind 1 concrete wall. For example, Huawei TWS start to loose the connection when smartphone is placed in back pocket. Nothing like this with Momentum 3 IEMs.

Voice pick up quality is great, responders say that my voice sounds naturally, clear and close to the mic. There were no problems with environmental noise during calls either. Wind noise / evenly spread noise is reduced to the point when the responder doesn’t notice it at all, only some sudden and sharp sounds might break in. Considering all that said, our worst expectation about possible bad quality of voice pick up due to physical shape of IEMs faded away.



Now, about the music: years and hundreds of tests of wired IEMs made us very sensitive and demanding in this respect. Earbuds (apart from some very rare ones like certain Smabat or Ourart models) don’t work at all even when connected with wires. Therefore, similar types of TWS definitely fall short of sound quality expectations adding BT codec problems over its physical fit problems. As to IEM-type TWS, we’ve found the direct relation between the size and shape of channel shell and its resulting sound quality. TWS IEMs with long-protruding leg (battery and mics inside this leg) and small-sized shell sound pretty similar to each other: mostly focused on middle part of the spectrum (which is logical for better voice pickup), with limited abilities on both ends. Tight speaker chamber and insecure fit cut the lows, while BT codecs (especially regular ones like SBC or AAC) severely affect treble. Momentum 3 is addressing both issues with large speaker chambers and the most enhanced BT codec so far. At the same time, more secure fit and much better passive noise isolation creates more linear AFR feel, with even spread across the entire range. Bass is present, pleasantly wide and deep, feels much closer to some regular, wired high-quality dynamic IEMs. Middle section and mid bass sounds dynamic and rich, although a little bit shallow to our liking. Better for linearity but leads to kind of congested stage. Treble is pretending to be extended and bright but still not this airy, sparkling and natural as we got used to with wires. Instrument separation is moderate, stage is pretty small. Resolution is surprisingly good for bluetooth IEMs throughout the entire range. In fact, the good thing is that in overall Momentum 3 sound quite balanced, pretty warm and accurate. No will to take if off and switch back to wires. Which is the most important for us.




Comparing with Huawei FreeBuds 4i:

Different shape result in different sound. Huawei is not doing that good in any respect. Fit, passive noise isolation are much worse. ANC performance is not good at all with the latest FW update. Sound is focused mostly on mids.




Comparing with Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro:

Slightly better than Huawei but similar problems with ANC. Moreover, the app is not that useful – feels less consistent. Sound is close in its nature but lacks the extension at both ends as well as the balanced feel of Momentum 3.




Comparing with Divinus Ostia:

Ostia are great TWS IEMs for music. Apart that it neither features ANC, nor the transparency functions. Much less functional but pretty good for audio purpose. Sound is very close and we would say that even more accurate on treble, although not that extended on lows.




Comparing with FiiO UTWS2 + HiRes IEMs:

If to compare like this, you should understand that BT ear hooks would never be as comfortable and cannot stay for long time with you as a result. One hour is ok, but not for the whole day. At the same time, it is the best sound quality what we can get in comparison to wires. With UTWS3 we can use any of our preferred IEMs while BT hooks would work with the latest BT codecs like LDAC. What really suffers in such pair is the quality of phone calls (mics are less sensitive, ANC is not present). Moreover, we had some slight problems in synchronization between 2 channels after short periods of using single one for calls.



Conclusion:

Despite that we are still not convinced that Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 can totally satisfy audiophiles, this is definitely one of the best TWS on the market. All of the declared features and functions work perfectly, assisting app is great, ANC and transparency modes are very effective, sound is linear and balanced, voice calls sound natural, fit is secure… Even touch controls and proximity sensors behave precisely. All chances that Momentum 3 would become everyday companion no matter the surroundings – loud, extreme or calm. One of our main conclusions is that the overall Momentum 3 performance clearly defines its price and demonstrates the might of Sennheiser brand. So many details are polished and so satisfying is our user experience. Great modern product.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 was provided for the review by Voonaudio: link to the official store.

*This review is based on the review of the first version on Hidizs AP80 Pro with the additional findings, highlights and details of the PRO-X successor.

For the last few years I’ve been observing how Hidizs has developed from a small domestic single-product company to the international and respected portable HiFi gear brand. My experience covers each single piece of their audio technology: AP100, AP200, AP60, AP60Pro, AP80 DAPs, all IEMs, cable DAC converters, stand alone DAC, etc. Can’t state that all of those had flawless performance but none has fallen short of expectations in terms of audio quality. Still love my old AP100 and still use AP80 as the most convenient one. Furthermore, Hidizs was the first to utilize HiBy OS with its excellent HiBy link option which has become a golden standard for various current DAPs from other brands.



Today I would like to review Hidizs latest incarnation of very popular AP80 DAP series — AP80 PRO-X. There were couple of revisions of AP80 in the past, mostly dedicated to physical user experience, but AP80 PRO-X inherits the best features of its predecessor (AP80 PRO) and makes a huge leap of completely different nature — Pro version brings balanced circuit with the additional 2.5mm audio output and more power to drive higher loads…

Hidizs AP80 PRO-X technical data (differences / advantages over the previous AP80 PRO are in bold):

• CPU: Ingenic X1000
• DAC: Dual ES9219C
• Decoding: DSD64/128/256, PCM 384kHz/32Bit
• MQA: 8X
• Output: Single-ended 3.5mm / Balanced 2.5mm
  • Single-ended Output: 70mW + 70mW @ 32Ω
    • Frequency Response: 20-90kHz
    • Total Harmonic Distortion+Noise: 0.0015% (1kHz)
    • Dynamic Range: 115dB
    • Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 119dB
    • Channel Separation: 110dB (1kHz, A-weight, Rated Output)
  • Balanced Headphone Output: 190mW + 190mW @ 32Ω
    • Frequency Response: 20-90kHz
    • Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.0015% (1kHz)
    • Dynamic Range: 116dB
    • Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 120dB
    • Channel Separation: 117dB (1kHz, A-weight, Rated Output)
• Recommended Headphone Impedance Range 8-200Ω (Recommended value)
• FM: NO
• Pedometer Sensor: KX126
• FPGA DSD: HBC3000
• Operating System: HiBy OS 3.0
• Bluetooth: Bidirectional Bluetooth 4.2, support aptX, LDAC, UAT
• USB Port: Type-C, supports bidirectional USB DAC
• Remote Operation: HiBy Link
• Display: Samsung 2.45″ (480×360) IPS HD Touchscreen
• Housing: Aluminium alloy CNC
• Rear Cover Material: stereoscopic glass
• Volume Knob: Japanese ALPS
• Buttons 3 physical: play/pause, previous track, next track
• Maximum Storage Expansion: 512GB with MicroSD
• Battery: 800mAh 3.7V Li-Polymer Battery
• Work time: PO interface: 8-11 hours runtime, LO interface: 6-8 hours runtime (depends on actual usage)
• Standby: 40 days (depends on actual usage)
• Charging Time: ~ 1 hour (5V, 2A)
• Net Weight: 72g

Going through new specs it is clear that the main change between AP80 PRO and PRO-X are next gen dual DACs (much better channel separation figures, less battery consumption in running and standby modes), better MQA support (8X unfold instead of 4X). Power output has not changed – 190mW per channel on BAL output.

It also happens so that I currently have both versions of this player and would be able to compare their musical and functional performance with similar IEMs.



Packaging and design:

Many visual changes in that part. The box stayed similarly cute and small but it is now more appealing from a glance since containing glossy product graphics, more trademarks and initial information imprints. The insides are similarly well protected and neatly packed.

First goes soft podium that holds AP80 PRO-X, the rest of accessories in their boxes rest underneath. Here you would find:

• AP80 PRO-X DAP with front and back screen guards pre-applied
• USB type-C -> USB A cable
• USB type-C -> microUSB cable
• 2 additional front and back screen guarding film
• couple of leaflets
• short user manual

In contrary to its predecessor, there is no silicon case this time. I am not too upset since I wasn’t very happy with the case quality but I wounder why has Hidizs removed it from this bundle… Perhaps the new design has its own consequences…



More appealing and significant changes found in AP80 PRO-X housing design compared to its previous version: it got even more complicated and definitely consumes even more CNC machine time. Right side edge acquired additional curves and edges that visually lead us to the main element – ALPS volume encoder. It now sits pretty tight, with no apparent rattle or free play. I would say that AP80 PRO-X design is now over complicated for such portable device and starts to remind about A&K shapes.



Left edge displays carries “designed for Hidizs” text which probably means that Hidizs has turned to a new, more advanced design company, which has managed to keep familiar look, bringing some fresh details at the same time. The rest of its virtues remained the same — beautifully looking back covered with stereoscopic glass, intuitive controls, shiny flanges, comfortable physical buttons with tangible clicks.



Screen size and performance didn’t change at all. It is the same 2.45″ IPS touchscreen with more than enough resolution and sensitivity for this type of a product. It behaves perfectly, has wide viewing angles and enough brightness to interact with it outside, even in the bright light environment.



Performance and UI:

AP80 PRO-X is based on HiBy OS 3.0 and Ingenic X1000 CPU. This combination stays unchanged since the initial release of AP80 DAP and still demonstrates smooth behavior of the user interface. First scan is very fast even with 128GB cards full of different format tracks, all operations are quite snappy.

Seen couple of interface freezes when scrolling through large list of songs but 99% of other interactions are naturally responsive. Haven’t spotted any FW glitches with the latest 1.0 FW version, neither found any severe bugs or translation errors among function list. If you are using any smarpthones based on iOS or Android — you’d feel like being home. Each feature or program is represented by a separate icon.

All general device and audio settings are gathered in Settings Menu, whereas all deep and more precise audio preferences like EQ and filters are located only in HiBy Music application. By the way, HiBy Music looks very similar to its versions for other platforms. No surprises here. It also features such function as HiBy Link that allows you to control this DAP from a smartphone.

Menu structure:

• Main screen apps:
  • Player
  • Step counter
  • Bluetooth
  • Book
  • System settings
  • About
• System settings:
  • Language
  • Database update (Auto|Manual)
  • Brightness (1-100% slider)
  • Backlight time (stay on or 10 — 120 sec)
  • Color theme (ON|OFF, pattern selection, slider selection)
  • Font size (small|middle|big)
  • USB mode (Storage, Audio, Dock)
  • Button operation when screen is OFF (ON/OFF)
  • Time settings (date, format, time)
  • Idle timer (OFF, 1-10min)
  • Sleep timer (OFF, 5-120min)
  • Battery percentage display (ON|OFF)
  • Standby (ON|OFF)
  • InLine remote (ON|OFF)
  • Recording steps (ON|OFF)
  • Lock volume knob (ON|OFF)
  • Screensaver (OFF|Album cover|Dynamic cover)
  • Restore defaults
  • FW update
• Bluetooth
  • ON|OFF
  • Device Name
  • HiBy Link (ON|OFF)
    • High Quality (SBC, aptX, UAT 600k, 900k, 1,2M, Prefer LDAC, LDAC standard, LDAC quality priority)
  • Bluetooth volume adjust
  • Search devices
  • Paired devices
  • Available devices
• HibyMusic settings:
  • Update database
  • MSEB
  • EQ
  • Play settings:
    • Play mode (through list, loop single, shuffle, loop list)
    • DSD output mode (PCM, DoP, Native)
    • DSD gain compensation (0-6)
    • Resume play (none, track, position)
    • Gapless play (ON|OFF)
    • Soundfield (ON|OFF, -1 — 3)
    • Max volume
    • Power On volume (Memory, 0-100)
    • Crossfade (ON|OFF)
    • Gain (LOW|HIGH)
    • ReplayGain (none, by track, by album)
    • Balance
    • Antialiasing filter (LPFR, LPSR, MPFR, MPSR, AFR, ASR, CMPFR, BW)
    • Play through folders (ON|OFF)
    • Play through albums (ON|OFF)
• Drop down PLAY NOW menu:
  • List now playing
  • Add to playlist
  • EQ
  • View album
  • Properties
  • Delete
• PLAY NOW screen options:
  • PLAY|PAUSE
  • Seek slider
  • NEXT|PREVIOUS TRACK
  • PLAY MODE (shuffle, loop, etc)
  • Menu
  • Add to favorite
  • Show Lyrics
• Swipe UP menu:
  • Bluetooth (ON/OFF)
  • GAIN (LOW/HIGH)
  • USB (DRIVE/DAC)
  • LineOUT Mode
  • Swipe to adjust backlight
  • Swipe to adjust volume
  • Play widget (previous / next track, play/pause, artist and song title)

Should say that the pedometer function was not reliable in AP80 PRO-X, don’t see much changes with the AP80 PRO. My Amazfit GTR2 watches show more steps for the similar period. Therefore, I wouldn’t use this function too much. The rest are working as it should.



In order to update FW: we have to download FW from Hidizs website, unpack it and place update.upt file to the root of SD card. Than run FW update from System menu. It would take about a minute to get it done.

One of the most convenient function of HiBy OS — HiBy Link — that allows full remote control over HiBy Music player from a smartphone works great. Album covers, song list, play mode, volume — all major functions can be controlled from a smartphone. Love this function that makes AP80 home audio integration and remote control in such user case very convenient.

USB DAC:

I always check this function and spending some time watching live or recorded concerts on Youtube or other platforms. Short audio lag and good driver is what I would chase in this test.

USB DAC mode works perfectly either with the dedicated TUSB (ASIO) driver available at Hidizs website or with the native Windows 10 driver (USB DAC). But note that ASIO version might produce more audio lag which would not be very comfortable for watching videos. USB native DAC driver is completely free of this lag. There is no problems in video to audio stream synchronization while watching videos and sending sound through AP80 PRO-X to phones. Neither there are any problems of using it with Foobar2000 player over Wasapi (event or push).

Using AP80 PRO-X as external DAC for Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro smartphone with the provided microUSB type-C -> microUSB cable works fine. HiBy Music app recognized this device and allowed us to send bit-by-bit perfect stream.



I have also checked such rarely used function as «transport»: sending digital audio stream though DAP USB to another DAC USB that drives home audio system. Even this scenario worked as expected.

Same scenarios of sending / receiving stream may also be used over bluetooth. So called bidirectional bluetooth DAC. Bluetooth supports aptX, LDAC and UAT codecs (along with lower audio quality standard codecs). I’ve been able to check aptX IEMs and UAT 1.2M device (HiBy W5 bluetooth receiver) — both worked fine while sending data from AP80 PRO-X. The distance was about 8-12 meters away before audio started to show some severe interruptions. The other way around was checked by sending audio stream from Redmi Note 8Pro to AP80 PRO-X over Bluetooth — no problems there either.

Audio quality:

First, I would like to share AP80 general impressions and than I would compare it to AP80P PRO and AP80 PRO-X by pointing out the changes. Such approach is logical because 3.5 audio output has not changed at all (or there are only subtle changes). Therefore, the main difference and new experience would come from balanced 2.5mm output. To keep this comparison precise, I’ve used AP80 + Hidizs Seeds 3.5mm V|S AP80 PRO and PRO-X + Hidizs Seeds 2.5 balanced IEMs. So, similar IEMs with different types of connection, same settings, same audio material.



Initial AP80 impressions:

What I like the most is that AP80 sounds neutral with slight tendency towards bright/cold tonality. Lows, mids and highs are in good balance making this DAP universal to feed it with any kind of music genre. I would call it a precise source for connecting any further audio equipment like headphones, large power amps, active speakers, etc.

Good clarity and crispness on higher frequencies with the further ability to switch filter effects; precise texturing and presence of lows; powerfull, fast and punchy midbass; natural sounding at midrange with pleasing vocals and its weighted presence in the entire mix. ATH-M50 40Ohms load is easily driven by AP80 creating the feel of mature and balanced sound picture. Price niche (in comparison to more expensive DAPs) is only evident on higher frequencies (simplified, slightly rough, not that gentle) and overall texturing (not that over detailed).

The signature is a bit on the brighter side, no moody or tube-like performance, no cattle effect. Bass is completely enough to hear its nuances with ATH-M50, at least. Neither I’ve found the disturbing presence of sibilance in highest octave. Besides, I didn’t even try to play with HibyMusic MSEB feature that gives additional control over such aspects as:

• sound temperature
• bass extension
• bass texture
• note thickness
• vocals
• female overtones
• sibilance LF
• sibilance HF
• impulse response
• air

all of that was kept at default settings during out tests and the resulting sound didn’t require any changes. But the availability of such features, along with gain and filters, gives you a huge field for further experiments of tuning this source for the final audio equipment in chain.

Channel separation is better than entry-level models demonstrate but not so distant as in case with flagship DAPs or AMPs with coupled DAC chips. The resulting sound stage width, depth and instument location is equal or even a bit more than we would expected from such portable device. Monaural recordings show good distance and instrument placement on stage with clear horizontal and vertical position.



I also tested AP80 with Hidizs Seeds IEMs and found that they make a great pair. ATH-M50, sometimes, might emphasize low frequencies and are very straight forward. Excellent for detail analysis and tests but too strict for getting some rest… Seeds IEMs are softer, warmer and smooth. They create the additional fluency while maintaining the same amount of details.

If to think about the best pairing: I would say that using AP80 PRO/PRO-X with tube amp like xDuoo MT601/602 makes a great effect of smoothing out timbre and tonality, making music more calm and delicate.

AP80 SE V|S AP80 PRO Balanced output:

The main advantage of using AP80 PRO/ PRO-X balanced output instead of AP80 3.5 SE is the amount of power it produces which inevitably leads to more juicy presentation, more dynamics (especially in midbass section), more clarity and transparency in overall.

Of course, this difference only becomes apparent with high impedance headphones or IEMs which require more power to be driven to an appropriate level. If pairing both DAPs with the same low impedance | high sensitivity IEMs the differences in sound get less apparent… Perhaps, the main difference is better instrument separation and larger imaginary stage. In other words — I like balanced output sound more due to extended assertiveness in combination with less cramped feel under the same circumstances. Difference between PRO and PRO-X alone is not that evident, at least I cannot spot such.



Freedom to choose more demanding output head gear and having enough power in reserve under the hood — this what makes AP80Pro superior to its predecessor even if the changes in audio signature and characteristics are on the subtle side.

The difference between PRO and PRO-X alone is not that evident. Perhaps the stage became wider (at least it seems so). But at overall, sonically, both versions sound very similar to me and I wouldn’t be able to distinguish between them in a blind test.



Conclusion:

Since the first day of arrival the initial version of AP80 became the main portable source of audio for me and was serving its role perfectly up till now. There were some bugs at the beginning which were eliminated by Hidizs with the new FW releases. The only arguable spec was its output power resulting into a range of final gear limited to a lower impedance.

AP80 PRO-X, being the latest generation, takes a huge leap and represents the most of the ultra-portable HiRES DAP nowadays. It inherited all the virtues of all previous generations, also comes with more polished and stable FW, incorporates huge amount of modern features and visually appeals too. It is balanced, powerful enough to drive all types of IEMs, earbuds and even some large overheads. Can’t even imagine which other new virtues would Hidizs introduce in the next generation in case if AP80 PRO-X is planned for future upgrades. It is already hell lot of powerhouse in a such tiny package. Perhaps – only the modern 4.4mm BL output is desired, although it is hardly possible due to tight space inside (you can check my AP80 teardown article LINK)

And the last, but not the least – should anyone upgrade from AP80 PRO? Only in case if better MQA handling is vital. Otherwise – probably not. But shifting from regular AP80 or something like Shanling M0 is a must. AP80 PRO-X is just so much better in all aspects.

Official AP80 PRO-X page and store: LINK

Thank you for reading.

Once upon a time, in a very far galaxy I’ve decided to try out the new for the time brand in IEMs – Knowledge Zenith. It happened around 3-4 years ago and the unit was KZ ED16. I was never willing to try anything from this brand since than. Why? KZ ED16 turned out too piercing for me on treble, with highly accented V-shaped signature, holding quite bad against its rivals those days.

Although, time goes by, KZ has grown significantly, right to the point that I can easily purchase most of its products in local audio store of my country (Ukraine). Furthermore, lots of talks about this brand, lots of users and fans, lots of reviews and posts. Heard many good things lately which has inspired me to accept the last call from KZ reps to review their recent product. I also cannot forget the fact that KZ was founded by an engineer that worked for Audio Technica and whose idea was to develop affordable high-quality IEMs for masses. Such initiatives are the main driving force for implementing various technologies that once were unattainable in personal applications and making those much cheaper.

All of that is the reason to give KZ another chance with their new IEMs – ZEX. Another reason for me personally – it would be the first hybrid model in my practice that uses dynamic driver for mids and lows together with electrostatic unit for treble. Tried everything – armature, dynamic, piezo, planar – but never had an opportunity to play with electrostatic drivers yet. Let’s see how it goes…



KZ ZEX specs:

• Model: ZEX
• Drivers: 10mm diaphragm, dual magnetic dynamic unit + 6.8mm low voltage electrostatic unit
• FR Range: 20Hz – 40KHz
• Impedance: 25Ohms
• Sensitivity: 103dB
• Passive noise reduction: 26dB
• Cable: detachable, 2-pin, 0.75mm
• Cable options: mic, no mic
• Plug: 3.5mm
• Materials: zinc alloy + resin
• Colors: rose gold, black, graphite

Note: electrostatic drivers are still quite rare in IEMs for its complexity, power draw and cost. In terms of sound, such drivers are more accurate, producing more details, have very fast transient speed, almost no distortions and inertia. In fact, KZ might be declared a pioneer in the field of mass hybrid IEMs with such type of driver involved.



Packaging and design:

I admire how KZ packs its IEMs. Boxes are small, yet neat, rigid and cute at the same time. Whole packaging consists of outer wrap layer with product graphics, information and logos. Inner box has a transparent cover on the facing side for extra protection. IEMs rest in dedicated cutouts of soft foam layer, all accessories located underneath. This bundle includes:

• KZ ZEX IEMs
• audio cable with 3,5mm SE plug
• 4 pairs of silicone tips
• short user manual

KZ ZEX IEMs shells consist of zinc alloy facing plate cover, transparent resin middle insert and base with output nozzle. Those are the first IEMs ever in my hands which shells consist of three parts. My guess for such structure is the modular approach in KZ design to reach some degree of versality and save R&D cost by sharing same shell parts across different models.



Zinc alloy plates look gorgeous, feels like aluminum and contain machined KZ logo and folds as central design elements. This plate have different color options (rose gold, graphite, black) and mine is graphite. Middle resin insert is transparent with blue tint and holds 2-pin cable connector. My opinion, that having such protruding type of connector is more reliable rather than drowned one since it is more convenient to aim and the pins on the cable are protected by outer guiding housings.



Truthfully speaking, middle insert feels a bit odd in this shell compound (tint is a way off), as if it was deposited from another model. Nevertheless, it perfectly fits the shape and exposes the internals which are accurately accomplished. Soldering looks neat, cables moved apart, both drivers sit straight at their places. The only untidiness spotted are the signs of glue that keep shell parts together. It doesn’t worry me much since there is no influence on the sound. Resin base is transparent as well but has brown/gray tint with quite long protruding molded output nozzles which are covered with aluminum mesh. Found single compensational opening between the top zinc cover and middle insert.



KZ ZEX fit is quite comfortable and tight. Guess why the most of KZ IEMs are having similar “custom”-like design… I had around 100 pairs of IEMs by now and can tell you for sure that this shape in a combination with ear hooks is the most universal one. Nothing to worry about here.



Stock cable have two options: mic/no mic and considering the price of ZEX IEMs I would say that mic version is more reasonable – most of the people would use ZEX everyday and it would be more convenient to have the ability to answer calls. Anyway, cable seems to be built pretty well, connectors and plug has the necessary cable protection, claimed to be gold-plated and feels durable. Definitely, not a competitor to expensive thick twisted upgrade cables with lots of mixed silver/copper strands but interchangeable and seems good for this budget, at least.

In overall, the design, even though not having much unique details, didn’t disappoint either. Moreover, I would say that there are some much more expensive IEMs with less accurate crafting and cheaper feel. Therefore, I am giving it 10 out of 10. Shape is perfect, so is the fit, cable looks nice and durable, bundle is regular for any kind of budget and the packaging is one of the most logistics-friendly and optimal for this type of a product. Believe me, when you keep around 100 pairs of IEMs on the shelf – this parameter is vital indeed. I could have stored four times as much if all IEMs packaging were similar.



Sound:

Tested with: Hidizs AP80, HiBy R5, Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ DAPs, xDuoo MT602 tube amp.

Lows and midbass:

Deep bass is large with high amount of textures. Bass amount and presence are quite overwhelming and higly accentuated. Сontouring of midbass is very precise, good layering allows to distinguish different instruments performing in this range. Subbass reaches good depth and have quite good decay speed. Lows remind of full-sized closed-back headphones with slightly congested but powerful presentation. This range has the most weight in overall sound picture. Midbass section is adequately articulated, full-bodied, perfectly detailed and powerful. Drum sections sound pretty natural, creating a good feel of overall dynamics.



Mids and vocals:

Mids are less upfront than lows. Male vocals sound a bit thin and more distant than female ones which adds more emphasis on clarity and emotional appeal. Resolution is enough but there is feeling that it is achieved artificially but emphasizing lower-treble. Still voices, strings and blow instruments sound pretty impressive. There is no excessive harshness on upper mids which I didn’t like in KZ ED16, but the sound is still prone to sibilance, especially on female vocals. At the same time, such tuning adds the exceptional clarity to most of the instruments in this range which also brings good layering, instrument separation and stage depth.

Treble:

The most intriguing in ZEX is its treble performance. Twofold impression there. Good are the treble micro dynamics and resolution. Bad is the limited extension and slightly weak emphasis on this range in the entire mix. Treble sounds bright and crisp, but gets shaded by lows and mids in some tracks. The transparency and brightness is highly dependent of the record. The best results were achieved with the brighter source such as AP80 DAP in jazz, rap, blues compositions (low amount of instruments, large spacing). In overall, I can admit that I was expecting more of electrostatic treble driver.



Soundstage:

ZEX show moderate stage width and good stage depth. Instrument separation and layering are good but the lack of transparency on treble and limited extension on both ends makes the stage more congested.

Sound in overall:

KZ ZEX sounds pretty well detailed, with tendency towards lows and dark tonality, emotional and resolving on mids, with impressive mid bass range and crisp but less accented treble.



Compared to…:

Actually, I have nothing to compare ZEX with for now. Most of my IEMs are far more expensive and definitely have more strength in different aspects of the sound. Perhaps, only the Hidizs Seeds that were released quite ago with single dynamic driver and discounted down to the same budget now… Seeds have less comfortable fit, integrated cable and not as resolving and heavy on bass but those are more balanced, have more delicate tuning in overall, thicker mids and more extended and airy treble (even despite it is based on single DD unit).



Conclusion:

Have KZ evolved into more respected products with more mature sound – definitely yes. Do I like it more now than 3 years ago – definitely yes. Now I can state that KZ ZEX IEMs are pretty fine for my liking, although with some rough points that I would still like KZ to polish further. Sibilance effect, emphasized V-shaped tuning, better extensions… At the same time, ZEX are impressive and sound decent on rap, jazz, blues and any other genres with limited amount of instruments. Considering this, I would tell that it is good budget choice for everyday mobile use which is actually the target for this model. Therefore – great bargain. I would still vote for something better for long and calm listening but I would definitely won’t be afraid of having ZEX as main IEMs with fun and juicy sound on the go.

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon USA:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Amazon GERMANY:LINK

KZ ZEX available at KZ official store on Aliexpress:LINK

Controversial topic, isn’t it? The endgame should be limited to one… What we mean is not another product of the same category, but the perfect match for the first endgame that we insisted on some time ago – Dethonray Tender 1 planar IEMs. Here is the link to our Tender 1 review if you have missed that. Such IEMs are very demanding in terms of source quality and very power-hungry. We have tried it in pair with various DAPs and DACs, but the best synergy is achieved only with DTR1+ which we would describe a bit later in this review.

Furthermore, since DTR1+ is a highly anticipated reincarnation of DTR1 – first DAP by Anson Tse (Dethonray founder) released back in 2019, that turned out to be fresh approach and revelation sound wise for many – we would also focus on the differences in the performance of the new version of this honored product.



One more input from us (out own understanding): neither Dethonray Prelude DTR1, nor DTR1+ is a mass product with thoroughly calculated economy and profit or decisively added/cut functionality based on marketing intents. It is rather distinctive, much more closer to western high-end niche approach, where the emotional appeal combined with technical SQ put at the forefront while the secondary features like functionality are left out for less narrowly focused equipment. For us, such approach is perfectly acceptable since we consider DTR1+ as the ultimate source that is only about the sound quality for our offline thoroughly selected audio collection in desktop or mobile setup. Although, there are couple of minor drawbacks that we would also describe in this article.

DTR1+ specs:

• Type: HiRes audio player
• DAC: AK4490EQ
• Sample rates: up to 32bit/192KHz
• Audio formats: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, APE (Normal, High, Fast), AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF/DSF, OGG
• Frequency response range: 20Hz ~ 20kHz
• SNR: 117dB
• THD: 0.008%
• Max. power output: L: 6Vrms + R: 6Vrms (16Ω) | (1280mW@32Ohms)
• OS: Linux + Ocelot GUI
• Memory: MicroSD (exFAT), up to 1TB, handles 160,000 songs
• Audio outputs: 3.5mm Line-out + 3.5mm headphones
• Connectivity: Micro-HDMI (charging port)
• Battery: 2cell, LiON, ±8.5V PSU, life 8 hours
• Dimensions HxWxD: 100x57x18.6mm
• Color: Black
• Weight: 160g

Changes:

• Power output has been increased
• Redesigned the LPF circuit:
  • Using the top chips improves the resolution sharply.
  • Makes vocals a little more laid back for classical music and new recordings.
  • Enhanced the treble extension, the timbre sounds more lively.
• Redesigned gain and volume audio subsystem:
  • update the gain control to support different IEMs, earbuds, headphones.
  • subdivided the volume range to make the sound more accurate and natural.
  • Added separate R|L channel volume control (0.5dB steps)
• Added the index and classification function for artists.
• Added L/R channel volume compensation.
• Introduced new charging unit (Micro-HDMI -> power adaptor -> USB type C)
  • now any USB – USB type C cable can be used with the power unit
• Button redesign

• 
• 
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Main features of the HW/SW part:

• Separate power for decoding and amplifying: DTR1+ adapts dual high-density battery customized power system, designed for High-Fidelity while ensuring separation of digital and analog power to eliminate circuit noise from the source, alike an enhanced DAP + Amplifier system but with a minimal path and hard soldered joints with no compromises. The ±8.5V PSU remarkably improves efficiency of clean power supplied to the system, with noticeable qualities in transparency and background noise control without the need to excessively damping the output.
• EMI shielding: with the precision machining on aviation grade, light-weight aluminum alloy, DTR1 is shielded from EMI disturbance for a cleaner background during play. Precise structural designs with high reliability parts also a patented user interface are combined in pursuit of perfection in sound and optimization of both hardware and software within the design.
• Custom LinuxOS and Ocelot GUI: DTR1+ runs on a deeply-customized Linux OS audio sub-system which utilize a OSS sub-system 30% higher in efficiency than the ALSA audio sub-system. The customized and optimized decode engine ”Nature” synergize effectively with the Linux OS, decodes in optimal condition and reduces transmission delay. Patented ultra light weight GUI system ”Ocelot”, Customized GAI (Graphics Abstract Layer), GDI (Graphic Device Interface), IAL (Input Abstract Layer), SCM (System Control Module), Audio files indexing system – promises minimal MMI, high speed navigation and supporting up to indexing 160000 songs.

Packaging and design:

Prelude DTR1+ comes in a regular, pretty large Dethonray black box where DAP rests on the upper layer of soft foam with special cut outs and charger is stored underneath. There is no USB – USB type C cable provided but you would also find short user manual and warranty card. We would suggest Anson to consider adding some kind of a case for such premium product.



The design has not changed much in comparison to its predecessor – clean, neat, old-school and functional. DTR shell is made of aluminum, except for the back cover. And if it was a glass panel in DTR1, now we have simple black plastics with shiny gold titles. Perhaps this is made for good: first, it won’t crack that easy and second – it would stand deformations better if the battery decides to inflate (hope that this would not occur in the nearest future. But eventually, all batteries die and large percentage do inflate). Another advantage over the previous version – now we have 2 screws at the back to get inside the shell and replace the battery, at least.



Top and left edges stayed blank, while the right still holds volume and power buttons together with SD card slot. Volume and power buttons were redesigned completely, all became larger and now it is much more simple for blind operation since the middle (Volume down) button made larger than the rest.



Bottom edge saved all of its elements – 3.5mm LineOUT, 3.5mm SE headphone OUT, micro-HDMI and Reset. But now both of 3.5mm ports have décor elements in a form of round golden outlines.

Facing side now looks much more organic with larger buttons, decorative lines and markings. Central (ENTER) button is now equipped with Dethonray logo.



Screen has not changed a bit, it seems that the LCD panel itself is exactly the same: 2.32″ TFT screen. The type of the screen and its resolution numbers are not provided among other device specs but my guess would be IPS with something like 640×480 pixels. At least, the viewing angles are ok and thin diagonal lines on the screen don’t produce a so called «ladder effect» common for low resolution screens in combination with larger physical size. Screen edges are ~4.5mm, partially hidden by black screen outlines that visually merges with the shell when the screen is off. Screen doesn’t have a touch sensor layer, thus all user interaction happens with the help of physical buttons. Which is great, we believe. Always preferred physical controls over touch screens for easy blind operations.



Despite that it is far from modern LCDs, DTR1 screen is doing its job quite well. Size is totally enough for convenient interaction with this certain UI, fonts and other graphics are large enough to stay visible. The main and the only concern is the maximum brightness level which is kind of low comparing to any other DAPs and is hardly enough to fight the direct sunlight or bright environment. Usable, but much better to stay in shade.



In overall, the design of the new DTR1 looks more organic and mature. Definitely better and more attractive than the first version of the DAP. Moreover, the operations now are more convenient, thanks to enlarged and reshaped buttons.

Device in use:

First of all – the new charger: separate small unit with status LED, micro-HDMI connector and USB type C port. Now, we can use any USB type C cable to connect to this charger from any 5V power adapter or USB port. Which means that DTR1 can now be charged from PC/laptops, etc but as far as we’ve understood – the function of mass storage has been eliminated. No possibility to get data transfer using the cable. Anyway, not a big deal considering low transfer speed of the previous version. It is always better to take the card out and write using card readers or laptop slots.



Charging unit acts as a step-up voltage regulator and indicates its stated with the status LED. Fast red flashes – no device connected, solid RED – charging. It heats up significantly during the use (~50C) while DTR1+ stays cold when switched on and left charging. Also a good sign for us – better to keep heating elements out of shell and away from the main circuits, battery and screen. Full charge takes around 2 hours and the battery last around 8 hours after that.



SW and GUI:

DTR1+ is running the same version of deeply customized Linux OS with Ocelot GUI as its predecessor. Anson has done a great job of bug fixing and further OS/interface customization during the first months after first version of DTR1 DAP release when active customers started to submit their suggestions and feedback. Since than, this SW combination stays very snappy and stable. No updates available so far, neither any bugs are found. We haven’t noticed any jitters or freezes. Boot time is fast but ends up with showing SD card availability warning and waiting until the track database would be rebuilt. This happens at each boot with no option to avoid it. Fortunately, it takes only ~3 seconds to rescan all files and start playing. Developers claim that this it the fastest process among all recent DAPs no matter the amount of files on SD card and the only payback is indexing upon each power cycle.

UI structure:

• Main player screen:
  • Playing now screen (current track + navigation through tracks)
    • Long press Select to go to Play options
      • Play options:
        • Return to folder
        • Favorites
        • Delete music
        • Play mode (repeat all, repeat one, shuffle, play one)
        • CUE
        • Play through folders
        • High|Low gain (headphones)
        • Line out gain
        • Filter
        • Idle shut down
        • Delete
  • All Songs (alphabetical order of all audio files)
  • Artists (alphabetical order of artists)
  • Favorites (list of tracks added to favorites)
  • Browse (browse through folders)
  • Settings
    • System information
    • Language (ENG|CHN)
    • Play Mode (repeat all, repeat one, play one, shuffle)
    • Backlight (up to 60 sec and always on)
    • Brightness (up to 100%)
    • Power key to main menu (ON|OFF)
    • CUE (ON|OFF)
    • Play through folders (ON|OFF)
    • Switch track when LCD off (ON|OFF)
    • High|Low GAIN (headphones: LOW|MIDDLE|HIGH|EXTRA HIGH)
    • Line out GAIN (LOW|MIDDLE|HIGH|EXTRA HIGH)
    • Filter (Sharp roll-off|slow roll-off|short delay sharp roll-off|short delay slow roll-off)
    • Channel balance
    • Idle shutdown (up to 30 mins and always ON)
    • Timing shutdown (up to 60 mins and always ON)
    • Database upgrade
    • Reset all settings

So, the main newly introduced function is separate 4-step GAIN for headphones and line out. In case of line out it is the only option to limit or increase the volume for active speakers or amp (if not enough or too much). As for headphones, we have found that 4-steps is a kind of overshoot since MIDDLE is already dark on the background for low impedance IEMs and EXTRA HIGH is suitable for anything above 32 Ohms depending of its type. For example, Tender 1 planar IEMs are only 28 Ohms but feel underpowered with any option rather than EXTRA HIGH. On the other hand, pure armature 32 Ohms are a way overpowered… Therefore, let’s say that 3 steps would be enough.



Each track is provided with bit/KHz information on playing now screen, long names are cut if don’t fit the screen width. Still no scrolling. Album art is present.

DTR1 heats up very little even while decoding 24bit/192KHz and playing with 50Ω full-sized overheads at High gain setting. The only time it heats up a bit more is while taking a charge and playing music simultaneously. Case reached about 34C at max which is absolutely no issue.

Sound quality:

Tested with: Dethonray Tender 1 planar, Oxygen single DD, HiBy Beans IEMs, Audio Technica ATH-M50, xDuoo MT-602 amp, etc



Getting back to synergy and endgame question: of course, our first and main intention was to find the best match for Dethonray Tender 1 planar magnetic IEMs. Those are perfect at all aspects, superior to any DD, hybrid or armature rivals by its even representation, rich timbre and perfect instrument separation. The only problem is that Tender 1 are very demanding in terms of power and quality of the source equipment. Moreover, since planar nature looses some resolution – we wanted to pair powerful and very resolving DAP with it. DTR1+ is the best candidate since it is similarly linear, gives out huge amount of details and able drive Tender 1 to full potential. Furthermore, as Anson told us – he has additionally tweaked DTR FW to match Tender 1 and to reach the best possible synergy. So, most of our impressions would be built upon DTR1+ and Tender 1 pair. We would also partially copy the text from DTR1 DAP review, highlighting the changes in the sound of its new version.



Lows:

Bass plays an important role in the sound presentation of DTR1+. It does a perfect job on highlighting bass contours with fast decay and transitions. Bass has a decent weight here, even a bit emphasized but not shadowing other ranges. Lows are perfectly exposed, have extra clarity but not standing out as it was with the predecessor. Extension and amount of textures are slightly limited in a favor of accuracy, speed and integrity of the perception. Such reproduction of lows is less regular but quite interesting and highly appealing. Midbass is perfect, neither too bright or too dark, natural, powerful, tight and engaging. Drums never get too harsh even in the tracks with some extra gain added to this part. In overall, DTR1+ lows sound more organic and integrated to the entire mix if to compare to DTR1.

Mids and vocals:

If you ever wanted a DAP with huge amount of details, clarity and resolution on voices and instruments in mid section — DTR1+ is here to capture your mind. The first try overwhelmed with the feel of extra resolution of keen mids even with the reference dynamic IEMs. Pairing it with BA extends this perception even further. Outstanding resolution and bears the clarity of each single sound which leads to reconsidering the knowledge of the most favorite tracks. And this is not a joke — most of the DAPs on my shelf are more or less similar, tending to the reference side with neutral or warm tonality and moderate amount of details for the sake of melodious presentation. DTR1+ acts completely different — it reveals maximum amount of details in a rampant impulse to convey emotions. It doesn’t mean thinner or colder sound any longer, nor it is prone to hisses – just the new experience with extra clarity and resolution. Absolutely impressed by the approach of DTR1+ towards mids, especially with neutral and mid-sensitive IEMs. Comparing to DTR1 – new version gained more body in mids and became slightly thicker which made the sound even more balanced, easy and linear on perception. Absolutely no screaming sounds, peaks or lisping, absolutely accurate and resolving.



Treble:


This is logical that if mids are impressing with exceptional resolution and clarity — treble would be even more capable of the same as the part of such perception on mids originate from the reproduction of treble. This is true — decent clarity, transparent and airy sound here. Treble is not overemphasized or piercing, it has the same weight with no perceptible accent, sounds extended, accurate and balanced to other ranges. Some lack of gentleness is compensated by huge amount of details and distinct exposition. Changes with DTR1 are subtle since the extension, resolution and control of this range was perfect with DTR1 and stays perfect with DTR1+.

Soundstage:

Another good outcome of excessive clarity and resolution is the extended depth of the perceived soundstage. Instrument separation and overall sound transparency is so good and the location of each instrument is so evident that the stage gets the necessary and pleasing depth of field. Although, width is not that impressive as the lows don’t spread out much to side but rather kept collected. No apparent changes with DTR1.



Sound in overall:

Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ sound can be described as highly detailed, perfectly balanced between the ranges, transparent and linear, with rich timbres and very calm performance. Instrument separation is decent which makes DTR1+ a best contender when it comes to HiRes tracks with lots of instruments and drive. Similarly to its appearance, the sound has matured – became slightly thicker, maintaining similarly high resolution but now delivered in a perfect monitor nature. All rough edges got proper treatment – now this DAP is totally transparent for any end gear.

The best experience is DTR1+ and Tender 1 performing together. This DAP provides enough details to compensate Tender 1 planar nature while Tender 1 is pushing instrument separation, timbre of mids and overall gentleness of the sound to maximum. This particular pair is what we were talking about when we said that we have grown up from rough listening on-the-go and want to focus on calm evening sessions and delicate sound. Interesting additional observation is that the only competition we have found for DTR1+ / Tender 1 pair is the combination of HiBy R5Pro + xDuoo MT-602 tube amp + Tanchjim Oxygen IEMs. Such combination lacks some resolution but the rich and delightful timbre is possible with the tube overtones of MT-602, delicacy of Oxygen IEMs and power of R5Pro. Almost the same budget, though… which is expected, actually.



Conclusion:

Never thought that the original Dethonray Prelude DTR1 would ever get beaten concerning its stellar audio performance. Lots of DAPs from other brands since 2019, more functional and modern, but DTR1 always stayed very distinct benchmark for clarity, resolution and monitor-like sound. But here comes its successor, with better design, new functions and what is the most important – polished, free of any rough edges, more thick and linear performance that also carries all nuances what we loved DTR1 for. Adding here the excellent synergy with recently introduced Tender 1 planar IEMs – and this bundle becomes very unique object of desire among high-end portable sources. The only function that we regret is the absence USB DAC but the rest such as MQA or Bluetooth audio are from another world and for another segment. Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ is solely and completely occupies the niche of a DAP with highly detailed, powerful, analytical sound, totally transparent for any end gear.

Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ is available at the official Amazon store: LINK

As TWS victorious march on mass market continues, even highest audio quality focused individuals (as us) are sometimes turning their heads to see whether wireless technologies are getting closer, or to find the most convenient compromise for a regular use. Large amount of TWS options that are currently available for purchase are always divided in three segments (at least in our heads): utilitarian TWS, musical TWS and wireless buds that would never serve a purpose for an audiophile (like Apple EarPods) due to its shortcomings in physical design and lack of latest high-grade codecs. The rest of the two can draw our attention but with lots of “if”.

Currently, we have came up with the following conditions for each of two types:

Utilitarian TWS: best to be high-quality earbuds with detachable cables (Ourart ACG, etc) accompanied by high-quality Bluetooth modules (like FiiO UTWS3, etc). In this case we are getting the most of audio quality with the latest BT audio codecs, ability to detach and change earbuds, good quality of phone calls, and the last and most important – buds are not creating vacuum and don’t make you feel uncomfortable throughout the day.

Musical TWS: it should be high-quality IEMs with latest BT audio codecs, with excellent fit and ergonomics.

Now, when we have defined TWS types, we can introduce our new review topic and try to define which type it belongs to…



DIVINUS OSTIA (DVT-100) – TWS IEMs from quite new brand that has some essential peculiarities: first, it is from South Korea (R&D and QC are domestic), second – it is based on in-house DD driver and third – it is music-oriented TWS. Here is the link to official product page: LINK and here is the page to read about DIVINUS brand: LINK

OSTIA tech specs:

• IPX7 (perfectly finished housing protects product from water)
• Light weight, compact size, total weight 39.1g including charging case
• Custom designed DV1 driver (6mm DD Driver)
• Bluetooth 5.0 connection with TWS
• C-type charging port
• Wireless charging
• 20 hours of total usage time, 5 hours playtime per charging
• Voice assistant
• Touch control
• AAC/SBC codec supported
• In-ear type earphone

Official AFR:



The most interesting parts in OSTIA specs is that it has IPX7 protection and wireless charging built in to its charging cradle. Although, no charging base is included. Furthermore, the absence of HD audio codecs makes us doubt its audio performance which we would describe in the sound quality section.



Packaging and design:

OSTIA comes in pretty small box that contains product graphics and information. Inner part of the box is split into two parts: one holds the cradle with IEMs inside and the other contains two boxes with the accessories. The full box package consists of the following:

• OSTIA cradle
• OSTIA IEMs
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips
• USB type C charging cable

Along with this set, we have received a set of memory foam ear tips and a set of sound filters. As we’ve understood, those two are the options and can be purchased separately. We would say that sound filters should actually be a part of the product bundle since those act as a dust protection and significantly normalize sound performance on treble… Absolutely a must for OSTIA TWS.



Both OSTIA cradle and IEMs are very compact in size and lightweight. Perhaps, the smallest cradle so far among all we’ve seen. Everything here is made of plastic with the main design element in a form of polished plate with shiny silver DIVINUS brand logo at the top/facing side. Cradle exterior is equipped with 4-segment LED charging indication, type C charging port and integrated carrying lace. Inner compartment has separate L/R IEM beds with magnetic charging pins.



Magnetic force is enough to keep IEMs at place when cradle is opened and held up side down. Despite its low weight, cradle battery capacity is enough to charge a pair of IEMs 4 times. Considering that IEMs can last for 5 hours per charge, it gives around 20 hours of playtime in total.



OSTIA IEMs shell is made of two perfectly aligned parts. Each channel is equipped with a mic under aluminum grill, channel indication, multi-color status LED, compensational opening, charging contacts and sound output nozzles. As mentioned before, nozzle opening are not protected by any means out of the box and require optional sound filters to be fitted. Shape of the nozzles is regular which makes it possible to use any common after market tips. Facing sides of each channel represent touch control sensors. All commands are listed in English user manual. Here we should state that most of the expected controls are embedded (start/stop, back/forward, pick up/hang up), except the volume. It adds some inconvenience since the volume can only be controlled from a source.



Fit:

OSTIA IEMs have good ergonomics and excellent universal fit. Nozzles are long enough, tips provided in 3 sizes and the weight is very small. No problems with the fit even during active movements. Moreover, considering that it has IPX7 protection – no worries about sweat or rainy conditions.

In use:

OSTIA cradle and IEMs takes the charge from empty to full for about 2 hours. Can be charged simultaneously. Pairing is initialized when IEMs are taken out from the cradle and there is no known source is available to connect to. Switch off happens when IEMs are placed back to its place. Each channel can be used separately or in pair. This logics works seamlessly, no problems met with Xiaomi smartphones as a source. Although, there is no multipoint connection function which means that IEMs would produce sound from only one source at a time. On the other hand, it would store multiple device in pairing memory for lighting-fast connection to any previous one.



Touch controls and voice assistance work as expected, quite smooth and reactive. The only inconvenience with that might appear when removing and fitting IEMs from you ear – accidental single touch of facing plate might occur which would result in music start/stop or call pick up/hang up.

Mics are doing a good job in phone calls. No bad response from other party during calls in office or home environment and some light noise interruptions outside.

In overall, we like how OSTIA TWS are made, feel and perform in everyday usage scenarios. FW and logics made good, no errors or flaws in the performance, fast and stable connection and seamless IEM swaps.



Sound quality in comparison…:

Due to the brand background and declared product qualities, we were expecting OSTIA to be musical enough to keep on par with IEMs with Bluetooth hooks combination or with musical TWS like TFZ X1, at least. And it appears to be somewhere in between. Bluetooth hooks like FiiO UTWS3 that support AptX codec, have dedicated amp and based on more advanced elements are several steps ahead of OSTIA in terms of sound quality, especially in retrieving textures /depth on lows and clarity / extension on treble. FiiO modules also bring more details and overall resolution over entire range and better dynamics / articulation in mid bass region. OSTIA feels more tending to show it V-shaped nature with excessive accent on treble and bass areas, lacking maturity and naturality on mids. But mind that FiiO UTWS3 were paired with such great examples of DD IEMs as Hidizs MS2, for instance. Such bundle has much higher price and much less convenient in everyday use.



If to compare to TFZ X1 – another musical TWS with very similar specs – OSTIA keeps up very good and has some significant advantages in sound and overall performance. Sound wise, OSTIA is doing a better job on lows – extension is better, bass sounds deeper and more pronounced in overall. Treble is much closer in its performance, but slightly more delicate and less abrupt and straight-forward. Mids are quite similar, shifted back in both cases and emotional due to tendency towards upper mids area.

In overall, our conclusion that the sound quality of OSTIA is quite far from the best wired DD IEMs which we’ve got used to but its performance as TWS for everyday is very good. Sound quality in such scenarios is totally enough and what is the most important – user experience is close to perfect.

One more word about optional sound filters – it is a must for OSTIA IEMs. Treble section gets quite lisping with no filters attached.



Conclusion:

The main conclusion for us is the proof that Bluetooth TWS are still a good option for general usage, but yet too young to play on wired audio IEM ground. On the other hand, OSTIA definitely belongs to TWS vanguard with the best user experience due to its stellar functional performance, excellent fit, convenient operations and good sound quality. It has the advantages in sound and logics over some more popular brands even despite being quite new to the market. Almost flawless first attempt, worth of attention for general use even on highly saturated mass-market. Audiophiles pass by, but less sophisticated listener should appreciate.

DIVINUS OSTIA available for purchase here: LINK

Important notice: read only in case if you are bored of recent market trends and heavily V-shaped tuning IEMs with only slight deviations that have conquered the market, if you believe that you already have developed audio tastes & habits, if you strive for relaxed enjoyment of music instead of punchy bites of sounds on the go, if you grown up and want to listen, hear and discover the tiniest details and feel the deepest emotions in each favorite track… All that notions made us uncomfortable with the existing IEMs, forced to search further and finally brought us to the following product, technology and conclusions we have made about it in this review



Dethonray, what is this brand? Let us try to describe it with our own understanding and analysis after few years of observations. Year 2019 was the first time we’ve heard about it. We’ve been proposed to test Dethonray’s first DAP – DTR1 Prelude – the most remarkable player regarding sound quality in the corresponding price niche since than. It was simple, yet linear, very powerful and OVERLY detailed – very different and extraordinary good for its price tag and purpose. Our rank was high, so were the ranks of other reviewers and future owners which is much more important. Actually, this was one of the rare examples where opinions of all involved parties coincided. It immediately gave first Dethonray DAP a good push and deserved leading position among the rivals.



In the following 2 years Dethonray has presented HP-2 AMP, Honey H1 DAC/AMP, Listening T1 powerful tube desktop amp and has the roadmap for 2 more products: Prelude DTR1+ DAP and Tender 1 IEMs. The latter should become widely available this July whereas highly anticipated DTR1+ should arrive to shops on August. Therefore, we are right at the point of Tender 1 release and have our sample on hands. If to consider the amount of products released by the brand for the past 2 years – seems like not much…, but knowing the approach, attitude and will of the main person behind it to develop / produce only high-quality and remarkable products – it is logical that R&D, test and polishing take a lot of time. Currently, Dethonray would even pass their samples to focus testing group (not the reviewers) for quite a long time before the release to collect feedback, tune further and track all bugs. Product would come to the market only after that, even if the preliminary sales deadlines were violated. Almost forgotten and the only RIGHT “engineer” approach instead of “marketing is in command” that pisses us off with the iterations before the product gets really stable and our forced role in such bug-fixing groups.



Dethonray Tender 1 are the first IEMs by this brand, thoroughly researched, built and tested. But not only the long process from cradle to the final release announcement is uncommon and peculiar, but also the technology that has been chosen. Instead of jumping into the bucket full of dynamic/hybrid/armature vultures Dethonray guys decided to jump over and take a higher crossbar the name of which is planar magnetic. For those who are in a tank for the past forty years – planar magnetic (also referred as magneplanar, isodynamic, orthodynamic) technology is a golden middle between widely used, inexpensive and traditional dynamic approach in which diaphragm is controlled by a electricity flow through the coil attached to its center and a magnet and very expensive electrostatic technology in which coil and diaphragm are represented by thin membrane between negative and positive plates. In first case we get cheap, easy-to-reporoduce construction but the negatives are slow response and uneven force distribution over diaphragm, both leading to sufficient amount of distortions and resulting sound deviations. On the other extreme are the electrostatic drivers which are still very rare and expensive, require more space and not yet miniaturized. Planar magnetic, on its turn, takes the best from both worlds: cheaper magnets and coil principle from dynamic driver but much more complicated and advanced membrane composition.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com

Coil now is combined with a diaphragm, placed between the magnets and the entire diaphragm surface is moving to produce sound waves. What are the advantages over dynamic technology? – very fast response times, transient sound is almost non-existent and resistance to distortions, all of which result into more even (less distorted or certain range-oriented) and much more precise (much better clarity, layering and instrument separation) sound. Again, IEMs of this type are quite rare and more expensive in comparison to dynamic/hybrid/BA units but after spending enough time testing Tender 1 we can assure you that it really worth it.

Dethonray Tender 1 specs:

• 10mm planar diaphragm
• Impedance: 28Ohm
• Sensitivity: 98 +/- 3dB
• FRange: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Rated power: 5mW
• Max power: 10mW
• Max distortion: 1dB
• Interface: MMCX

Packaging and design:

Dethonray Tender 1 came packed in pretty large black box with shiny silver logo and names printed on the top cover and sticker with product specs at the bottom. Inner compartment consists of two layers: soft podium with special cutouts for IEMs on top and all accessories resting underneath. Box contents include:

• Tender 1 IEMs
• audio cable with 3.5mm SE jack
• 6 pairs of silicone ear tips
• 1 pair of memory foam ear tips
• leaflet/warranty

Considering the design – Tender 1 IEMs are a masterpiece with its combination of accurate detailing, ergonomic shaping, beauty of decorative elements and choice of shell color. We can say that that the photos which we’ve taken only partially resemble the glory of its real appearance.



Core design element is the silver plate with the logo, partially polished to shine and reflect the light, perfectly combined with the rough matt shell surface in deep cyan or blue depending of the angle of view.



Shells are made two piece of aluminum with unibody construction of output nozzles which are covered by aluminum filters. Two compensational openings per channel, side indicators and gold-plated MMCX ports – all a part of the construction, not only functional but also neatly crafted. For us, the choice of MMCX connectors is the only minor drawback of Tender 1 IEMs. Such connectors are easier to break in comparison to “2pin” type, especially in case of often cable change. On the other hand, MMCX turn around the center which means more freedom and comfort when it comes to its fit.



Fit is nothing to worry about, almost perfect, like with all other “custom-like” shaped IEMs. Ergonomics is great, different ear tips provided, fits comfortably and securely.

Stock cable deserve couple of words on its own:

• Material: 4N Solid Core Silver
• Cable Structure: Litz Type 4 with SZ Multi-Stranding
• Number of Cores: 35
• AWG (thickness): 27
• Cable Diameter: 1.3mm per cord
• Origin of Silver: China

Pretty intriguing that all of this data is provided about such accessory as audio cable. Anyway, what we can say for sure is that this cable looks pretty thick, equipped with flexible ear guides, aluminum jack/connector housings and channel indicators. Perhaps, in future, Dethonray would consider also including 2.5/4.4mm BL-type cable or universal cable with interchangeable audio jack which is the most recent and interesting innovation in this field. In our test we’ve used stock SE and BL cable by Penon which was actually forced matter since some of our sources had enough driving potential only on BL outputs.



Just to summarize before we jump to sound impressions: Tender 1 are the most beautiful and one of the most perfectly crafted IEMs for us so far. We have almost 100 of different popular models by different brands and only few that have such a good combination of material, shape, design and fit.

Sound impressions:

In contrary to the common structure of our reviews, Tender 1 IEMs require some additional description of the source gear used and required to carry out adequate tests. First of all, the nature of planar magnetic technology is power-hungry and requires more driving potential from a source than any dynamic or BA units. Moreover, it is hungry for high quality of the recordings as well and we would explain this a bit later. Concerning the sufficient amount of power, despite quite ordinary sensitivity/impedance figures, Tender 1 would be much better off with Hi-Res DAP & AMPs capable of AT LEAST 200mW@32Ohms on its output. The more power a source has, the better it discloses the potential of Tender 1 IEMs.



Second, whether you believe it or not, but in order to make Tender 1 sound the best it is very important to put it through running-in process for at least 10 hours. Just leave it playing on mid volume for this amount of time before the first use. We were skeptical about such approach before but Tender 1 really sounds better (wider and softer) after running-in period.

Finally, our testing gear was: Hidizs AP80 DAP + xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP (1W of power output, very large soundstage) / Hidizs DH80 DAC/AMP (210mW of power, neutral, requires GAIN set to MID/HIGH). Why this gear – simply because Hidizs DAPs and AMPs are popular and xDuoo AMP is the most capable of Tender 1 requirements.



Theory and the description of this technology states that planar magnetic drivers are less capable of deep bass than dynamic units. It might be true, but not for Tender 1 IEMs. Seems that Dethonray spent much time on this aspect to oppose such claim. The only thing that might remind of the technology chosen is susceptibility to clipping/producing distortions on lows earlier than on mids/treble at higher gain + high volume. Staying in acceptable volume levels would produce deep, very detailed, perfectly outlined bass with excellent separation and exposure. It turns tight and fast or rolling, slow and deep depending of the composition, not limited by the technology. Mid bass is similarly decent – fast, dynamic, powerful and tight, bright or warm as originally intended, but definitely not selfishly interpreted. Furthermore, such a good bass exposure and amount significantly enlarge the width of the soundstage, adding the feel of sufficient volume and space.



Mids are very smooth, delicate and warm, yet very detailed and natural. No signs of screaming or lisping on the upper portions, no sudden harsh peaks on female vocals of string instruments. Layering and separation here are excellent – everything is right on its place, not mixing, not shadowed. Vocals are rich, full-bodied and emotional but the main virtue is that male and female vocals sound evenly detailed and exposed, located on the same plane, not like in V-shaped IEMs with severe accent on upper mids and loss of details on the lower end. Very natural, tender, velvet and linear delivery.

Despite the prevailing warmth, treble is nowhere near of being deficient. Just imagine IEMs with the sweet elevation on lows, natural mids and reasonably vivid treble that reminds of BA performance and you would get the understanding about what Tender 1 are capable of. Treble is sparkling, with excellent extension and huge amount of details. Like with good BA units, you won’t feel that it’s being abruptly cut off like it happens with many dynamic IEMs. Plus, adding a bit of more body to each sound makes Tender 1 treble less cold and artificial, but at the same time more sterling and natural.



Narrowed soundstage could have been a postulate if Dethonray wouldn’t overcome this technology shortcoming by all possible means. As we have already mentioned, thorough tuning on lows, perfect layering and instrument separation dedicate much to make the stage moderately large. As a result, Tender 1 feels quite regular, neither revealing nor disappointing regarding this aspect. Furthermore, with specific sources like XDuoo XD05Plus that builds very large soundstage, Tender 1 definitely opens up and shifts the limits for planar magnetic technology.

Our additional notice would be about the track quality. Since this technology is far more revealing in terms of the amount of details – the better quality is fed, the better the results are. Dethonray IEMs would easily expose all discrepancies and imperfections of low quality tracks.

Comparison: nothing to compare with. Dynamic IEMs are mixing sounds and ranges, less capable of treble, not this linear and natural in mids. BA IEMs are more piercing and artificial, cannot propose anything on lows. Hybrid are the closest, but still missing such delicate and smooth mids and natural, extended treble.



Conclusion:

It feels like the endgame for us. Almost hundred of IEMs, dynamic, armature or combined, with few very good representatives of each technology but all fell short of opposing anything to Tender 1 planar magnetic model. It might have been only the soundstage that could have given a head start to any of its rivals, but even this aspect was polished out by Dethonray. Absolutely nothing to beat Tender 1 with – it is totally different world with much higher stakes. And since there are only few existing options – Tender 1 IEMs are doomed to succeed. In numbers, it would directly depend of how many audio fans have grown up and became audiophiles with the mature taste and calm enjoyment. We are right at this point… Dethonray Tender 1 is the appropriate gear to satisfy our expectations and perception of a perfect sound.

Dethonray Tender 1 IEMs available on Amazon: LINK

Official Dethonray website: 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

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.

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…



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!

Permanent promocode at Hidizs store for 10% discount: ZMCR10

Hidizs S9Pro on pre-order: 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

Oh, how we like when the new companies step in with fresh look, full of motivation, creating lots of additional incentives to conquer and build its audience. First products are more likely to be revolutional while the following lineup growth regularly derives from the core or flagship products. It is quite common that any new brand starts with the aces since the public should be astounded with the virtues, superiority, experience or other model characteristics. Capturing the attention is vital for a good launch, much efforts are invested, a lot at stake, everything should be perfect – that is why we love to deal with such occasions.

The brand under our microscope today is Aiderlot with M5 IEMs. Here is a small quote from the company representative:

AIDERLOT is a company that provides better quality monitor headphones and headphone accessories for music-loving artists. The company was established in 2019 to provide high-quality products and services to customers around the world. The headsets sold by the company are guaranteed for one year. The company currently only sells on Amazon.

Click to expand...

Not much of the information for now but the company is already listed on Amazon, Ebay and already has several reviews on Head-Fi. We are jumping into this train as well with this review of M5 – pure balanced armature IEMs based on 5 Knowles drivers which is already impressive.

AIDERLOT M5 specs:

• Type: 5BA IEMs (Knowles 22955 + 29689 + 30017 + 30095)
• Drivers: 1 Low +1 Mid + 2 High +1 UHF
• Shell material: Stainless steel + Resin
• Impedance: 26 Ω
• Rated power: 10mW
• Distortion: <1% (at 126 mV)
• Sensitivity: 110 dB ± 1 dB（at 1 kHz）
• Frequency range: 20Hz-40KHz
• Passive noise isolation: -25dB
• 4 crossovers, 4 separate sound tubes
• Cable: 4-strand 6N Oxygen-free copper silver-plated cable
• Cable connectors: MMCX

Packaging and design:

M5 has arrived in pretty large box that has outer cover containing lots of graphics and text (product picture, frequency response graph, specs, company information, etc).



Good that the graph describes the difference in the resulting sound with the variety of filters. Cover hides main leather-style cardboard box which retains closed with the help of several inbuilt magnets.



Under the hood, there are 3 layers of soft inserts: first one secures IEMs and has a decorative aluminum plate with the brand name and slogan, middle insert holds a lot of accessories, and finally – storage case and cables are stored at the lowest compartments.



Here is the full list of elements in this rich bundle:

• M5 IEMs with a pair of sound filters
• MMCX audio cable
• MMCX audio cable with remote and mic for a smartphone
• 3 extra pairs of sound filters
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips
• 3 pairs of memory foam ear tips
• flight adapter
• storage case
• cable clip
• cleaning brush
• manual

Not bad at all. Such rich bundle is quite rare nowadays and this is definitely among the advantages of M5 IEMs. We also like how accurately all accessories are stored inside the box. Plus such elements as aluminum plate with threads and labels retaining and identifying additional sound filters. Nice!…



M5 shells have unibody construction, totally resin molded with two aluminum elements – brand logo and output nozzles. The whole shell is transparent which gives the possibility to see neat soldering of crossovers, accurate location of BA drivers and cable routing, as well as separate sound tubes from each driver to the output nozzles.



No compensational openings since there is no dynamic diaphragms that requires air and creates pressure. Output nozzles have a thread for sound filters that also protects IEMs from dust coming in. Although, even the manual states that you can try M5 with no filters attached to experience the full frequency range with no filter limitations.



Filters are provided in pairs, differ by the diameter and amount of holes and definitely impact the sound. They are easy to attach to IEMs but hard to place back on holder plate since the thread is tiny. We wouldn’t recommend keeping those without holder plate – too small and very easy to get lost.



Both stock cables are impressively good-built, both have stainless steel furniture all-around. Main audio cable is quite thick, made of OFC silver-plated copper wires, features channel indicators and carbon fiber elements. Second cable is equipped with the 3-button remote and mic and slightly thinner. Neither one has ear guides. Nevertheless, cables seem very durable, look decent and are build of high-quality materials.



As a summary to look and build quality – we would say that AIDERLOT M5 are perfectly crafted with quality of materials even excessing such of the famous respected brands. The only concern here is the choice of MMCX connectors over 2pin type which is more durable in a long-term perspective.

About the fit: as always with such custom-like shape and design – fit should be no problem for the most of the people, especially concerning the amount and types of ear tips in the bundle and long output nozzles.



Sound quality:

Testing setup: Hidizs AP80 DAP + xDuoo Xd05Plus DAC/AMP + AIRELOT M5

Lows:

Deep bass presence is moderate, with excellent texturing. As always, even the most capable armature driver would be able to deliver such deep bass in comparison to good dynamic drivers but at the same time would be much better on clarity and precise contouring. Good crossover in scheme aids a lot to keep it balanced to other ranges while delivering very smooth and delicate sound. The main difference to dynamic rivals is the amount of details M5 disclosing to a listener, rather than exposing the lowest registers. Midbass is perfectly articulated, rich, tight and powerful. It doesn’t tend to excessive crispness or brightness. Not much of difference to dynamic drivers except for the volumetric feel. Slight elevation in this range is inevitable due to the nature of BA unit but not causing any problems since it maintains good warmth.



Mids:

Mids resolve lots of details, making this region the most exposed and detailed. Slightly standing out, with rich vocal reproduction and slight emotional appeal in overall. Male and female vocals sound totally natural, rich, detailed and linear while having the appropriate warmth. Both have almost similar presence with only very small emphasis on upper portion. Mids do feel kind of mellow, velvet and smooth — very good character for this range. Resolution on string instruments and vocals is impressive and what is the most important – not sounding harsh, not producing any piercing and not tending to lisping. Very linear feel with large amount of details.



Treble:

Excellent resolution on treble and slight accent on this range. Very accurate and delicate approach on tuning would not let it influence the entire sound picture much. No huge and evident coloration to overall tonality. M5 treble, is, again, more about the resolution and extension with decent presence rather than excessively bright and crisp delivery. Feels transparent, relatively soft and shining with reasonable sparkles. Still impressive with its clarity but acts in smooth and weighted manner.



Soundtage:

Soundstage is moderate. M5 IEMs are capable of showing significant distance from the center to instrument distributed on stage in both vertical and horizontal planes only with good sound source. As a result, scene feels wider and taller and instruments don’t tend to mix

Sound filters:

3 pairs of filters provided with M5 really do the job (not subtle) in terms of change in treble performance. For us it was really better to use any of those filters rather than not having it attached at all, whereas the difference between them is more subtle. Anyway, the mot favorite pair was “bass” to increase its presence and volume in sound.



Sound signature:

AIDERLOT M5 sound can be described as balanced, highly detailed, neutral, with no evident coloration to the overall tonality. All frequency ranges are gently delivered and carefully tuned. Universal IEMs that would be suitable for any music genre except those that require large amount of deep bass presence.



Compared to LZ HIFI A5:

LZ HIFI A5 being hybrid type of IEMs have its advantages and disadvantages over M5. Advantages are that there is a dynamic driver which brings more extension and presence of lower bass and more width to the stage. Although, the tuning of BA unit is not that great and treble sounds less delicate, introducing sibilance, lisping and harsh notes. Sound if A5 is much brighter and crispy.



Compared to SHOZY & NEO BG:

Quite similar IEMs with neutral sound and very adequate tuning. We would say that the main advantages of M5 over more famous brand IEMs are slightly better presence of lows, possibility of using different filters and rich bundle. BG wins over M5 for the stock cable (very thick and durable) and slightly softer and delicate treble (but it is subtle).



Conclusion:

Just repeating ourselves: first products of the new brands do often become a bargain due to more efforts involved and additional incentives end customer gets after all. AIDERLOT with M5 is not an exception – rich bundle, great materials, perfect crafting, accurate sound tuning with filters for the further experiments and high quality set of Knowles BA drivers in its core. Just absolutely nothing to complain about as a result of a newcomer stepping into this market. It is better to grab such product while the offer is still here and hope that this brand would follow similar high standards in future.

AIDERLOT M5 available for purchase at Amazon: LINK

NF Audio – IEM brand that we’ve been eager to try out for a long time but never had a chance… Shenzhen Ningfan Acoustics (NF Audio) has one of the most expensive IEM models (JD24) with 2 electrostatic tweeters + Knowles 4 BA combination and price tag of USD1,800. Electrostatic drivers are still rare among IEMs and we hope to review some models of this type soon. Besides that, NF Audio offers a wide selection of other models for different budgets and we would start our journey with this brand from NM2+ single dynamic driver IEMs (USD169).

As found in the description, NM2+ are revised version of initial NM2 monitor dynamic IEMs. It is now based on MC2L-1OII dual magnetic circuit, dual-cavity dynamic driver, built from different materials, still maintaining comfortable fit. Higher resolution and wider frequency response range are stated among improvements as well. Anyway, we have not tested the predecessor, therefore, taking all improvements for granted and would be examining NM2+ solely, not referring to its previous iteration.



NF Audio NM2+ specs:

• Driver: MC2L-1OII, dual cavity, dual magnetic circuit, polymer composite dynamic driver
• Frequency range: 9 – 40kHz
• Impedance: 18 ohm
• Sensitivity: 108 dB
• Distortion: ﹤1%
• Max SPL: 125 dB
• Passive noise cancelling: 25 dB
• Cable: 5N silver-plated OFC
• Cable connectors: 2pin 0.78mm
• Plug: 3.5mm + 6.35mm adapter
• Net weight: 300g

Packaging and design:

NM2+ has a unique packaging with some interesting design findings and much of attention paid to details. Grey square-shaped outer cover of the box contains plenty of company information, large silver names and product picture.



Counterfeit protection sticker is present and located at on of the edges. The box itself maintains similar grey appearance with logo imprints and made foldable – consists of two equal parts that opens like a book, retained by several integrated magnets. Left part has the special podium for user manual and compartment for storage case.



On the right – round cutout holds soft IEM podium with compact disc shape with round ear tips holder and cable stored in the compartment underneath. Even the user manual has a special aluminum clip in its binding to slide it out from the compartment. Tips are stored in pairs according to different sizes and types (bass oriented, neutral). Quite interesting design and clever layout. Full list of accessories is as following:

• NM2+ IEMs
• audio cable with 3.5mm plastic cap
• 3 pairs of neutral ear tips
• 3 pairs of bass ear tips
• storage case
• 3.5mm -> 6.35mm adapter
• user manual

NM2+ IEMs shells consist of two aluminum parts. Top cover is precisely aligned with the base, no gap or sharp edges and also features logo cutouts. Main design element – another logo cutout with blue paint is located at front edge near the output nozzle.



Back edge of the base has one more CNC element of design – its model name. Output nozzles are a part of the bases and end up with aluminum filters. Both IEMs have corresponding channel indicators, transparent plastic 2-pin cable connectors and compensational openings.



Despite the chosen material, MN2+ are lightweight and relatively small (we would say mid-sized) IEMs. Output nozzles are reasonably long and in combination with small weight, custom-like shape and flexible ear guides on the cable NM2+ would provide very comfortable fit for the most of the people.



This model also impressed with its stock audio cable. Not only it’s elements are perfectly crafted but also it is thicker than usually included by the competitors in the similar price segment. Another good feature of this cable – it is hard to tangle, thanks to such type of braid.

In overall, NM2+ design and build quality are close to perfect. Lots of elements, excellent crafting, precise alignment, natural shape, comfortable fit. We would prefer other more attractive colors to be available, but it’s definitely not a complain.



Sound quality:

Testing setup: Hidizs AP80 -> xDuoo XD05 Plus -> NF Audio NM2+

Lows:

First of all, NM2+ are definitely not bass-ordiented IEMs. This range doesn’t have any accent and feels linear with mids while both hang behind the treble. Some additional gain by EQ, MSEB or Bass Boost in our case (xDuoo XD05 Plus) would be necessary if you are a bass head. We personally prefer this type of sound more than having to get rid of extra influence of lows on other ranges. Besides, lows are evident, texturized and contoured in high quality tracks which exposure and presence is being perceived more as balanced, monitor-like sound rather than inadequate exposure. Not that we always like such linear performance but at least it gives you a good base for further tuning whenever needed. Mid bass is totally different story – dynamics, power, speed and articulation are all decent.



Mids:

NM2+ mids get the additional resolution, especially in the upper range. The nature of this resolution is virtual since single dynamic driver is not aided by any additional HF elements and this is the result of gain tuning. Excellent experience on bow and string instruments that show the most amount of micro details and great emotionality of female vocals. Surprisingly, male vocals and lower portion of instruments have managed to maintain adequate thickness and warmth despite the tendency towards emotional appeal. Although, NM2+ are susceptible to whistles and hisses due to its tuning with low quality tracks or cold audio sources. For example, for us, personally, old records (from 1960-70yy) were sounding much worse than most of the tracks from 90s and later. At the same time AP80 DAP own output was significantly worse than xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/amp with its warmer and more developed sound. But in overall, feeding only high quality records, NM2+ are highly resolving, quite emotional and adequately thick on mids.



Treble:

Of course, with this type of tuning and capable driver unit NM2+ goes all the way up to become one of the best treble performing single dynamic IEMs. Clean, clear and transparent sound with evident accent, great extension and bright overall sound picture. Dynamic IEMs with such performance are quite rare, we can only point out several examples for past 4 years – Kanas Pro, Oxygen and SSP (although, SSPs are less delicate on treble). Here (together with tight and juicy mid bass) you get the full notion of modern fast moving lightweight diaphragm which is used in NM2+ structure.



Soundstage:

One of the most valuable virtues of NM2+ sound is the size of the virtual stage it builds, especially in width. Stereo panorama is very wide, perhaps the largest one that we’ve experienced with IEMs so far. Of course, partially it is a result of high-quality DAC/amp in or setup but even with the simple AP80 SE output NM2+ shows very good stage.



Sound summary:

If to summarize sound of NM2+, we would say that it has colder tonality which further gives the effect of high resolution on upper mids and treble. Treble is accented, clean and crisp while mids and lows are in good balance and retaining good thickness and texturing. Altogether this creates emotional and transparent sound with wide stage and plenty of details. Monitor-like performance on the lower half of the FR range is mostly achieved by the conservative presence of bass portion. Again, NM2+ are definitely track quality / source quality-hungry IEMs and best to be paired with some warmer sources.



Compared to Moondrop Kanas Pro:

Moondrop Kanas Pro also based in single dynamic driver but the tuning is quite different. It is evidently more V-shaped, with much accent added to lower end. Mids are slightly recessed. Soundstage is smaller and fit is not that perfect as with NM2+. But in overall, both models deserve good scores, just the preference in sound should be different. NM2+ more linear while Kanas Pro are obviously V-shaped. Perhaps, NM2+ are even closer to Tanchjim Oxygen but lacking some delicacy and transparency.



Compared to TFZ Secret Garden HD:

Quite similar IEMs in terms of performance on treble and mids, whereas Secret Garden HD have more gain on lows and more suitable for bass heads. Soundstage is not that wide, treble starts to show some minor artifacts at higher volume. Again, both models are close in the resulting sound and most of the difference lies in the amount of bass they produce.



Conclusion:

Our first encounter with NF Audio brand and NM2+ model as its representative went totally positive. “Monitor” label among the declared features is reasonable with the concern of its performance on lows and mids. However, treble portion, despite all of its virtues, is slightly out of this definition. It brings more juice and emotions than mostly inherent for monitor-like delivery. On the other hand, neither we treat it negative, since NM2+ IEMs are nowhere near being dry or anemic. Most of applause go towards its stellar mid bass and treble performance while mids and lows deserve good scores for its accuracy, texturing and resolution. Not less important is the wide soundstage NM2+ are capable of. Definitely a strong contender among single dynamic driver IEMs to play within its price segment and market niche.

NF Audio NM2+ IEMs are available 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

Since the first encounter with devices by FiiO we had a strong feeling of playing with something accomplished, well put together to the extent that missing some additional functions fade away under the tons of positive experience of working with such devices. At the first glance FiiO products doesn’t scream of its superiority in the related niche, but when digging deeper suddenly comes the understanding that there are lots of interesting functions wisely developed and perfectly integrated inside its logics. Recent FiiO UTWS3 (universal Bluetooth ear guides) with its totally revised functionality became the revelation for us for its stellar performance, now comes another Bluetooth device – BTA30 – which leaves pleasant aftertaste and becomes a part of Hi-Res setup.


FiiO BTA30 is a desktop USB DAC. Although, despite being able to accept and process audio data over USB, its main purpose and virtue is to act as Bluetooth audio transceiver. Not only it received Bluetooth audio, decodes and converts it to analog on RCA outputs but also is able to pack and send audio data over Bluetooth. Anyway, details would show up later in this article, let’s go over device specs first:



FiiO BTA30 specs:



As seen from the list above, Bluetooth part is based on mighty CSR8675 (5.0) and supports most sophisticated codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC. Not many standalone or portable devices, apart from Hi-Res audio players or expensive DAC/amps, would license SONY LDAC codec and have this feature. Moreover, in case of BTA30 it is bidirectional – those codecs are also used to pack and send audio data to other Bluetooth equipped devices. Furthermore, instead of using DAC abilities of CSR8675 chip, FiiO processes audio through AK4490 DAC, CT5302 DSP and uses OPA1662 as operational amplifier. Such architecture is far more superior than using Bluetooth chip alone which results in much more resolving and accurate sound competing with many Hi-Res DAPs.



Packaging and design:

FiiO BTA30 comes in relatively small box with outer cover and stiff inner base. Cover contains prints of the product, logos, technologies, trademarks and company contacts. Besides that, there is a counterfeit item protection sticker at the top right corner at the back.



Soft foam insert securely holds BTA30 inside, all accessories are located in a separate box underneath. Full list of items in the box:

• BTA30 with antenna
• 2 protective caps for optical ports
• 4 extra rubber legs (stickers)
• USB A – USB type C cable

What is missing in this bundle is a power adapter. Supposing that BTA30 would be commonly used as desktop Bluetooth transceiver, it would require external USB power. Since it can be powered with any source device over USB, we would recommend to use any adapter with 5V, >=1000mA output and better if it would be linear (for less amount of interference).



FiiO BTA30 design is perfectly clean and accurate. Perimeter unibody frame acts as a chassis for top glass and bottom plastic covers. Facing edge is not overloaded with the control elements, labels are neat.



Here you would find main power and Play/Pause (Pair) sensor buttons along with MODE 3 positional slider switch and smooth volume control knob. Back side is responsible for all inputs/outputs (USB type-C, separate optical IN/OUT, combined coaxial IN/OUT, Line OUT) and antenna. By the way, top glass panel is covered with protective film from the factory. Bottom cover equipped with 4 silicon legs which hide chassis screws.



Personally, we love this kind of neat design with high quality crafting of each element. Everything is accurately assembled with no gaps between main body parts. Nothing rattles and squeaks.

Device in use:

One note for the future users: since the antenna is detachable and has female SMA port, not only we can remove it, but also there is a possibility to enlarge the distance of Bluetooth reception/transmission. Stock antenna is ~2 – 2.5dB whereas most of the current home WiFi routers would use 5dB instead. Such 5dB SMA antennas for 2.4GHz would also fit this unit. Although, as a rule – never switch Bluetooth transmission mode ON when antenna is not attached. This might burn RF amplifier elements. It is better to always use this device with the antenna in place.



There are a lot of usage scenarios, thanks to the functions integrated to this outstanding device. We would point out each one:

• As desktop DAC/preamp for active speakers or home audio setup. In this case we can connect BTA30 from any audio source over USB/COAX/Optical and use Line OUT (DAC MODE).
• As wireless transport for other DAC – connecting audio source over Bluetooth and sending this data over COAX OUT/Optical OUT (BT RX MODE)
• As wireless receiver for active speakers or home audio setup – connecting audio source over Bluetooth and using Line OUT (BT RX MODE)
• As wireless transmitter for Bluetooth devices – connecting any audio source over USB/COAX/Optical and sending data over Bluetooth (BT TX MODE)
• We can even build a wireless bridge (if we have 2 BTA30 devices) – one BTA30 would be in BT TX MODE and taking data from any source over USB/COAX/Optical and the other BTA30 would be in BT RX MODE and sending data to any source over COAX/Optical or just converting and amplifying through LINE OUT.

In those scenarios which do not require source to be connected over USB – we should supply power from a separate power adapter.

Most of the operations are straight-forward. Supplying the power and pressing power ON/OFF switch at the front would indicate in device power state with a dedicated LED. Press once to switch on and hold a bit to switch off. Constant emerald – power ON. At the same time, LED above Play/Pause button would indicate other states according to the position of MODE switch and audio sampling rate. It would request pairing with fast change between GREEN and RED, active connection with single or double GREEN flashes and different other colors for sampling rate (look at the table above).



In case of USB connection, BTA30 would identify itself as FiiO BTA30 under Windows 10 environment. We haven’t found any ASIO drivers on FiiO website and this device is natively supported in modern OS. Although, the output quality in device functions are limited to 16bit/48kHz. Optical and coax inputs would process much better quality (24bit/96kHz optical and 24/192 + DSD64 DOP coaxial), pack it to or unfold it from Bluetooth data or just decode for Line OUT. So, to get the most, it is really better to use BTA30 as DAC with Optical / Coaxial inputs/outputs or Bluetooth.

In case of Bluetooth – it gets more interesting. Not only you can pair with BTA30 from any Bluetooth equipped source, but you can also use FiiO Control APP for Android/iOS and have the additional tuning and functionality. Here is the list of what this app can do:

• Change status indicator light colors / disable it
• Auto-power on function
• Select Bluetooth codecs for TX and RX modes
• Select DAC inputs
• Select between 4 LPFs
• Adjust or fix volume
• Adjust source volume
• Change channel balance
• Enable digital upsampling
• Select streaming quality of selected codec
• Show the guide
• Change device name
• Reset pairing
• Clear settings to defaults
• Power off the device

Moreover, this app works with BTA30 even if it stays in DAC MODE.



We had no problems with sound hiccups or any kind of interference with the stock antenna connected to a regular smartphone 10 meters behind 1 concrete wall. Strong reception/transmission quality that can be improved with third-party antennas. Audio lag while streaming video from a smartphone is present but not large and comfortable. What the the most important – the output power of BTA30 (3Vrms) is totally enough for active speakers to sound very loud. Many current portable Bluetooth receivers are not capable to supply enough power and active speakers would increase noise floor when trying to a amplify incoming signal to an appropriate level. Absolutely not a problem for BTA30 and this is one of the main reasons why BTA30 suits out setup.



Pairing is fast, further connections are lightning-fast. No clue about multipoint function (seems none) but BTA30 stores more than 5 different devices (which we’ve tried so far) in its memory and connects to the first discovered after enabling Bluetooth on anyone of those. No need to pair previous devices again.

Since there is a choice of TX or RX modes for Bluetooth, we cannot simultaneously receive audio from a source and send it to the end gear. Such capability is met only in some recent feature-packed DAPs.



Volume knob feels nice and smooth, has special surface finish to add some additional grip and utilizes full mechanical travel. It can be disabled through FiiO Control app.

Since there is no battery inside – we should not be worried of leaving BTA30 ON or on charge. Nothing heats up, nothing drains down.

Sound quality:

To carry out adequate test we have decided to describe the sound of BTA30 in comparison to other desktop DACs/amp such as Tempotec Serenade iDSD and Hidizs Sonata DH1000.

Speakers: Edifier M1100.



Lows and midbass:

BTA30 is quite resolving on lows – more than average amount of textures and details. It acts on bass delicately with good control on outlines and good balance with other ranges. Extension of lows is very good, bass is decaying neither too fast or too slow. Great clarity, good volumetric feel and separation from mids and treble. Bass is totally perceptible, enlarges the stage and has no extra emphasis. Mid bass is similarly good: the amount of dynamics is perfect for good articulation and energy.



Mids:

Mids retain most of the resolving potential and sound neutral in overall. Vocals are quite thick and full-bodied. No emphasis is made on female vocals and upper treble range instruments feel naturally bright but not screaming. Voices sound natural and have pleasing warmth. Good instrument separation. In overall, mids feel smooth, little bit warm and natural, with adequate resolution and with no piercing peaks.



Treble:

Treble sounds balanced to mids and lows but its extension, clarity and presence would depend of the type of connection. In DAC mode treble is clear and crisp, not hidden by other sounds. Extension and micro-dynamics are both great, not too cold or vivid. With Bluetooth connection (RX or TX) treble gets slightly less extended and crisp. Like a thin blurring layer has been added to clean window. Nothing strange for the regular Bluetooth sound. In overall, this range is accurate and perfectly balanced to other ranges and allowing long listening sessions.



Compared to Tempotec Serenade iDSD:

Serenade iDSD is not equipped with Bluetooth and can be used only as DAC/preamp or amp for the headphones. This makes iDSD and BTA30 quite different in purpose and gives some advantages in sound to iDSD. It sounds slightly better and more extended on treble if to compare BTA30 in Bluetooth mode. It also gives a better understanding of quality of the sound when connecting headphones which is not possible with BTA30. But with the same active speakers, both devices sound virtually the same.



Compared to Hidizs Sonata DH1000:

Another device that is not equipped with Bluetooth and made for portable use with headphones. This allows to perceive sound quality more delicately until connected to active speakers. With this type of connection, DH1000 sounds similarly detailed but more thin on mids, resolving and putting more emphasis on treble. Lows are not that well-developed as with BTA30, thus loosing stage size and extension. It is better to leave DH1000 for headphones only, while BTA30 really shines in desktop setup.



Conclusion:

All of our initial expectations of what desktop Bluetooth transceiver should be were met by FiiO BTA30. It is perfectly built piece of technology, with neat design, smooth operations, lots of functions and good sound quality. Bluetooth performance is stellar due to its sustainability to RF interference and signal quality, the best so far among all tested devices in both TX and RX modes. A spoon of tar is present in a form of limited USB DAC processing ability but it goes beyond the main purpose of BTA30 and compensated by other more capable interfaces. In overall, this Bluetooth DAC/preamp is great and would fit nicely to any home setup, enabling wireless audio feature and incorporating best widely used Bluetooth audio codecs that are currently available.

FiiO BTA30 is available at AliExpress store: LINK

FiiO BTA30 is available at Amazon store: LINK

Never had a chance to play with product from TIN HIFI brand before. We’ve seen a lot of positive feedback about various IEMs of this brand on Facebook pages, in posts or comments which have raised our expectations preliminary to the arrival of the today’s topic sample. It is always kind of tricky that the information coming from net builds our perception of a product that we have never seen or touched in a real life. Sometimes such expectations crashing against the wall of reality and sometimes become a proof that masses don’t lie. Anyway, today we would either prove or object that TIN HIFI – quite young but already popular brand – is worth of our attention.


Just a note about the company: yes, TIN HIFI is from China (Zhongshan Dongting Electronics Technology Co. Ltd.) and as declared at official website this company was long involved into OEM/ODM manufacturing of HiFi products before they’ve started own brand in 2017. Product portfolio consist of 9 IEMs and what is the most interesting – couple of those are planar driver-based models with very competitive pricing. Hope that we would grab one of those somewhere in the near future as such offers and technology in IEMs are still rare on the market. But we would review the cheapest of their single beryllium dynamic driver models today – T1 Plus.



T1 Plus specs:

• Driver: 10mm beryllium diaphragm
• Sensitivity: 105dB/mW
• Impedance: 32ohms
• Frequency response: 10Hz – 20kHz
• Jack: 3.5mm
• Cable: 1.2m±3cm, silver-plated, detachable,
• Cable connectors: 2pin/0.78mm
• Weight: 6g (without cable）

Packaging and design:

TIN HIFI T1 Plus IEMs come in relatively small square-shaped white box free of any elements except brand and product name printed at the front and company information – at the back.



Inner box space is split into three compartments: soft insert holding IEMs, audio cable beneath it and separate box for the accessories. Entire set consists of T1 Plus IEMs, 6 pairs of silicone ear tips and audio cable.



IEM shells consist of two parts – base and top plate. The latter can have different color paint which is actually filled from inside, leaving the facing side glossy and the paint protected from scratches.



Base part is totally transparent with all of the construction exposed to the owner. Shell material is not disclosed by the manufacturer but seems to be some kind of mix of plastic and resin. Couple of compensational openings per channel on the base and barely visible brand and model name imprints on the edges.



Sound output nozzles are molded as a part of a shell while protected with very thin nylon sound filter. Very good and durable cable connectors – both protrude from shells to eliminate bending.



On the other hand – such design of cable connectors is not universal and the choice of the spare cables with the best fit would be limited to few.



Stock cable seems to be pretty nice – aluminum elements with gold-plated 3.5mm TRS plug, transparent resin 2pin connector housings, in-built ear guides and channel indicators. It is formed by 28-core 0.05mm silver-plated copper wire.

T1 Plus fit should be good for most of the people due to the combination of quite long nozzles, light weight, ear guides on the cable and small/thin natural profile. 4 people tried and have not faced any issues which makes us believe in T1 Plus versality.



In overall, we like how T1 Plus IEMs are designed and made. Transparent units always caught our attention showing the accuracy of manufacturing and assembling processes. You can even see tiny cables and soldering points from 2pin connectors to dynamic driver unit – everything looks very neat.

Sound quality:

Our testing equipment: Hidizs AP80 DAP + xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP



Lows:

Seems to be the most accented range in T1 Plus with all consequences it makes further on the sound. Bass is deep, extension is impressive. It is neither too fast or too slow and doesn’t sound detached from the whole sound picture. Although, the resolution and texturing might have been better. Sometimes lows are kind of diffused and might bleed and overshadow mids. The influence of lows on the overall tonality results into fairly warm and dark sound, rich of bass and thickness on mids.

Mid bass is decent — powerful and full-bodied. Great articulation and dynamics, drums do sound engaging. Warmth and thickness of lows result in interesting emphasis on volumetric parameters of soundstage.



Mids:

Instruments and voices in mids sound natural and rich. Appealing thick sound of tube-powered electric guitars rich with different harmonics that make those IEMs a good choice for rock, blues and other similar genres. Male vocals sound slightly more distant while upper mids are more elevated. Female vocals never sound harsh and don’t show any unwanted hisses. Mids are in fairly good balance with lows, enriched by its influence (thickness of notes) but sometimes struggle to stand out and loose the lead. This effect is not too harsh though and mids still make very good impression of warm and velvet timbre.



Treble:

T1 Plus treble range is slightly more powerful than mids, definitely leading in gain and somewhere close to the power of lows. Such slight V-shaped tuning helps T1 Plus sound to have enough air and transparency while not falling into very dark signature. Elevation is very reasonable, treble portion is clear and accurate but not excessive. Extension and resolution are moderate with the most of the potential revealed in music genres saturated with string or bow instruments. Although, treble might sound a bit indistinct and soft when it comes to bass-oriented tracks.



Soundstage:

Some controversial results here. Binaural recordings that are intended to create additional scene depth and width show moderate effect and distance with T1 Plus IEMs. Whereas some regular recordings sound more expanded to sides and show good instrument separation and larger stage.



Sound in overall:

We would say that TIN HIFI T1 Plus are closer to warm or dark signature IEMs with well-developed and accented lows that result in thick and vintage sound on mids. Midbass is decent, while treble might feel a bit soft. In overall, such IEMs are very good for slow vintage music and would suffer from feeding something from modern electronic genres. Also best to be used with high quality neutral or cold sources.



Compared to Hidizs Seeds:

Hidizs has lowered the price for Seeds down to $30 (from 70) which makes those one of the best IEMs in class. Seeds are more transparent and have much more developed treble range despite being based on single dynamic driver as well. Seeds sound more airy, precise and balanced but they are not so good in terms of fit and also don’t feature detachable audio cable.



Compared to Tanchjim Cora:

Core is another representative of single dynamic driver IEMs with bright and transparent sound with very good treble reproduction. Cora also wins over T1 Plus in this but lacks in terms of bass extension and midbass power. But the worst about Cora is very individual fit and non-detachable audio cable



Conclusion:

Budget IEMs with in $30 price range is kind of rare testing equipment for us. During this particular test we have came up with two main conclusions: even such low-priced IEMs as TIN HIFI T1 Plus might outperform more expensive models in some aspects of the sound and that T1 Plus is definitely providing one of the best price to performance ratio in its class. We did not expect such decent build quality in this budget, universal fit, detachable cable feature and what is the most important – sound that is almost on par with certain more expensive models. We are talking mostly about the performance of lows and midbass as well as about its pleasing influence on mids. Nowadays, T1 Plus warm signature with thick sound is encountered much less often than bright and cold V-shaped tuning. Interesting is that among all dark single dynamic driver IEMs T1Plus do sound the most engaging so far, despite being on a budget. Not saying the best since some lack of texturing and extension is evident, but definitely the most interesting – when the dark signature is obvious but the treble is still very adequate. Like!

TIN HIFI T1 Plus available at HiFiGO official store: LINK

It’s been a while since Hidizs last IEM release which was Mermaid MS1 Rainbow single dynamic model, preceded by MS1 and MS4. The latter was and still stays their flagship – first hybrid IEMs by Hidizs, based on the combination of 3 Knowles BA units and 10.2mm polymer diaphragm. Both, MS4 and MS1 variants got warm welcome on the market with very positive customer feedback.



Personally, we have tested all models and still have all in the possession. Can’t insist that either MS4 or MS1 is the best ever bargain for now since those were released quite long ago, but definitely both still hold very strong and competitive position towards their price rivals.



Topic of our review today – Hidizs MS2 – is the new attempt to spread hybrid design in IEMs further to masses. This model is only half the price of the flagship MS4 and takes the best of the both worlds: a dual diaphragm already proven in MS1/MS4 models and unquestionable performance of BA unit from Knowles. The full specs are as following:

• BA driver: Knowles RAD 33518-P183
• Dynamic driver: 10.2mm, dual voice coils, dual chamber, dual diaphragm
• AVX tantalum capacitors
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
• Sensitivity: 112dB
• Impedance: 18ohms
• Cable: a combination of 2xhigh purity silver + 2xOFC wires (60 strains each)
• Connectors: 2-pin, 0.78mm
• Audio jack: 3.5mm (4.4mm or 2.5mm balanced cable is available from Hidizs)
• Weight: 10g (no cable)
• Hi-Res certified

Such combination of sensitivity and impedance tells us that MS2 would be pretty easy to drive which makes this model quite universal for different audio sources, even a smartphone.



Packaging and design:

Hidizs MS2 comes in pretty thick square shaped box with product picture and shiny silver logos (MS2, Knowles, Hi-Res) at the front and product description on the back side. Box walls are very stiff, no worries about the possible damage during the transportation.



Inner compartment reveals two levels: upper holds soft insert with IEMs resting in dedicated cutouts and the second (bottom) level has another insert for the case. All other accessories are located in the case itself.

Among the accessories you’d find the following:

• Audio cable with plastic protection cap for 3.5mm jack
• 6 pairs of ear tips
• case
• warranty and short user manual

Not much. Still hoping that brands would include different cables / connectors and more types of ear tips one day… (We have see several brilliant options of multi-plug type cables on the market recently. One cable that is suitable for 2.5TRRS/3.5/4.4TRRS outputs with a swipe of a plug. Excellent accessory that should be provided with all IEMs)…



MS2 shells are made of two parts of semi-transparent resin with shiny particles added to the composition of the top cover. This creates beautiful and strong fluorescence effect when all particles shimmer in the light with different colors. Facing side also contains Hidizs logo and name while channel indicators and Hidizs link imprints are located in the shell base.



Output nozzles protrude quite much, made of aluminum and protected with the aluminum filters. One compensational opening for dynamic driver is located near nozzle base.



2-pin female connectors have a special transparent ledge that secures mating plugs from unwanted bending.

In overall, MS2 design looks very attractive and neatly crafted. No gaps between shell parts, accurate prints and tight fit of connections.



Stock cable is a masterpiece – pretty thick braid of 120 strains combined from OFC and silver wires with nice looking mixture of copper/aluminum elements of Y-splitter and 3.5mm jack design. This cable also features flexible ear guides and transparent resin 2-pin connector housings.

Fit:

Since Hidizs MS2 shape is what we call “custom-like” – there are no problems with the fit whatsoever. This type of shape in combination with long nozzles is the most universal and comfortable for most of the people. MS2 IEMs are not the exception – excellent fit for any activity – workout or leisure.



Sound quality:

Testing equipment: Hidizs AP80Pro DAP -> xDuoo XD-05Plus AMP -> MS2 IEMs

Lows:

The presence of lows is in significant amount. It has volumetric feel, moderate extension but perfectly defined boarders. It might bleed in and mix a bit in fast music genres but mostly stays under control. It fits organically into the mix despite slightly overpowered exposure. Texture here is evident and reveal the additional details.

Midbass has good articulation and speed together with necessary volume of air to play drum sections naturally. It exhibits bit more brighter details compared to dynamic IEMs but never goes to extremes that would create the disturbance. Seems that 10.2mm dynamic driver in combination with good design of shell cavities do a great the job for midbass reproduction. Engaging and powerful sound here.



Mids:

In contrary to lows, mids and vocals exhibit more details and tend to involve hybrid combination of drivers. On one hand there is a good warmth and intimate timbre of male voices and on the other — higher clarity and more sharpness on female vocals. Mids in overall are slightly recessed and skewed towards emotional bloom by adding slight emphasis on upper portion. Voices have good clarity, feel natural but little bit thin. Although, not susceptible to hisses. Virtual resolution on voices and leading instruments is high but not harsh or excessively sharp. BA influence on sound is obvious whilst the tuning is on the softer and gentle side.



Treble:

Is the most accented and resolving range of MS2. Good BA driver results in accurate performance on treble. Quite airy, gentle and soft treble that still creates a specific colder signature. It is in good proportion with lows, so – no that crisp or cold is it might have been if there were no dynamic unit on board. It is delicately and carefully tuned – provides larger amount of details and clear reproduction of tiniest sounds, bleeds in to mids, not producing sibilants.



Soundstage:

With our testing rig, MS2 sound impressively wide. With the slow genres MS2 show decent instrument separation, layering and soundstage capabilities. Good dimensional effect in both vertical or horizontal planes. Binaural recordings show even more distance between instruments.



Sound in overall:

Sound of Hidizs MS2 can be described as V-shaped, with more accent on lows and treble and recessed mids. Gain in treble results in colder tonality and thinner mids. Although, this effect is not that heavy. Since the BA unit is very capable and tuned well – it adds the resolution and clarity, makes MS2 sounding interesting but does not produce sibilants or hisses. Bass is deep, mids are detailed, accurate and emotional, treble is clear and delicate. Easy and smooth to listen. Especially good with slower genres and limited amount of instruments.



Compared to Moondrop SSP:

SSP are the latest and highly appreciated units with lower budget but similar V-shaped tuning. Since it doesn’t feature BA driver – treble is not that detailed and extended as in MS2 but still impressive for dynamic IEMs. Signature is quite close to MS2, both are fun to listen. MS2 have a significant lead in mids and treble resolution, clarity and instrument separation.



Compared to iKKO OH1:

iKKO OH1 once were great IEMs, almost the first to offer very good V-tuning for reasonable price. MS2 proves that similar accurate tuning with less susceptibility to hisses, less screaming notes and better fit can be achieved at much lower price point. Hidizs definitely wins this comparison since it sounds more accurate and delicate, maintaining similar V-shaped signature.



Conclusion:

Currently, there are a lot of hybrid IEMs on the market offered at different price points but only few models deserve and get the attention of masses. Having this experience, we can conclude that only those models and brands that incorporate high-quality components and invest much efforts in careful tuning eventually win. We had enough of “no name” BA / dynamic drivers and shell designs to stay off such test and purchases in future, giving a chance and close look to something trusted instead. Hidizs is not a beginner, neither uses crappy stuff. MS2 are high-quality, reasonably priced, fun-sounding V-shaped IEMs which quality is revealed not only by tuning or sound but with all the rest – packaging, design, fit and crafting. Excellent performer and very strong competitor in hybrid class IEMs.

Hidizs MS2 IEMs available at: LINK
10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10