Reviews by IryxBRO

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

Kinera DB005 Pro is not our first encounter with IEMs of this brand. Couple of years ago we were reviewing Seed and Idun models that have scored high in our ranking, although not without some nuances. Since than Kinera has released a number of IEMs, mostly hybrid type, but as we have noticed – done it selectively, less than a dozen, whereas each of the models was thoroughly tested prior to launch and given enough time to settle on the market afterwards. This can be seen from the posts by official Kinera Facebook page – how product information appear prior to the beginning of sales, than it launches and Kinera starts to collect customer feedback in direct and indirect communication and finally followed by the next product according to the current market expectations. The point is that, in contrary to some brands that stamp millions of IEMs, Kinera takes time to come up with another product and also takes user feedback and expectations into account.



BD005 Pro is not new to the market either. Its roots go back to 2017 when initial BD005 IEMs were released and became popular mostly in Asian region. Predecessor was also based on a combination of single DD and BA drivers but was less versatile by its fit. Pro version utilizes much more comfortable shape, retains the structure and replaces older model on sales.

Kinera BD005 Pro specs:

• Dynamic driver: 9.2mm beryllium diaphragm
• Balanced armature driver: 30095 series
• Sensitivity: 108±2dB
• Impedance: 26Ω
• Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz
• Jack: 3.5mm
• Cable connectors: 2pin,0.78mm
• Cable: 4-wires with mic and inline remote
• Cable length: 1.2m

Packaging and design:

Kinera BD005 Pro comes in small pentagon-shaped box which is common across most of Kinera IEMs. Box is pretty small but carries all necessary information – product picture and specifications, brand name and logos, company information and even AFR graph. Box also shows all available color options and clearly states which one is inside.



Inner box compartment is occupied by special foam insert that holds storage case at place. IEMs and its accessories are all located inside this case. Good way to protect all items during transportation and save some space and cost on logistics.



The full set is as following:

• Kinera BD005 Pro IEMs
• Audio cable
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips
• storage case
• warranty and manual papers

IEM shells look to be made of plastic with resin coating over it that adds a lot to overall look and soft compound feel. Beautiful top cover with Kinera name and particles in gold has also been covered with a layer of resin which would ensure the protection from scratches.



Despite that there is a cover and thanks to such coating – BD005 Pro construction feels unibody and rigid. Shells are semi-transaprent but with our color option (Murky Blue) we can barely see the insides.



Large compensational openings are located on the back edges and additionally protected by aluminum grills. 2pin connector bases are slightly recessed into the shells to add some anti-bending protection. Sound output nozzles are made of aluminum and covered with aluminum filters.



Stock cable has 3.5mm TRRS jack since it is also equipped with mic and one control button. Such cable is good for the everyday use with a smartphone but doesn’t seems to be a proper option when we talk about maximum sound quality and good source equipment. It is better to be replaced with 3.5mm high-quality cable or some balanced options. Although, since BD005 Pro are inexpensive IEMs – looks like Kinera positions it for everyday activities and general user, rather than audiophile listening…



Fit: excellent. We consider such “custom”-like shape to be the best and most universal among all mass production IEMs. DB005 Pro would be comfortable for most of the people and during different activities.

Sound quality:

Tested with: Hidizs AP80 DAP -> xDuoo XD05 Plus DAC/AMP



Lows:

Kinera BD005 Pro dynamic unit is capable of delivering deep bass and punchy midbass with good extension and more than average texturing on of lower end. Bass presence is full and well-contoured but the amount is not astonishing or excessive. Lows can go as deep to make you feel it instead of hearing in bass rich tracks. But we still wouldn’t call DB005 Pro as IEMs for “bassheads” – it is more about extension and slight accentuation rather than huge amount. Midbass in its turn is rich and punchy, recreates drums with excellent expression and articulation. Good overall speed and control and doesn’t sound too bright or harsh.



Mids:

Lower mids are a bit recessed whereas upper mids are slightly accented. Male vocals would sometimes sound thin and distant. Female vocals are brought to front, sound very natural, transparent and emotional. Resolution on mids is decent, amount of details is high. The tonality is on the brighter side as a result of BA unit influence at upper mids range. The result is lively and detailed performance but a bit prone to lisping on female vocals, consequently. Bright instruments would also have this effect, compensated by good level of separation and high clarity of each sound.



Treble:

DB005 Pro treble is sparky and accented. Full of micro details and articulation with airy and transparent feel to it which forms the bright essence of the tonality. It might become too much at highest volume but stays balanced by other ranges at normal or lower levels. This is probably why warm sources would be more suitable — amount and extension would stay high while the excess of brightness would be eliminated by the source. Anyway, BD005 Pro treble is decent and not so overly emphasized as in some other hybrid models.



Soundstage:

Special demo recordings with precise instrument locations show moderate distance from the center. Stage feels neither too tight, nor too wide. Slower music genres sound good, leaving enough space for each instrument. No revelations here – just a moderate performer.



Sound in overall:

Kinera BD005 Pro sound can be described as V-shaped, tend to brighter and colder side of the tonality, with extended and detailed lower and higher ends, powerful midbass and slightly recessed but emotional mids. Stage size os moderate. Suitable for most of the genres but best to be used with some warmer sources.



Compared to Moondrop SSP:

SSP and DB005 Pro are similarly V-shaped IEMs but the nature of sound derives from the structure… SSPs are dynamic driver-based and adds more body to mids but lack in treble clarity and extension. DB005 Pro, on its turn, handles treble much more delicately, adding much more details but might feel too emotional on mids.



Compared to Kinera Seed:

Seed by Kinera feel much more neutral in signature with no obvious accents or peaks. It is even hard to tell that Seed IEMs are based on BA + DD units. Feels more like linear and less appealing sound of single DD driver or pure BA drivers tuned for monitor use. Consequently, the perception of sharpness, amount of details and textures is also less impressive.



Conclusion:

Kinera BD005 Pro joins very limited squad of inexpensive V-shaped hybrid IEMs with engaging, fatigue-free sound as a result of accurate tuning during conscious development process. The fact that BD005 Pro is a successor to a popular initial model also helped a lot to achieve the maturity and round all edges. Sound is engaging, detailed and bright with all possible disturbing outcomes brought to the minimum. Gorgeous look, decent build quality and nearly perfect shape also add to BD005 Pro overall high score among the competitors. We highly recommend this model for BA signature fans and for those with warm HiRes audio sources who search for the extra clarity and expression on a budget.

Kinera BD005 Pro available at HiFiGO store: LINK

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

Short note about xDuoo company:

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

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

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


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

XD05 Plus specifications:

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

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

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

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



Packaging and design:

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



Box contents consist of the following:

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

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



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



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



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



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



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

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



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

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



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

Device in use:

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



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

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

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



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

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

Controls:

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



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

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

Filters in DSD:

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

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



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

Sound test:

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



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



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



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



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



In comparison to Hidizs Sonata DH1000:

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



In comparison to Tempotec Serenade iDSD:

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



Conclusion:

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

xDuoo Xd05 Plus available at the official store: HERE
More of reviews from me: HERE



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

Another look at Bluetooth wireless receiver from a different perspective (means another formfactor). This market is trending and so many options are available that it is hard to make the right choice from the very first try. We’ve already been playing with TWS IEMs, Bluetooth neckband wires and standalone devices but not the “ear hook” type DAC/amps. Seen those couple of times before on sales but not from a trusted brand or a supplier. Although, such formfactor always looked promising and intrigued with the possible comfortable fit, battery capacity and max. power potential due to a larger compartments and its universality for different types of IEMs. To be honest, looking at the picture of such type of product, we are not making another idol: yes, it should be better than any other all-in-one TWS or Bluetooth receiver in certain aspects, its universality would stay limited to several IEM shapes or connection types and the product would be worthy to try only after it has passed several iterations and came to a stage of maturity…



With all that in mind, FiiO UTWS3 was kind of a surprise – coming from a well-known portable audio brand, full of features and impressive specs. For us, the most important is that this product represents the next iteration with heavy upgrades to its predecessor – original FiiO UTWS (UTWS1). At least, it means heavy usage, collecting feedback, thinking over, bug fixing, improving and upgrading various aspects, both software and hardware which eventually leads to a better product with polished user experience. Whether it is that mature already? – we would tell in the conclusion. Meanwhile, here is some infromation about the company, a small flashback to FiiO UTWS history and the idea behind its new version:

First of all, about FiiO brand in short:

Guangzhou FiiO Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2007 by several former senior staff and tech experts of OPPO, which is a high-tech enterprise focusing on researching and developing portable music products, with current main products being Hi-Res music players, headphone amplifiers&DAC, and headphones/earphones.
There are over 300 employees in total, including a core team with nearly 30 years of R&D experience in audio products, an R&D engineer crew dedicated to software, hardware, industrial design, structure and electroacoustics. The production factory covers an area of 3500 square meters, including an all-new updated dust-free workshop and 4 two-way assembling production lines, with an annual production of up to 1 million pcs.
FiiO specializes in self-research and development, and sells FiiO-branded products through sales agents worldwide which cover 5 continents spanning 65 countries and regions. Since its establishment, FiiO has built a good brand reputation in the industry. In Nov. 2017, the Headphone Branch of China Audio Industry Association was found, while FiiO was honored to join and elected to be the vice-chairman; 3 years in a row from 2017 to 2019, FiiO has been on the Top 10 HIFI Headphone and Digital Audio Brand list, as well as Chinese Top 20 Cutting-Edge IP Enterprise and Guangzhou Little Giant Enterprise of Science and Innovation; By virtue of outstanding product designs, FiiO has received 47 valid patents, including 2 invention categories, and countless well-known awards, including iF Design Award, Reddot Award, EISA Award, VGP Award, and Spring/Autumn Headphone Festival Award.
FiiO has been continuously carrying on the music proposition of “Born for Music”, placing great importance on user needs and ceaselessly pursuing perfection in product design and manufacturing, to supply users with the best audio products at the best prices.

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FiiO has already been long involved into Bluetooth audio devices and released full bunch of products with different usage scenarios in mind:

• BTR series Bluetooth AMPs (for use with a smartphone, PCs, etc with the regular IEMs or headphones)
• FB1 IEMs with integrated neckband Bluetooth cable
• EH3NC Bluetooth overheads with noise cancelling feature
• TWS IEMs (popular model of the trending market)
• UTWS1 – Bluetooth ear hooks to use with any IEMs

Considering the popularity of UTWS1 (and its shortcomings on the other hand after some heavy usage) – FiiO has decided to give it a new birth when the product would be free of any previous bugs and inconvenience. Initially, UTWS1 were based on the third-party product that already had some hardware limitations in its core. Therefore, the new generation was decided to be given in-house design, research, development and production processes. The main points of concern (i.e. upgrades) during UTWS3 development were the introduction of independent amplifier, significant increase of the output power and decrease in noise floor, more convenient charging scheme and longer battery life, better noise cancelling ability, IPX4 protection, new volume and power cycle logics and dedicated control application. All of that eventually leads to much better ergonomics and user experience. As far as we are concerned, all of the known and reported issues and inconvenience of the first generation UTWS1 were addressed and claimed to be resolved.



To finalize about the difference to its predecessor, here is the full list of upgrades in UTWS3:

• Now uses independent TPA6140A2 AMP
• Power output increase from 5mW to 25mW at 32Ohms
• Noise floor decrease from 25uV+ to <8uV
• No need to charge each channel with a cable, both take charge from a cradle now and charge faster
• 2nd microphone added for better noise cancelling ability
• Added IPX4 environmental protection
• Volume controls better now (26 levels, better physical buttons)
• Power ON|OFF is now controlled with cradle top cover
• Uses FiiO Control app for settings, upgrades and tuning EQ

Done with the history… Let’s get back to FiiO UTWS3. The specs are as following:

• Chip: Qualcomm QCC3020, Bluetooth 5.0
  • TWS+ Low Latency (2 channels connected at once)
  • 2 independent amps
• Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX
• Output Power:
  • 38mW（16Ωload）
  • 25mW（32Ωload）
• Noise: ＜8μV
• Driving ability: 16~100Ω
• THD+N: ＜0.06%
• SNR: 100dB r”A“
• Output Impedance: ~0.7Ω
• Crosstalk: 94dB
• Balance: ≤0.5dB
• Working Time:
  • TWS+: 7hs of use/charge
  • TWS: 5.5hs of use/charge
  • Overall battery life 30h (800mAh) (4-5 recharges from the case)
• Mics: 2 mics/channel with noise cancelling feature
• Device control over: FiiO Control APP
• Physical controls: multifunctional button (per each channel, on cradle)
• Indicators: multicolor LED (each channel and cradle)
• Wires: silver plated copper integrated wires
• Environmental protection: IPX4
• Connections: MMCX or 2-pin, 0.78mm
• Dimension: 93.5×71.1×34.6
• Weight: 125.5g

Packaging and design:

FiiO UTWS3 comes in relatively small and visually attractive box consisting of outer cover with product graphics and company information and the inner more sturdy black cardboard insert that holds the product itself. FiiO has added a special sticker on the back side of the outer cover as a solution to counterfeit item protection.



Inner box compartment has a special soft insert that holds UTWS3 cradle at place while the cable, user manual and warranty card are stored in the separate envelope underneath. Not much of the accessories, though. Only ear hooks with the cradle and charging USB type-C -> USB B cable. Wonder why FiiO has not included any carrying pouch for the sake of the product long-lasting protection.



Ear hooks are stored inside the cradle and have special stickers pre-applied to charging pins in order to avoid charging during the delivery. Good way to prevent early battery deterioration before it gets to the end user. Just don’t forget to peel it off before use. Cradle, itself, makes a good impression and feel – little bit rough surface, accurate and even strict design. Someone might say that it is boring due to lack of design elements but we’d rather call it – functional. Lightweight, though, We expected its weight to be much more than it really is. There are 3 LED indicators at the facing side of the cradle and USB type-C charging port at the back. Nothing more.



Top cradle cover opens with little effort, totally enough to keep it at place under any circumstances when the external force is not applied. Can’t tell for sure whether it is retained with a magnet but there should be some kind of element like this that enables power off|on logics for the ear hooks. Anyway, folding mechanism looks to be quite durable and feels natural.



The insides of the cradle look more appealing than the externals – neat ear hook profile cutouts at the top cover and base aided by the combination of grey (scratch protection soft material adhesives) and black colors, deep lodgments designed to store third-party IEMs or earphones of virtually any size and shape. Plus the additional button at the most convenient place that does some vital tricks. Don’t worry, it won’t be used too often, only for some initial procedures.



Apart of the cradle, FiiO UTWS3 ear hooks are much more sophisticated devices that contain all the magic. In terms of a design, they consist of the plastic base and flexible ear guides (perhaps, made of a silicone with inner channel for 20 strands of monocrystalline silver plated copper wire). Both channels have FiiO logos on the facing part along with large, easy to reach multifunctional button.



Furthermore, both channels feature 2 microphones protected by aluminum grills, white LED indicators (same opening with the backside mic), magnetic charging pins, aluminum rings acting as channel indicators (left – blue, right – red) and MMCX or 2-pin, 0.78mm connectors (both versions are available for a purchase). And the weight/channel is only 6.5g (without IEMs). Additionally, since UTWS3 features IPX4 protection, both units have special dust/moisture gaskets protecting button and mic openings.



In overall, the design of the whole set is varying from strict and functional (cradle) to clean and practical (ear hooks) with only few eye-catching elements. But what is unquestionable is the precise manufacturing, perfect alignment of all elements and decent build quality.



Fit:

The main point about the fit concerns the type of IEM connector selected during the purchase. MMCX type seems to be the most universal option since the connector allows IEMs to rotate over Y-axis. It gives certain freedom of adjusting the angle at which any MMCX IEMs would go into ear channel. With 2-pin option, it seems that some IEM shapes might struggle to fit into the ears correctly, especially if the output nozzles are given some irregular angle (that deviates much from 90-degrees). It is only our thought that might not be the truth. But we would really appreciate if FiiO would consider redesigning the connectors. The best option would be to have MMCX ear hooks only + the additional MMCX->2-pin, 0,78mm adapter in a bundle. Such approach would solve 2 issues: it would make UTWS3 even more universal out of the box (no need to choose and stick to connector type) and it would also allow 2-pin adapter to rotate on MMCX connection base.



As to our version – MMCX – we have tried it with different types of IEM shapes (custom, bullet, droplet, round) – all seem to fit nicely. The least comfortable for a long ride were bullet-like shaped IEMs since the physical pressure to ear channel increases when UTWS3 ear guides flex more. This happens when IEM body is quite long, which is kind of rare. Short bullet-like IEMs as HiBy Beans, for instance, do not produce any discomfort.

One more aspect to mention in this section is the type of end gear to use in overall. FiiO UTWS3 is designed to be used on a constant basis, for music or videos, during workouts or simply to talk over the phone. The possibility to use each channel independently also makes UTWS3 a great substitute for a handsfree device. In either scenario that involves long sessions (except music or videos), full immersion with total real world isolation is not necessary and even dangerous. Outer noises should be coming in to save yourself from a possible incident, especially outside. Ok, you can use only 1 channel… But in this case, when only 1 IEM is used – you are risking to get a headache, or worse. Therefore, the best option in such usage would be to use earbuds instead of IEMs. For example, such excellent options as Ourart ACG or Ti7.



Device in use:

Since FiiO UTWS3 is quite sophisticated device it requires some learning of control operations. Initially, you would have to charge the cradle and ear hooks (inside the cradle). It takes time, but all 3 devices take charge simultaneously which is a step up from a previous version where you would have to charge each channel separately. Just wait for all 3 LEDs on the cradle to go off – it means that charging is compete. As soon as the cradle top cover is opened – both ear hooks come into life with auto power on function (power goes off when top cover gets closed) and the initial pairing process starts (center cradle LED flashes white and red). Now you can proceed with Bluetooth device discovery on your source device.



You should be able to locate FiiO UTWS3 L (or FiiO UTWS3 R or FiiO UTWS3 L/R) at this stage and connect to it, responding with “allow” whenever requested. This would result in device pairing with both channels connected at the same time. Compatible sources should report aptX as Bluetooth audio codec currently in use. FiiO UTWS3 is ready from now on. We would also recommend to get FiiO Control app from Android/iOS store to gain full control over this device. This application would allow to:

• check each channel battery state
• check and upgrade FW version
• change button functions
• set idle state power off timeout
• enable and tune EQ
• tweak audio settings and change voice language
• reset the device, clear pairing
• read user guide

By the time of writing this review FiiO has already released the new FW: 0.2.46 which has bug fixes and new volume logics listed in the changelog. The process of upgrading requires that only one channel should be upgraded at at time – means, the second channel should be in OFF state. It takes about 2-3 minutes/channel to upgrade and can be performed with OTA or local FW *.bin file. Further pairing reset and reconnect is also mandatory. Done in the following steps:

1. Place both channels in cradle
2. Press and hold button on cradle for 12 seconds to reset and power off
3. Ear hooks would get back to life automatically in couple of seconds and synchronize to each other
4. Now it is possible to connect again

Other cradle button functions:

• Long press for 3 seconds – enter pairing mode
• Long press for 12 seconds – reset pairing
• Short press – remaining battery in cradle

Indications:

• R and L white LED pulses – ear hooks charging (for 15 seconds with no USB power supply, constantly – with USB power supply)
• R and L white LED pulses go OFF – ear hooks charged
• Central white LED ON for 5 sec after opening top cover of pressing button – cradle remaining battery >20%
• Central red LED ON for 5 sec after opening top cover of pressing button – cradle remaining battery <20%
• Central white LED pulses – cradle takes charge
• Central white LED ON – cradle fully charged
• Central LED pulses white and red – ear hooks pairing in process when in cradle

Left ear hook button:

• Single click:
  • Resume playback
  • Decrease volume
  • Answer call
• Double click:
  • Pause
• Triple click:
  • Activate voice assistant
• Long press:
  • Previous track
  • Hang up
  • Decline a call

Right ear hook button:

• Single click:
  • Resume playback
  • Increase volume
  • Answer call
• Double click:
  • Pause
• Triple click:
  • Activate voice assistant
• Long press:
  • Next track
  • Hang up
  • Decline a call

For both channels when not in cradle:

• In OFF state – press for 1 second to power ON
• In On state – press for 5 seconds to power OFF

Huh… Requires some time to memorize…



As stated in the description, full charge would allow to use each channel for ~5.5 – 7 hours (which is close to real world figures) and the cradle would also allow to fully charge both channels for 5 times.

No problems were met during pairing process, real world usage, charging or upgrading the firmware. FiiO UTWS3 declared functionality seems to be fully implemented and thoroughly polished. Phone calls don’t disappoint either, providing good voice quality and smplartphone-level noise cancelling performance. Buttons do the job as expected and defined above.



Sound quality:

Now, to the most interesting part. Our testing setup would be HiBy R5 Sabre DAP + FiiO UTWS3 + ArtMagic DH3 (15Ohms) IEMs and aptX codec. We would leave out examining sound with SBC or AAC as less capable codecs, not worth of attention if you have already spent more than $500 for the entire setup. Qualcomm QCC3020 chip over AptX, at least, gives you 16bit/48kHz at 384 kbit/s and frequency response 20Hz – 22.7kHz. More than CD quality but not HD yet.



DH3 are hybrid, easy to drive IEMs with only 15Ohms impedance and 105dB sensitivity. It results in ~55mW of power from UTWS3 which is more than enough to squeeze out the appropriate dynamics and volume level. Such IEMs would get very loud, almost unbearable. Anything sensitive up to 50Ohms should be driven adequately.



Since UTWS3 feels quite linear in tuning, there won’t be any accents on either range other than IEMs would produce on its own. In comparison to cable connection, a certain model of IEMs would sound quite similar, with slightly less clarity on treble, slight decrease in overall resolution and texturing. First addresses Bluetooth codec potential that usually strikes the highest octaves, while the resolution suffers from the limited potential of hardware processing packed to a single chip with significantly reduced element base. But this is only in comparison to HiRes DAP as a source. If to compare UTWS3 to a regular smartphone output sound – some of its aspects would even get improved. For example – midbass dynamics.



In overall, UTWS3 lows feel quite collected and contoured rather than deep or extended, midbass has appealing dynamics and power, mids are linear, with moderate resolution and good balance between male and female vocals, lower treble feels calm and delicate while the extension is slightly below the average. We wouldn’t insist that UTWS3 is capable to substitute wire for a quality-aware listener, neither we would say that UTWS3 cannot substitute wire when necessary for any audio fan. Since it doesn’t add any coloration to regular sound of your favorite IEMs or earbuds – it is a good option whenever wires limit your mobility.



Compared to Hidizs H2: completely different formfactor, still portable, much more capable in terms of Bluetooth codecs (aptX HD, LDAC, UAT) but at the same time – more limited in power output and more susceptible to audio lag. Yes, Hidizs H2 has its numerous strong points but FiiO UTWS3 are far better if the usage scenario is portable everyday use. Especially with a smartphone, when you want to answer calls. Sound-wise, both are neutral sources for IEMs and both behave quite similar. H2, of course, has more potential due to HD codecs but cannot drive similar loads as FiiO UTWS3 do.



Compared to ColorFly BT-C1: almost similar to Hidizs H2, ColorFly represents a standalone product with less portability in mind. It is a closer match to UTWS3 due to only aptX codec support and same power output level. It is very neutral, if not to say boring. Mostly designed to be used as a shelf receiver for active speakers. Not a contender for its planned way if use and less appealing tuning.



Compared to TFZ X1: perhaps the closest match of those, but in a formfactor of IEMs with inbuilt Bluetooth receiver. Less universal, limited to only 1 sound character, less sophisticated in terms of functions and much worse during the phone calls. Overall user experience of TFZ X1 is far from ideal – buttons are too small, LEDs are almost invisible, noise cancelling not good. But the build quality is decent, aptX is supported and sound is quite impressive. FiiO UTWS3 definitely wins, thanks to the possibility of connecting different IEMs.



Conclusion:

Perhaps, FiiO UTWS3 is currently the best representative of what Bluetooth TWS product should be like. Polished in a second iteration, free of bugs or limitations, with adequate revised logics – this product provides strong user experience and stellar performance in the most universal formfactor. Neckbands, TWS IEMs, standalone receivers – all would be less capable or portable in everyday use, either not allowing to switch end gear or to perform routine activities in the most convenient way. FiiO UTWS3, with the idea of universal wireless receiver for any IEMs or earbuds, does the trick in a best possible way, providing audio fans with enough quality and regular user with the appropriate level of comfort and functionality. Or the mixture of those, as the most valuable result. We would definitely stick to this product for a long period as the most universal option currently available on the market…

FiiO UTWS3 official page: LINK

FiiO UTWS3 purchase link on Amazon: LINK

FiiO UTWS3 purchase link on AliExpress: LINK

This would be the first sample of IEMs from the respected and popular brand Shanling that ever got to our hands. Not only the first for us, but also new to the market. Shanling (Shenzhen Shanling Electronics Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China) was founded 33 years ago and all that time stays active, building up the experience, growing, diversifying product range and expanding to the new markets. Judging from brand history and current lineup, for the past 10 years, their focus has shifted from stationary music DACs, amplifiers and players to HiRes portable audio. First DAP was introduced long ago, in 2014, while the first IEMs – ME100 – were introduced only four years after, in 2018. Now, Shanling, on mass market, is mostly known and respected for their modern and sophisticated high quality / high resolution “M”-series portable audio players which collected various industry nominations and awards along with lots of positive feedback from the customers.

Now, back to IEMs. Since 2018 and first ME100 model, Shanling has released a full bunch of dynamic or hybrid IEMs with “ME” prefix in name and one pure armature model AE3. Most of “ME” models are based on similar proprietary “water droplet” design principle, while only 2 models incorporate very familiar so-called “custom” design shape. Currently, “ME” series consists of the following models: ME100 (dynamic), ME200 (hybrid), ME500 (hybrid), ME500 Platinum Edition (hybrid), ME700 (hybrid). But there is one new single dynamic driver model – ME80 which is a topic of our review today. Shanling ME80 has been introduced few weeks ago, intended as the youngest in the lineup, targets the lower budget and might be considered as a successor to the ME100.



Why a successor? ME80 is also based on similar size single DD unit, shares most of specs and based in the similar design. So, the specs are as following:

• Driver: single DD, 10mm, dual magnet, PU + PEEK composite diaphragm (proprietary, 3rd gen.)
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
• Sensitivity: 111 +/-3dB
• Impedance: 16Ohms
• Cable: 1,3m, silver-plated copper, detachable, MMCX connectors
• Plug: 3.5mm SE
• Weight: 5.7g

As stated at the official Shanling website – ME80 have been certified by JAS (Japan Audio Society) as Hi-Res audio device due to extended frequency response range, reaching up to 40kHz.



Packaging, design and fit:

Shanling ME80 is shipped in beautiful but not logistics-friendly box. It is quite big for the products of this size which, in its turn, allows to create very positive initial impression. First goes the outer colorful box cover with glossy product picture, name, logo and HiRes certification imprints at the front and product details at the back. Followed by the box itself – stiff black matt carboard with glossy Shanling logo embossed right at the center of the facing side.



Box is equipped with wall hanger and special strap for the ease of opening. The insides disclose perfectly secured IEM units and accessories resting in special cutouts made in very thick soft foamy insert. Every piece of this bundle has its own dedicated place, furthermore, some even have the additional labels and specifications located on the insert (our guess that those are made by a laser).



Very neat, perfectly organized and appealing packaging, especially for the perfectionists. So, the box contents are:

• IEMs (facing parts are additionally protected from the scratches by pre-applied adhesives)
• 7 pairs of silicone eartips
  • 1 pair (size M) is fitted to IEMs
  • 3 pairs (size S, M, L) of vocal-oriented eartips
  • 3 pairs (size S, M, L) of balance-oriented eartips
• Audio cable with plastic protection cap for 3,5mm SE plug
• Leather storage case
• Small brush for cleaning
• User Manual

Nice and rich contents indeed. Having cleaning brush, plastic cap and this amount of eartips included is not very regular. There were lots of IEMs of other brands passing through our hands and we can tell for sure that this is one of the best in terms of design and amount of accessories.



One of the main accessory – the leather case – is decent. It is large enough to store IEMs together with couple of cables, all eartips and cleaning brush. Its inner part is fully covered with soft cloth to prevent any damages and scratches to the contents while the locking is achieved by using pretty strong inbuilt magnet. And it also features Shanling logo embossment.



Stock interchangeable cable seems to be a good pair for the IEMs, although we always willing to find balanced version among the accessories which almost never happens. Anyway, this cable is 1.3 meters silver-plated copper strands packed to semi-transparent silicone braid, ending with MMCX connectors at one side and 3.5mm SE plug at the other. Furthermore, cable is equipped with aluminum Y-splitter, limiter and plug housing, plastic IEM connector housings and springy pre-shaped ear guides. Left and right channel connectors have the corresponding blue and red aluminum ring indicators. Cable is also protected from bending next to the plug by a special silicone tube.



Concerning the selection of different eartips – we are not ready to declare that there is evident influence of balanced or vocal-oriented eartips on the resulting sound. The change is subtle and only perceptible during the A|B tests. What definitely makes the effect on the sound is the size of the eartips and how well do they fit to your ears. Slightly less deep and tight – and there is almost no lows which are affected at the first place. Therefore, we would say that instead of different pairs of eartips for different sound signatures, we would prefer to have other types and materials, like memory foam, flanged, etc., in order to find the most comfortable pair.



Now, back to ME80 IEMs. As Shanling states, ME80 shells are made of 6000 series aluminum alloy. Shells consist of two parts, perfectly aligned together. Surface finish is smooth but matt. Color reminds of a titanium. The central design elements and what dedicates the most to the overall beauty of these IEMs are Shanling logos covered with transparent droplet-like glass inserts. The tandem looks gorgeous especially when catching some light reflections. We also like that cable connector bases have red and blue ring indicators for the cable.



Output nozzles make one piece with the base part of the shell and protected with the aluminum filter grills. One compensational opening is located near the nozzle base and the other one is on the backside edge of the shell.



In overall, the design is pretty attractive, tidy and appealing while the size of the shells is compact. IEMs are smaller than regular “custom” shaped units or many single dynamic driver models.

What about the fit? Not much to say here. Despite that the output nozzles look kind of short – in real life it doesn’t cause any troubles for us. Shells are small and convex, allowing nozzles to utilize its full length and sit pretty deep. Ear guides help a lot to fix the construction in place, even during active movements. Therefore, ME80 are quite universal and should be comfortable for the most of the people, but we would recommend prior tests if there is such possibility.



Sound tests:

Our sound tests were conducted with the following setup: HiBy R5 Sabre DAP, 4.4mm MMCX BL cable by Penon Audio + Shanling ME80 IEMs. We should mention here that ME80 are irregularly easy to drive dynamic IEMs, since the impedance is only 16Ohms and the sensitivity is quite high (111 +/-3 dB). Such IEMs would be perfect choice for any audio source with limited output power and even for a smartphone. It is kind of rare now that dynamic model possess such specs mostly common to armature or hybrid models. On the other hand, ME80 is more susceptible to higher noise floor and very dependent of the track recording quality. The best combination is using it with high quality DAPs or DACs, SE connection (or BL if it has very good circuit design) and high quality tracks. Otherwise, ME80 would retrieve and reflect all discrepancies in sound.



Lows: similarly to most of the single dynamic IEMs, despite its cost, the performance of lows would depend of the amount instruments on stage. Slow genres with low instrument saturation result in decent bass extension, contouring and texturing. Moreover, under the same circumstances this range is perfectly controlled, not overemphasized and accurately delivered. We would say that it is even impressive for 1DD model with 10mm diaphragm. Although, when more instruments step in, or with fast genres – lows become more blurred and start to bleed in, not quite keeping up with the overall dynamics. This effect is not crucial, rather quite regular for such types of IEMs, therefore, reducing the first excitement. Nevertheless, the overall performance of lows and midbass in ME80 is compelling and on level with similarly priced rivals.



Mids: despite being slightly recessed in comparison to lows or treble, ME80 mids has managed to retain the best characteristics of modern dynamic drivers – thick and full-bodied presentation decorated with high amount of details resulting from the decent lower treble and virtual resolution. Such approach provides more air and separation to the dense and thick sound, at the same time avoiding extra peaks or sibilance on female vocals. We like the clarity of mids together with smooth and even delivery of this range. Kind of velvet presentation, good layering and defined boundaries of every single sound even at high volume level. In overall, mids do sound little warm even despite the influence from lower treble.



Treble: this the most impressive part of ME80 performance. Surprisingly crisp and clear, with decent extension and vast amount of tiny details. Such performance is mostly common to armature drivers and rarely met among dynamic models. Furthermore, it is slightly elevated in gain in comparison to other ranges, therefore accented and emphasized. Not too much, though. Again, it only creates the additional virtual resolution as it was said before and does not produce any negative results. Another slight emphasis on lows perfectly balances such treble tuning, shifting the perception to almost balanced and linear feel.

Soundstage: ME80 are quite moderate and not revealing in this respect. Instruments do not tend to mix, all have defined locations but the stage feels quite narrow in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. Only the binaural recordings sound wide, with lots if air and distant placement.



Sound in overall: Shanling ME80 sound can be described as slightly V-shaped, tending to colder, brighter coloration – with slight accent on lows and more emphasis on treble which is the most impressive here. Lows have very good performance in slow music genres, with good extension and texturing, mids always stay perfectly detailed, quite thick and smooth while treble is a stunning part indeed. Concerning its single dynamic driver nature – the best result would still be with the slow music genres and small amount of instruments. Blues, rock ballads, jazz, pop, rap, hip-hop… Not very good for speed metal, hard rock or orchestra.



Compared to Anew U1: Perhaps, the closest match for the comparison. Anew U1 and Shanling ME80 are almost similarly priced and both deserve the admiration. Most of the sound characteristics are very close, although ME80 are little bit more V-shaped and tuned towards treble, showing more musicality and exhibiting its virtue this way. Moreover, ME80 have a strong advantage of being free of unpleasing peaks on female vocals that were spotted in Anew U1 performance. But again, both models are impressively good for a single dynamic driver IEMs and the main difference is that Anew U1 is more balanced and strict while Shanling ME80 are more V-shaped and amusing.



Compared to TFZ No.3: The differences here are much more pronounced. TFZ No.3 sound much darker, with much more emphasis on lows. Treble portion here is not that capable as in ME80 and not sufficient to balance such accent on lows. Dark, warm and thick sound with lack of clarity a result. Shanling ME80 perceived much more balanced afterwards, sound is more accurate, saturated with lots of detail and textures.



Conclusion:

Shanling ME80 is a good contender for the price from any standpoint. Rich bundle contents, high build quality, universal fit and, what is the most important – appealing sound with some impressive characteristics. ME80 price is justified by more accurate delivery compared to cheaper models and at the same time are tuned to stay off the dry or analytical sound. Its non-tiring musicality is free of negative effects which proves Shanling’s mature experience in this field. The virtues are extraordinary good treble, not expected from dynamic IEMs, smooth, velvet mids and deep, textured bass. Excellent option for the fans of dynamic technology, especially with HiRes audio sources and tracks in possession.

Shanling ME80 official page: LINK

Where to buy Shanling ME80: LINK

About a year ago we had our hands at HiBy R5 – one of the best mid-class HiRes audio DAPs around, running on relatively fresh version of Android 8.1 OS, quite good HW configuration (Snapdragon 425 CPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM) and packed with all modern features like direct audio transport, USB DAC, Bluetooth DAC, streaming services, LDAC and UAT codecs, etc. Of course, time passes and such configuration inevitably getting less capable. Definitely, it is not about HiBy R5 if you consider what it is intended for.


If we are to use this DAP for its main purpose – music in all of its forms and with all necessary applications – HW configuration still stays snappy, compatible and even excessive. Do not load it with games or unnecessary utilities and R5 would serve you till the end of times. We have used it heavily for about a year and have not experienced any problems ever since. There were several OTA FW updates pushed by HiBy that brought R5 even closer to perfection and neither one led to UI slow down, only the improvements. Since the main application that utilizes all HW possibilities is HiBy Music – HiBy, as a sole coder and manufacturer of the device, knows its capabilities and limitations. This gives HiBy a great chance to polish all edges and resolve any compatibility issues. And they are taking this chance very serious, indeed. The performance of R5 stays perfectly adequate, despite one year from release.


New HiBy R5s has been announced one month ago and is already on sales. It is based on similar HW configuration and runs similar Android version. The only difference to its predecessor stated among other specification is changing from two Texas Instrument 1612 to 1642 operational amplifiers (OPA) serving a role of low-pass filters (the latter is true JFET OPA and has lower quiescent current) which are paired with two AD8397ARDZ high speed OPAs from Audio Devices to deliver the impressive 564mW/channel @ 32Ω at balanced output. Such high power output allows R5 and R5s to lead in the class and drive “hard loads” (low sensitivity | high impedance IEMs and headphones). Sound wise, HiBy states that the changes in HW are resulting at better retrieval of details and slightly colder tonality. But we would examine this later.

So, let us remind you about the full specs list for HiBy R5s:

General HW&SW:

• Operating System: Android 8.1
• SoC: Snapdragon 425
• No. of CPU Cores: 4
• CPU Max Frequency: 1.4GHz
• Display: 4.0 inches, IPS
• Resolution: 540*1080
• PPI: 300
• Touchscreen control
• RAM: 2GB
• Internal Storage: 16GB
• External Storage: Up tp 512GB + via 1 micro SD card
• Firmware Update: Over-the-air or from a file
• Text Size: Ajustable
• 3rd Party Apps Unrestricted access via Google Play and apk download

Audio:

• DAC: CS43198 x 2
• C43198 dual crystal oscillators (45.1584 + 49.152MHz)
• LPF:1642 x 2
• OPA: AD8397ARDZ x 2
• Max output power: 1040mW+1040mW@16Ω / 564mW+564mW@32Ω
• Headphone Impedance: 16~300Ω
• EQ Adjustments: 10 bands (±12dB)
• MSEB function
• Channel Balance: L 10dB to R 10dB
• Gain Level: Low / High
• USB DAC: PCM/DoP/Native
• Headphone Output: 3.5mm
• Balanced Headphone Output: 4.4mm
• Line Out: 3.5mm LO
• Balanced Line Out: 4.4mm LO
• Digital Out: SPDIF (USB out)
• MQA up to 8x unfold

Connectivity:

• WIFI: 5GHz/2.4GHz, supports IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n protocols
• Two-way Bluetooth 4.2 (supports: apt-X, apt-X HD, LDAC, UAT)
• Bluetooth Bidirectional DAC
• HiBy Link function
• USB Type C (USB2.0 data rate)
• USB USB storage, USB DAC IN/OUT

Physical:

• Buttons: 6 physical buttons
• Button Definitions: Power/Previous/Pause/Next/Volume Up/Volume Down
• Dimensions: 107.7*61.2*15.6mm

Power:

• Power Supply: 9V/1.5A
• Battery: 3500mAh
• Charge Protocol: QC3.0
• 18 hours playback with 3.5mm SE and 11 hours with 4.4mm BL

Most important features of this DAP:

Dual Cirrus Logic’s CS43198: Cirrus Logic audio products with the MasterHIFI™ and SmartHIFI™ designed to meet the highest standard in high-fidelity audio playback. MasterHIFI and SmartHIFI products deliver the very best performance in sound clarity and pure, euphoric audio listening.

Combines Headphone & Line Out functions: both 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports support headphone and line out functions. Thanks to battery space and efficiency optimizations, this palm-sized powerhouse outputs balanced power up to 1040mW+1040mW@16Ω and 564mW+564mW@32Ω, yet manages to last up to 11 hours balanced / 18 hours SE.

DTA Architecture: Android sample rate conversion bypass. Its DTA Android global lossless output technology ensuring that sound output and reception would not be interfered with.

UAT (Ultra Audio Transmission): the ultimate Bluetooth HiFi audio quality provided by audio codec developed by HiBy. Supporting an industry-highest sample rate of 192kHz and data bandwidth of 1.2Mbps.

Two-way Bluetooth: HiBy R5s supports two-way Bluetooth, which can be used as a Bluetooth transmitter or receiver.

MQA: R5 and R5s support MQA unfold up to 8X.


Packaging and design:

HiBy R5s box differs slightly from its previous version as of R5. It still has similar dimensions and color theme but there are few new design elements: additional layer of outer wrap with glossy DAP picture at facing part, “R5 Saber” label on the edge and large “S” sign at the back. Therefore, the box clearly states which R5 version it belongs to. The insides haven’t changed: R5s rests in a soft insert on the top level while all of the accessories are stored at two separate compartments underneath.


Box contents:

• HiBy R5s DAP (with pre-applied screen and back panel protective films)
• Memory card insertion clip
• USB type-C -> USB cable
• Leather case
• 1 extra screen protector
• User manual
• Couple of leaflets concerning warranty

The difference with R5 here is the new high quality leather case instead of a silicone one. This case is looks great, perfectly crafted and has special cutouts with very thin leather layers over the buttons. It even allows you to see the color of the state LED on power button. No problems with accessing any of outputs on the bottom edge.


Although, one thing you should be aware of – take care when putting R5s inside for the first time. This case has a very slim and tight fit and might peel off both protective films from screen and back panel. It would stretch a bit later and the problem would not bother you anymore.


Physically, HiBy R5s reminds of golden era of smartphone introduction to the market. It dimensions are close to such great representatives as HTC Desire and Google Nexus 1. Perfectly comfortable for one hand operation with the screen size of 4 inches. Although, the resolution and screen density is quite high for such physical display size – 300PPI. Its chassis is a unibody piece of aluminum with tiny surface grains and 15.6mm thickness that makes it feel very secure and monolithic in a hand.


Front and back almost completely covered with screen and glass panels and if there were smaller curvature of the edges – this device would be very close to what we call “frameless”. Moreover, beautiful glass panels also cover top and bottom edges and serve a design purpose as well. We like those are nearly transparent and you could see the housings of the output ports through it.


One more reason to admire R5 and R5s design is the physical buttons. First, it is always better to have such convenient way of control over the main functions of music application and second – buttons look good and feel good. The force that you need to apply is close to perfect while the actuation ends up with a tangible click. Furthermore, buttons are tight enough to eliminate any accident presses in a pocket.


Additionally, power button is equipped with multi-color LED that indicates different DAP states as well as the sampling rate of the currently playing track. Such feature is shared across all HiBy DAPs, plus you would find the same in FD1 DAC.


R5s top edge is left blank of any elements and controls while all line out, phone outputs and USB port are located at the bottom. Right edge contains power, play|pause, next and previous buttons. Volume controls are on the left edge together with the microSD card slot.

HiBy R5s in use:

Screen:

Some paragraphs in the sections below would be directly deposited from our review of HiBy R5 since there is no change in the HW, SW or performance in R5s DAP version.


Surely, this is one of the best screens you would find among all current DAPs. HiBy didn’t hesitate to provide excellent user experience in terms of virtual controls in its Android-based player. Expect similar behavior of 4 inch multitouch IPS as in any high-quality smartphone. Virtually, there is no distance between screen glass and panel, all finger interactions with virtual elements are precise.


Screen density of 300PPI is totally enough for this physical size to maintain the balance between very detailed picture and size of the elements. HiBy R6Pro still holds the lead as the DAP with the best screen but R5s is a only a fraction behind: brightness level and contrast are almost equal while the sensitivity and sharpness of R6Pro screen is still slightly better.


No visible change in LCD quality in early R5 v/s current R5s versions. The only thing that we were able to distinguish is a slightly colder LCD calibration visible only in the direct comparison. Picture is bright, crisp and vibrant in both DAP versions.

UI and usability:

In general, Android OS and stock UI feel great on the chosen Snapdragon 425 platform. It’s working fast, with fluent system animations and good response. 2GB RAM might become a limitation in case if to load too many apps but the main idea of this device is to deliver best audio quality with stock HiBy Music app. Several other apps like Youtube, Tidal, etc won’t do much difference and would coexist perfectly. Just remember not to open to many tabs in browser, as always. Some slight hiccups when scrolling through songs were found in HiBy Music application right after the initial track list was populated by running SD card scan function. When indexing was over — scrolling became more smooth and predictable.


As we have already stated in the begging of this article – despite incorporating quite average platform specifications as for now, R5s and R5 DAPs both keep up perfectly in all scenarios they are intended for. Main music application, Google Play, Tidal and Qobuz are running smooth and snappy. Furthermore, concerning the stated applications – neither freezes or any kind of misbehavior were met. At least almost for a year of using R5 and for about a week of using R5s. But again: we have never loaded any apps apart from Tidal & Qobuz. Hiby Music was always the default one for local audio tracks.

Connectivity:

One of the best thing about R5 and R5s is the amount of connectivity options leading to the different usage scenarios. First of all — they have combined 3.5mm SE / 4.4mm Balanced phone outputs with LO options.


Next is the bi-directional Bluetooth that allows the reception or sending audio stream with the most sophisticated wireless protocols such as Sony LDAC. Moreover, Bluetooth supports UAT codec as well — highest quality of Bluetooth audio (192kHz, 1.2Mbps) currently available on the market and developed by HiBy. Usage scenarios are numerous: you can send audio from DAP to wireless headphones / end gear, from a smartphone to DAP to wireless or wired headphones / end gear, you can also gain full control over DAP from a smartphone over Bluetooth with HiBy Link function. Or you can use HiBy Link as audio server.


Dual band Wi-Fi (up to “n” protocol) is also on board to allow internet connection, HiBy Link function and streaming audio services. The quality of the connection is not that perfect as you have used to with smartphones but it is enough to deliver no hiccups in audio streaming services and no problems with Youtube buffering. Just keep in mind that such problems might occur if you have some shady reception areas at your home.

Finally, there is USB DAC / SPDIF out functions to use this player as external USB audio card or as a transport. Besides the native Windows driver for USB DAC, HiBy released a dedicated ASIO driver for their DAP lineup. Such driver delivers the best audio quality in Windows environment, bypassing any system processing. At the same time, ASIO drivers regularly produce more audio lag and the best option to use R5 and R5s while watching video with no lag would be to use Windows native driver instead.

Power usage:

Both version of players are equipped with 3500mAh batteries and quick charging ability with Qualcomm QC3.0 standard. Such capacity would usually give us ~17 hours of music playback with 3.5mm SE output and ~11H hours with balanced output. Those figures are almost similar to declared ones but only achievable with the screen off and at ~60% volume. Battery deterioration on R5 after a year of use is not significant, ~5%. Since R5s has the same battery and power output – we do not expect any changes here.


Updates:

In contrary to some less customer-oriented brands, HiBy actively supports its products and constantly increases functionality and usability. Moreover, FW upgrades can be performed manually by downloading update file and launching update function from system menu, or updates could be delivered over the air (OTA). We remember at least 6 upgrades to R5 in one year. And there was the first FW upgrade to R5s already. ASIO driver was also added some time after the initial R5 launch. Therefore, we expect HiBy to make further improvements and bug fixes of any would be reported by the community in future. As a company, HiBy is pretty responsive and value product feedback coming from the wild.


Sound:

Tested with AudioTechnica ATH-M50, Tanchjim Oxygen, Magaosi K6, Earnine EN2J, Moondrop Kanas Pro, Anew U1, HIFI BOY OSV3…

Lows and midbass:

R5s has textured and perfectly outlined lows with enough presence and absence of the accent on this range. Bass is deep with fast decay. Lows are clear, naturally fill the space and perfectly separated from mids and treble. Bass remains fully perceptible at all volume levels. Midbass section feels powerful and have enough dynamics to deliver drums naturally. Sound stays neutral here — no evident influence from lower or higher ranges. Bass texturing is obvious, large amount of details and clear contouring.

Mids and vocals:

Vocals as well as the instruments in mids are quite thick and dense. The perceptible resolution is impressive and seems to be slightly raised by the influence of treble. Very slight emotional bloom here and there on female vocals and upper mid range instruments. Although, no screaming notes and no hisses. Male and female voices sound naturally and equally exposed. Instrument separation is decent which also helps to define a larger stage. In overall, mids feel smooth, quite thick and mellow with a slight emotional touch on higher portion.


Treble:

Treble is clear and crisp while seems to be very slightly more exposed than lows. It produces a bit cold sound with no tendency to show the excessive amount of sibilance. It is less delicate than in R6Pro, thus giving the sound more transparency and brightness. The overall signature of R5s is slightly brighter and colder because of that (in comparison to R6Pro). The resolution on this range is great, huge amount of details and impressive extension.

Soundstage:

R5s produces large imaginary stage in both — width and depth. Stage is very large when paired with good IEMs over balanced type of connection. Precise instrument locations, defined contours, good layering between the ranges and distinct sound of all the instruments.


Compared to R5:

Honestly, it was kind of a quest for us to understand the difference in sound signatures of R5 and R5s DAPs. They sound very similar at first few tries. The more you listen, the more R5s reveals its nature in A|B test comparisons. But the important note here is the end gear. If we were trying to find any differences with average-quality IEMs | speakers – no luck. Switching to a high-quality gear gives the expected results. Therefore, R5s is more demanding than R5 concerning the quality of IEMs, speakers or headphones. For instance, the most revealing IEMs for us were Tanchjim Oxygen, Moondrop SSP, Shozy & NEO BG… All of those have one thing in common – high resolving potential and slightly cold -> very cold tonality. The best pair were SHOZY & NEO BG – pure armature multi-driver units with fast response, excellent dynamics and high resolution. Such tandem shows more details and assertiveness in sound when compared to R5 as a source. The majority of details and more aggressive delivery occurs on mid -> lower high frequencies best served by specifically tuned IEMs. V-shaped, high-quality gear is ideal. In case of pairing R5s with warm or neutral IEMs – these deviations with R5 sound fade away, still leaving you with an impressive audio quality in overall, a bit warmer and slightly less detailed.


Compared to R6Pro:

R6Pro definitely has more reference-like neutral sound with a little accent on delivering and resolving lows. It sounds mellow and warm with high amount of harmonics in lower and mid ranges. Treble is very delicate and calm. HiBy R5s is less oriented towards lows, exposing and resolving treble more. This leads to more emotional, energetic and brighter sound signature. Although, R5s and R6Pro have similarly good texturing on bass and large soundstage.


Conclusion:

The main question is to be or not to be, as usual. Currently, HiBy has both DAPs – R5 and R5 Saber edition on sales. Is $50 price difference justified by the resulting improvements in sound? We would say – yes, with a couple of exceptions. In fact, Sabre sound version is definitely more resolving and delivered more aggressively but the DAP is dependent of end gear quality and tuning. It is a demanding source that hides the full potential until released by the right type IEMs, speakers or headphones. Fortunately, even with less capable end gear, R5s sounds similarly impressive as its predecessor – neither changing the tonality nor the overall perception. Consequently, the only one correct conclusion we can make: go for R5s in case of possessing/planning high-quality end gear to pair with this DAP or in case of willing to invest in a source with more potential. Otherwise, you can stick to R5 base version, save some budget and still get stellar performance and class-leading sound in mid-class DAP segment. Choose one….

HiBy R5s can be purchased at HiBy official store HERE

Hiby R5 can be purchased at HiBy official store HERE

Moondrop — one of my favorite brands in dynamic IEMs since the first try on their popular Kanas Pro model that has received a very warm welcome on the market. This was a very close match to Tanchjim Oxygen — my «end game» in the same category among all single dynamic driver IEMs, additionally having significantly lower price tag and better fit. Kanas Pro sound lacks a touch of delicacy in this comparison but the overall quality and satisfaction from listening is really close to the leader…



Anyway, high standards for Moondrop IEMs has already been set in the minds of the followers and the expectations about the future products derive from that. Considering today’s topic — Moondrop SSP — price is more than adequate and the declared specs are impressive, at least on the paper. We have received our sample from SHENZHENAUDIO store and ready to share the experience.



Moondrop SSP is produced by Moondrop Technology Co. Ltd located in China. Company was founded in 2015, starting its way with high quality earbuds and later developing such respected IEM series as «Kanas», «Blessing» and «Reference». Currently, the company is focused only at this market, investing all knowledge, experience and resources to developing new remarkable products.



SSP (Super Spaceship Pulse) IEMs have another relative product named SSR (Super Spaceship Reference). Both have similar design, structure and diaphragm but tuned slightly different by the means of damper selection. Pulse are more V-shaped whereas Reference are more linear.

Moondrop SSP specifications:

• Type: single dynamic driver IEMs
• Diaphragm: Beryllium-Coated Dome+PU Suspension Ring
• Coil: 0.035mm-CCAW (Daikoku)
• Magnet: N52-Neodymium High Density Magnetic Circuit
• Acoustic Fiter: Patented Anti-blocking Filter
• Frequency Response Range: 20-20000Hz (IEC60318-4)
• Frequency Response Range: 20-40000Hz (1/4 Inch Free field Mic)
• Impedance: 16Ω@1kHz
• Sensitivity: 112dB/Vrms@1kHz
• THD: <=1%
• Housing Material: Amorphous Metal Alloy Housing
• Cable: Silver Plated 4N-Litz OFC
• Connectors: 0.78mm, 2pin
• Jack: 3,5mm single-ended

Impedance | sensitivity figures here are showing that SSP is pretty versatile model and should be easy to drive to an appropriate level even with a regular smarphone audio output.



Packaging and design:

Not sure how Moondrop is involved into anime drawings but the main theme used on both SSR and SSP boxes are exhibiting such images. As well as most of the rest IEMs and earbuds in their lineup. Perhaps, someone in the company has a talent and hobby to draw such, or there is a corresponding colaboration with anime artists which results not only in such package design, but also promotes this movement through the official website.



In either case, the customer receives small rigid box, with anime artwork at front and sticker with the product details on the back side. IEMs are neatly packed inside and held at place by a special foam insert while the rest of the accessories are stored in a separate box in compartment below.



This box seems very familiar to us — almost the same packaging with slightly different dimensions is used in Tanchjim Cora IEMs. This is not a surprise that different brands might be using OEM/ODM packaging from other suppliers.



SSP IEMs come with the next list of accessories:

• 2pin, 0.78mm audio cable with 3.5mm SE terminal
• 3 pairs of silicone eartips
• soft pouch
• couple of leaflets

Is it only us, or most of the manufacturers start to include less amount of eartips? We remember the times when there were 10-12 pairs included, along with a couple more pairs of the memory foam eartips… Anyway, 3 pairs with L, M, S size should be enough to find the best fit and would last long with the appropriate cleaning and treatment.



SSP shells consist of two metal alloy parts with matt rough finish. The design and shape is kind of irregular with some interesting details and findings. For example, a single golden screw not only holds top cover and base together, but also plays a role of central design element and ends up with the additional compensation opening on the base.



Another compensation opening is located on the body of the output nozzle. Good combination of blue shells and golden screws. By the way, output nozzles are pretty long which should lead to a good wearing comfort.



Both channels have corresponding side indication (L & R notches), aluminum filters and 2pin, 0.78mm gold-plated female connectors. Moondrop insists that the filters are specially designed to allow the best performance and changing to other might result in significant deviation from the original tuning. Spare filters are available for purchase (we hope that one day every brand would design their IEMs so that any filter would be easily removable for cleaning or replacing. Make it magnetic, for instance, but do not glue it at place ).



In overall, SSP IEMs are small, light, with long output nozzles and look beautiful. 2pin cable connectors sit tight.



Stock cable is silver-plated OFC equipped with resin L-shaped terminal housing, plastic Y-splitter, springy ear guides and channel indication in a form of red plastic ring on the right channel. Since it is detachable, there are plenty of options to replace the cable or switch to balanced connection if necessary.

Sound:

We have decided to conduct both tests: with stock SE cable and Hidizs 2.5mm BL cable. Hidizs AP80 (SE connection), AP80Pro (2.5mm BL connection) and HiBy R5 (4.4mm BL connection with iBasso CA-02 BL 4.4mm -> BL 2.5mm) were chosen as a source hardware. Since Moondrop SSP are low impedance | high sensitivity IEMs — any of those DAPs can drive it easily. As for HiBy R5 — it has 1040mW@16Ω per channel on BL output. Not sure if SSP can withstand such power but interesting to understand how it would behave when driven to maximum



Moondrop SSP are V-shaped IEMs with slight gain elevation on lows (40 — 100Hz), significant gain peak on treble (4-6kHz). According to the graph, volume difference between mids and lows reach ~7dB while mids to treble — ~17dB. The resulting sound would depend of the quality of IEMs, diaphragm material, damping, fine tuning, mechanical and electrical capabilities. Many low-quality models would suffer of harsh distortions and nasty high peaks even with less apparent V-shaped curve. But we can assure you that SSP is not the case… Moondrop SSP are surprisingly accurate, clean and free of unwanted peaks or distortions even with this type of tuning.



First that we have noticed is a presence of lows in significant amounts, with good volumetric feel, more than average extension and perfectly defined boarders. Bass doesn’t disturb other ranges and fits organically into entire mix despite its overpowered exposure. Midbass feels powerful, tight and very fast. The dynamics and articulation are perfect for a single driver unit that does a lot of job in parallel. The only less impressive aspect of lower range is a moderate amount of details it resolves.



The feel of high resolving potential and large amount of tiny nuances step in on mids and treble. This perception is derived from a specific tuning approach that creates such «virtual» resolution feel by raising gain in lower treble range. Again, SSP does it quite accurately, really adding some sharpness to mids and sparks to treble with no further negative effect. Yes, mids do sound a bit thin and laied back but the emotions and expression are over the edge. No whistling or screaming notes, though.



Treble section here reminds of armature drivers by clean and detailed delivery. Extension is not that great, of course, but the picture in overall is bright, sparkling, airy and detailed. Again, heavy treble elevation is not that frightening in real life as it may seem from the graph. Just adding extra sharpness and brightness.

Another revealing feature of SSP is a width of the soundstage it produces. Impressively wide, with precise instrument placement and good separation at low to mid volume levels. Higher volume levels (closer to maximum) leads to audible blending of instruments and some loss of details.



Sound in overall:

Moondrop SSP sound is impressive in many aspects. Signature is bright but not so cold as with armature units, large amount of accurate lows, excellent performance on midbass, high resolution on mids and treble, emotional delivery on vocals with no negative peaks, wide soundstage… And at the same time, all of this feels less cold, more collected and full-bodied than its close hybrid or armature rivals. SSP still shows the best behavior of dynamic IEMs while brought very close to armature | hybrid sound by its delivery. Not saying that SSP are the best dynamic IEMs ever — still have to learn from such monsters as Tanchjim Oxygen how to sound more delicate and rich — but definitely the leader with this price tag.



One more word about the difference with sources and types of connection. The difference between BL and SE connection with HiBy R5 is hardly perceptible. Perhaps, only the scene width and slightly better instrument separation. But the difference between Hidizs AP80 and HiBy R5 is more obvious. AP80 sound colder that accents SSP brightness even further. Seems that R5 is a better source of SSP after all, as it slightly balances the nature of V-shaped IEMs. Additionally, the resolution of R5 is higher that helps SSP IEMs to sound very impressive.



Compared to: BQEYZ KB100

As a matter of fact, for us, the closest rival to Moondrop SSP excellent performance is the hybrid BQEYZ KB100 IEMs. Similarly impressive in many aspects, both models resemble each other in signature. KB100 are better in treble extension and overall resolution, while SSP are definitely more capable on lows and handle this range better. Soundstage is also better in SSP, while KB100 are not that susceptible to blending at high volume levels.



Compared to: LZ HIFI A6Mini

Another good hybrid rival with double the price and piezo-electric driver. A6Mini have great bass performance and higher resolution in overall. Better lows and treble extension. Where SSP perform better is on mids — not that thin and not that heavily bright, while staying close in the dynamics, amount of bass and clarity. Soundstage is on par.



Conclusion:

Really impressed with Moondrop SSP performance. Rare example when every single technology or feature declared on paper gets finally revealed in the real product. Single dynamic driver that feels as if there are couple additional balanced armature units — large diaphragm for lows and high quality armature for mids and treble. Not blending, not bleeding. Clean, detailed and engaging sound that should satisfy the most demanding ones if V-shaped tuning is the preference. Highly recommended for all types of sources, most of the music genres as well as for everyone who is tired of dry and academic delivery.

Moondrop SSP are available at SHENZHENAUDIO store: LINK

Thank you for reading.

Stay tuned, more articles to come!

Couple of days ago, together with Black Friday discounts for the entire lineup, Hidizs has announced their new product — H2. My sample unit has landed about a week ago and here is my presentation and in-depth write up of this device.



So, what is Hidizs H2? It is a small DAC unit that is positioned by Hidizs as Bluetooth receiver. Although, its functionality goes beyond that definition. Along with acting as a Bluetooth DAC, it allows USB connection as well. I have already been dealing with other Bluetooth standalone receivers from HiBy (W5) and Colorfly (BT-C1), Bluetooth cables for IEMs (Hidizs H1) and tabletop DAC|amps with Bluetooth audio reception (Audinst HUD-DX1 Blue24) but neither one of those was similarly capable in terms of HD audio codecs support or didn’t have USB DAC function. Of course, H2 is not free of some limitations which would be described here later. For now, my point of what makes Hidizs H2 almost unique is that it combines the support of all known Bluetooth HD audio codec and USB DAC function.

Hidizs H2 specs:



As we can see from the specs published by Hidizs, the supported HD Bluetooth codecs cover Qualcomm aptX HD, Sony LDAC and even 192kHz, 1.2Mbps HiBy UAT. Of course, less sophisticated regular codecs such as aptX, SBC, AAC are also supported.

From the standpoint of HW architecture H2 is based on 24bit|192kHz Qualcomm CSR8675 SoC which incorporates Bluetooth 5.0, TrueWireless, WirelessBroadcast and active noise cancelling cVc technologies (yes, H2 does have a mic onboard and allows regular calls with noise cancelling). Amplification is done on behalf of MAX97220 differential amplifier chip. Although, despite theoretical datasheet power output stated as 125mW @ 32Ω, H2 is only producing 8mW|channel with the same impedance. This is the only arguable specification of this device. Nevertheless, as derived from further tests, it still drives 32Ω to an appropriate level and the rest of the specs remain quite impressive.



Packaging and design:

Hidizs H2 comes in a small black matt box standardized across most of the product produced by Hidizs. Box contains silver imprints of specs, manufacturer info and logo together with glossy device outlines.



As a matter of fact, this box could have been much smaller in size since H2 is pretty tiny device and consumes just a fraction of the space inside. It is stored in the special top level insert while all accessories are located in another compartment beneath. Accessories include:

• USB type-C -> USB type-C (host|slave) cable
• USB A -> USB type-C cable
• plastic case|clip
• leaflets, warranty card

H2 housing is made of solid piece of resin (German Makrolon) with front and back glass panels. Such choice of material not only looks great and resembles overall Hidizs design principles, but also stays transparent for the radio waves ensuring the best reception quality.



The design looks clean, simple and attractive at the same time. Personally, I admire the approach of placing logos and text behind glass panels — it makes it shine and protects from any damage. Unfortunately, scratches on the panels are inevitable in future due to the absence of protective film. At the same time there are factory protection films from the box but those are used for transportation purposes. The best way, probably, would be cutting off special peel off projections from this film and leave the rest on the device.



Since H2 has NFC module for easy pairing, it contains NFC logo under the front glass panel. Right edge contains power button and 3-color LED, left — volume up and down button. Mic opening and 3.5mm audio output is located on the top edge while USB type-C port is on the bottom. Buttons are not rattling and have a good actuation feel.



Plastic case|clip is a great accessory which is familiar from Hidizs S9 DAC|amp. It is made of transparent plastic with rough surface finish, securely holds H2, allows easy access to all buttons and doesn’t cover mic opening. Clip spring tension is more than enough to be confident that H2 would not get lost during a workout.



Preparing H2 for use:

Very straight forward: H2 requires ~1.5H to reach the full charge and indicates the process with flashing red LED. There are 2 scenarios after that: either to connect H2 to a smartphone or PC with a cable or to pair it with any device over Bluetooth. Second scenario can be achieved by a regular pairing process or by using NFC of H2 for faster identification and connection. Long press Power button to enter pairing mode. H2 would quickly flash blue LED to indicate that the process has started (and would go into slow flashing mode when paired).



When paired with a smartphone, it is better to use HiBy Blue from the corresponding app market in order to monitor connection quality, codec in use, battery state, use the additional EQ and to be able to upgrade the firmware. Most of the functions of this app are not required if H2 would be used with HiBy Music app over Bluetooth or USB. EQ and audio codec would be pushed by this app instead of HiBy Blue.



By the way, H2 has multipoint function and allows 2 device to be connected over Bluetooth simultaneously.

H2 in use:

There are different stated of LED that indicate device operation:

• Charging — flashing Red
• Pairing — fast flashing Blue
• Up to 48kHz — slow flashing Green
• 88..2 up to 192kHz — slow flashing Blue

Button functionality:

• Power button
  • Short press — play|pause
  • Long press — on|off
  • Very long press in OFF mode — pairing
• Volume up|down
  • Short press — volume up|down
  • Long press — next|previous track

There are integrated voice prompts for standard functions such as power on|off, connection state and pairing.



Switching between LDAC, aptHD and other audio codecs is done from a smartphone under the Developer options menu. Initially, H2 would be pushed with the best possible supported codec from a smartphone. In my case it was LDAC (Xiaomi Redmi Note 8Pro). Although, in order to switch to the supreme HiBy UAT we would have to run either HiBy Music or HiBy Blue (if other music app is used). The connection distance free of any hiccups for LDAC and UAT can reach up to 10 meters at open space. Even one thin concrete wall is not a severe obstacle but the distance gets limited to 2-3 meters from a wall at one side.



When using cable connection with a smartphone — USB DAC gets recognized and everything works correctly. Bit-perfect mode is allowed be HiBy Music app. The only concern is that the cable has host and slave sides and should be connected in a correct way. Microphone with noise cancelling function works great, allowing to accept and answer the calls. No complaints from the other party in terms of voice quality.

H2 runs flawless in Windows 7,8 and 10 environment as well. The device is getting recognized by the system as Hidizs H2 USB sound card with integrated mic. No driver is needed. Furthermore, there is no driver available from Hidizs till now. The maximum audio quality listed in device properties is 16bit/48kHz what makes me wonder about the possible release of special monopoly mode driver later by Hidizs. Current native Windows driver does not occupy H2 and allows all sounds with no lag in videos. Which is good.



The difference in device operation time from a single charge in Bluetooth or cable mode is hard to tell since H2 starts charging when connected to USB port of any device. Therefore, it would drain source battery before running out of charge. Stated battery life in Bluetooth mode is close real time figures. I’ve got 6,5H battery life of playing audio with LDAC codec.



One good function that should be mentioned is the ability of H2 to play music and take charge at the same time. This allows to stay connected even if the battery has drained. Or to use H2 as Bluetooth receiver in home setup.

Sound quality:

I would not get too deep in this section since my perception of Hidizs H2 purpose is very subjective. The main scenario for me is integrating Hidizs H2 into home stack as a Bluetooth receiver, allowing LDAC and UAT decoding and passing the signal to external amp or active speakers. Such scenario is not that demanding in terms of output power.



Of course, the initial tests were done using IEMs (Hidizs Seeds, 25Ω) and full-sized AudioTechnica (ATH-M50, 38Ω). Surprisingly, in both cases the audio quality does not disappoint and both models are driven adequately. IEMs with such impedance even have some room to increase the volume further, while full-sized IEMs are just on the edge of H2 potential. This also leads to properly driven IEMs showing better overall dynamics, integrity of lows and midbass, separation of each instrument and more perceptible resolution. ATH-M50 sounds more dirty and tends to leave out some details by mixing instruments together at higher volume levels. But this is expected behavior with such output figures.



In overall, when paired with low impedance|high sensitivity IEMs, H2 sounds clean, while tending to warm sound in signature. It shows moderate amount of details across the entire range, good midbass dynamics and power, pretty thick mids and has no irritating peaks on highs or upper mids. Cable connection delivers better extension and clarity at both ends (especially on higher frequencies). As always. I should mention here that the audio lag in Bluetooth is more apparent which should be considered when watching videos. It is acceptable but close to the point of getting a desynchronized with the video stream.



To summarize: H2 should not be regarded as a potential competitor for such products as Hidizs S8, S9 portable DAC|AMPs and AP80 DAP lineup — it is not capable to deliver the same level of audio quality due to a limited power output. On the other hand, it sounds more balanced, clean and impressive that a regular smartphone or PC with the appropriate IEMs or in active home setup.



Conclusion:

Hidizs H2 perfectly does the job of HiRes Audio Bluetooth receiver in active home setup by supporting the most sophisticated audio codecs, multipoint connection and simultaneous charge. While in the portable usage scenario the user should be aware of its limited driving ability. Other than that, Hidizs H2 is a good performer with rare combination of Bluetooth receiver and USB DAC functions. Moreover, its implementation and user experience is flawless. Therefore, it is recommended to consider if its main features and virtues fit the desired setup.

Hidizs H2 official store: LINK
10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Thank you for reading.

Full review of Hiby R2 + FD1 + BEANS stack is located on HeadFi by this LINK

Not publishing it here to avoid cloning

Full review of Hiby R2 + FD1 + BEANS stack is located on HeadFi by this LINK

Not publishing it here to avoid cloning

Always wanted to have portable HiRes audio setup from a respected brand in which each of the components would be wisely designed and developed, fitting each other in the best possible way, while still staying perfectly usable in standalone applications. Having everything designed by a single brand usually means better integration of the most complicated functions, which creates a synergy that people would often call brand «ecosystem». HiBy has travelled a long way since creating very first parts of such unique ecosystem and now that can already bear some fruits by providing different hardware components run by HiBy OS, music application and with the help of HiBy protocols.



Today we would like to review the latest HiBy portable HiRes audio stack that consists of three perfectly fitting components (sold separately, should become available as a bundle later), at more than affordbale price and featuring some groundbraking functions out of the box.

• HiBy R2 — budget HiRes DAP with WiFi, Tidal (+Qobuz) (MQA support)
• HiBy FD1 — DAC&AMP with SE & Balanced output, 2 USB modes
• HiBy BEANS — perfectly crafted, dynamic IEMs

So, this review would not be a regular one. Instead of splitting it to three parts, we would review the whole bundle, going through each device one by one.



HiBy R2 technical specifications:

• Operating System: HiBy OS
• SoC: Ingenic X1000E
• DAC: ES9218
• PCM: 32bit/384kHz / DSD: 128 (native)
• MSEB, HiBy Link support
• MQA support, 4x unfold, Tidal, Qobuz support
• Dual microphones for voice recording
• Ebook reader function
• Internet radio function
• Output power: 70mW+70mW
• THD+N: <0.001%
• Display size: 2.45”, IPS, touchscreen
• Display resolution: 480*360
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX, LDAC, UAT)
• WiFi bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz
• Battery size: 1000mAh
• Storage: MicroSD card, up to 2TB
• USB Type-C USB2.0 port
• Play time: 15 hours continuous
• Standby: 20 days
• Dimensions: 61*61*12 mm
• Weight: 85g

HiBy FD1 technical specifications:

• Chipset: SA2000
• DAC: 2 X ES9118
• 2 X crystal oscillators (44.1 & 48)
• DSD decoding: Native (SA2000), 128
• Buttons: Play/pause, volume+, volume-
• Status display: Tri-colour LED
• USB port Type-C
• Single ended ouput: 3.5mm (supports wired remote)
• SE output power: 25mW + 25mW
• Balanced output: 2.5mm
• Balanced output power: 75mW + 75mW
• Dimensions: 61.5*61.5*9.5mm
• Weight: 71.5g

HiBy Beans technical specifications:

• Earphone type: In-ear monitors
• Diver type: dynamic driver with carbon nanotube (CNT) diaphragms
• Driver diameter: 10mm
• Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
• Sensitivity: 109dB
• Impedance: 32Ω
• Cable: silver-plated oxygen-free copper
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Connectors: 0.78mm, 2-pin connector (3.5mm terminated cable included)

Packaging and design:



R2:

This little DAP comes in a relatively small black box with colorful graphics, trademark information and company contacts. Box is pretty stiff, does a perfect job of protecting this gadget during the transporation. Inner compartment is split to three sections: top soft insert holds R2 at place, some accessories located underneath and one more little box contains USB cable. Full list of accessories is as following:

• R2 DAP
• plastic case
• USB type-C -> USB A cable
• user manual + leaflets

Moreover, R2 screen and back glass panel are both covered with a pritective films out of the box. You would only need to peel off the extra protection layer.



This DAP is a small unit but still a little bit larger than its main rival — Hidizs AP80Pro. Chassis are made of zink alloy with dark edge toning, beautifull glass back panel and large screen at the front.



Сontrol elements have сomfortable size, tight and well pronounced actuation.This, in overall, creates a feel of holding tough and durable device.



Two buttons (Volume + / -) are located at the left edge while three more buttons (Play/pause, Previous / Next) are placed on the opposite side. There is another beatifully designed element at the top — power button — that is encircled by the multicolor LED facing that shows different states and also synchronized to the sampling rate of the currently playing track.



Since R2 is capable of recording audio — it features two microphones that can do stereo recording and cancel out some significant noise. By the way, this function works perfectly, also allowing to choose the audio quality of the recording and the resulting file format.

Screen is definitely a virtue of R2 — 2.45 inches, IPS, vivid colors, good factory calibration, having snappy response and precise touch sensor positioning. Maximum brightness level is totally enough for outdoor use in a shade and little beat weak for sunny areas. Crispness and screen density are perfect for such physical size.



The only arguable part of this georgeous screen is a quite large width of upper and lower frames. While it seems that frames are almost absent in power off state (borderless) — everything becomes clear when the screen becomes lit. Sides are almost touching the edges while upper and lower frames are unexpectedly wide.



Bottom edge contains USB type-C port, 3.5mm SE output and microSD card slot that supports up to 2TB capacity.



Semi transparent plastic case is a great accessory that protects R2 from physical damage. Moreover, it looks pretty elegant and gives an easy access to all control elements.



FD1:

HiBy FD1 is shipped in a small white box with shiny silver device outlines and company data imprints. Box is not that thick and holds only 1 layer consisting of soft insert for FD1 and small compartment with the accessories below. Full list of accessories are:

• FD1 DAC&AMP
• soft adhesive insert
• L-shaped USB type-C -> USB type-C cable
• straight short USB type-C -> USB type-C cable
• long USB type-C -> USB A cable

Logically for the bundle, HiBy FD1 DAC&AMP has similar physical size and even the thickness compring to R2. It resembles its shape but made of aluminum. One of the design elements is a beautiful recessed imprint of HiBy logo at the facing side.



Moreover, FD1 features its own controls — Play/Pause, Vol UP and DOWN buttons at the left edge, plus the additional USB 2.0 / USB 1.0 slider on the right that changes the connection mode and allows to run FD1 in Windows environment with or without a driver.



There is also a multi color LED that would show the running state and sampling rate of the track. Furthermore, when bundled toghether, R2 and FD1 LED colors would be synchronized.



Both 3.5mm SE and 2.5mm balanced output are located at the lower edge together with the USB type-C port.



FD1 is also equipped with small silicon standoffs at the bottom to make it less slippery on surface. Wise!



BEANS:

Even though R2 and FD1 are more complicated devices, true delight of design admiration comes from IEMs side…

Anyway, the design of the box reminds of R2, has similar matt black appearance with gold outlines and white imprints. When opened — huh, perfect first impression.



Not only BEANS catch a sight with its excellent gold/silver/black color combination but also the case looks very attractive. Perhaps, BEANS are the best looking IEMs so far that have gone through my hands.

Full list of accessories:

• BEANS IEMs
• 2-pin, 0.78mm cable
• case
• 3 pairs of memory foam eartips

BEANS are made of two aluminum parts — silver body with perpendicular rough notches and top golden glossy cover, all formed to a bullet-like shape.



HiBy / BEANS text is present in black color and cute font on both channels, as well as both channels have the corresponding indicators (left and right) represented by the blue and red dots on the transparent acrylic 2-pin cable connector bases. Output nozzles are protected with the aluminum grills.



Stock cable looks pretty good, declared to be OFC, features transparent resin connector housings with polarity indication, aluminum limiter and aluminum housing of the SE plug. Hopefully, HiBy would also include 2.5mm balanced cable version to BEANS as an option and as a mandatory accessory when it would be sold with R2 + FD1 as a bundle. It would allow to disclose its full potential.



The case deserves some additional words regarding its design. The material chosen is great — feels like a fabric and looks expensive. The cover is securely held with the help of a magnet. Such case would not only fit IEMs, but also all of the accessories and couple of additional cables if necessary.

HiBy R2 in use:

Of course, R2 is a complete all-in-one DAP, packed with lots of modern features. When sold as a bundle with FD1 — it would only generate more power and allow 2.5mm balanced IEMs to be plugged in. The rest of the features are provided by R2 itself.



R2 uses X1000E CPU which is familiar from the previous experience with Hidizs AP80 family products. HiBy OS and UI are running smooth with no UI freezes or visible glitches. Touch screen is responsive, interaction feels linear and adequate. Screen size is completely enough for the DAP in all applications except such a rudiment function as E-reader which is present here on board. The text in this application is very small that limits its use.



Despite being positioned as entry-level DAP and priced so low, R2 still inherits some outstanding HiBy functions initially presented in their flagship / middle segment models:

• MSEB (MageSound 8ball, equalizer for the true audiophiles)
• HiBy Link (full remote control from a smartphone over Bluetooth)
• UAT (supreme Bluetooth codec, better than LDAC quality)

Besides that, R2also features:

• Bluetooth 5.0
• Bluetooth audio: SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC, UAT
• Dual band WiFi: 2.4/5.0Ghz
• Paired mic with noise cancelling function
• Dedicated application to record stereo sound (only from inbuilt microphones, no support for external mic)
• Streaming audio: Tidal application (Qobuz should come to R2 a bit later)
• MQA 4x unfold (2x unfold when FD1 is connected)
• USB DAC
• Bluetooth Bi-directional DAC
• HiRes + HiRes Wireless standards approval

Pretty damn full-packed tiny little monster. What other entry-level DAP would feature and offer that much for the price? None…



Let’s get back to the user experience. R2 accepts up to 2TB microSD card and doesn’t have any storage on board. For those who already owned other HiBy players or even DAPs from Hidizs or other vendors that use HiBy OS — most of the UI functions and logics would be very familiar. Home screen consists of the application icons, controlled with slide gestures and has a couple of additional function to quickly go to playing now screen or see wireless connection toggles, time and state. Full application/shortcuts list is as following:

• Music (HiBy Music app)
• Recorder (sound recording)
• Tidal
• Books
• HiBy Link (remote control setup)
• MSEB
• Equalizer
• Import music via WiFi
• Update database
• Wireless settings
• Play settings
• System settings

Settings worth to be mentioned here:

• Import music via WiFi
  • opens the webaccess to this DAP over WiFi (shows IP address and port) to transfer songs from other devices
• Wireless settings
  • Bluetooth
    • toggles Bluetooth and allows to search and pair with other devices. Also gives the possibility to control which audio codec is used
  • WiFi
    • toggles WiFi and allows to search and connect to WiFi networks. Also gives the possibility to check network state, current IP and setup DNS
  • DLNA
    • just a toggle. Probably should be used to connect to DLNA server or setup DLNA server. Couldn’t find more information yet and hope that this function would be finalized in the nearest updates.

The rest of the settings are self-explanatory, all vital and regular functions are provided.

The only not very user-friendly UI function is a keyboard that pops up when there is a prompt option. Virtual keyboard buttons are very small and sometimes it gets quite hard to press it.



Main application is HiBy Music that handles all types of LQ and HQ audio formats, sorts files by favorites, recent, albums, artists, genres, formats and file names. It also supports playlists and can do the search. Main player screen shows album art, audio format, track time, amount of songs in current list, file properties, lyrics, gives the access to EQ and provides such functions as: seeking through track, adding to favorites, adding to playlist, deleting the file and changing play mode (shuffle, all, repeat 1, repeat all). Unlike in Android version, audio settings on R2 are called not directly from HiBy Music app but are presented by a separate Audio settings shortcut from one of the main screens.

Audio streaming is presented by Tidal application which requires WiFi internet connection and asks for the login and password right after the initial launch. HiBy has announced adding Qobuz a bit later. My personal preference is Deezer which would probably not appear on this device. Nevertheless, Tidal HIFI account now acts as MQA provider for R2 which can do 4X unfold on its turn. What is peculiar, that even when connected to FD1, R2 would still support MQA unfold but would be limited to 2X only. Still its a good news for the fans who want to have HiRes sandwich and use Tidal or Qobuz applications.



This DAP is able to work in USB DAC mode with either native Windows 10 driver or with the dedicated ASIO driver that would hopefully be released soon by HiBy. One of the drawback of Windows native driver is the maximum of 24bit/48kHz that it can process. Again, hopefully, dedicated ASIO driver would handle all modes in future.

One more strong side of R2 is its battery. Countinuous play consisting mostly of the HiRes formats can reach 12-13 hours which is much longer compared to middle and upper class DAPs based on Android OS. Of course, using WiFi, streaming services and Bluetooth would put much more load on the battery. R2 would also get a bit warmer under such circumstances.



Our device is running on 1.0 FW version and there were no FW updates yet for this DAP. There are two option to update: using microSD card or doing OTA update over WiFi.

Anyway, as a summary: even though there are a couple of negative points in R2 user experience (control buttons rattle a bit, couple of functions are not yet fully developed) — it is a strong performer with groundbreaking functionality. UI is fluid, interactions are logic and smooth, battery is long lasting, plenty of features packed into such a small device.



HiBy FD1 in use:

First of all, FD1 is designed to be used with any source, not only R2 DAP. It perfectly functions when connected to either PC or a smartphone. But concerning its physical shape and software capabilities — R2 seems to be the best pair for this DAC&AMP. We assume that the main idea was to allow R2 users to expand the functionality of their DAPs by adding balanced circuit and squeezing out more power for the end gear…



Since FD1 is not equipped with its own battery — it fully relies on USB power and drains the battery of the source. Ideal situation when you don’t have to worry about the battery level but the drawback is a limited output power. For instance, R2 produces 70mW/channel on its own, while FD1 would produce just a fraction more — 75mW/channel on balanced terminal. SE output is limited to 25mW/channel which is almost similar to any regular smartphone. Despite that, FD1, as a stack component, is able to improve the sound is many aspects which we would review in sound quality section.

FD1 doesn’t get hot during operation and the only sign of life is represented by LED light. Since the shape is similar to R2 — it perfectly fits this DAP underneath and the provided soft adhesive layer does the job in sandwich construction. Unfortunately, HiBy has not provided rubber bands or special plastic case to hold both devices together. Hopefully, they got the point of this complaint and would develop such accessory in future.



On the other hand, HiBy included three types of cables that would make the life easier. L-shaped type-C -> type-C cable does perfectle fits sandwich setup, whereas other two straight cables are better to be used for smartphone or PC. All cables have aluminum connector housings and all seems to be durable. This is important because all cables have host and slave side and couldn’t be easily exchanged if lost or damaged.



FD1 is also equipped with its own Play|Pause, Vol UP / DOWN buttons that allows to avoid waking up the screen of a smartphone or DAP.

The situation with the drivers is similar to R2 — native driver support in Windows environment can be expanded to Windows 7/8/10 by switching to USB 1.0 using a special slider button. Although, to be able to play DSD — USB should be set to 2.0 and special driver is required. This driver has not yet been released.

Sound quality:

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



R2:

HiBy R2 sound makes the impression of a pretty neutral DAP with a slight tendency towards the warmth. Lows, mids and highs, in overall, are in a good balance making this DAP universal for any kind of music genres.

Midbass is powerfull, fast and punchy, its expression and dynamics are impressive. Lows are well pronounced, moderately outlined and have a slight touch of lift that adds a bit of warmth and some extra body to the sound.



Clarity and crispness on higher frequencies are moderate, their presence is not overwhelming or irritating. Just enough for a good balance and shows good amount of micro details. Mids are naturally sounding with reach vocals and weighted presence in the entire mix. Female vocals are neither screaming, nor too thin.



Again, R2 signature is a bit on the darker side by very slightly emphasizing lows, no tube-like performance, no cattle effect. Do not forget about MSEB feature that gives the additional control over such aspects of the sound as:

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

Channel separation and entire scene are moderate, neither revealing, nor disappointing. Let’s say that it is pretty similar to other entry-level DAPs.



Further sound improvement is achived when FD1 is connected to R2. And here we have some contradictory feelings. As a matter of fact, we did like SE output of R2 more than when paired to FD1 and its SE output is used. R2 SE output seems to be more detailed, clean (regarding mixing of instruments), highs have better extension and resolution. Sound is more balanced. FD1 SE output makes the sound brighter, puts an accent on highs and sound less intimate and holistic. But this is the case of direct comparison. By itself, FD1 SE output stays significantly better than a regular smartphone or laptop sound in terms of overall dynamics, resolution, instrument separation and power output.



In contrary to FD1 SE output, when Balanced port is used — sound improves in many aspects, leaving R2 behind. First, the signature looses aforemended warmth and becomes a bit brighter but with no further negative effect. Other aspects affected: textures and detalization get more evident, midsbass gets more dynamics and drive, highs are treated better as well — more extended and accurate. Stage also spreads to sides and creates a feeling of larger room.



R2 V/S Hidizs AP80Pro:

For us, the main competitor in terms of audio quality as well as the functionality is the latest Hidizs DAP — AP80Pro. It has quite different philosophy, shows some pros and cons in the direct comparison but stays close to R2 in its nature. R2 is packed with lots of features unavailable for AP80Pro but requires the additional device to manage balanced output. Whereas AP80Pro is not that sphisticated in terms of function list but has balanced circuit on board that is able to drive higher loads due to more output power (190mW/channel).



Concerning the sound — R2 and AP80Pro are pretty close with SE outputs. The slight difference is obvious in the signatures — R2 sounds bit more warm and thick, while AP80Pro doesn’t make any accent on lows. This difference is only fractional, gets evident during A/B tests. The rest of the sound characteristics feel to be similar. AP80Pro Balanced V/S R2 + FD1 Balanced output literally removes the difference even in signatures and the devices get even closer (still AP80Pro balanced output is much more powerfull). Therefore, AP80Pro is the main rival indeed, but the decision would be tough since the usage scenarios and philosophy are completely different.



BEANS:

Similar to the first positive impression about BEANS design, sound quality is most revealing out of three components of this HiBy bundle. Being priced as low as $59 — BEANS are the best bullet-like shaped dynamic IEMs so far. Slight and engaging V-tuning serves a good role here, instead of irritating with overly bright highs and overemphasized lows. Everything is smooth, accurate and delightful. Good extensions on both extremes, impressive clarity of highs for single dynamic model, excellent control with clear instrument outlines, more than moderate texturing and resolution.



BEANS can easily compete with more expensive dynamic IEMs from Periodic Audio, DUNU, TFZ and other brands. Furthermore, the fit is surprisingly comfortable as for the bullet-like IEMs. Achieved by the combination of weight and stock memory foam tips.



One recommendation: if you like R2 + FD1 + BEANS bundle — consider getting 2.5mm balanced cable for BEANS. This would significantly improve sound quality resulting from FD1.



Conclusion:

HiBy released three HiRes components at once, each one represents a great performer, either used as a bundle or separately. R2 is a groundbreaking entry level DAP, packed with lots of modern functions typical for flagship models and delivers audiophile-grade sound quality. FD1 is handy little DAC&AMP that equally improves the sound from a smarphone, PC or even R2 DAP while expandind the functionality by adding balanced output. BEANS IEMs make a perfect match to this capable bundle, especially with 2.5mm balanced connection. All three are underpriced judging by the offered features and performance level in comparison to the corresponding rivals. Therefore, this HiRes sandwich or its separate ingredients are all tasty and highly recommended.

HiBy R2 official store and page: LINK

HiBy FD1 official store and page: LINK

HiBy BEANS official store and page: LINK

Thank you for reading.

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



Hidizs S9 technical specifications:

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

Packaging and design:

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



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

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

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



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



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



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



Plastic clip / holder that comes as a part of the bundle is really great accessory. It securely holds S9 at place, protects it from physical impacts and allows to attach it to clothes. It doesn’t limit the connectivity or usability of this device.



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



Hidizs S9 in use:

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



Anyway, just connect it (LED indicator on S9 should get lit), run your favorite music app (I am using HiBy Music) and hit PLAY button. From the opposite side — headphones — S9 would automatically switch between SE / Balanced depending of the current physical connection. Furthermore, unlike many other DAC&AMPs — this device doesn’t have any battery inside and relies on the power fed by USB. Great that there is no need to charge it independently but the battery of your smartphone would drain faster.



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



Sound quality:

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

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



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



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



Conclusion:

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

Soon available here: https://www.hidizs.net/products/hidizs-s9-balanced-single-ended-mini-hifi-dac-amp

Official Hidizs Amazon store: LINK
10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode at Hidizs official store: ZMCR10

TRW or wired? If bluetooth — what is the most convenient formfactor to go with…? I’ve been asking myself the same questions for past few weeks trying to find the best possible solution of having all time access to music, phone calls and videos despite of current activity or working place. Wired are still the best IEMs in terms of audio quality but staying connected all the time with a cable significantly reduces my mobility. What is more important — cable always stays connected to one particular source. I wouldn’t mind if a smartphone was the only working tool. But it is not. There is at least a laptop that also requires a connection. As to the formfactor — current TRW beans (as I name all that numerous, expensive and faceless products that have saturated the market) just do not seem to be comfortable enough, especially with no supports and when it comes to removing one of the beans which should than be placed into its cradle, which should be kept in a pocket, etc… Audio quality in such beans is also far from being astonishing.



Knowing all of that, I’ve been looking for another option that seems to be much more convenient and universal in terms of sound and fit: good, custom-like shaped IEMs with regular type of connectors and detachable bluetooth cable that would have all necessary controls, mic and aptX, at least. At the time when I was wondering which product to go with — Hidizs was watching after me The search was over when they have provided me with the new product for the review — Hidizs H1 — neckband bluetooth IEMs.



Hidizs H1 is still absent at the official website during the time of writing this review since it is a sample unit that should get the initial feedback and hit the market very soon. The specs are already known:

Hidizs H1 — Mermaid Series Bluetooth IEMs:

• Driver: signle dynamic, 10.2mm, dual magnetic circuit, dual cavities
• FR: 20Hz-40kHz
• SPL: 112dB
• Impedance: 20Ω
• Cable connection: 2pin, 0,78mm
• Weight: ~6g
• IPX5 dust, water, sweat resistant

Bluetooth cable:

• Cable: silver plated OFC
• Bluetooth: 5.0
• Protocols:
  • AAC (16bit|44.1kHz_320kbps)
  • SBC (16bit|44.1kHz_328kbps)
  • aptX_LL (16bit|44.1kHz_352kbps)
  • aptX (16bit|48kHz_352kbps)
• Control protocols: AVRCPV1.2&SPPV1.2
• Call protocols: HFP, HFP1.5,HFP1.7,HSP,CVC
• Controls: +/-, play/pause buttons
• Mic: yes
• Ports: microUSB for charging
• Charging time: 1.5 hours
• Play time: 8 hours
• Weight: 13,6g

Packaging and design:

First of all, H1 packaging reminds me of TFZ products that usually come in very similar tall boxes. Plenty of item information, good printing quality, dense material, shiny logo — this box certainly deserves good score for its appearance.



The insides are well protected and look neat — couple of boxes with the accessories and a soft podium that has special cutouts for IEMs. The full list of included items:

• Hidizs H1 IEMs
• Bluetooth cable with soft velcro strap
• 3 pairs of silicone eartips
• soft pouch
• USB A -> microUSB cable
• couple of leaflets and user manual

Wondering why Hidizs has not included regular audio cable into this package… Why artificially limiting a potential demand for IEMs that are designed to be used with different types of 2pin, 0,78mm cables? Going little bit ahead — H1 have good sound quality but the full potential is released only in wired mode…



Hidizs H1 possess one of the most convenient design of the shells currently available on the market — custom like shape with very comfortable fit. Shells are made of resin with shiny particles to aid its look.



The design gets even more attractive due to the transparent material. Even black color shells totally disclose the insides. Aluminum alloy gold-plated output nozzles protrude quite significantly from the shells and glued at place. Both covered with the protective aluminum grills.



IEMs are equipped with 2pins, 0,78mm connectors with transaprent resin base, brand name and channel indicators. Just to point out is that H1 are based on Hidizs MS1 Rainbow series IEMs — same signle dynamic driver design, same specs…



Bluetooth cable is claimed to be twisted silver plated OFC, ending with flexible earguides, 2pin, 0.78mm connectors with transparent resin base and channel indicators.



Electronics consists of two separate parts: one is a battery box and another contains all physical controls, LED, mic and charging port.



Both parts are equal in size and shape and both have the same charcoal coating and rough surface feel. Length of this bluetooth cable is ~0.5m. Charging port is protected with a rubber cap.



As far as I understand this bluetooth cable is the next generation of Hidizs BT01 but with some advanced features i.e. bluetooth 5.0 now and slightly different design. I might be wrong, but it seems that the new cable is also based on CSR8645 DAC chip with 20Hz-20kHz frequency response, -115dB SNR and 15mW (32Ω) power output.

Fit:

As already mentioned — H1 fit is perfect. Long nozzles, flexible earguides and custom-like shape dedicate much to the overall comfortable feel. This shape is much better than any TRW bean-shaped IEMs I’ve played with. There is absolutely no feel that H1 would get lost one day… Such an excellent fit finally results in better protection from outside noise and wider audible response range.



Hidizs H1 setup:

Initial setup means charging and pairing Bluetooth cable with the audio source. Mine came 70% charged and it took about 20 mins more to get the charge up to 100% using laptop USB port. Full charge would take ~1.5 hour which is quite fast.



There is a LED indicator at the front of the control unit that would stay RED during charge. Other LED statuses are:

• Constant green — fully charged
• Slowly flashing red — low charge
• Flashing red-blue — pairing
• Slowly flashing blue — connected bit not playing
• Constant blue — no connection
• Slowly flashing green — connected and playing music/call

There are also some automated functions worthy to mention:

• If powered but not connected -> would power off in 360 sec
• If pairing but not successfull -> would power off in 360 sec

Additional voice prompts:

• Power ON
• Power OFF
• Pairing
• Paired
• Pairing fail
• Headset is connected
• Headset is disconnected
• Battery low

Button functions:

• Play|pause 2s press -> power on or off
• Play|pause 5s press -> pairing mode
• Vol + | Vol — together -> clear pairing
• Play|pause short press -> answer call | hang up (in a call)
• Play|pause 2 sec during incoming call -> reject
• Play|pause short press druing music -> play | pause
• Vol + | Vol — long press during music -> previous | next track
• Vol + | Vol — short press during music -> volume
• Vol + | Vol — toghether + Play|pause during power off -> USB upgrade

Pairing with a smartphone or DAP doesn’t take long and the device gets recognized as H1 headset. My Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is running Android 10 and shows H1 battery charge level / current audio codec as well. Furthermore, not having it listed among the supported functions, I’ve checked H1 multipoint ability — it can be paired and connected to 2 devices simultaneously which is very welcome.



Tested all controls — no problems here. Stock audio app and Hiby Music both respond to button presses. Mic works good during the calls, voice is clear. Although, in loud environement it lacks the noise cancelling feature and sometimes the other side would complain about that. Other drawback that I have faced is the connection distance — H1 gets disconnected or shows interruptions even at 5m but I would blame my Xiaomi smartphone for that — Note 8 Pro has known issue with Bluetooth | WiFi limited range and poor behavior. My laptop is keeping connection with H1 even at 12m away. DAP also holds better than the smartphone.



I have also tried HiBy Blue app from Google Play which shows current H1 audio quality, volume level and charge and found this app mostly useless unless there would be OTA or wired H1 FW upgrade that can be executed with this app. Or unless you are running old Android version that would not provide you with all necessary information about H1 state.

One more important test is the latency while watching videos — guess what — everything is perfect! No visible and audible lag between the picture and sound. This is absolutely great especially at the time when video is the most consumed media of all.



Sound quality:

Tested with AP80Pro DAP, Redmi Note 8Pro with Bluetooth aptX

Lows and midbass:

Hidizs H1 deep bass extension is moderate with above average texture resolution. Deep bass lacks presence while the emphasis is on the midbass. H1 are definitely closer to dark sounding IEMs but lower portion still might have been better. Situation gets better while using audio cable instead of bluetooth — textures get more evident and lows get more extended.

Midbass shows good dynamics, power is appropriate for engaging drums. It is well balanced to mids and not accented to distruct even with low audio quality tracks.



Mids and vocals:

Quite impressive mids with very good performance. Resolution is quite high while the entire presentation feels linear. H1 doesn’t accent female vocals, not showing any signs of screaming notes here. Instruments and vocals are similarly rich and full bodied. Good level of separation in this range, nothing tends to mix at different volume levels. In overall, H1 mids can be described as warm, thick, quite smooth and well exposed.



Treble:

Here comes another portion which depends of the type of connection. Bluetooth audio even over aptX lacks the clarity and extension making H1 darker than it is. Quite good for regular listening but far from a standard when it comes to some high quality recording and habits. Treble is just what I call «bit dirty» to be pleased with. Getting wired changes the picture completely — treble gets the appropriate level of details, clarity and extension. In this configuration, Hidizs H1 are quite balanced IEMs that can easily compete with its class rivals from other well known brands. Sorry for that folks, but treble is still the most affected range when getting rid of wires.



Sound summary:

Hidizs H1 sound should be evaluated with both connection options — bluetooth cable and regular audio cable. Sound quality greatly depends of that. Using regular audio cable connection the sound can be described as well balanced, with slightly exposed midbass, moderate bass extension, thick mids and clean treble. Sound signature is warm. Bluetooth connection type reduces resolution, cuts the extension of bass and treble and leaves H1 underestimated. Although, it does the trick for everyday use in all general tasks.



Conclusion:

If you are looking for a good bluetooth IEMs product for everyday use but also willing to get high sound quality over the wire — consider Hidizs H1 as the very attractive option. Not only it allows to stay connected to several sources all day long, receiving calls, watching videos with no audio lag and listening to music but also it is capable of resolving high audio quality in wired mode. The fit is great, bluetooth features are up to date, versality is much higher than any bean TRW may offer. Just keep in mind to get the additional audio cable to release Hidizs H1 full potential.

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

Official Hidizs Amazon store: LINK

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 woud like to review their latest incarnation of very popular AP80 DAP — AP80Pro. There were couple of revisions of AP80 in the past, mostly dedicated to physical user experience, but AP80Pro is 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 AP80Pro technical data:

• CPU: Ingenic X1000
• DAC: Dual ES9218P
• Decoding: DSD64/128/256, PCM 384kHz/32Bit
• 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: 70dB (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: 98dB (1kHz, A-weight, Rated Output)
• Recommended Headphone Impedance Range 8-200Ω (Recommended value)
• FM: 4705
• 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
• Body Colors: black, gray, blue, red
• 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)
• Deep standby: 50 days (depends on actual usage)
• Charging Time: ~ 1 hour (5V, 2A)
• Runtime: About 8-10 hours or above
• Net Weight: 68g

Going through new specs it is clear that the main change between AP80 and its successor is in the balanced output section. What pleases me the most is that rated power with the new output has grown up to 190mW per channel. It is enough to drive high impedance / low sensitivity head gear which was my only concern about the initial release of AP80 in comparison to more powerful DAPs.



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:

No much changes here. Very similar cute matt black box with silver logo and specification imprints. Some minor changes to the previous version in size (it got a bit smaller) and shape but the insides are similarly well protected and neatly packed.



First goes soft podium that holds AP80Pro, the rest of accessories in their boxes rest underneath. Here you would find:

• AP80Pro DAP with front and back screen gueards preapplied
• Silicon case
• 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

Silicon case quality became better this time. All button openings and edges are cut more precisely and look more neat. Hoped that screen guards would also become more precise, but unfortunately not. It still physically exceeds the screen, making it easy to be peeled off accidentally.



More significant changes found in AP80Pro housing compared to its predecessor: design got more complicated and definitely consumes more CNC machine time. All edges became curved, new shape around volume knob makes it easier for access.




I would say that AP80Pro design has matured, changing from simple straight lines to curved elegant look. The rest of its virtues remained the same — beautifully looking back covered with glass, intuitive volume knob with a good grip and shiny flange, comfortable physical buttons with tangible clicks. Although, still small amount of free play at volume knob is available.



Physical size gained couple of millimeters in two dimensions, making new DAP version little bit wider and taller. This change is caused by the new design of the side edges. Thickness and weight has not changed.



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.



The only difference that I’ve spotted is that the new screen has slightly warmer initial calibration compared to AP80. It behaves perfectly, has wide viewing angles and enough brightness to interact with it outside.






The only new element which is 2.5mm balanced output is located at the bottom edge, left to USB type-C port. The location of other elements has not changed.

Performance and UI:

AP80Pro 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 1.1 OS 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
  • FM
  • Step counter
  • Bluetooth
  • 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)
  • 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

One additional and handy feature — you can drag down quick settings panel from the top of the screen to change gain, USB mode, toggle Bluetooth and toggle line out.



Should say that the pedometer function was not reliable in AP80, don’t see much changes with the AP80Pro. My Amazfit Bip watches show more steps for the similar period. Therefore, I wouldn’t use this function in AP80Pro much. The rest are working as it should. First I’ve tried to update FW from 1.0 to 1.1 -> success. For that 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 monute to get it done.



FM radio would only work when headphones are connected cause they serve the role of antenna. Autoscan and fine tuning functions are available. Scan range is between 76.00MHz to 108.00MHz.

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 AP80Pro to phones. Neither there are any problems of using it with Foobar2000 player over Wasapi (event or push).



Using AP80Pro 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 AP80Pro. 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 AP80Pro over bluetooth — no problems there either.

Audio quality:

First, I would like to share AP80 general impressions and than I would compare it to AP80Pro 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 AP80Pro + 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 no tendency to emphasize any frequency. 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.



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 we’ve found the disturbing presence of sibilance in highest octave. Besides, we 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 rurther 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 intsrument 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.

AP80 SE V|S AP80Pro Balanced output:

The main advantage of using AP80Pro 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 transaprency in overall.



Of course, this difference only becomes apparent with high impedance headphones or IEMs which require more power to be driven to an aprropriate 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.



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

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.



The release of AP80Pro not only inherited all the virtues of the previous DAP, but also comes with a stable FW and solves the aforemended concern. Now it can squish more juice of a higher loads while apparently increasing audio quality in terms of channel separation and dynamic range. Thus, Hidizs had done a really good job of transforming their excellent ultra-portable DAP to an ultimate and mighty piece of technology, especially in respect of its size. Should one switch to AP80Pro from a previous version — probably not unless there is no intention to use it with high impedance gear. Is it worth to buy or should be chosen over AP80? Definitely yes — it is an excellent bargain, packed with lots of modern features, with a great sound and good user experience.

Official AP80Pro page and store: LINK
10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

Official Hidizs Amazon store: LINK

Thank you for reading.

Following few succesfull tries in extra-portable HiFi audio converters, Hidizs have just released their new and more powerful tiny HiRes device — S8 HiFi Decoder. This is trully portable and universal audio decoder that supports most of the popular types of operating systems, HiRes certified and capable of decoding 32bit/384kHz PCM & DSD256 (natively). In contrary to previous and popular series of Sonata HD cable decoders, Hidizs has developed a new firmware that doesn’t require to take a decision on the forced mode of resulting audio quality by uploading different FW. S8 can be used «as it is», supporting any types of audio streams and giving out the best quality it is capable of with no extra steps required from a user.



Hidizs S8 technical specifications:

• DAC: CS43131
• DSD: 64/128/256 HW
• PCM: 32bit/384kHz
• Output: 30mW + 30mW @ 32Ω
• FR respone: 20-50kHz
• THD+N: 0.002% @ 1kHz
• SNR: 120dB
• Channel Separation: 120dB @ 32Ω
• Output impedance: <1Ω
• Recommended resistance: 8-150Ω
• Buttons: Volume +/-
• Audio jack: SE 3.5mm /mic supported
• Connecting cables: Lightning/Type-C/Micro-USB/USB Type-A
• Device port: Micro-USB
• Weight: 9g
• Material: aluminum-alloy + glass

For those who are familizar with previous Sonata HD converters, S8 has quite different design and architecture. It has larger dimensions and should be considered as an extra device connected to your smartphone rather than just a cable with DAC chip. S8 is still a tiny DAC and weights only 9g. Moreover, it features micro-USB port instead of having an integrated cable.



There were some complaints from the user of prior Sonata series about the possibility to exchange the integrated cable… No problems with that anymore. Volume buttons add to the overall ease of use as well. Although, there is still no LED indicators or other elements that would signal that the device is in use or powered.



Design wise, S8 feels very sturdy and elegant. Modern combination of one-piece aluminum shell and glass on the back with additional curved and shaped corners. Just a few elements on the case — volume buttons raising above the surface, 3.5mm SE audio output at the top edge and micro-USB at the bottom edge. No power button — S8 powers up automatically when connected to any audio source.



The purpose of S8 has not changed — turning any audio source equipped with USB A|Type-C|Micro-USB|Lightning ports into HiRes audio device capable of native reproduction of PCM 32bit|384kHz / DSD256 format by the means of a tiny adapter that would not consume excessive space in your pocket. Furthermore, pro-level DAC chip and extra output power would create more potential to drive most of the headphones or IEMs than bare output of a smartphone|laptop or other portable and universal devices. As we asll know, some laptops and tablets would not even come close to what we mean by a term «HiRes audio».



Their outputs are weak, don’t have enough driving power, don’t have enough volume and the sound is evidently blurred. This is exactly where Hidizs S8 converter might come to a rescue — the best way to upgrade the resulting audio quality. It is small, universal, doesn’t require additional power supply, doesn’t consume additional space — just an adapter between your device and headphones.



One of the main features of this product is its box contents. S8 comes with 4 types of cables:

• Lightning -> micro-USB
• micro-USB -> micro-USB
• micro-USB -> USB Type-C
• micro USB -> USB A

those connectivity options should cover most of the usage case scenarios. Moreover, S8 supports iOS, MacOS, Windows and Android. No drivers needed. All of the operating systems would recognize S8 as an audio output device and would allow to use all of its features. I have personally tried to use it with Windows 10 laptop and Android 8 smartphone. In both cases it was natively recognized by OS and allowed up to 32bit|384kHz PCM stream. The only note from Hidizs is to connect headphones to S8 prior to connecting it to the source device. Otherwise, S8 might not be recognized correctly.



Hidizs has also mentioned that the FW in S8 might be upgraded in future but has not explained the process. Hope to see such instructions and furter FW in the nearest future. Although, there is no necessaity to upgrade right now as S8 works perfectly with no observable glitches.



Sound quality:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 3.5mm own output VS S8 adapter connected to micro-USB:

The pure winner is S8.

Original Xiaomi audio output is muted and have some tube feel. Its power is low and not enough to drive 48Ohms Audio-Technica ATH M50 studio monitor headphones. Volume is low. Sound gets distorted at higher volume levels.



With Hidizs S8 connected the sound gets much juicy: volume gets higher, driving potential allows more mid bass tightness. Lows would get more contoured, tube feel would go away. Good improvement is apparent in in crispness and resolution of higher frequencies. More details and scene depth would get apparent. For this usage scenario, S8 is a way better than the regular audio output of this smartphone.

Lenovo Y500 (Intel HD audio integrated sound card) VS Hidizs S8 connected to USB A:

The winner is Hidizs S8.

The difference in the audio quality is still apparent, although not that impressive. S8 is able to deliver more resolution, details and more driving ability to full-sized headphones. Sound is more crisp and bright. Although, this laptop audio output is much closer to S8 in nature than Xiaomi smartphone. But still lacking power and looses out some details.



Conclusion:

Creating HiRes audio adapters is trending now. While smartphone and laptop manufacturers remove 3.5mm audio outputs — there is a growing demand from people who still want to have the best audio quality on the go. If having the additional HiRes DAP is not an option — the only possible solution is devices like Hidizs S8. Taking into the consideration previous and quite successfull attempts by Hidizs in a form of Sonata HD cable — this method really works. Some additional features, better DAC ship and more friendly operation makes Hidizs S8 more attracting and almost ideal. Furthermore, the final audio quality is really outperforming bare smartphone & laptop outputs and prove that S8 trully serves its main purpose.

Official S8 page and store: LINK
10% discount for any item at Hidizs store using our promocode: ZMCR10

One more TFZ IEMs model on my testing bench — My Love Edition which is derived from the famous King Pro series. As the name alludes, this model is positioned by TFZ as a souvenir product. Moreover, color options and use of bijouterie elements in the design tells us that it is aimed towards the female audience. Not sure why exactly this model was chosen to satisfy women taste from the standpoint of the sound, but it definitely won’t be popular among guys. Anyway, the variations of TFZ King Pro is so numerous now that anyone would find something appealing to his or her personal taste.



TFZ My Love Edition technical specifications:

• Type: single dynamic driver IEMs
• Driver: 12mm, double magnetic circuit
• Diaphragm: graphene
• Impedance: 55Ω
• Sensitivity: 108dB/mW
• Frequency response range: 5Hz — 40kHz
• Cable: 1,2m, silver plated
• Cable connectors: 2pin, 0.78mm

Packaging, design and build quality:

Love this beatifull white packaging of the King series when IEMs are exposed in the top part of the box. Shiny metallic color of brand logo and name, color choice at the back and additional box inside for the acessories.



In the box you’d find a set of items standard for most of the TFZ lineup:

• TFZ My Love Edition IEMs
• 2pin, 0.78mm audio cable
• cable clip
• 7 pairs of silicone eartips
• soft pouch
• short user manual

Silicone eartips come in two different designs (small and large sound opening) and three size options. One extra (7th pair) has smaller opening and M-size.



Shells are totally made of plastic with pearl-like paint (small shiny particles added to the paint) which adds the depth to any color option. My set is a combination of cyan bases and white top covers.



Alignment of those two parts is perfect with no visible gap between the elements. Moreover, besides the brand logos, top covers are given one extra design element that looks like a gemstone that addresses the female audience and makes the overall design more expressive.



Channel indicators and model names are printed on the inner sides of the bases and seem to be protected by the varnish layer (as well as other printed elements).



Two compensational openings per channel: one of the top cover and another one close to the output nozzle which are protected with aluminum grills.



There is one thing that I would call an imperfection — bases are also consisting of two molded parts which are glued together. Junction of parts is not polished and you can see a thin line under the layer of lacquer.



Stock cable is made of silver plated copper wires packed into soft silicone braid. Equipped with aluminum Y-splitter / audio jack housing and transparent plastic connectors with channel indicators. Mic effect is almost absent.



Fit:

Considering that My Love model belongs to custom-like shaped IEMs — there should be absolutely no problems with the fit for most of the people. Flexible earguides and quite long output nozzles would also help to maintain the best position and the most comfortable feel.



Sound quality:

Tested with HiBy R6Pro DAP

Lows and midbass:

What My Love IEMs worth the attention for is their bass appeal. The sound of this model is constructed around deep and wide lows with more than average bass detalization. It flows to the sides, fills the space and widens the stage. The accent on lows is evident which also results in dark signature of the entire sounding and sometimes even overtakes and shadows the other ranges. Not dramatically, though. Such elevation of the lower portion makes this IEMs sound quite thick and warm. Midbass has also gained from the bass influence and highlights lower portion more than medium or small toms. Although, the last two still capable of revealing the full potential through very tight and springy hits necessary to expose drums naturally and engaging.



Mids and vocals:

Mids do sound thick and dense with a slight feel of being congested in the instrument section. Voices are pretty close to the listener, female vocals are smoothed out with the overall warmth and also given the full-bodied perception. More resolution is perceptible on the instruments of the higher mids but the detalization can be defined as only slightly better than just a moderate. Can’t say that the instrument sepration is perfect as they tend to mix and show some lack of space inbetween. But the overall performance on mids is pretty smooth and is polishing out all roughness and sparkling notes of screaming vocals or inappropriate recording.



Treble:

Treble gets the least of attention in the sound of My Love Edition IEMs. Don’t get it wrong — it is normally exposed and doesn’t sound scarce. It is about the extension, airy representation and transparency that are all quite moderate. On the other hand, the missing delicacy is compensated by the balanced presence, absence of sibilants and sufficient clarity. It manages to keep the appropriate integrity of the sound spreading its influence to raise the perceptible resolution.



Soundstage:

The imaginary soundstage of TFZ My Love Edition is moderate. Good stage width defined by the volumetric presence of lows but the depth is lacking the space and layering between the instruments and ranges. No reveals here.



Sound in overall:

The sound of TFZ My Love Edition IEMs could be described as pretty dark with evident accent on lows, good bass extension and texturing, tight and engaging midbass, thick and warm mids, simplified but sufficient treble. Good for slow music genres with small amount of instruments and where the dense sound is a preference.

Compared to BQEYZ KB100:



BQEYZ KB100 are much brighter with more spacious and emotional sound. Its bass is not as deep, wide and filling as TFZ My Love Edition but the treble is much more detailed and extended. TFZ My Love, on its turn, generate more warm and thick sound, giving more body to each instrument or voice. Fit is also more comfortable.

Compared to LZ HiFI Z05A:



Z05A and TFZ My Love are pretty close in terms of thickness and density of the sound. Although, Z05A pereceives as more balanced since the lows are not that accented. Deep bass reach is less impressive while the treble is similarly clear but simplified. TFZ My Love have much better fit and sound darker.

Compared to PaiAudio DR2:



Both models have dark tonality with warm timbre, thick mids and simplified treble. Both have very good fit. The main advantage of TFZ My Love is higher resolution throughout all ranges and more dense sound. DR2 is producing larger soundtage with better layering and instrument separation.



Conclusion:

TFZ My Love Edition definitely belongs to dark sounding bassy IEMs with less emotional but more dense sound picture. If to consider that this model addresses mostly the female audience with its design — she should be quite experienced in listening with a mature taste in sound. Unpretentious and light compositions should pass by as not the intended material. This model is worth to consider if the representative of the beautiful half of humanity has clearly defined her preference — slow genre / high quality music. In this case, the visual aesthetics would be the additional bonus and IEMs would really turn into perfect present.

TFZ My Love Edition available at PenonAudio store

It has been quite hot this season for different discroveries and revelations among HiRes DAPs, IEMs and other audio accessories. One of the main premieres was the HiBy R6Pro DAP with mighty power output, packed with lots of features and built on excellent HW base. Virtually, this model has eliminated the differences between high-quality smartphones and HiRes DAPs, combining the latest Android OS fluent operation with recent Direct Transport Architecture (DTA) protocol, fully functional Google Play services and excellent sound quality. But here comes the successor — HiBy R5 — slightly less sophisticated model, positioned below R6Pro flagship, but with the same philosophy, new features and revised hardware.



Note: this unit was provided to me by HiBy in exchange for the honest opinion and review.

HiBy R5 technical specifications:

General HW&SW:

• Operating System Android 8.1
• SoC Snapdragon 425
• No. of CPU Cores 4
• CPU Max Frequency 1.4GHz
• Display 4.0 inches, IPS
• Resolution 540*1080
• PPI 300
• Touchscreen control
• RAM 2GB
• Internal Storage 16GB
• External Storage Up tp 512GB + via 1 micro SD card
• Firmware Update Over-the-air update
• Text Size Ajustable
• 3rd Party Apps Unrestricted access via Google Play and apk download

Audio:

• DAC CS43198 x 2
• C43198 dual crystal oscillators (45.1584 + 49.152MHz)
• Max output power: 1040mW+1040mW@16Ω / 564mW+564mW@32Ω
• Headphone Impedance Range 16~300Ω
• EQ Adjustments 10 bands (±12dB)
• MSEB function
• Channel Balance L 10dB to R 10dB
• Gain Level Low / High
• USB DAC PCM/DoP/Native
• Headphone Out 3.5mm
• Balanced Headphone Out 4.4mm
• Line Out 3.5mm LO
• Balanced Out 4.4mm LO
• Digital Out SPDIF (USB out)

Connectivity:

• WIFI 5GHz/2.4GHz, supports IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n protocols
• Two-way Bluetooth 4.2 (supports: apt-X, apt-X HD, LDAC, UAT)
• USB TypeC (USB2.0 data rate)
• USB USB storage, USB DAC IN/OUT

Physical:

• Buttons 6 physical buttons
• Buttons Definitions Power/Previous/Pause/Next/Volume Up/Volume Down
• Colors Black/Gray/Gold
• Dimensions 107.7*61.2*15.6mm

Power:

• Power Supply 9V/1.5A
• Battery 3500mAh
• Charge Time 2H
• Charge Protocol QC3.0

Most important features of this DAP:

Dual Cirrus Logic’s CS43198: Cirrus Logic audio products with the MasterHIFI™ and SmartHIFI™ designed to meet the highest standard in high-fidelity audio playback. MasterHIFI and SmartHIFI products deliver the very best performance in sound clarity and pure, euphoric audio listening.

Combines Headphone & Line Out functions: both 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports support headphone and line out functions. Thanks to battery space and efficiency optimizations, this palm-sized powerhouse outputs balanced power up to 1040mW+1040mW@16Ω and 564mW+564mW@32Ω, yet manages to last up to 11 hours balanced / 18 hours SE.

DTA Architecture: Android sample rate conversion bypass. Its DTA Android global lossless output technology ensuring that sound output and reception would not be interfered with.

UAT (Ultra Audio Transmission): the ultimate Bluetooth HiFi audio quality provided by audio codec developed by HiBy. Supporting an industry-highest sample rate of 192kHz and data bandwidth of 1.2Mbps.

Two-way Bluetooth: HiBy R5 supports two-way Bluetooth, which can be used as a Bluetooth transmitter or receiver.



Packaging, design and build quality:

Traditionally for HiBy, R5 DAP comes in black matt box with embossed product name, logo and slogan. Back side of the box contains company address, regular precautions and sticker with the barcode.



Inner box compartment consists of soft insert that holds R5 DAP at place and couple of additional cases with the accessories underneath it.

Box contents:

• HiBy R5 DAP (with preapplied screen and back panel protective film)
• Memory card clip
• USB type-C -> USB cable
• Transparent silicone case
• 1 extra screen protector
• User manual
• Couple of leaflets concerning warranty

Silicone case is a great accessory to have right out of the box — no need to jump across the websites in a search of the protection for such beatiful and at the same time vulnerable device. This case is transparent, with precise openings for all the buttons and ports.



HiBy R5 shell is made of rough aluminum with lots of glass panels. Front part is occupied by the glass cover of 4inch, almost boarderless, 2.5D screen.



Similar in dimension 2.5D glass panel is applied to the back side of this DAP.



Top and bottom edges are also covered with glass. Only the curved sides represents pure aluminum with no additional decore elements.



As to the physical controls and ports: top edge if left totally blank while right side contains volume buttons and memory card slot, left side — power, plays/pause/ previous/next buttons and bottom edge gathered all ports (3.5mm / 4.4mm / USB type-C).



Again, traditionally for HiBy, power button is combined with multicolor LED that indicates charging states and type / quality of currently playing audio. All buttons have comfortable feel, not too tight or too loose, with the obvious click. No rattling or free movement of buttons or other elements whatsoever.



In overall, the design of R5 is kind of conservative but with interesting and attractive findings in descoration by glass panels. Build quality is excellent, there is absolutely nothing to complain about.



The only thing that might have been improved is the screen protection film that is preapplied on the factory — its edges are getting peeled off the curved sided of the screen. As far as I know this is the headache for all manufacturers now if they have chosen to deal with 2.5D screen glass.



Screen:

Surely, this is one of the main recent trends and one of the best screens you would find among all current DAPs. HiBy didn’t hesitate to provide the best user experience in terms of vitrual controls in its Android-based player.



Expect similar behavior of 4inch multitouch IPS as in any high-quality smartphone. There is vitrually not distance between screen glass and panel, all finger interactions with vitrual elements are precise. One OTA update for R5 has already been released that have raised touch layer sensitivity which made the intercations even more comfortable and snappy.



Screen density of 300PPI is totally enough for this physical size to maintain the balance between very good picture detalization and size of the elements. HiBy R6Pro still holds the lead as the DAP with the best screen but R5 is a only a fraction behind: brightness level and contrast are almost equal while the sensitivity and sharpness of R6Pro screen is still slightly better.



But the IPS panels, at least, seem to originate from the same vendor — color calibration and other parameters are very close to each other. Great screen, still rare for DAPs and that would not limit functionality of the device.

OS and UI in operation:

In general, Andoid OS and stock UI feel great on the chosen Snapdragon 425 platform. It’s working fast, with fluent system animations and good response. 2GB RAM might become a limitation in case if to load too many apps but the main idea of this device is to deliver best audio quality with stock HiBy Music app. Several other apps like Youtube, Tidal, etc won’t do much difference and would coexist perfectly.



Just remember not to open to many tabs in browser as always. Some slight hiccups when scrolling through songs were found in HiBy Music app right after the initial track list was populated by the SD scan function. When the indexing was over — nothing like this was spotted again. Fluent and snappy.

R5 back side of the case heats up while charging to about 38-39C. Less heat is generated when it is just decoding audio.

Outputs and connectivity:

One of the best thing about R5 is the amount of connectivity options leading to the different usage scenarios. First of all — they have combined 3.5mm SE / 4.4mm Balanced phone outputs with LO options.



Although, couldn’t find the information of the impedance change when LO is selected on either of the two ports. Volume lock doesn’t occur either, it just jumps to the highest setting when you select LO mode with the further ability to control it. Next is the two-way Bluetooth that allows the reception or sending audio stream with the most sophisticated wireless protocols such as LDAC. Moreover, Bluetooth supports UAT codec as well — highest quality of Bluetooth audio (24bit/192kHz) currently available on the market and developed by HiBy.



And finally, USB DAC / SPDIF out to use this player as external USB audio card or transport. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated ASIO driver yet listed in the download section of HiBy official support page (waiting for that to appear later) and the only option in Windows environment is to use WASAPI instead. Vitrually no audio lag in this scenario which leads to comfortable multimedia consumption.



Another main concern about R5 in comparison to its flagship relative is whether it does have the same amount of interference caused by radio wave emitting devices and whether there is a similarly apparent noise floor on balanced output. And the answer for both questions — no. Haven’t noticed any interference even a smartphone is brought very close to R5. Neither have I noticed any noise — the background stays perfectly dark.



FW upgrades:

This is too easy part as this DAP supports OTA updates that are pushed by HiBy when available. Ocassional checks would notify about the new versions with the full changelog. The update would be executed automatically after pressing Update button. No reason to download, unpack, copy and place the files in the right folders — everything is automated here. The back door through recovery mode still exists when something went wrong with the main process but, hopefully, wouldn’t be necessary. For now there was one update that increased touchscreen sensitivity and provided some other minor fixes.

Sound quality:

Tested with AudioTechnica ATH-M50, Tanchjim Oxygen, Magaosi K6, Earnine EN2J, Moondrop Kanas Pro, Anew U1, HIFI BOY OSV3…



Driving ability: most of the time the volume with IEMs of up to 32Ω was kept at 62% and low gain setting. This was enough to drive IEMs well and to have slightly more volume than necessary for comfortable listening.

Lows and midbass:

R5 has textured and perfectly outlined lows with enough presence and absence of the accent on this range. Bass is deep with fast decay. Lows are clear, naturally fill the space and perfectly separated from mids and treble. Bass remains fully perceptible at all volume levels. Midbass section feels powerful and have enough dynamics to deliver drums naturally. Sound stays neutral here — no evident influence from lower or higher ranges.



Mids and vocals:

Vocals as well as the instruments in mids are quite thick and dense. The perceptible resolution is impressive and seems to be slightly raised by the influence of treble. Very slight emotional bloom here and there on female vocals and upper mid range instruments. Although, no screaming notes and no hisses. Male and female voices sound naturally and equally exposed. Instrument separation is decent which also helps to define a larger stage. In overall, mids feel smooth, slightly warm and mellow with a slight emotional touch on higher portion.



Treble:

Treble is clear and crisp while seems to be slightly more exposed that lows. It produces a bit thin sound with no tendency to show the excessive amount of sibilances. It is less delicate than reproduced by R6Pro but giving the sound more transparency and brightness. The overall signature of R5 is slightly brighter and colder because of that (in comparison to R6Pro).



Soundstage:

R5 produces large imaginary stage in both — width and depth. Stage is very large when paired with good IEMs over balanced type of connection. Precise instument locations, defined contours, good layering between the ranges and distinct sound of all the instruments.

Compared to HiBy R6Pro:



R6Pro definitely has more reference-like neutral sound with a little accent on delivering and resolving lows. It sounds mellow and warm with high amount of harmonics in lower and mid ranges. Treble is very delicate and calm. HiBy R5 is less oriented towards lows, exposing and resolving treble more. This leads to more emotional, energetic and brighter sound signature. Although, R5 and R6Pro have similarly good texturing on bass and large soundstage.



Conclusion:

Despite being positioned by HiBy lower that their flagship R6Pro, R5 DAP, as a successor, have some new features and advantages, revised balanced output and keeps up with the same satisfying user experience quite well. Due to high driving potential, it earns similar award for being a powerhouse among most of the other DAPs and due to its hardware/software base — for being a full-feature pack. Moreover, free of radio interference and with showing perfectly black background. Only thing that left is too choose whether you want neutral reference sound of R6Pro or slightly brigher and emotional sound of R5… Either of two would be a great bargain.

Hiby R5 at official store