[Review] Hisound AMP3-M
Dec 27, 2011 at 4:34 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 3

tomscy2000

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A while ago, I received the Hisound AMP3-M, along with a few of their earbuds (Living, PAA-1 Pro, etc.). I finally got around to taking care of this review, only recently.
 
 
[size=10.0pt]Design & Function[/size]
[size=10.0pt]The AMP3-M is a small and simple DAP. Approximately the size of two third generation iPod Nanos stacked on top of each other, its compact size and relatively few controls will make it appealing to music listeners who want a no-hassle, no-nonsense music player that won’t break the bank nor the heart should it break or get misplaced. Its operation is not unlike that of an iPod Shuffle, with no screen --- only track forward/back and volume up/down, merged into two touch-sensitive surfaces. As can be expected, a short press of the buttons actuates the track advancement, while a long press of the two buttons toggles the volume up and down.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]I would’ve liked seeing a separate set of buttons on the side for independent volume control or at least support for volume control from an inline microphone set like that of Apple’s, but such is the design choice by Hisound. The resultant effect is an inability to control volume when the LOCK switch is engaged (which can be found at the bottom surface of the player, apposed to the power on/off switch and next to the mini-USB file transfer/charging input). Another small, but relatively inconsequential omission is an integrated (or removable) shirt clip, which would’ve been quite welcome for a DAP of this size. Toward the top of the player is the 3.5mm headphone output, along with a recessed ‘RESET’ button.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]With respect to build quality, the AMP3-M is solidly built, but utilizes relatively cheap materials. A wooden Colorfly C4 the AMP3-M is not. With that being said, however, the AMP3-M should be able to weather the elements as well as any other electronic component --- with the exception of perhaps rain, sleet, and snow.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]Sound[/size]
[size=10.0pt]While not the most extended DAP (even most iPods should best it in terms of end-to-end extension), the sound of the Hisound AMP3-M is very sweet and pleasant, perhaps even partly due to the roll off. Despite its compact size, the AMP3-M delivers ample power and produces a fairly detailed, forward midrange. Instruments also tend to be nicely separated. The extra power will show up as hiss in more sensitive IEMs, but it’s not a large enough problem that I would ever be bothered with. With these sound characteristics, the AMP3-M complements mainstream earphones well, but its sonic shortcomings (the lack of extension, no pun intended) will show up in higher end IEMs with good isolation and good extension.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]The major criticism I have of the AMP3-M is the ridiculous amount of seek time it requires between each track and the way time eats into the beginning of each track. Whenever a new track is selected, nearly two seconds will go by before the player slowly fades in the music of the track, preventing the listener from hearing the first second or so of music. No, this isn’t a crossfade function; it’s merely a faulty circuit design that needs to be redone, and needs to be redone yesterday.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]The AMP3-M behaves just like a removable drive when plugged into a computer; you can store any type of file in its memory banks, but as far as I know, it will play only MP3 and WAV files. A more discriminating listener may prefer support of other formats like AAC, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, APE, etc. but then again, that person is probably going to be willing to shell out a bit more for a DAP than the $50 the AMP3-M costs.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]To put things in perspective, the market size for a budget audio player under $75 is very specific and really quite small. Because of the success of the iPod, most DAPs these days are full featured and are priced accordingly. A ~$50 audio player is really for the penny pinchers of the world, and people of that ilk are likely not to care much about the one large positive of the AMP3-M --- the sound. Fortunately, if you’re in a bind and still desire a pleasant sounding and reasonably powerful DAP, the AMP3-M is a decent option, provided that Hisound fixes the ‘crossfade’ problem.[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]PROS[/size]
  1. [size=10.0pt]Affordable[/size]
  2. [size=10.0pt]Simple Controls[/size]
  3. [size=10.0pt]Sweet, Mid-Centric Sound[/size]
 
[size=10.0pt]CONS[/size]
  1. [size=10.0pt]Way Too Much Fade Time When Seeking Between Tracks[/size]
  2. [size=10.0pt]Ho-Hum Styling and Build Not For Everyone[/size]
 
Dec 27, 2011 at 9:44 PM Post #3 of 3
Thanks for the review. I have the Studio-V, which I wasn't too impressed with when it came to the price/performance ratio. It's good to see that HiSound is stepping up there game when it comes to sound quality. Hmm, too bad the decay times are bad, maybe that'll improve with burn in, but who knows.
 

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