Hidizs DH80S

amazon Hidizs DH80S reviews

With the explosion of compact, low-cost DAC/AMP and support for many new developing technologies, Hidizs could not stay out of the trend and immediately launched 2 DAC/AMP models in the same series with the DAP model. their compact Hidizs AP80. The two models DH80 and DH80S, are an extremely valuable upgrade to improve the sound quality of the Hidizs AP80 player in particular and other sources in general.

While the DH80 model will be designed as a dock so that the AP80 player can be plugged in to form a complete combo, the DH80S is designed as a separate portable Dac / Amp to combine with a variety of music players; however, DH80 and DH80S have the same parameters and functions to 100%.

This article will mainly evaluate Hidizs DH80S when both have identical configurations, only different in connection methods.

BOXING AND ACCESSORIES

Hidizs DH80S is boxed with some youthful colors, but we will not have the Balanced adapter available in the box. Hidiz made a bold decision when not making the 2.5mm Balanced port but switching to the 4.4mm Balanced port, which is very popular today.

But the sad story is that the company does not include any balanced 4.4 Adapter. That is not too big of a problem when most of these adapters can be found easily on the market.

The accessories Hidizs provides will include a USB-C charging cord, USB-C to USB-A Adapter, USB-C to USB-C OTG cable, manual, and warranty card.

Although the company announced that the DH80S could be connected to iOS devices, we will have to equip ourselves with an iPhone OTG cable to use it.

DESIGN AND FINISHING

Designed with an extremely sturdy aluminum frame, the machining quality of the DH80S is also appreciated for its very high finish. As a result, the DH80S feels very compact and high-class but no less compact.

Gain switch and side volume keys give a very light and firm press.

Overall, the Hidizs DH80S is very well finished with a sturdy aluminum frame. Gives us the feeling of holding a high-quality product.

SPECIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS

The outstanding parameters of the DH80S can be followed as:

ESS9218C Pro DAC chip.

Support MQA decoding.

Native DSD64/128 pseudocode

Decoded sound quality indicator.

1300mAh removable battery.

Support Win 10, Mac OS, iOS, Android.

Output 3.5 SE and 4.4 TRRS.

It can be said that Native DSD decoding, MQA decoding, and Balanced 4.4 output are gradually becoming the standard of new DACs/AMPs. Along with a compact design, decoding quality indicator light (Red: 44.1kHz-48kHz, blue: 88.2kHz-384kHz, pink: MQA), the DH80S is not inferior to competitors in the same segment when carrying with you most of these outstanding features.

where can you get a Hidizs DH80S online

HIDIZS DH80S Portable Balanced DAC & AMP, Supports MQA Audio Technology, DSD64/128 Portable Audio Decoding Amplifier, 4.4mm/3.5mm Port Output for Windows 10/Mac OS/iPad OS/Android/iOS System (Black): Buy it now

DETAILED SOUND QUALITY

The ESS9218C DAC chip is a chip that I have never experienced. But up to now, with the process of using it after a week, I can confirm that I am quite satisfied with this DAC chip. It gives a sound that is not too dry, not too mechanical, but very warm and smoother than I expected.

But with common needs like IEMs or mid-range headphones, it may not be easy to feel this upgrade. Moreover, this improvement in capacity will be slight when combining the DH80S with some high-impedance and difficult-to-pull Earbuds or Headphones.

My experience with the ESS9218C DAC chip is completely satisfied with the overall sound quality at the time of writing. When plugged into the DH80S, it has been greatly improved. However, we do not expect the balanced Amp on the DH80S to serve well for hard-to-pull full-size headphones like the HD650 or HE400, but with IEMs or mid-range Headphones (M50X, HD598, DT770 Pro), the Balanced port 4.4 of the DH80S does its job well on a compact body.

The source I use in this review will be the Macbook Pro 2017 – DAC/AMP Hidizs DH80S, with the music source being Tidal Master.

Bass

Via DH80S compared to plugging in via Macbook is a complete upgrade. Maybe even take a slight step into the world of bass-heads. Bass hits deeper and more firmly, with a bit of gentle warmth rather than violence. With a band with very complex musical instruments like Polyphia, the bass through the DH80S was impressive with each instrument.

Mid

With thin mid-range headphones like the DT770 Pro, the DH80S has improved quite a bit. The mid-range has been improved to be thicker, a bit more colorful, and more volume than when plugged in from a Macbook. The singer’s voice is no longer too thin in the low-mid, but there is still a little energy in the high-mid that makes some high notes of musical instruments such as piano or violin still not heard wonderful. With slow vocal music like Michael Buble or Norah Jones, the DH80S gave us a great experience.

Treble

Also inherited some improvements from the DH80S such as better control treble, less jarring, smoother treble feeling, but accidentally lacks the necessary jingle in some tracks. With a slight roll-off plus the treble being softened, the treble lacks a bit of force.

Soundstage

That is probably the least improved part of the DH80S. Although I tried a few IEMs and Headphones, the soundstage hardly improved too much. But perhaps it is hard to blame the DH80S when it has quite well carried the above sound quality, and at this price, this is completely acceptable.

CONCLUDE

Ignoring some minor improvements such as the soundstage or the slightly trimmed treble, the rest of the DH80S performed quite well when giving us a warm, detailed bass, thick and smooth vocals. Suitable for those who love slow music and seductive vocals, then definitely do not ignore Hidizs DH80S.

With itself a fairly compact DAC/AMP, with good power at the Balanced 4.4 port, the Hidizs DH80S will be a formidable opponent to the cheap DACs/AMPs available on the market.