HIDIZS S8 USB-C Headphone Adapter Review

[staticV3]

It's a tiristor inside CS43131 IC.

I see. Thanks for the clarification and the learning opportunity!

 

[Jimbob54]

What is really strange is if I plug the Sonata HD Pro using a dongle-type short USB cable into the hub under my monitor, with nothing attached, Win10 doesn't see it. If I then plug in a 3.5mm extension cable--with NOTHING attached to the other end--Win10 immediately sees it. That suggests there's a switch in the jack, because it can't be sensing the impedance of headphones or an amp on the output.

There are a lot of quirks with this one.

An empty extension lead presents as an infinitely high impedance (I think). It's a trick to get some of these dongles intu high impedance gain mode for lower impedance phones. Plug an empty extension in first

 

[sejarzo]

An empty extension lead presents as an infinitely high impedance (I think). It's a trick to get some of these dongles intu high impedance gain mode for lower impedance phones. Plug an empty extension in first

Yeah...but what is the difference in impedance between the empty jack, and the empty extension? I'm a chemical engineer, not an EE, so my last formal education in such matters was simple DC and LC/LCR circuits in Physics 251, fall 1976...but an open circuit IS an open circuit, same as it was in 1976, is it not?

It's a tiristor inside CS43131 IC.

So what does that sense, and how? Does the device actually incorporate a TRRS jack that senses the presence of a plug in the jack? Thanks!

 

[Hemi-Demon]

If anyone wants one of these, I have a used one for $40 shipped. PM if interested.

 

[Jimbob54]

Yeah...but what is the difference in impedance between the empty jack, and the empty extension? I'm a chemical engineer, not an EE, so my last formal education in such matters was simple DC and LC/LCR circuits in Physics 251, fall 1976...but an open circuit IS an open circuit, same as it was in 1976, is it not?



So what does that sense, and how? Does the device actually incorporate a TRRS jack that senses the presence of a plug in the jack? Thanks!

No idea, I'm a reader on here not an engineer of any sort. I guess it senses something is connected to its jack input so switches on.

 

[ZolaIII]

@sejarzo tiristor is a same thing it whose in 1970's. It's basically fixed resistance based switch.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyristor

 

[sejarzo]

@sejarzo tiristor is a same thing it whose in 1970's. It's basically fixed resistance based switch.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyristor

Thanks, but I knew that. What activates that switch if what amounts to an open circuit is plugged into the jack? That's the part that confuses me!

 

[ZolaIII]

Thanks, but I knew that. What activates that switch if what amounts to an open circuit is plugged into the jack? That's the part that confuses me!

I think it's only one Thyristor and I think it's on a 32 Ohm's as much as I recall design white paper, eventually other one with lower resistance to act as on off switch. Don't really have time right now, will look it up tonight.

 

[madugo]

I just checked device manager and Sonata USB Audio is there, and the details are exactly as you've written above.

I nearly tore my hair out trying to fix this, disabling everything in device manager, disabling services, different usb leads, sockets, and on and on, and nothing fixed it, until it decided to fix itself.

I did notice there were zero dropouts or crackles on laptop battery power, can you test that?

just tested with laptop battery power, still dropouts...

man i just wanna throw this thing into trashcan now...

 

[Zarniwoop]

just tested with laptop battery power, still dropouts...

man i just wanna throw this thing into trashcan now...

I would test it on other PCs/laptops/phones/tablets first to make sure the DAC itself isn't faulty.

I thought there was some hardware incompatibility with it on my laptop but it turned out to be software related as it's now fine. If it works OK on other machines you could do a fresh Windows install on the laptop, as another driver or software install could be interfering with it.

 

[ZolaIII]

Thanks, but I knew that. What activates that switch if what amounts to an open circuit is plugged into the jack? That's the part that confuses me!

Turns out CS made things rather complicated. Plug (jack) detection is trogh pin with I²C interrupt interface and they used a lot of interrupts. CS43198_F1.pdf Section 4.4 page 32.
The high impedance mode determination is implemented through clocking interface and very complicated related to PLL domens selected line trogh SLCK/LRCK. Section 4.8.4, 4.8.5. page 40. I worked with those interfaces like Android developer, mainly for bunch of other stuff. If you ask me they shouldn't had complicated things so much.

Best regards.

 

[madugo]

I would test it on other PCs/laptops/phones/tablets first to make sure the DAC itself isn't faulty.

I thought there was some hardware incompatibility with it on my laptop but it turned out to be software related as it's now fine. If it works OK on other machines you could do a fresh Windows install on the laptop, as another driver or software install could be interfering with it.

omg...I think I got it to work...thanks for all the inputs..

did a bios update and it seems to took care of it...

been testing it about half an hour and so far did not hear any dropout.

hopefully that will be the conclusion on this matter for me..

now need to catch up to see what you guys mean about the low power/high power mode, not sure if I understand correctly, so we have to plug a 3.5mm extension cable to get it to be high power mode all the time?

What if I unplug the dongle complete from the lighting/usb port? what has to be unplug or plug before I plug it back to the lighting/usb port?

 

[sejarzo]

... If you ask me they shouldn't had complicated things so much.

Wow. THAT is complicated. Thanks!

 

[ZolaIII]

Wow. THAT is complicated. Thanks!

Well its not that much complicated but it is stupid and potentially problematic. In my experience I had to deal with I²C interrupt falling during boot & pos not powering PLL domens on time on Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo. We had to speed up the bus & migrate some of interrupts. But I suppose that doesn't interest you so much.

 

[sejarzo]

Well its not that much complicated but it is stupid and potentially problematic. In my experience I had to deal with I²C interrupt falling during boot & pos not powering PLL domens on time on Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo. We had to speed up the bus & migrate some of interrupts. But I suppose that doesn't interest you so much.

I actually didn't understand any of it.

 

[Zarniwoop]

omg...I think I got it to work...thanks for all the inputs..

did a bios update and it seems to took care of it...

been testing it about half an hour and so far did not hear any dropout.

hopefully that will be the conclusion on this matter for me..

now need to catch up to see what you guys mean about the low power/high power mode, not sure if I understand correctly, so we have to plug a 3.5mm extension cable to get it to be high power mode all the time?

What if I unplug the dongle complete from the lighting/usb port? what has to be unplug or plug before I plug it back to the lighting/usb port?

Good news it's working now

Every time you unplug/plug the dongle in, you have to do so with a 3.5mm extension, or 3.5mm lead not plugged into headphones, to get full power mode on low impedance headphones. This will only matter if you want the extra power for a particular set of headphones. If you're using high impedance headphones or line out it will automatically be set to high output.

I call it an annoying as hell "feature". Why do they implement this? I don't want my equipment deciding how much power it's willing to output.

 

[madugo]

Good news it's working now

Every time you unplug/plug the dongle in, you have to do so with a 3.5mm extension, or 3.5mm lead not plugged into headphones, to get full power mode on low impedance headphones. This will only matter if you want the extra power for a particular set of headphones. If you're using high impedance headphones or line out it will automatically be set to high output.

I call it an annoying as hell "feature". Why do they implement this? I don't want my equipment deciding how much power it's willing to output.

That does sound really annoying, with this dongle I really only using my IEMs on it, not the headphones I think.

But some of the IEM are harder to drive, I will try the 3.5mm extension to see if make any difference.

 

[crystal6tak]

Can someone confirm how the volume up and down work?

Is it a digital or analogue volume? And does it save the volume after unplugging?

For the Sonata HD Pro, is the mic problem solved now? I'm reading through the thread and I can't seem to find a solid answer.

Also one last question, does anyone know if there are shielding problem with the S8 compared to Sonata HD Pro given the casing is slightly different.

 

[staticV3]

Can someone confirm how the volume up and down work?

Is it a digital or analogue volume? And does it save the volume after unplugging?

For the Sonata HD Pro, is the mic problem solved now? I'm reading through the thread and I can't seem to find a solid answer.

Also one last question, does anyone know if there are shielding problem with the S8 compared to Sonata HD Pro given the casing is slightly different.

It is digital hardware volume.
The volume is saved after unplugging.
Both the S8 and the HD Pro use a TRS 3.5mm jack from what I know. That means that neither support a mic or inline remote.

Spoiler: Pic

I have yet to experience EMI with the S8, though I haven't used it extensively.

 

[KisSme]

Hi there, I'm starting to think that this forum is one of chinese international commercial strategy.
I'm sorry for being too much rude like this but could you tell me @amirm why do you test a lot of chinese product and less european one ?
Thanks and sorry for inconvenient.