HIDIZS DH80S Review (DAC & Amp)

[Wunderphones]

Thanks @amirm , I have been eyeing this unit for a couple of months. Measurements are great, but not better than Hidisz S8/S9 (Pro or not) which share some of the internals but have no battery and feed on USB power instead...

To me, this is about features. The S9 loses out to the E1DA in my book, so if I'm looking for a really clean DAC that runs as a dongle, I'm going with that.

But running without bus power is a feature that bumps you up into a higher category. If your use scenarios don't make you think of a battery-powered device as a feature, then yeah. There's no reason except maybe the 4.4mm jack for you to consider this thing. Oh, and the somewhat higher power.

The real direct competitor of this thing is the Topping NX4, which will probably be superseded in the next few months, as it's a little long in the tooth. And I guess the iFi Hip Dac, for people who don't believe in measurements, or who need truckloads of power. I think it's got both those beat for now, although I'm probably going to see what Topping comes up with.

 

[KxDx]

Nobody's asking the important question:

How in the hell do you pronounce "hidizs"?

A WORD PLEASE!

 

[BostonJack]

You need to be able to drop the volume quickly when under fire. Tactical sounds good to me…

if they put the silhouette of an AR15/M16 in the graphics, then it would be tactical. maybe used to de-stress after a patrol?

 

[Tks]

Don’t know why people are upset with the filter. I’d rather this than those lazy ones that slope down far later. Everyone keeps talking about how this will introduce problems (every negative comment about brick walls and how they raise higher frequency distortion). I don’t really get it since I’ve never heard any issues myself audibly even using aggressive EQ to achieve brick walls.

I’ll take those problems over drivers having to waste effort trying to spit out content above 20Hz for no reason. I get here the decent starts at 18kHz (yeah a bit too early, but it’s not like anyone here is going to hear 18kHz either, certainly not a dB down). And 20kHz, even if it was a million dB down, I wouldn’t care if it doesn’t bleed over any audible artifacts in the rest of the audible band (audible to me being 17.5kHz and lower).

Edit: forgot to ask, what’s the output impedance?

 

[staticV3]

Considering the 2 volts can it also be used on an amplifier for loudspeakers?

Yeah, sure! Every 3.5mm headphone out can be plugged into an Amp to drive speakers.

 

[JDS]

What do you get by adding the DH80 to the DH80S?

HIDIZS DH80S Portable Balanced DAC & AMP

Its compact and lightweight design makes it easy to carry in your pocket or bag, and its advanced circuitry ensures that your music sounds its best, no matter where you are. With the DH80S, you can enjoy superior audio quality on the go. Hidizs is everywhere and they aim to provide the best...

www.hidizs.net

*edit* Ah, I get it, the DH80 is the same as the DH80S, but designed as a dock for the AP80 DAP.

The Hidiz website is incredibly confusing. So are you saying that the page shows two different products -- (a) an L-shaped DH 80, which is a DH80S physically modified to better dock with a specific DAP, and (b) the DH80S, which Amir tested and which includes an internal battery? When I first looked at their site, I thought the L-shaped thingie was a battery pack for the player Amir tested.

 

[elole]

I have this. It sounds nice but hisses with sensitive iems, and is too powerful for sensitive iems too as I'm stuck on the 1st or 2nd volume button step.

 

[Tatr76]

Specs say 6 hours balanced and 8 hours single-ended, probably at moderate volume. 2.5 hrs charge. How does that compare to dongle draining phone?

 

[Guerilla]

World it be possible to make an adapter to line input without hurting performance?
Cheers!

 

[PeteL]

I have this. It sounds nice but hisses with sensitive iems, and is too powerful for sensitive iems too as I'm stuck on the 1st or 2nd volume button step.

Measurments confirm this, I find it a bit odd to grant the very highest recommendation to something that can't accomplish noise free operation on such a basic common use case for something like this. Is this on low gain setting?

 

[elole]

Measurments confirm this, I find it a bit odd to grant the very highest recommendation to something that can't accomplish noise free operation on such a basic common use case for something like this. Is this on low gain setting?

Yup, lowest gain

 

[bequietjk]

This thing is so cool!

 

[pseudoid]

Considering I can't hear past like 17khz...

Perish that thought please!
Just because your hearing is falling off at 17kHz (? @-3db? @-6dB?), does not mean that any content above that frequency is not additive to what is impinging at your hearing interface.

 

[ZolaIII]

Real predecessor of HD80/S whose HD1000 (Sonata iDSD Plus). It's unique future whose HiBy USB link with which true HiBy music you could use your regular phone cable (no OTG and such) and listen with out interruptions, it also could charge Android phones at the same time (from flask DAC battery or external source). It had similar filter roll off but seriously who will hear - 2~3 dB at 19 KHz. Regarding sensitive IEM's try the PCM to DSD conversion as output will be - 6 dB.

 

[dib]

That is the 1000+ dollars question, isn't it? I have not read anything about ABXing DACs nor headamps.

My SMSL iDEA and Topping D50 both sound transparent to my ears when driving my Stax setup. Either the difference is inaudible, or I need some of the GoldenOne's training to discern between the two. Heck, there was miniscule difference between the ancient DAC in my 20 year old Sherwood 9090 AVR and the Topping D50 through the same AVR in Pure Direct mode.

The measured results of the 120db DAC champions drops to about 96db or so with 16bit, so it's about getting a good enough one.
The main differences are with speakers/ Headphones and amps.
I have the SMSL iDEA too, and the DH80S is noticeably superior as a DAC+AMP; cleaner, has better separation, more focused and more controlled, especially in the bass region.
You are using it as a DAC only, where the differences are way smaller, even with very transparent Electrostatics.
So if I get only a fabulous A90 connected to DH80S, it'll become a 500$ dollars question only, but not pocketable..

 

[amirm]

Edit: @amirm was this measurment made on high or low gain?

Low gain.

 

[GWolfman]

Throw in a DSP-enabled PEQ feature and we'd be all set!

 

[GaryH]

Throw a DSP-enabled PEQ feature and we'd be all set!

Already done, for less money, at half the size, a third of the weight, and with the option of LDAC Bluetooth connection too: https://www.qudelix.com/

 

[amirm]

World it be possible to make an adapter to line input without hurting performance?
Cheers!

Sure. Any headphone output can be used as line out.

 

[amirm]

Measurments confirm this, I find it a bit odd to grant the very highest recommendation to something that can't accomplish noise free operation on such a basic common use case for something like this.

Well, I don't know how many people buy powerful external amps to drive IEMs. They sip power so you should not need a device like this.