HIDIZS S8 USB-C Headphone Adapter Review

[Veri]

I've found some measurements for Sonata HD Pro:

https://www.ixbt.com/live/digs/tempotec-sonata-hd-pro-narodnyy-usb-cap.html

Russian language, but google translate is our friend.

The ADC could be a big bottleneck here, though. So maybe not suited for a proper comparison.

 

[Aldoszx]

The ADC could be a big bottleneck here, though. So maybe not suited for a proper comparison.

I think you are right.
Maybe Amirm will receive one for measurement.
Just to know it is or not the same thing as Hidizs S8.

 

[vitalii427]

I've found some measurements for Sonata HD Pro:

https://www.ixbt.com/live/digs/tempotec-sonata-hd-pro-narodnyy-usb-cap.html

Russian language, but google translate is our friend.

I’ve read it few days ago. Judging by the text the author’s measurements and competence are highly controversial or even doubtful. There’s no any numbers on Noise Level and Dynamic Range screens. The author is apparently not familiar what is FFT gain.

 

[typericey]

If Amir reviews the Tempotec and it measures exactly like the Hidizs, then there is no argument and everybody wins.

 

[Aldoszx]

Another measurement, and another values.
Not reliable from my point of view.

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&u=https://mysku.ru/blog/aliexpress/76953.html

 

[sejarzo]

If Amir reviews the Tempotec and it measures exactly like the Hidizs, then there is no argument and everybody wins.

Have you looked at the Hidizs official web site? They don't even try to hide that it's the same company.

 

[mrnikt]

Again I cant wait for Amrir's measurments of HD PRO
I have 3 (or 4) alternatives... HiBy W3, Meizu USB DAC PRO and HD PRo / Hidizs S8.. and I cant decide...
Amrir's measuments would help a lot.

 

[IVX]

I’ve read it few days ago. Judging by the text the author’s measurements and competence are highly controversial or even doubtful. There’s no any numbers on Noise Level and Dynamic Range screens. The author is apparently not familiar what is FFT gain.

probably, they did measure with USB sound-card and got some current loops between 2 USB ports. Anyway, the result is 100.00% useless.

 

[typericey]

Hidizs S8 arrrived yesterday. Sharing some initial impressions:

- well built with glass front and back panels
- buttons have nice tactile feel with satisfying clicks, though I wish they embossed or engraved one of the buttons to aid "blind pressing"
- cables seem well made with aluminum tips, wires are soft and pliable
- plug and play with Galaxy Note 10 using Hiby and Spotify
- Using KZ ZS10 Pro IEM with mic, I was able to make a call, so the mic function works
- while it does not get warm, I suspect the chip generates a minuscule amount of heat. You know how metal feels cool to the touch? When playing, this piece of metal does not feel cool.

Subjective listening
- no perceivable noise or distortion at moderate listening levels (though I do think that I listen at a lower volume than most). no perceivable coloration.
- Overall, clean and neutral as it should.

Nitpick
- online brochures say it comes with a silicon case. Mine didn't have it.

 

[vitalii427]

I’ve done more measurements of S8 on Windows laptop. Not ready to share the results yet. But I can definitely say that S8 has not enough USB noise filtering, if any. Don’t know how Amir have such great results on his Windows machine. “Golden sample” maybe??

EDIT: Maybe something wrong in my results. Will do more research

 

[confucius_zero]

Hum. when connected to an amp via 3.5mm to RCA cable, the device seems to start clicking because it simply doesn't understand what's being plugged into it. It "clicks back" into stand by mode as soon as there's no sound then "clicks in" when there's sound.

It will be click-less as long as 3.5mm interconnects are involved. It worked well with my Fiio A5. I've checked with my smsl idea and the meizu pro dac to see if it has the same problems and no clicking was heard. Perhaps it's a driver issue that Hidizs will hopefully solve in the future?

Very annoying.

 

[tifune]

I just remeasured my Meizu HiFi DAC non-pro with 100% charged Android's battery, and HibyMusic player 1kHz Fs = 48k 16 and 24bit.
At 32ohm resistor load, it starts to clip at 49mW(previous my measurement has 31mW, and I suspect that my Android wasn't charged properly, and UAPP player used), near to that level THD+N was .0016% for 24bit and .0018% for 16bit. Furthermore, at no-load condition, Meizu HiFi DAC non-pro also looks much better than first time, see attached screenshot. THD+N reading .0002% and max harmonic at the level -124db! So, Meizu HiFi DAC non-pro is better than S8 if loaded(less power yet) and the same if not loaded.
PS: probably the first my Meizu HiFi DAC non-pro measurement, I just kept reference at 1VRMS and didn't measure THD and FFT at 2VRMS DAC supply if no load.. I'll try to discharge my Android later to find the root cause.
View attachment 45793

Apologies, I'm still new at this - I read through the thread and I don't understand. How can SINAD be so much higher for S8 compared to Meizu ? Amir's tests different than IVX perhaps? thank you

 

[JohnYang1997]

Apologies, I'm still new at this - I read through the thread and I don't understand. How can SINAD be so much higher for S8 compared to Meizu ? Amir's tests different than IVX perhaps? thank you

Amir's usb power is dirty and meizu is not immune to it.

 

[ZolaIII]

Amir's usb power is dirty and meizu is not immune to it.

Well that's not the explanation, even with cleaned up power delivery it still measures worser & besides S8 power input ain't any better. Possible explanation might be a pore quality control because I don't believe in golden samples.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Well that's not the explanation, even with cleaned up power delivery it still measures worser & besides S8 power input ain't any better. Possible explanation might be a pore quality control because I don't believe in golden samples.

It's still not cleaned firstly. Then everyone else got good number (at least 3 people including me).

 

[ZolaIII]

It's still not cleaned firstly. Then everyone else got good number (at least 3 people including me).

S8/Sonata HD Pro also doesn't have any kind of input power filtering same as Meizus & equipment used in measuring whose exactly the same. Ou it whose cleaned, you probably missed that one.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...lation-purifier-audio-measurements-png.46577/
Most people didn't got better results actually Amir's ones are avarge. Anyway for me all four are bad products; Meizus lacking volume control and TempoTec's having to big volume steps, neither of them having proper drivers or suport.

 

[JohnYang1997]

S8/Sonata HD Pro also doesn't have any kind of input power filtering same as Meizus & equipment used in measuring whose exactly the same. Ou it whose cleaned, you probably missed that one.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/singxer-uip-1-–-usb-isolation-purifier-audio-measurements-png.46577/
Most people didn't got better results actually Amir's ones are avarge. Anyway for me all four are bad products; Meizus lacking volume control and TempoTec's having to big volume steps, neither of them having proper drivers or suport.

I didn't miss it. It just showed that purifier is bad. Ask Amir to test with a phone and see what we get
I post a few measurements on meizu thread a few weeks ago. You may check those out.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ro-usb-c-phone-dongle-dac-review.10423/page-4
another source https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/94991395

 

[ZolaIII]

@JohnYang1997 sorry honey, swiped & cleaned & purifier worked obviously as those are the best results for it.
You didn't had any complaints against perfectly same measurements as Amir got on first impressions forum hire, you ware informed there & about drivers & decided to get one. Why does S8 measured better it beats me. To answer that question we need to examine design of both of them thirty. Pics posted here are bad quality for something like that. Given the already mentioned reasons neither of them won't get my recommendations.

Best regards.

 

[Milesian]

A long shot question. Has anyone got the S8 working plugged into Raspberry Pi 4B, configured as a ROON endpoint with Ropieee? I can get it working with ROON on an Ultrarendu. But Ropieee doesn’t seem to like it. I’ve checked all the obvious settings.

 

[typericey]

Usage update: My Galaxy Note 10 reboots when I disconnect the Hidizs S8. Happened twice already. Will observe some more and report back.