HIDIZS S8 USB-C Headphone Adapter Review

[Jimbob54]

But does the phone buttons affect the volume on each click for you or every 6 or so?

Pretty sure every click if set to 100 steps.

 

[Jimbob54]

But does the phone buttons affect the volume on each click for you or every 6 or so?

Interesting, I've just been messing around with it. You may be right! If I go from say middle of the bar and click up (100 steps), the volume only noticeably changes every few steps. Maybe I had assumed each 100th was very minor but perhaps actually not doing anything!

The jumps on the device itself still seem bigger than the increments on the uapp slider though, but maybe that's mind tricks too.

The physical buttons are also totally independent of the uapp hardware controls. So at least you can do a degree of fine tuning as max uapp but one device step down is still quieter than both maxed.

 

[Steeveep]

Interesting, I've just been messing around with it. You may be right! If I go from say middle of the bar and click up (100 steps), the volume only noticeably changes every few steps. Maybe I had assumed each 100th was very minor but perhaps actually not doing anything!

The jumps on the device itself still seem bigger than the increments on the uapp slider though, but maybe that's mind tricks too.

The physical buttons are also totally independent of the uapp hardware controls. So at least you can do a degree of fine tuning as max uapp but one device step down is still quieter than both maxed.

Yea I think the uapp hardware controls are 1 or 2 steps less than the physical ones. Because I'm a sucker for total volume control and I don't like using my external amp when I'm out and about I have the hardware slider 2 volume jumps down from max (as loud as my quietest music needs) and the device at full, then switch to software volume and control smoothly from there. To my ears it sounds the same as when using the hardware slider alone except there's more control. Plus I find having the hardware slider at max adds distortion. Sort of a thin treble added

 

[jkljklsdfsdf]

Anyone experiencing loud pops when you start/stop music? At first it was only tolerable pops but now mine got louder to the point I'm wincing whenever it pops. I like the SQ of this dac but I'm getting the urge to sell this because of the popping and get an ibasso dc03 instead.

 

[Steeveep]

Anyone experiencing loud pops when you start/stop music? At first it was only tolerable pops but now mine got louder to the point I'm wincing whenever it pops. I like the SQ of this dac but I'm getting the urge to sell this because of the popping and get an ibasso dc03 instead.

I get a tiny pop sometimes when I select a song. Nothing major though. Think I read its the dac switching from 44khz and 16bit to higher values. I could be and probably am wrong though

 

[jkljklsdfsdf]

I get a tiny pop sometimes when I select a song. Nothing major though. Think I read its the dac switching from 44khz and 16bit to higher values. I could be and probably am wrong though

The popping also happens when I'm seeking through a song or just simply adjusting the volume slider.

 

[MC_RME]

I flashed the BHD firmware on my Sonata HD Pro and after hours of usage I had no problems whatsoever, it did really made the sound so much louder (2x louder more or less) but I reverted back to stock v3.0 firmware since the device gets noticeably hotter with the BHD firmware.

That might be true for Android. After flashing v2.0 BHD the Sonata Pro HD is no longer recognized from my iPhone 11. Flashed it back and it works again. This high gain automatic is a stupid and useless feature. Wish that could be disabled without needing to plug in a cable, and EACH TIME connect the phones after connecting the Sonata. It is not just one cable more but also more cumbersome handling than necessary.

 

[MC_RME]

I tried doing this but to no avail. It wont let me flash my sonata hd pro with bhd firmware. it just gives error and my sonata hd pro wont work after that. luckily enough i can just flash the old firmware back into it. pity. that constant 2 volt definitely is going to help my prospective tin p1.

If you did not succeed to flash the unit why did you have to 'reflash' the former version? Did you understand that the flash software needs you to type in the CURRENT ID (203), not the one that you want to flash (205)? Once flashed you have to type in 205 to get back to 203.

 

[raistlin65]

That might be true for Android. After flashing v2.0 BHD the Sonata Pro HD is no longer recognized from my iPhone 11. Flashed it back and it works again. This high gain automatic is a stupid and useless feature. Wish that could be disabled without needing to plug in a cable, and EACH TIME connect the phones after connecting the Sonata. It is not just one cable more but also more cumbersome handling than necessary.

It's not a useless feature. It is helpful to people who have high sensitivity IEMs.

But I do agree it would be nice if there was a way to disable it.

 

[pk500]

It's not a useless feature. It is helpful to people who have high sensitivity IEMs.

But I do agree it would be nice if there was a way to disable it.

A simple gain switch on the Sonata, next to the plus and minus volume buttons, would be ideal. Let the user decide how much power they need to feed their cans, especially when the automatic gain feature is flawed.

 

[raistlin65]

A simple gain switch on the Sonata, next to the plus and minus volume buttons, would be ideal. Let the user decide how much power they need to feed their cans, especially when the automatic gain feature is flawed.

I wouldn't say it's flawed. Seems to work correctly as an auto-sensing feature.

Although I would prefer if the threshold for high gain was 50 ohms. Based on my use of it, seems like it's set to 150 ohms.

 

[pk500]

I wouldn't say it's flawed. Seems to work correctly as an auto-sensing feature.

Although I would prefer if the threshold for high gain was 50 ohms. Based on my use of it, seems like it's set to 150 ohms.

It is flawed -- by design, not execution -- for just the reason you mentioned. You nailed it: The threshold should be 50 ohms, especially since 150 ohms are pushing the limits of the Sonata HD Pro's power output unless the headphone in question has really high sensitivity.

The Sonata HD Pro detects my 120 ohm Sennheiser HD 560s over-ear cans as low impedance. So, I have to use the adapter technique to trick the Sonata into high gain every time I use those cans. It's a pain in the ass, especially since the Sonata kicks back into low-gain mode every time I get a non-text notification on my phone, which forces me to disconnect and reconnect everything to return to high gain.

That's one of the reasons why I'm trying an iFi Hip-DAC now, which has more power, a slightly warm Burr-Brown DAC chip with very agreeable sound for me and a simple, user-activated button for high-gain mode. Yeah, it's three times the price of the Sonata HD Pro, but the extra power, smooth sound and no design quirks just might be worth it for me. That said, the Sonata HD Pro remains an incredible value with a very, very good DAC.

 

[Veri]

"Warm" and "smooth" sound, you state that like that's some fact. Before we know it we're set back to harsh" ESS and "analogue sounding" AKM chips, let's not go there please....

 

[pk500]

"Warm" and "smooth" sound, you state that like that's some fact. Before we know it we're set back to harsh" ESS and "analogue sounding" AKM chips, let's not go there please....

Get over yourself, dude. It's warm and smooth to MY EARS. It was never stated as a objective fact. It was a subjective impression, which comprises about 90 percent of the discussion here.

Your mileage clearly varies, which is totally fine. The VAST majority of this hobby remains subjective. One person's trash is another's treasure.

 

[Veri]

Get over yourself, dude. It's warm and smooth to MY EARS. It was never stated as a objective fact. It was a subjective impression, which comprises about 90 percent of the discussion here.

Your mileage clearly varies, which is totally fine. The VAST majority of this hobby remains subjective. One person's trash is another's treasure.

"I'm trying an iFi Hip-DAC now, which has a slightly warm Burr-Brown DAC chip" so no, nothing about what you said indicates that. Feel free to check out https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/serious-question-how-can-dacs-have-a-sound-signature-if-they-measure-as-transparent-are-that-many-confused.9245. Or not. I have a feeling you won't be persuaded by err, facts.

 

[pk500]

"I'm trying an iFi Hip-DAC now, which has a slightly warm Burr-Brown DAC chip" so no, nothing about what you said indicates that. Feel free to check out https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/serious-question-how-can-dacs-have-a-sound-signature-if-they-measure-as-transparent-are-that-many-confused.9245. Or not. I have a feeling you won't be persuaded by err, facts.

Fair enough. I really like the sound and features of the Hip-Dac. Sorry, no measurements to validate my subjective opinion, so you're just going to have grit your teeth and live with it.

 

[Steeveep]

Fair enough. I really like the sound and features of the Hip-Dac. Sorry, no measurements to validate my subjective opinion, so you're just going to have grit your teeth and live with it.

I owned and returned the hip dac for that very reason. I found it too warm sounding and it baffles me when people say it isn't warm sounding

 

[pk500]

I owned and returned the hip dac for that very reason. I found it too warm sounding and it baffles me when people say it isn't warm sounding

Agreed. Even iFi's rep who participates and posts often at Head-fi admits a bit of warmth is the Ifi "house sound."

The Hip Dac doesn't work that well with my Meze 99 Classics, which are very warm out of the box. Just too warm. Luckily those cans are so easy to drive that a phone with the Apple-Lightning dongle can handle the job.

But something really clicks for me with the combination of the HE-400se International and Hip Dac. I'm very treble-sensitive due to tinnitus, so I appreciate a touch of warmth sanding any sharp edges of treble.

 

[MC_RME]

It's not a useless feature. It is helpful to people who have high sensitivity IEMs.
But I do agree it would be nice if there was a way to disable it.

I DO use high sensitivity IEMs, and it's still a useless feature - because the noise floor level at the phones output does not change at all (and there is no need for it, as there is no audible noise whatsoever) . As the DAC (and iOS) remember the last volume setting again there is no need to artificially cripple max output volume.

I also wonder who brought up the idea this 'headphone class detection' is a feature added intentionally by the manufacturer of this DAC. AFAIK the DAC signals line or phones mode to the operating system, and that one lowers the signal in the digital domain when 'phones' are detected (the DAC does not receive full digital level anymore, no matter what app one uses). I am 100% sure this is the case with iOS (I don't have Android).

Shifting the resistance value to a different level is no solution.

They should make a firmware where this 'feature' is disabled. Or add something like push both +- buttons to switch it off or on.

 

[Veri]

Agreed. Even iFi's rep who participates and posts often at Head-fi admits a bit of warmth is the Ifi "house sound."

iFi's sales reps they'll happily sell you an iGalvanic and an iDefender and a USB 3.0 Mercury whatever telling you fancy words too.. just saying