Hidizs S9 Review (Headphone Adapter)

[Jimbob54]

Over the weekend I used the S9 as a DAC going into my powered monitors, pretty much the same thing you are doing and it worked fine.

Ah then @Asking Dumb Questions this answer and @0RF30 is entirely correct. Regarding your phone, have you ensured otg mode is on? Some android don't recognise external devices until switched on.

 

[Fenix84]

Ah then @Asking Dumb Questions this answer and @0RF30 is entirely correct. Regarding your phone, have you ensured otg mode is on? Some android don't recognise external devices until switched on.

Its possible, but my last test went pretty well without any skips so i think i m ok. If i start experiencing more hiccups i ll check out that setting. Thanks

 

[JimBobSound]

I’ve recently purchased some sennheiser IE900 which have an impedance of 16 ohm and spl
123 dB (1 kHz, 1 Vrms)
They come with a 2.5mm balanced cable. Looking at the measurements the S9 performs better in balanced mode, obviously I don’t need the extra power so would it be actually detrimental to go balanced with the IE900? Is the signal to noise worse with the S9 when in balanced with lower power headphones?

I’m referring to this :

Not so much at 50 millivolt though so you may get some hiss with very sensitive IEMs.

 

[gambarini]

is it usable with Deezer HiFi or other on-line streaming service?

 

[Human Bass]

is it usable with Deezer HiFi or other on-line streaming service?

Why it wouldnt be? It becomes the "soundcard" of your computer, processing any audio it comes from there.

 

[0RF30]

Why it wouldnt be? It becomes the "soundcard" of your computer, processing any audio it comes from there.

Maybe was he meaning in exclusive mode ?

 

[Steeveep]

Anyone using this with UAPP? What volume control do you use? In hardware volume control there's the main devices control then the 2 sliders. Maybe have the device full then use the hardware slider?

 

[0RF30]

Anyone using this with UAPP? What volume control do you use? In hardware volume control there's the main devices control then the 2 sliders. Maybe have the device full then use the hardware slider?

Left/right sliders can act as a limiter, they determine the max volume reachable by your device (useful to avoid ear blowing with sensitive stuff). The other one (master) is the volume itself, commanded by the volume buttons of your phone (if you configure UAPP correctly - even screen off). Master will never exceed left/right limitation. So if left/right are maxed out, full power amount of the dongle is available through master slider(s) (or buttons). Can be commanded from Bubbleupnp as well (master, not limiter).

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

Who is the OEM for the S9 and S9 Pro this time?

 

[Jimbob54]

Who is the OEM for the S9 and S9 Pro this time?

I dont think we know. Thinking of looking for their cheaper "identical" version like the S8/ Tempotec Sonata HD Pro?

I would guess they might have learnt from that one and been tighter lipped

 

[Steeveep]

Left/right sliders can act as a limiter, they determine the max volume reachable by your device (useful to avoid ear blowing with sensitive stuff). The other one (master) is the volume itself, commanded by the volume buttons of your phone (if you configure UAPP correctly - even screen off). Master will never exceed left/right limitation. So if left/right are maxed out, full power amount of the dongle is available through master slider(s) (or buttons). Can be commanded from Bubbleupnp as well (master, not limiter).

In volume settings do you have hardware volume selected?

 

[0RF30]

In volume settings do you have hardware volume selected?

Yes I have. If you want control trough volume buttons, you'll have to check "use volume buttons of the phone" or something like that. I suggest to change the volume steps (increments - don't know how it's called in English in the menu - I'm fine with 100, find what suits you). When you're at it deactivate replay gain if you've no use to it. If you want to multitask when listening to music, uncheck "release usb driver on home" in "system" menu. If the volume buttons of the phone don't work when you're not on the UAPP screen or when screen is off, in "tweaks" menu, tick "play digital silence for Android audio" or something like that. "Stop on task kill" may be useful too. As for tweaks, it's mainly for troubleshooting if you run into problems. There is one for rooted devices tough. If you plan to use UAPP as an upnp renderer, may be useful to tick "start upnp renderer at startup".

 

[Steeveep]

Yes I have. If you want control trough volume buttons, you'll have to check "use volume buttons of the phone" or something like that. I suggest to change the volume steps (increments - don't know how it's called in English in the menu - I'm fine with 100, find what suits you). When you're at it deactivate replay gain if you've no use to it. If you want to multitask when listening to music, uncheck "release usb driver on home" in "system" menu. If the volume buttons of the phone don't work when you're not on the UAPP screen or when screen is off, in "tweaks" menu, tick "play digital silence for Android audio" or something like that. "Stop on task kill" may be useful too. As for tweaks, it's mainly for troubleshooting if you run into problems. There is one for rooted devices tough. If you plan to use UAPP as an upnp renderer, may be useful to tick "start upnp renderer at startup".

Had most of them selected. Cheers. Brilliant bit of kit. The only thing it seems to fade in on songs. Even when you let an album play through. Odd

 

[0RF30]

Had most of them selected. Cheers. Brilliant bit of kit. The only thing it seems to fade in on songs. Even when you let an album play through. Odd

More like a static sound and loss of few milliseconds of the beginning of the track than a fade in, right ? I was initially thinking it was a standby on no signal poorly implemented, but I think it's buffer size related. It's not happening when you don't use UAPP in exclusive mode, right ? (when you don't allow UAPP to use the device on connection popup). You cannot set a buffer value inferior to 100ms in UAPP (can't remember what the original value is set to), but I tried many buffer sizes on computer, in both ASIO and WASAPI, with 10ms it limits the issue, but still present. On W10 PC combined with APO you can go for non exclusive use of the dongle, but SQ on android phones is far better in exclusive mode.

 

[Steeveep]

More like a static sound and loss of few milliseconds of the beginning of the track than a fade in, right ? I was initially thinking it was a standby on no signal poorly implemented, but I think it's buffer size related. It's not happening when you don't use UAPP in exclusive mode, right ? (when you don't allow UAPP to use the device on connection popup). You cannot set a buffer value inferior to 100ms in UAPP (can't remember what the original value is set to), but I tried many buffer sizes on computer, in both ASIO and WASAPI, with 10ms it limits the issue, but still present. On W10 PC combined with APO you can go for non exclusive use of the dongle, but SQ on android phones is far better in exclusive mode.

On some tracks it's a literal fade in. I read in a review about the fade in too. In non exclusive mode I assumed the external dac doesn't get used, just the amp.

 

[Jimbob54]

In non exclusive mode I assumed the external dac doesn't get used, just the amp.

Dont believe that is correct- its just the digital output from the phone to the DAC, needs the digital to analog conversion in the dongle - but in exclusive mode, only UAPP music will play, in non exclusive system sounds, notifications etc also. Its "sharing" the DAC with other system resources.

Though I must admit, I didnt think UAPP functioned at all if it didnt have exclusive access.

EDIT- there is a difference in how Android/ UAPP/Dongle operates. If you grant UAPP control of the DAC, its exclusive to UAPP, Spotify and other apps etc wont play through the DAC. If you instead reject the "handle" prompt on connecting the DAC, then open UAPP it requests "access" . In doing that, both UAPP and Spotify and others will all be able to use the DAC during the same session. I cant comment on whether one method sounds better than another.

EDIT Pt2- UAPP/ Android behaves differently with different DACs! For my Meizu dongle it requests to "handle" the DAC first- if I reject that, then open UAPP it requests "access". On my E1DA it seems to only ever request "access". If I deny access, UAPP shows the playback as "Direct" as opposed to "USB DAC" but still plays through the dongle anyway. Presumably after doing its usual android resampling to 48khz trick.

And for the TEmpotec Sonata HD Pro- if I grant "access" to UAPP, Spotify etc cant play through it in the same session. What a mess!

 

[0RF30]

In non exclusive mode I assumed the external dac doesn't get used, just the amp.

Dont believe that is correct- its just the digital output from the phone to the DAC, needs the digital to analog conversion in the dongle - but in exclusive mode, only UAPP music will play, in non exclusive system sounds, notifications etc also. Its "sharing" the DAC with other system resources.

I agree with Jimbob54. Plus you're stuck with android resampling in shared mode.

 

[Jimbob54]

I agree with Jimbob54. Plus you're stuck with android resampling in shared mode.

See my latest many edited post. the UAPP/ DAC behaviour depends on which DAC- its very odd.

 

[0RF30]

See my latest many edited post. the UAPP/ DAC behaviour depends on which DAC- its very odd.

I don't think behavior is different (anyway it isn't for any dongle I own - including S9/E1DAs/S8). Which may differ with the prompt, is if you granted a permanent authorization to UAPP to use one or another dongle, and if UAPP is already running or not when you connect it, and if you chose an app in particular to always launch at device connection (instead of "once only").

[EDIT] What matters at the end is if UAPP says "USB DAC", you're in exclusive mode, if it says "Direct" you're in shared mode with android system resampling.

[EDIT 2] BTW, you can clear device authorizations and default launches at connections in UAPP app info menu, that should reset behavior. But to be complete, you should do the same with any app using the dongles.

[EDIT 3] Don't know if I made myself clear, there is usually a prompt to request access, a prompt to launch the app at connection, and a prompt to choose between apps if more than one can use the dongle (E1DA for example with the 9038 app). Plus it can differ if you made permanent choices for a dongle, or if UAPP is already running or not. All of these and combinations between could cause different schemes of prompts.

 

[Steeveep]

Dont believe that is correct- its just the digital output from the phone to the DAC, needs the digital to analog conversion in the dongle - but in exclusive mode, only UAPP music will play, in non exclusive system sounds, notifications etc also. Its "sharing" the DAC with other system resources.

Though I must admit, I didnt think UAPP functioned at all if it didnt have exclusive access.

EDIT- there is a difference in how Android/ UAPP/Dongle operates. If you grant UAPP control of the DAC, its exclusive to UAPP, Spotify and other apps etc wont play through the DAC. If you instead reject the "handle" prompt on connecting the DAC, then open UAPP it requests "access" . In doing that, both UAPP and Spotify and others will all be able to use the DAC during the same session. I cant comment on whether one method sounds better than another.

EDIT Pt2- UAPP/ Android behaves differently with different DACs! For my Meizu dongle it requests to "handle" the DAC first- if I reject that, then open UAPP it requests "access". On my E1DA it seems to only ever request "access". If I deny access, UAPP shows the playback as "Direct" as opposed to "USB DAC" but still plays through the dongle anyway. Presumably after doing its usual android resampling to 48khz trick.

And for the TEmpotec Sonata HD Pro- if I grant "access" to UAPP, Spotify etc cant play through it in the same session. What a mess!

"If I deny access, UAPP shows the playback as "Direct" as opposed to "USB DAC" but still plays through the dongle anyway. Presumably after doing its usual android resampling to 48khz trick"
That's why I thought the phone dac was being used and the dongle just as an amp