Intro
Hidizs is no stranger to the audiophile community,they have several great products that are well known to the community,namely the S9 Pro as well as their AP series’s DAP which has a high price performance ratio. I have the AP80 Pro-X with me today and it's safe to say it certainly offers a very good sound and performance for its price point.
Specifications
You may refer to the link below for AP80 Pro-X's specification https://www.hidizs.net/products/ap80-pro-x-fully-balanced-lossless-music-player-ayfk?spm=..index.header_1.1
Build Quality
AP80 Pro-X has got a very good build quality,the back panel is made out of glass and the whole unit has got a very solid build quality as well. There is a caveat however,the volume control wheel,it does offers a very solid clicky sound when you are adjusting the volume,but from my observation,it is very hard to operate the wheel via the thumb,it doesn’t really scroll when i am using only just the thumb to adjust the volume, but that's just a very minor annoyance, other than that,it is all good.
Sound Impression
AP80 Pro-X sounds quite flat and balanced to my ears. It’s fast and precise, at any level of volume, and the layering feels natural, with clean lows and voices that sound sweet. Even at low listening volume, the AP80 Pro-X clearly renders the micro-details without much effort.
Timbre on the AP80 Pro-X sounds natural to my ears and in fact it synergizes quite well with most of my iems.Comparing it to the Cowon Plenue PD2 that’s similar in terms of size and output,sporting both 3.5 and 2.5 balanced out,PD2 is sounding a little warmer and less energetic.
Bass
The bass rendition on AP80 Pro-X is clean and tight,doesn’t sound boosted at all to my ears
Sub bass rendition on the AP80 Pro-X is quite flat and extends well,but again,it is not anywhere near bassheads level which is fine by me because it is not my preference
Mid bass surprisingly kicks a little hard and it is actually very enjoyable listening to
Mids
Good layering and dynamic
Lush sounding and never harsh
Depending on the pairing,it can sound very good if the iem/headphone has good synergy with AP80 Pro-X
Highs
High is rather flat and has good extension,doesn’t sound boosted to my ears
It has got the typical ESS high of high which has good extension
Plenty of micro details,of course,depending on the pairing of IEM/Headphone once again
Pairing
Hidizs AP80 Pro-X + Hidizs MD4 in Balanced Tuning
Pairing it with in house’s MD4,it is nothing short of amazing,as if the MD4 were made to complement AP80 Pro-X
The vocal is forward separating it from the instruments and exhibit excellent separation as well as imaging capability,and this is coming from only 3.5 single ended output
MD4’s soundstage on its own isn’t that good,average at its best i’d say,however,pairing it with AP80 Pro-X does seem to make it sound a little bigger,in terms of having better depth and height
Hidizs AP80 Pro-X with Letshuoer S12
Letshuoer S12 is the first planar coming from Letshuoer. Paired with the AP80 Pro-X, the result is quite impressive but on some tracks it can be a little too bright for some who are treble sensitive as S12 has got a slight boost on the top end and AP80 Pro-X with ESS dac is very engaging for those who prefer this kind of signature,but for others,avoid this pairing as it might be too energetic for you,i for one enjoy this pairing.
Lows are fast and tight, and highs are snappy. For my preference,I find this pairing to be pretty good.
Hidizs AP80 Pro-X with TRI x HBB Kai
Kai is probably one of the unconventional IEM for the year, where most of the company is striving for neutral bright,or even neutral tuning,Kai is the IEM tuned with “fun” in mind.
Having an emphasis on the low end on Kai and this is very obvious,when paired with AP80 Pro-X,it kind of made Kai a little less bassy and in a way balanced it with a slight boost on the top end of Kai. I certainly enjoy this pairing a lot as it does tame the bass a little,or rather balance it out in my word.
General Features (Bluetooth/USB DAC)
Bluetooth version is slightly outdated at 4.2 but supports various codecs,Aptx and AAC and LDAC
It can also be used as a DAC/Amp when connected to PC/Mac
It can also be used solely as a transport,which means you can connect AP80 Pro-X to another Dac/Amp via the Type C port,one of the in house product is DH80S for example
Final thoughts
This is my 2nd Hidizs product and I'm surprised to say, in terms of price and size, the Hidizs AP80 Pro-X is one of the good sounding dap with a high price performance ratio. It is sturdy and compact,and most importantly,good sound with more than enough power to drive most IEM and non demanding headphones.
Now,let’s face it,it will not replace your top tier DAP or Dac/Amp combo,but it certainly will be a device that you want to carry around with you and provide good sound when you’re out and about. I am more than happy to recommend this to anyone that’s new to this hobby and looking to get his/her first DAP,or even seasoned audiophile who’s looking for something that’s compact and provides good sound.
*AP80 Pro-X is sent over F.O.C by Hidizs in exchange for this review,i am not under any influence nor do i receive any compensation in producing this review. All words and thoughts are of my own.
If you are interested in getting one,head over to their online store to check it out (Non affiliated link) Hidizs AP80 Pro-X Hidizs MD4