Hidizs AP80 Pro Unboxing And Quick Review: Exquisite Build and Powerful Sound!!

Last month Hidizs released its latest budget-friendly digital audio player, the Hidizs AP80 Pro. It is released as an upgrade to the brand's highly acclaimed audio player, the AP80. The latest model features a high-performance dual DAC setup featuring powerful ESS9218P DAC. It has a fully balanced sound output with its balanced 2.5mm port. It also has an unbalanced 3.5mm output port. The player houses a 2.45” Samsung touchscreen display and features smooth HiBy 3.0 OS for smooth user interface and functionality. It is built with high-quality premium CNC aluminum material chassis and has a stereoscopic glass at the back. The player is priced at 169$, you can check more about it here.

We have got a unit of Hidizs AP80 Pro for ourselves a few days back, and today we are going to share an unboxing and quick review for the same.

About Hidizs:-

Hidizs is China-based audio equipment manufacturing brand established in 2009. They manufacture excellent products at pocket-friendly prices. The brand has several famous products, including their previous DAP, the Hidizs AP80. They have also released multiple pairs of in-ear monitors, Hidizs MS1, Hidizs MS4, and more that got a good response from the audiophiles. Their products provide a very good price to performance ratio with outstanding performances at affordable prices. You can check more products from the brand here.

Unboxing and Accessories:-

Hidizs AP80 Pro comes in a simple black packaging that has Hidizs logo and AP80 Pro branding on the front with silver shade. Once we open up the outer packaging, we get a direct look at our cute little audio player AP 80 pro, sitting firmly into its foam cutout casing. Below it lies a silicone case, one USB Type-C cable for charging and file transfer, one USB Micro USB to USB Type-C cable, User guide, and a pair of screen protectors. Actually there are two pairs of screen protectors in the package, one is already applied to your AP80 pro and one pair is provided separately in the package. There are two screen protectors as the back panel is also made of glass. The package is quite simple and carries all the necessary accessories to get one going.

Package Contents:-

>Hidizs AP80 Pro Digital Audio Player.

>One Silicone Case.

>One USB Type-C Charging Cable.

>One Micro-USB to USB Type-C Cable.

>One user guide.

>One pair of screen protectors. (One is already applied on the player).

Design & Build Quality:-

Hidizs AP80 Pro has an excellent build quality with a small form factor. It is very compact and small. It has exquisite looks with CNC Aluminium chassis and a matte finish. At the front we have got a 2.45” crisp Samsung display with a resolution of 480*360, the resolution might feel low but at a small screen like it, the display is quite sharp and crisp. On the back we have got a rich look with a stereoscopic glass panel, it surely looks as beautiful and rich as smartphones in the current market. On the right side, we have got a Japanese ALPS volume wheel along with three media buttons. The volume wheel acts as a power on/off button and lights up at the edge when it is turned on. At the bottom, we have got the two output ports, one 3.5mm single-ended, and one 2.5mm balanced output port along with a USB Type-C port for charging and file transfer. The AP80 Pro has a small form factor with classy and elegant looks. The device looks rich and premium with its matte-finished body. It is very easy to carry around and use with a single hand.

User Interface:-

Hidizs AP80 Pro features a HiByOS 3.0. The OS is based on Linux operating system, it is very snappy and fluid, there is no lag even while playing large DSD files. The display is colorful and crisp. It is neither too small nor too large and can be operated using a single hand. The OS features MSEB Tuner that provides the users an easy way to tune/equalize the sound output as per their own preferences. Apart from MSEB Tuner, the device also features an Equalizer that can be customized as per preferences, or users can choose from a variety of EQ presets. The UI is very smooth, we put a 256GB memory card loaded with hi-res Flac music files, and we were able to navigate our music library swiftly. The player loads cover arts almost instantly and show no lag. It features bi-directional Bluetooth connectivity with Hi-res UAT, LDAC codecs support. UAT is the latest high-quality Bluetooth transmission technology developed by HiBy, it supports files up to 24-Bit/192kHz ensuring the best sound quality for its users. We tested the player with our Sony Wireless headphones and the output was outstanding. We can also use the Hidizs AP80 Pro as a USB DAC with our PC/Laptop. It also features Pedometer and FM tuner.

Battery Life:-

The player despite being powerful provides a good battery life. Hidizs claims the battery life to be up to 13 hours on 3.5mm output port. The player lasted us for approx 11.5 hours under the testing conditions when we were always navigating through different menus and MSEB tuner settings. The battery life is good enough for a DAP with such clean and powerful sound output.

Sound Quality:-

Hidizs AP80 Pro has a neutral, slightly warm sound output with decent details. It pairs well with our testing IEMs that we put to test with the AP80 Pro. We tested Tin T4, Blon BL-03, and Moondrop Blessing 2. The output is very clean and lively, the player brings good instrument details popping out on a clean dark background. And using the included MSEB Tuner makes tuning the output according to our preferences very easy. The output has a deep and quick bass response, powerful lively vocals, and smoothly detailed treble. The output feels very smooth and controlled, nothing feels peaky or harsh even at louder volumes. There is no distortion, just purely smooth music experience. Plus the player holds good power we never had to push the volume too high on any of our IEMs.

Lower End:-

Hidizs AP80 Pro produces a quick and snappy lower end. The lower end carries adequate amounts of thumps and slams to fulfill the bass needs with utmost clarity and detail. It is not overpowering and controlled well within its region. The sub-bass portion has good rumble and power feel to it. The bass compliments electronic, dance music well and provides a groovy sound experience. It shows good extension at the lower end with good control over the bass decay.

Mids:-

The mids portion carries a natural texture and tonality, vocals feel lively and powerful. They carry a warm soothing feel to it, acoustic details are airy and transparent. Unplugged songs like MTV Unplugged sessions create a brilliant listening experience with warm crisp details and powerful vocals. When we listened to vocal-based artists like, Yao Si Ting, Damien Rice, and more, the experience was just outstanding.

Highs:-

The treble portion is airy and smooth, there is no sign of sibilance or harshness in any of the musical instruments. It shows good sparkle and energetic response, tracks with heavy music instruments from artists like Opeth, Tool, or Violins by Tina Guo are presented beautifully with a smooth warm output.

Soundstage & Imaging:-

Hidizs AP80 Pro produces a natural wide soundstage with very good imaging capabilities. It is adequately wide and shows good depths. When paired with a good IEM the output shows outstanding stage reproduction. The best part is the clean and airy representation of the stage that makes instruments and other details pop out.

Final Verdict:-

Finally, we must say the Hidizs AP80 Pro is one of the best DAPs available under the 200$ price range. It has everything from an Exquisite look with premium and rich build quality to crisp detailed sound output. The sound output is neutral, fun, and musical. It produces a buttery smooth output that feels relaxing and soothing. If you really like our review you can buy a unit of AP80 Pro from our store here.