Review of the Hidizs DH1000 ( Sonata )



( for those curious about the meaning of the name )


A little unboxing to get ya excited...




(Hidizs always makes such good looking devices ) ( AP200 on the left )


The Review

I have not written a review in a few months. Mostly because I haven’t found anything new that is exciting. About a month ago I was reached out to by a rep for Hidizs to see if I would be interested in testing the Sonata (DH1000). This is an AMP/DAC that was built to be connected to cell phones, computers, and preexisting DAPs. I tested the device with almost everything I own. If you want to see a list of all of my headphones, earphones, and daps, please click on my profile as it is too long to list. I should also mention that I tested this on my gaming computer. The BUILD quality is impressive. It reminds me of a cellphone and the first time I saw it I was confused that I was sent the wrong thing. Both sides are made of tempered glass and look fantastic. On the flip side of looking awesome, I find myself cleaning the glass every time I get it out of the box. A case is a must for this device to keep up the gorgeous aesthetics. The rest of the device is constructed of aluminum with the inputs on the bottom (two micro USB ports and one standard USB ). One of the micro USB ports is for charging ( the DH1000 lasts ten or more hours depending on headphones used and volume level. ) The left side has volume buttons for plus and minus, and they feel nice and stable when they click. The top has a power button and two outputs, standard 3.5mm, and 2.5mm. Let me stop here and just say how thankful I am that this is incorporated in the DH1000. 2.5mm has become popular among the crazies in our hobby, and there is a good reason why. At the end of this review, I am going to leave a link to the ES9018K2M DAC data sheet for the super nerds. If you have not heard about this DAC chip, you need to. Hidizs put two of these in the DH1000 to make sure the balanced output was actually BALANCED. If you are familiar with this issue, there have been companies releasing devices that are not balanced. Time to talk about the SOUND... the device reminds me of my aune M1S and what I mean by that is the DH1000 is very clear and organic. I am a huge fan of anything that can keep songs to how the mastering engineer intended them to be enjoyed. All spectrums of the frequency range are coherent. The DH1000 has an open soundstage with both depth and height that created holographic imagining when paired with well-mastered songs in Hi-RES. Both the 3.5mm and 2.5mm are impressive! 2.5mm is the clear winner just because of the extra voltage which gives an even more realistic nature to the sound spectrum. That is normal between 3.5mm and 2.5mm outputs if the design is right so if you don't have anything balanced its time to invest. If I had to put a percentage on it, I would say there is an overall 10% improvement that if you have the right gear, you will absolutely notice the difference. Which is thanks to the designers that put the extra effort in the internals on the DH1000. However, I saw that higher ohm ( with lower sensitivity ) home gear does lose some of the soundstage and bass which is to be expected from a device geared toward mobility. I have used that for a month as my only audio device to understand its use as an EDC. EDC stands for every day carry, and I believe that was the vision behind the DH1000. There have been days in the past at work that I feel somewhat insane when I start working on a project and pull out a DAP strapped to an AMP... having the DH1000 is freaking convenient; I can plug it into my work computer when I am at my desk. Later I can plug it into my iPhone while I am enjoying a coffee and then plug it into my gaming computer at home and it is very accurate on 3D imagining and could be used by gamers on the go. The way this is possible is that the DH1000 has an internal battery and keeps the sound quality on point when I am running off of a weak source like an iPhone. The one downfall I noticed what that it does not charge and play at the same time. With other AMP/DACs like the hifimeDIY 9018, it drains my iPhone battery. I am ok with it not pulling power from its source, but It would be a cool feature if there is a version to that would know the difference between a mobile device and a powered PC. Another feature that could be useful and needs to be discussed is an auto reset to 20% volume on mobile devices. With my iPhone, there is no software volume control, so if it were to be accidentally be turned up, I could potentially damage my more sensitive gear. Everything has its pros and cons and the convenience of the DH1000 matched with the overall sound quality makes this a necessity in every audiophile arsenal. I will continue to carry this on a daily basis.

Favorite album with the DH1000: https://tidal.com/album/2570671 ( Nirvana MTV unplugged )

DAC Data sheet: http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/721831/ESS/ES9018K2M.html

Link to official website: https://dh1000.hidizs.net/

Link to Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/873263862/hidizs-dh1000-worlds-first-truly-dual-balanced-amp

This is such a unique player. The developers stayed true to their hearts with this little DAP. The players only lasts about 4 to 5 hours on a single charge. Does that bother me? No - and it should not bother you either. Who listens to music for music for that long at once without a power source nearby? Anyways, back to the player - This little guy sounds like a full stack. The issue with most portable set ups is that you need to carry a DAP and an AMP to have a excellent set up on the go. This DAP that has 24v output is does not need any additional ampage to sound freaking excellent. On the other hand, 24v flowing through the internals makes it a good device to pair with your favorite amp if you into that type of thing. I have had this DAP for a few months now and I have used it on and off. Recently, Shozy just released their update that allowed for USB audio output and I am now using this as my daily carry. The USB output can only handle 44.1kHz at the moment but it soon will be able to do DSD. It is everything I need. Playing off of an SD card it can only output 24bit by 192kHz but it will be able to do 32bit by 768kHz (DSD) once it is completely developed. It does not bother me, I have a good amount of DSD but I also have everything in flac too so I am a happy camper. When I am on the go I keep it in a case while it is in my laptop bag because I am always cautious of random stuff happening. While I am using it in hand I am always surprised by how ergonomic the device and button layout actually is. When I first took it out of the box I was really confused by the button layout. I can now see that the developers took time to think about the experience and what was most important. The only thing to mention to people going to buy this is that the metal is really high quality and it feels a bit slick in my hand. I have heard of an aftermarket russian company making a leather case for it and now that I am carrying daily that will be my next purchase. To be fair, I typically listen to music while completing projects at work so the danger of dropping the DAP is low. The AK dac inside is the first AK I have had the chance to listen to and I am extremely impressed. Shozy has boasted about using a desktop quality dac in their DAP and it lives up to their claims. See, a lot of companies use high specs but the hardware implementation does not match up and it never lives up to its full potential. The nice thing about Shozy developing this firmware in house is that the internals are getting used perfectly. I can not wait to hear DSD on this beast of a DAP. The DAC inside has 4 DAC filters and I love slow delay slow roll off. It reminds me of my dad's old speaker system. I grew up listening to Pink Floyd on that system and I am pretty sure that is where my love of music started. That is the reason we all do this right? To feel emotions and get as close to the recording original state as possible. The Alien Plus has this wonderful organic sound with a high level of separation and extension on both ends. Put that with its high power and it's a winner in my book. I was not provided this as a sample to write a review. I paid for this and it is my personal DAP. I always wanted to try the Alien Gold and right when I was going to buy that I heard this was coming out and I am glad I waited. There are a lot of DAPs in the market now. Everyone can get a perfect device just for their needs. Some are fully touch screen and are one step away from being a cell phone and then their are DAPs in the market like this - a lean mean audio machine. I hope that other people and companies continue to focus on the real reason why this is our hobby and not flashy screens and album art. This DAP is for the Audiophile.





Specs


SHOZY Alien+ 32BIT/768Khz AK4495SEQ Chip HIFI DAP Lossless Digital Music Player
Description

• SHOZY Alien+ DAP lossless digital audio player utilizing the microcontroller as the master chip, AK4495EQ as a DAC (4495 is generally used for high-end desktop decoder)
  
  
• SHOZY Alien+ using the latest 32BIT / 768Khz flagship decoder chip- AK4495SEQ
  
  
• S16 DAC core using AKM's latest flagship AK4495S 32BT / 768K decoder chip
  
  
• With 32BIT core and piezoelectric capacitor filter patent, the real hardware decoding 32BIT music files
  
  
• AK4495S built-in 5 kinds of filters
  
  
• Short Delay Sharp Roll-off. GD=6.25/fs
  
  
• Short Delay Slow Roll-off. GD=5.3/fs
  
  
• Sharp Roll-off
  
  
• Slow Roll-off
  
  
• Super Slow Roll-off
  
  
• SHOZY Alien + support WAV (up to 24bit 192khz),FLAC(up to 16bit 44.1khz), APE (up to 16bit 44.1khz), mp3 format, easy to operate, all for the sound, only dedicated to the audiophiles.
  

Copied from Penon Audio

The Kinera H3 is the newest addition to their IEM family. Most of you may know this brand from their entry level IEM the BD005. It was a dual driver, single BA single dynamic. It was popular for its price and the sound quality it achieved at its price point. I have not ever had the chance to listen to it but from reviews I have read – I have an understanding that it comes across bass heavy. Initially, I thought that this would be the same for the H3. I was wrong. It was all by chance that I met their rep named, Steve Tong. Over lengthy conversations on Facebook messenger I began to understand the new direction that Kinera is headed in. The H3 is just the start of their new direction.


Kinera's Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/kinera2017/




Let’s talk about the earphone and accessories for a moment. The Kinera H3 comes in a very professional looking box (my opinion is based on the fact that I get lots of ear buds and they come in just a bag most of the time lol). Once you open it up there is their contact info and warranty card. Underneath that is the IEM carrying case and an adaptor for professional use. The H3 is packed safely away in the carrying case. As soon as you open it up you will most likely be amazed by the quality of the cable and earphone. Speaking of the cable – I love the Velcro strap included to keep tidy. Also included is the tip selection that look very similar to the Sony tips but at not the same. The nozzle is smaller on the tips included with the H3. The Sony tips slip right off. The earphone is made of ABS acrylic. Feels very high end and sturdy. Wearing them is the best experience I have had with an IEM to date. For reference, I am comparing this to the Jomo 6r universal when I am talking about fit. The case does a nice job keeping all the tips and earphone protected during travel. That case style has become popular but for good reason.

KINERA H3 2Balanced Armature+1Dynamic Driver Triple Drivers Hybrid Detachable In-ear Earphone ( copied from Penon Audio)

Description

• Model : KINERA H3 In-ears monitor
• Color available :translucent black /red/ blue
• Driver： 2BA+1D
• Impedance： 48Ω
• Frequency Response： 20-20000HZ
• Sensitivity： 101DB
• L&R Channel Balance Sensitivity： <2DB
• Max Input Power： 10mW
• Cable Length: 1.2meter
• Wire Material： 6n single crystal copper plating silver
• Plug material： 3.5mm golden plated
• Earphone interface: 2-pin (0.78mm )

Package

• Kinera H3
• 6 pairs of silicone eartips (S/M/L)
  
• 2 adapters
• Carry box

On to the sound, this is where things get interesting. Earlier, I talked about how the IEM was not bass heavy. This is true, I find this IEM to be what some people refer to as flat or balanced. Those words are overused in this hobby… Whatever... it is true. The IEM is power hunger. It is listed as 48 ohms and if you use it on an underpowered source is sounds bright. The H3 also needs burn in time. If you play the H3 on a weak source the dynamic drive takes a back seat and the upper frequencies sound thin. For example, I used my IPhone 7 plus for a couple hours and it was obvious the dynamic driver was struggling. I do not suggest any weak sources. As I write this review I am using the Hifimediy Sabre 9018. It is my favorite go to USB dac for on the go or at work. With a set up like this or better (like a good DAP or DAP AMP combo) the H3 can shine. All the frequencies are present and cooperate with each other well. The Bass is deep and has a natural quality only dynamic drivers can produce. The Mids are coherent and have wonderful separation far beyond what their price tag dictates. The Highs are perfect for me. What I mean by that is that they are right on the edge of being sharp but don’t cross the line. When Kinera included their frequency response graph with the earphone I thought that this earphone was going to be rolled off highs and strong bass. It was not. Don’t be fooled by the graph – all the other reviewers are also talking about the present highs. I looked further into the topic and the graph is actually very similar to a popular Camp Fire audio IEM. It was just the way that they squashed the graph together on the high end that made it look that way. The Soundstage is a good mix of intimate and has enough width to fill the head space. Personally I prefer intimate earphones over super wide. With that being said I am a happy camper.

( I have tried many tips and settled on Spinfit CP 100 mediums for my favorite )


Overall, this is an exciting step for this company as they head in a new direction. I have been privy to what things are to come and let me be first to say – keep an eye on these guys as they are on a mission to give the people what they want. Good quality for a good price.



Disclaimer – I received these IEM’s for free for my opinions. Please ask me any questions you have.

The clipper is one of those earphones you hear of that peak ones curiosity. Why am I curious? Bc the clipper is about 1/10th the cost if anything else they sell. Talking with the CEO I found out the background thoughts on the creation of the Clipper. Him and his engineer wanted to make an earphone that would give people a taste of their superb sound quality but at a fraction of the price. They spent the majority of their money on the driver.

Accessories and fit:

The clipper is sold with a nice box and sent with the normal ear tips. However for me I could not use the basic eartips well and switching out to cp100 spinfits was magical. The cable included is nice but has issues with the plug. I was told the will be updated with new units.


Sound:

The clipper is bottom heavy. If you have read anyone else's reviews this was their findings too. For me it's perfect when I am listening to my favorite electronic music but not limited to that. I also find that when I use the clipper when there is slot of ambient noise present I don't loose any sound quality. Ok back on track, the soundstage is very large and has great detail with nice warm mids. The bass is big but it doesn't take away from the other areas. When talking with the CEO they told me the idea behind the clipper was spend all of the money on the driver and get the best sound quality while sticking to the budget iem market. Which definitely affected the other areas.


Final thoughts, would I suggest some to buy this iem? Absolutely, it has a great place in my collection of earphones. I would love if rhapsody would release a version 2 one day that has the bass toned back which would make it perfect in my opinion. I have the Sony xb90 and clipper gets as lows as the Sony but handles the rest of the frequency better and isn't fatiguing. My most favorite pairing with this iem is the Lear Bluetooth BTC 01 and I will go into why I'm my review if that unit.

AUNE M1S

Disclaimer

· AUNE provided me with a test unit to review and provide feedback on firmware updates. I want to start off by thanking them for their kindness and for this wonderful DAP that has increased my music listening enjoyment dramatically. I feel like a proud dad showing pictures of my M1s, haha.


Specs:

(from Penon’s site)


Output：

· Headphone impedance range: 8-600R

· Headphone output THD + n: 0.00027%

· Headphone output power: 110mW @ 32Ω BAL output -180W @ 32Ω

· DNR: 120 dB

· CCIF: 19KHz + 20KHz 0.00012% @ 32R

· Noise: 2.52μVrms

· MAX Level: 1.92Vrms

Supported formats:

· WAV: 16bit︳24bit︳32bit-44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/176.4K/192K/352.8K/384K WAV + CUE

· FLAC: 16bit︳24bit-44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/176.4K/192K

· DSD: DSF/DFF/ISO/DSD128

· APE: 16bit/44.1K normal level

· MP3/ALAC/AAC

Battery：

· Continuous playback of more than 10 hours (16bit / 44.1K file / continuous playback)

· The maximum charge current of the battery is 1.3A, 1.5A or more recommended adapter to achieve the fastest charging effect

· Interface: 3.5mm headphone jack, 2.5mm balanced headphone jack

· Screen: 2.4 inch IPS display

· Media: TF card (up to 128GB, FAT32 format)

· Font: Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese / English / Japanese / 한국 의

· Size: 55 × 126 × 14.8 (mm)

· Weight: 147g




Design:

·The design of the M1S is beautiful. Looking through pictures it's hard not to fall in love with the look but the hand feel is even better. I switched to this from xduoo x3 so it was similar. Hahahaha, ok it's kind of wrong to compare the two. The M1S is much more thoughtful and really gives the user an easy to hold and navigate experience. It fits really well in pockets and is very lightweight. It is a little slippery without the silicon case. I use the grey case as it matches it perfectly but there is also blue and red if that matches your stuff better. It has two outputs one balanced 2.5mm and a 3.5mm. Both can be used as a true line out at 2v. The one area I will say that AUNE missed a wonderful chance to allow for USB DAC function. Sadly this is not even possible with the way the hardware is set up. It is not what they were going for though; they wanted to make the purest high quality experience that everyone can afford. At the end of the day steaming music is not important because if you truly love a song you own it and it’s in your collection.


A video over look:




Firmware/UI:

·The UI is extremely simple. No pictures just the basics, not even an EQ. The reality is that this DAP is for purists. The settings are basic which is a good thing. There are 3 filters Slow, Medium and Fast. I find that Medium is perfect for me, just the right amount. There is also the option for 3 gain settings. The unit is very powerful on high gain and can play my notorious Havi B3’s well on its own. For those not familiar, the Havi is ridiculously picky about sources. When you want dial in some nice IEM’s I find the low setting to be awesome.

Sound:

· The sound of the M1S is clear and coherent. It is very neutral it can play everything up to DSD128. The 2.5mm output is new to me and I had to buy earphones just to use it. I tried balanced Monk Plus, Asura 2 and Zen 2. Let me say this now if anyone is thinking it, I am a Venture Electronics fan. Lol. Ok back to what I was saying, the balanced output is slightly more powerful than the internal amps on the 3.5mm port. Dynamics and separation were increased as well using the balanced port. I even felt the Zen was useable without an amp. With that being said the Line out to amp is ridiculously good. I have a special edition RA plus from VE. That truly lets the Zen shine. The sound is excellent but it comes down to sound signature when one is looking for a DAP and this wallet friendly unit is as close to neutral as I have ever experienced. You can take my word for but there are many users sharing their positive thoughts.


Accessories:

· It comes with 3 silicon cases, a screen protector and a USB cable. There is also a screen protector included. It feels very safe with the combo. Also, while the unit is off you can transfer to the SD card inside.

Conclusion:

· If you looking for a straight up high quality DAP that is focused on music It's a no brainer to pick this up. I carry it with my daily with my 2.5mm balanced monk plus. Everything has been collecting dust in my collection because the M1s is so easy to carry.

 
 
 
I want this review to be short and simple. The LEAR BTC 01 is an excellent device in this day and age where cellphones are starting to get rid of headphone jacks. I mean, the headphone jacks on cellphones aren’t that great to begin with so I’m not to mad about it. Anyways, you are probably reading this review to see if you should buy it. I believe it’s worth the money. It has big pros and big cons. The things I really liked about the device was the sound quality that I got from it. I really felt that my IEM’s benefited from the balanced output. It also has a good wireless range. On the other hand, the wireless background noise on is annoying on sensitive IEM’s. The bass roll off was not that noticeable but it’s there for sure, really depends on the music you listen to. Battery life is short but I mostly use it when I am commuting so it’s easy to plug it in and charge while driving. The microphone was really good quality and I greatly appreciated being able to transition from music to phone calls with ease. If you look at my picture you’ll notice that I have a shirt clip on the cable… well that’s to balance the weight of the unit so my ears don’t feel weird. After all that duality of my thoughts, I still really really liked the audio quality of the unit and still would suggest it to someone that was ultimately looking for connivance for commuting.  

AUNE s6 Review
BACKGROUND ON ME:
I have been around Head Fi for a few years now. What got me into the scene was looking for info on good headphones for mixing and mastering. My first good pair of headphones were the DT880’s. Since then I have bought and sold a bunch of different Earbuds, IEM’s and Headphones trying to find the ever elusive perfect set up. The time I spent with the s6 really opened my eyes on what an excellent dap can do.
 
VIDEO OF S6:

 
DESIGN:
 
The unit is pretty cool with its curved top and very smooth scroll wheel. It had no hick ups moving from front to back outputs with just a double click of the scroll wheel. Another nice feature is that it shows the bit rate of the audio playing from the device. I even had it hooked up to my iphone 7 with the camera usb connection( maxed out at 44khz lol). All in all, the design is sleek and elegant that is still user friendly. My only concern was the finish scratching that I mentioned above.
 
TECHNCAL SPECS:

 
 
EXPERIENCE:
I had 10 days with the AUNE s6 and it was eye opening. As I was taking the unit out of the box it shipped in I felt like I was opening a treasure chest. There it was the AUNE s6….. Packed with goodies from Venture Electronics. I immediately took it out and plugged it in. Connected it to my MacBook and loaded up some DSD files (Jazz at the Pawnshop) and began listening to the XLR Balanced VE Zen 2s that were shipped with the unit. All I could think was….. wow…. This is so clear… it was a huge plus for me to be able to test that specific earphone because my main set up is the M1S to RA Plus SE to 3.5 VE Zen 2. I proceeded to play around with different tracks and different headphones that I own and decided. The s6 is better than any other unit I have had before. I need to use some better headphones to really see what this can do. I live near an audiophile shop that has been in business for over 30 years. I called and asked if I could bring the unit by for some testing purposes. They were happy to accommodate my request. When I got there they led me into a room that was filled with what dreams are made of. Anyways, here are a few photos of headphones I tried as we move onto my headphone pairings ratings.
 
PAIRINGS:
LCD X ( ¼ Jack )

 
8.8 / 10
HD600 ( ¼ Jack )

 
8.0 / 10
LCD 2 ( ¼ Jack )

 
9.9 / 10
HD800s ( XLR Balanced )

 
7.0 / 10
LCD 3 ( XLR Balanced and ¼ Jack ) Oddly enough I noticed a 11 point power difference between outputs showing the XLR to be more powerful.

 
9.5 / 10
VE Zen 2.0 ( XLR Balanced and ¼  Jack )

 
9.4 / 10
 
 
PAIRING COMMENTS: Out of all of these the best pair for me was the LCD2. There was something sweet about the pairing. A realism that I have never experienced before. I find that the s6 gives a very accurate presentation with the slightest touch of warmth. My worst paring was the HD800s. it was so cold….. I would not suggest this combo( unless your into that kinda thing). The s6 did really well with warmer headphones.  
 
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The s6 for me is like watching a movie on a 4K TV when I am used to watching 1080p. It is hard to describe the level of accuracy of sound reproduction. From top to bottom I couldn’t pin point anything that sounded off. I think AUNE is really on to something great here and I know in the coming months this DAC will gain the respect it deserves.