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Hidizs AP80 PRO-X Portable Balanced Lossless MQA Bluetooth Music Player with Dual ESS9219C DAC Chips and Supports MQA 8X/LDAC/apt-X/AAC/USB DAC/DSD256/HiBy Link Hi-Res Audio Wireless DAP (Grey)

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The AP80 PRO-X is one of best Bluetooth DAC/amps I have ever used with a super stable connection and a stellar sound performance. Also, having the ability to MSEB my Citation’s is absurdly fun and enjoyable. Not like they need it, but you can if you want. Sending BT audio to a DAC that accepts Bluetooth is also fun, and a great way to save some CASH if you want with wiring needs. The midrange of the AP80 Pro-X is tuned more forward than both bass and treble. In fact, the midrange is the strength of the AP80 Pro-X as it sounds warm, rich, and natural. Battery-wise, AP80 Pro X wouldn't win any endurance race, but it is alright. I can get around 3 days out of the DAP by using its balanced output for around 2 to 3 hours a day for commuting and walking.

Compared with AP80 PRO using the final unfold (4X) of an MQA file, AP80 PRO X will use MQA technology for the final unfold (8X) of an MQA file. You get a set of ES9219C DAC, a chip that was recently released on the market, featuring nice specs like: Second: obviously, people who have a balanced portable headphone (with compatible 2.5mm connection).This model has a bidirectional Bluetooth aka BT capability, meaning it can input and output signals via BT. Full disclosure, I have found the perfect pairing for the AP80 Pro, and I have adhered it to the bottom of my Chord Mojo, connected via a short, right-angle, USB C – Micro cable. This combo marries all the features of the OS with the Mojo’s outstanding sound quality. Married to the Mojo.

Hidizs strives to improve and I’ll always be there to take a listen. They hit three home runs in a row. The standard AP80? Great Dap. The Cu variant? Just as good and also so fancy! This new AP80 Pro model? A bit better and refined than the last generation. One of the most convenient function of HiBy OS — HiBy Link — that allows full remote control over HiBy Music player from a smartphone works great. Album covers, song list, play mode, volume — all major functions can be controlled from a smartphone. Love this function that makes AP80 home audio integration and remote control in such user case very convenient.First goes soft podium that holds AP80 PRO-X, the rest of accessories in their boxes rest underneath. Here you would find: The main improvement of the new dual ES9219C DAC chip compared to the AP80 PRO’s dual ES9218P is its dynamic range and ultra-low distortion. The dual ES9219C DAC chip supports up to 2.0Vrms output with analog gain control which reduces noise and makes audio sound cleaner on audible levels. The AP80 Pro has dual ES9218 DAC chips in it, which is fine so long as the quality is noticeably better than just one good DAC. I don’t feel any different from the AP80 Cu version I reviewed 8 months ago. I feel like some things were changed in terms of physical quantities between this newer Pro model and the last one. I’ll get into that in a bit. They fit surprisingly well together. By adding some rubber feet to the top of the Mojo, they can sit comfortably with the AP80 Pro on top. It makes for an impressively solid lump of aluminum audio excellence. AP80 vs. AP80 Pro Comparison Feature

As is to be expected the DAP is equipped with a smallish Samsung 2.45” IPS 480×360 touchscreen which is quite responsive but people with larger fingers should have a hard time getting used to it while I found that the upper left corner wasn't that responsive. I would certainly choose the AP80 PRO-X for its Bluetooth performance alone even if I didn't care about the DAP function. Inside you will find a selection of accessories which include a Type-C USB charging/data cable, USB-c to USB-c OTG cable to use Pro-X as a USB DAC/amp, a user manual, and a set of screen protectors with one already applied. The short USB-c OTC cable is uni-directional, the plug with the “Hidizs” logo has to be connected to a source. Another neat thing is that the output impedance is ultra-low, there is no voltage drop when a load is connected to the SE or BAL audio output. Perfect. In addition to physical controls, the AP80PX uses touch screen controls to access many of the functions of the Hiby Linux OS. Hiby Link is also enabled so the AP80PX can be effectively remote controlled from another Android or IOS device. On screen controls are large and easy to use. Powering on takes roughly 40 seconds to reach a usable state and then displays four options player, FM, step (pedometer), and Bluetooth settings. Swiping left reveals three additional options eBooks, system settings and about.If to think about the best pairing: I would say that using AP80 PRO/PRO-X with tube amp like xDuoo MT601/602 makes a great effect of smoothing out timbre and tonality, making music more calm and delicate. In addition to an all-in-one digital audio player (DAP), the AP80 Pro can function as a USB DAC or transport (source for another DAC), connected via cables or a variety of Bluetooth codecs. It performs flawlessly for me regardless of how I connect it. The HiBy Link connection screen on the smartphone app.

Turning on the MSEB though changes everything. When the bass is boosted, the midrange becomes recessed and further tweaking is needed to compensate. Treble Streaming Spotify was really good sounding while listening to high resolution material from Qobuz yielded satisfying results minus a loss in overall fidelity and refinement. I prefer to navigate through my files through the storage option, wherein I have already sorted my playlists by putting them into separate folders on my SD card. This is pretty seamless as you can choose to shuffle and repeat through the folder.

How does AP80 Pro X compare to KA3 when driving E5000? As expected, AP80 Pro X is a bit behind KA3 due to the difference in driving power (70mW vs 120mW). On the same busy crescendo around 3:05, KA3 helps E5000 render the tremolo of cellos cleanly rather than a blob of low-pitched sound. Audio source for speakers by using the line-out output. I use AP80 Pro X as transport for my Creative Pebble speakers

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