Hidizs S9 Pro: A true hifi balanced DAC & amp for cheap!

[@DroidLocks6971]

I Just Got This DAC / AMP . Used It With My LetShouer S12 IEMs . 1st With 3.5 unbalanced Which Sounded Good . Then With 2.5 Balanced And Had To Turn The Volume Down Considerably . I Was Hearing Audio In My Music That I've Never Heard Consciously Before . Also Makes My Phillips SHP9500 Over Ears Sound Better Than Ever Even With Them Being 3.5mm Connection . NetFlix Was Sounding So Good . This DAC Is AweSomeNess PerSoNiFied

[@anadialog]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@shinichikudo5351]

How is your dac now

[@Peejeey78]

Dude.. you can follow your own creative path on KZbin.. for me.. I would love to see you do more reviews.. you get the right balance between what is good for you and what would suit someone else’s HIFI needs

[@doctormac123]

These dongle DACs are great, I personally have the Audioquest Dragon fly cobalt, it’s fabulous. It has an incredibly full bodied, lively, very detailed sound that also has great width and depth. Some will complain that it’s capped at 96khz PCM and no DSD but that doesn’t really matter especially when talking about portable audio, for me it doesn’t matter in general. So yeah it’s brilliant.

[@anadialog]

Cool!

[@hansgeorgeder7380]

I have the same and i can agree completely. You can also connect with an power amplifer !!!***

[@Lauren080508]

Audio science review tested the cobalt, just awful, way outperformed by most nowadays $100 DAC dongles, this the chip inside is fine but the amp sucks, high distortion and clipping specially in low impedance cans, if you use mid-high impedance cans you may not noticed the shortcomings, but asking $300 when performs only around $50, is a shame; another audioquest scam

[@doctormac123]

@@Lauren080508 Respectfully I couldn't careless what ASR say. Have you actually heard the Cobalt? Having lived with one myself for the past few months, I couldn't be happier I think it sounds fantastic, it's on the same level as my Project Head box S2 digital, it also doesn't disgrace itself against the RME ADI 2 FS, plus it's a brilliant design that works with everything.

[@Lauren080508]

@@doctormac123 buyers denial ..funny thing, lol; no one can deny the RME ADI 2 FS is a great DAC headphone amplifier and the fact you can not hear the difference between great designed hardware from a poorly one is not a surprise, to tell you the true I will probably have the same difficulty, the fact is that human ear is a very lossy sound measurement instrument but we have created instruments that can do that very, very precisely. You may wonder then, why to buy expensive ones with the best specifications if i can not really hear the difference in a blind test, ahhh, human psychology, for some people buying the best, reassure them they are not missing anything, even if they are not missing anything really.

[@lgude]

Interesting review. I have one on order from China and intend to use it with Moondrop Kato IEMs with a 2.5 mm balanced plug. I didn't fully understand the many hi res modes that this DAC can handle - so kudos for covering that so thoroughly. I'm not sure if my old ears can hear hi res audio, but my set up should make it possible to find out! Thanks.

[@anadialog]

Great, give us some feedback, the good and the bad!

[@stephenwest673]

I got the S9 Pro after watching your video and listen via the balanced output to Apple Lossless and it sounds amazing…Thankyou 👍😀

[@kreyati]

your sound is incredible, you have better sound than most vocal recording studio.

[@godssoldier597]

Thanks for the review I just ordered one right now

[@rh4907]

Dear people , When you want a S9pro to connect to a samsung galaxy phone , you need to have the usbc to usbc connect only in one way. otherwise it will not work Took me long to figure that out because there are many ways you can connect i think it should be made very clear with some neon sticker or something i love this product just the same by the way, very good sound! Best regards

[@yttean98]

Good review from someone who about good sound quality.

[@luisazavaleta7066]

vs Beam 2 or 2SE? Im gonna use with my ATH MSR7. Nice Review

[@8825able1]

Great review. But can you say if this DAC will work with mp3s (sometimes referred to as daps) as they only have headphone output? Thanks for responding.

[@anadialog]

Hi there, I don't think so it's mainly for uncompressed PCM and DSD. In fact I don't think you need a quality converter for compressed music, the amp instead does make sense.

[@BrentLeVasseur]

I love the THX Onyx. I use it with Hifiman Sundaras and my iPad Pro. DSD is crazy for a dongle DAC. lol

[@anadialog]

I agree, again, no comparison with a standalone quality DAC!

[@BrentLeVasseur]

@@anadialog Not the quality but the feasibility of playing DSD on a portable device is dubious at best because of the file size. A 9 minute DSD 256 music file is close to 1 GB of storage, and most phones only have 256 GB total storage. So that is very limiting. Also even when playing DSD back on my desktop hardware I sometimes get stuttering, again due to the massive file sizes.

[@anadialog]

The DSD feature is clearly for laptop use!

[@villageroma]

@@anadialog not necessarily. Bit perfect dsd is achievable on a portable device with little thinking. “No comparison with a stand alone quality dac”.. uhh there is a little dac that can be used on mobility that comes with analogue sound.. It costs 200 🇺🇸 fackaroonies and will put ashamed your multi thousand desktop dacs. Have a look at it Khadas Tone 2 Pro.

[@thecatgyp6850]

Cant find a solution for getting this to be recognized when plugged into the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G - every other device i plug it into works immediately, every other USB C cable is recognized just not the S9 Pro DAC......and yes ive tried enabling developer mode, USB debugging etc. Contacted Hidizs ....still no help!

[@jnjr45]

I was contemplating on buying this dongle, but if you're having issues with it on your galaxy s21ultra 5g phone, I was wondering if I'm going to have the same issue with my s22 ultra 5g?... hmmmmm, I'll find out when I buy it...

[@javtimestwo]

I am very new to the DAC game and not even an audiophile but I want to learn more. I listen to Apple Music via my iPhone 13 with Apple EarPods. From what I have learned there is an Apple lightning to 3.5MM headphone jack adapter that features a built-in DAC. Priced at only $9. Very, very affordable. Anybody have any comments/feedback about this portable DAC? IMO, the sound is very good for being $9. I know there are others that are well over $100 or $200 but can the average listener with average ears tell the difference? Belkin makes a similar adapter but they charge about $39 because it includes a charger as well.

[@mileshayes3652]

Hey, where did you get that mini XLR cable, u used with your DT 1770 from? Or do you remember it's name? Best!

[@anadialog]

It's an adapter I got off eBay from a German guy

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗 THANK YOU …for a balanced review😉 INFORMATIVE and I already have one on the way 🤗 Now I know how to unbox it and get started 😊😍😍😍

[@rawjugv.u9519]

I really hope you can get to review Hidizs DH80S.

[@JPC326]

How would it do against Periodic Rhodium Dac ?

[@iamnoone6607]

how would this work with kz iem`s?

[@maxcardenas8257]

I would have liked to see a comparison to a dap

[@anadialog]

True, but I did compare it to my Galaxy S10 and Audirvana on my Mac Pro and the sound was clearly superior...

[@maxcardenas8257]

@@anadialog yeah I compared my fiio m11 to my lg g8s and the lg sounded dark

[@insidentes]

Does it sound better than the previous one, Hidizs S9 (AK4493)?

[@anadialog]

I don't know but I am pretty sure it does, that is the whole point to make a new, uograded version...

[@highgain6770]

It's not a upgraded version . the ak4493 is no longer available cz of the akm factory fire so they was forced to use another chip . Akm model have 110mw and 230mw

[@anadialog]

The Sabre chip is a huge upgrade, I had AK chips, never liked them...

[@francisteardrop]

Just bought one, patiently waiting for it to arrive. Guido, can you suggest a decent alternative to Audirvāna? You can only get it as a subscription model now.

[@anadialog]

Cool! Leaves us some feedback! Are you on Windows or Mac?

[@francisteardrop]

@@anadialog I’m on a Mac. Audirvāna free trial was up & running smoothly, and then they switched to subscription only.

[@anadialog]

@@francisteardrop vox is nice and free but Audirvana is miles ahead...

[@francisteardrop]

@@anadialog yeah, I know. The subscription model is more geared towards streaming services, unfortunately. Amarra?

[@geneobrien8907]

I could use some advice. I have a 2021 Lenovo IdeaPad 9i and I have it connected to a Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker System to play media. I also use a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE to play music through a portable Bose Mini Soundlink II and at times through in ear headphones. Do I need a DAC dongle? Will one improve the sound quality?

[@anadialog]

If you are using only the built-in DAC of your devices you will definitely hear an improvement with a quality dongle

[@geneobrien8907]

@@anadialog Thank you!

[@geneobrien8907]

@@anadialog One more question please, is there a small DAC which has a USB-C out connector and a USB-C input?

[@ryanw2234]

would this sound better than the built-in DAC on my 16" macbook pro?

[@anadialog]

I believe so...

[@pr4efectus]

Everything will sound better than any built in dac in any computer.

[@pr4efectus]

What I am trying to say that the 3.5mm ports in Mac or PC should be permanently blinded. In case you ever want to use it. Just... Don't.

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hello does the s9pro have 4vrms output power trough its 2,5mm? Like the old s9 was measured at that value but I cant find any voltage specs about the s9pro.

[@greenneon9606]

please help me with an answer and tell me why hidizs s9 pro does not connect to my phone, did I miss something?

[@jnjr45]

will this work with the Samsung Galaxy S22 ultra 5g phone?

[@anadialog]

I don't know. You need to contact the manufacturer. Sorry!

[@aleph0909]

Hey! I have been experiencing popping and sometimes crackling noise when I pause or play music. I am afraid of damaging the headphones (Audeze LCD-2C). Any help is much appreciated.

[@anadialog]

I haven't experienced that but if you are sure it's the dongle and warranty is still valid, send it back to them!

[@aleph0909]

@@anadialog Already wrote to them. Thanks for the help.

[@nsivaraj777]

Is the hidizs s9pro better than qudelix 5k just in terms of audio?

[@sf2explus184]

does it heat up alot after a few hours

[@williemckinney2168]

Check the new kid on the block, the Periodic Audio Rhodium dongle dac. "Their's a new Sheriff in town" for $ 49 bucks!

[@DjVeselov]

Fiio ka3 is better?

[@carlsitler9071]

THE CARS! YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO KNOW ABOUT THE CARS. I saw them in concert in 1983 ( I saw the thumbnail on your source).

[@pillowboy7995]

Haha

[@samuelgadgets1391]

Could you test ovidius b1 with Planner Magnetic 3 meter? B1 able to drive up to 600 ohm.

[@QoraxAudio]

Hey Guido, a friend of mine went to Florence on holiday and he claims to have seen you in Tavarnelle. Idk if you live nearby that picturesque little village, but I think you're definitely getting famous in the hifi community! 👍

[@anadialog]

Could be!!

[@andynowy]

One downgrade, there is no way to control or make calls. Would be nice to have a option to use in-line mice and remote as it's made for smartphone

[@Gez492]

Can someone tell me if its possible to connect this to a pre amp balanced inputs in a main system?

[@daveholladay8575]

soooo... could I use this as a line level DAC with 3.5mm jack to male RCA's to feed my old integrated amp?

[@anadialog]

I guess so but not the best application IMO

[@albertcastells4630]

Would it be ok to use it just as a dac to connect my tablet to my Cayin La34 using the 3.5mm jack?

[@anadialog]

Not really! The output is designed for headphones. It will work but not perfectly...

[@Saken-c8n]

Hi, please tell me if I use it with my hiby r3pro saber is there any improvement ? Thanks 👍

[@anadialog]

I haven't tried it but in my opinion no, that player has already a good DAC inside

[@tomacqtech]

How's the sound compared to LG phones ?

[@rawjugv.u9519]

Any DAC including this is far away better.

[@rawjugv.u9519]

Hidizs S9 Pro is far away better or any DAC.

[@skaushi3886]

Does it do MQ , if not what portable dac would you suggest for tidal mqa?

[@anadialog]

I mist admit immediately that I am not a dongle expert. I only had a few and Ihate files and streaming so I am peobably not the best person to ask. If I have to give an answer I would say none because only top end DACs are capable of properly unfolding completely and correctly the MQA origami, which in the end is lossless and inferior to high-res. I had the Meridian portable DAC for example, and Meridian belongs to Bob Stewart the inventor of MQA, and it sounded very flat and lifeless...

[@skaushi3886]

@@anadialog thank you

[@rawjugv.u9519]

Try Hidizs DH80S price is 139 while Hidizs S9 Pro is 119. Its support MQA. The sound result is better than S9 Pro.

[@ATmedia18]

Hi there, does Hidizs S9 Pro support MQA? Thanks

[@anadialog]

Nope, the new dongle they are developing does

[@rawjugv.u9519]

Try Hidizs DH80S price is 139 while Hidizs S9 Pro is 119. Its support MQA. The sound result is better than S9 Pro.

[@LoBoMoNo]

How does it compares with shanling ua2??

[@rawjugv.u9519]

I believe its on par with Shanling UP5

[@TheLateral18]

hi what does a balance connection do and how is different ?

[@anadialog]

A balanced connection cancels any interference and the signal has a stronger output, which is always a good thing especially for power-hungry headphones

[@TheLateral18]

@@anadialog thank you, i finally know that. Follow up question. Are there 2.5 mm headohones?

[@anadialog]

You mean connector/jack? Yes, again that ca be balanced

[@stevedimitrakopoulos8923]

Can you connect it to balanced powered monitor speakers?

[@anadialog]

It's certainly not designed for that but it may be an interesting test, as you said ONLY with active speakers! It is after all a line level signal.

[@stevedimitrakopoulos8923]

@@anadialog Thanks for replying looking forward to that test, keep up the good work cheers from Melbourne Australia.

[@sorcerermax5111]

Does this support IEM cable's inline controls?

[@anadialog]

Don't think so

[@dannywong9971]

Hi, may I ask where can I download hi-res Jazz at the Pawnshop? Tq.

[@anadialog]

From NativeDSD, HD tracks, Qobuz etc

[@dannywong9971]

Thanks for the video ya.

[@dannywong9971]

Btw, which player do you recommend playing back these files from android phone?

[@anadialog]

Thank YOU

[@anadialog]

Hibymusic is pretty good, but I am not a frequent streamer. When I do, I do it from a computer otherwise I use Qobuz.

[@jn3750]

Which planar magnetic phones are those, the original ones by Audeze or the Chinese wannabe junk [ken rockwell said this] (**)? J/K, the differences between planar magnetic and traditional technologies are indeed vast. I have both high end phones and love the newer technology

[@anadialog]

I got one of the best Audeze, sent them back the next day. Terrible dark sound. These are the Hifiman HE560. When well powered, they are outstanding.

[@jn3750]

@@anadialog the audeze headphones do not have any sound signatures. They faithfully reproduce the music the way it was recorded and are owned by countless studios. Some users do not like its (dull or "dark sound"). My experience is that, given some breaking time, they sound better (that is unbelievable) and have unmatched dynamics. Yes, the Hifiman ones are fine sounding and repr3sent excellent value). Its creator is a Columbia University PhD in EE and acoustics with years of experience in the industry and knows how to design good phones. They are not as unadulterated as the Audeze phones and, perhaps for this and related reasons, not favored by studios. I personally want my music to be as pure as it can be.

[@anadialog]

Trust me, none of these high-res headphones and neutral and pure. Maybe the high-end Stax and similar products get close.

[@saricubra2867]

My dream headphone is the Audio Technica ATH-M50X. That thing has a very flat frequency reaponse for the price and it's an industry standard for music production.

[@anadialog]

I have them but trust me they aren't flat at all, they have a bass emphasis, and the sound is decent but nothing special. For the price they are good but perhaps for a small extra you could get a used beauty, for example the Hifiman sundara, or the Meze classics...

[@ukaszl3197]

The lg quad dac is better then this dac ?

[@rawjugv.u9519]

Nope, any DAC and even this DAC is far away better than LG quad DAC.

[@haula251]

How is this compare to Helm Bolt in sound ??

[@anadialog]

Don't know, can only say that specs are worse, no balanced input and no DSD...

[@SpaceEncounter]

Why do you need a balanced input?

[@anadialog]

For the higher output! More power better drive.

[@SpaceEncounter]

The input of the S9 Pro is USB-C and not a balanced input like of an amp!

[@anadialog]

The input is a digital source! It's a DAC in first place...that is the whole point, transfer the digital signal to the S9

[@carlsitler9071]

It is pretty good but worse than my $300 desktop setup in every way. No distortion but less clarity, punch and sound stage (Sanskrit 2 and Asgard 3).

[@if6was929]

The green light on my S9 turns on when I'm playing HiFi songs on Tidal but the light turns off when playing Master quality songs. Is this normal? BTW, this issue happens only when using my cell phone (Samsung Galaxy S20 FE) when using my laptop, the light stays on all of the time. Any thoughts?

[@johnblack8036]

So this will work on a Samsung Note20U? I was using a pair of Martin Logan Mikros 90 headphones on my old Note9, but the headphone jack is gone.. Is this a better option than getting a good pair of Bluetooth headphones?

[@anadialog]

The answer is of course to both!

[@johnblack8036]

@@anadialog Yeah I know. I just haven't found a pair of Bluetooth headphones that matches the sound of wired ones. Then again, I really haven't looked but I've always been told that wired headphones will always outperform Bluetooth. Unless you can recommend one that doesn't break the bank. I have an old pair of Stax that still sound great.

[@swschilke]

Twice two ads in the first five minutes is TO MUCH

[@anadialog]

As I wrote in another comment I perfectly understand that a lot of yourube pals do this for living and do a lot of ads. This is not an ad. I obviously can keep the dongle but that is normal. I only review things I like. Out of more than 180 videos this is the only one where I did not purchse the item under review which is rather cheap. I accepted because I was curious, the specs are amazing, and wanted to see for my self. I don't stream or listen foto files usually so I am not going to use this really but I do think it is a good product, nothing too amazing, but a good cheap and versatile DAC and amp. Again, sorry about this bad impression. Who knows my channel knows me and the philosophy behind it: passion, not profit.

[@DGardn100]

When it's connected to a desktop headphone amp does the missing depth then come through?

[@saricubra2867]

Do not use the DAC of the motherboard for speakers and headphones with an impedance greater than 16 ohms. Volume, dynamic range and clarity are lost. An external DAC that connects to the computer through USB is recommended, the signal is clean and free from the electrical noise on the computer motherboard.

[@WRPhotography-zx5dv]

Will the sennheiser momentum 3 benefit from this dac/amp wired on it’s 3.5mm headphone jack?

[@marvistv6551]

Which player do you’ve on your phone

[@anadialog]

Hibymusic and qobuz app

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗 I AM NOW ENJOYING THIS WITH MY I PHONE AND HEADPHONES 🤗🤗🤗 I don’t have any hi-rez sources 😞😉 BUT EVERYTHING I CAN GET IS SOUNDING GREAT 👍 HAVE YOU HEARD ROBERT SCHULEIN -Binaural music 🤔 AWESOME 🤩 (like your there) Thanks AGAIN AND HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY 😍😍😍

[@anadialog]

Thank you for your feedback! Love binaural music, I also did a video with some good reccomendations if interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXKpiXiirrJgiq8

[@allansh828]

how’s it compared to Audioquest Dragonfly?

[@anadialog]

I don't know but the specs of their flagship, the Cobalt, seem rather dated. Only 96Khz pcm, no DSD, the amp is only 30mw, no balanced connection, bulky...but the DAC chip is the same...

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

Check out iiWi reviews 🤗

[@haula251]

Better than black but Red and Cobalt is better in sound quality

[@babagandu]

@@haula251 Is it good for Quran ?

[@haula251]

@@babagandu yeah you can hear every aayat from Quran with huge tonal improvements and clarity. Peace

[@richardmcdonald4230]

Plays MQA?

[@anadialog]

Nope!

[@rawjugv.u9519]

Try Hidizs DH80S price is 139 while Hidizs S9 Pro is 119. Its support MQA. The sound result is better than S9 Pro.

[@richardmcdonald4230]

@@rawjugv.u9519 Thank's

[@megumi_0]

audiophiles when the s9 sounds exactly like the apple dongle, which is free:

[@kellustzall3057]

Nah, apple dongle's sound is soulless and artificial, the s9 pro is also a bit dry and leans towards analytical side of things but a notch above when it comes to clarity, staging and dynamic, also virtually no distortion.

[@mychaelsmith6874]

​@@kellustzall3057🤡

[@ralphbrewster3241]

lol

[@MegaEpstein]

Zero information about sound itself

[@anadialog]

Zero is incorrect, here and there I did speak of several aspects but no, I am not going to do a low/mid/high analysis on a dongle. For what you are paying and what it is capable of doing apart from a normal flat presentation and restricted soundstage, which again it is normal on dongles, the sound is quite good.

[@painpeace3619]

Why are you talking bs ..

[@anadialog]

Explain!

[@blanchedesmas]

The seller is back again…

[@anadialog]

And you are too! ;-)

[@TonyMusicArts]

Its😂not a $5,000 DAC pal

[@SpaceEncounter]

This was like a super long 13 min commercial with some flaws - channel subscription removed!

[@anadialog]

Sorry to hear that because I truly only review things I like. Passion moves me not money, this is the whole channel philosophy and fortunately who has been following me for s while knows that. A lot of people hate me because in various cases I just send back the item. Even big names in some cases. Yes, the dongle stays with me but I really don't care. I actually hate streaming and files plus I get a few dimes from the link. That is it. Actually this is the first video where I present something I did not personally pay in over 180 videos. I have always been 100% transparent on the few income I have. It is something useful and gives dignity to my work, that is all. Hope to se you again here!

[@jamescook6890]

@@anadialog well done on an informative review this is my first viewing of your channel so subscription gained 👌

[@catminister3327]

Cant find a solution for getting this to be recognized when plugged into the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G - every other device i plug it into works immediately, every other USB C cable is recognized just not the S9 Pro DAC......and yes ive tried enabling developer mode, USB debugging etc. Contacted Hidizs ....still no help!

[@anadialog]

I am sorry to hear this! Unfortunately I have no idea and you seen to have tried the most obvious. Try also changing playback software, the normal Samsung player but also other like Hybymusic

[@painpeace3619]

Use uapp app , you connected the wrong side of type c cable with dac , alter the side of the type c cable, it will work, If not work then contact hidizs...

[@catminister1075]

@@painpeace3619 nonsense it makes no difference what end of the cable is used. Express a problem to to Hidizs customer support and they blame the buyer/user.