Hidizs S3 Pro - Another Reason To Reject Audioquest's Dacs

Hidizs S3 Pro: hifigo.com/pro...
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TIME STAMPS:
Features & Build - 1:40
Performance & Comparisons - 4:39
MQA Stuff - 12:41
Firmware Tuning - 16:03
Value & Conclusion - 17:48
******
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[@Sampardhanani]

This is how the audio reviews should be . Salutes .

[@adaboy4z]

Got this on sale for $62. It's worth it. It even made my OEM Samsung buds sound better. I use it daily with KZ ZS10 Pro IEM and Sennheiser HD560s. I use the enhanced bass software. It does get warm while playing. Great thorough review!! Subscribed

[@adaboy4z]

@Paul Price I used my pc

[@Javier_2005]

I could currently get them for about $31.

[@harackmw]

so glad I did some research on Dacs before spending too much. Well done!

[@GoDaagen]

Again, thanks for your sober, no-hype, breath-of-fresh-air reviews. Your subs should be 10x what you currently have. I am currently listening on Sundaras and the ifi Zen Can v2. To my ears it sounds wonderful, and if i feel the upgradeitis coming i just watch one of your reviews and i feel much better 😅🤓

[@dannygonsalez27]

Sian,this is more of reading the specs from thecwebsite and watch you will see hes a apple guy so if a product has a problem with apple he will rant instead of investigating if the problem is with the user and not the product. Btw its fishy thst this channel has 12k subs and videos are not even watched in 1k mostly. M9stly ads on videos if it has high views.but again dont trust youtubers.

[@markpbowen]

I have this and love it. Wanted to use it with my iPhone so also bought the OTG adapter, sadly that has failed in the first few weeks. The S3 is great with my pc and iPad but it would be perfect if I can get another OTG to work. I haven’t got an inline mic to work myself. I also use a tone 2 pro and agree the price difference is negligible. Thanks for a great review.

[@KonradSkowronski]

Respect for honest and not biased review. I like the true about Audioquest products. I had once their DAC, overpriced, overhyped. Sold it.

[@ASSOpid]

Thank you for having common sense and not buying into the snake oil. Always love how reviewer's "claim" to hear the difference between DACs. Which is pure BS.

[@mike216ism]

I was most impressed by this little dac. It sounds excellent. I like this company. They use premium materials and focus on quality. Im waiting on the S9 pro. Hidizs has earned a lifelong customer

[@stephenkrus]

Dude! You and this channel are... #Legendary!👑✨👍

[@WillieBloom]

‘No Bullshit Reviews”. That’s why I subscribe, like, and keep coming back.

[@abrahamlendechy273]

Great detailed review as always. I´m really worried about what MQA is doing to music, similar to what marvel is doing to cinema. MQA is lossy compression, and there´s nothing wrong with that, the sound is punchier and it feels livelier and more dynamic, again, nothing wrong with that (a bit distorted when the bass was already prominent though). The problem is, they initially claimed to offer "the original studio master quality" and "how the artist intended", which couldn´t be further away from the truth. Also, the ES9281C Pro chip can only do up to 4X on the hardware, some manufacturers dare to include the software´s 2X in the count. Which again, leads to confusion

[@NoThemeReviews]

There is no reason Meridian should have as much pull as they do. It’s fascinating how scared companies are of retribution from the small subset of audiophiles who use MQA. Once again, the extremes in the community are happy to drag us along.

[@budzlightyear2212]

This thing is COOL! Gonna pick one up....

[@sabc1964]

Hey do you think you could check out Yamaha’s on-ear line of headphones the hph-50, hph-100, and hph-150. They’re marketed as headphones for listening to electronic instruments. The cheapest model is around $35, middle is $60, and most expensive is $99 and open back. There’s barely any info on them and you seem like the only reviewer who would entertain trying lesser-known headphones like these.

[@rahulmenon4357]

I am also interested in the MT5, which is a copy of the M40X from any way you look at it.

[@TheEriclikeseatin]

Thanks so much for making this video. I was looking for for a dongle dac/amp with an inline mic so I could listen to FLAC files from my phone and IEMs and also take phone calls when needed. This looks exactly to fit the bill, and is inexpensive too. Are you aware of any other dongle dac/amps that work with inline mics?

[@NoThemeReviews]

I know there are a few, but I can’t recall any at the moment. Maybe take a look at some of the Hilidac stuff.

[@CePa_Gon]

@@NoThemeReviews I would like to know if connecting it to a pc, the microphone of the headphones works. Thank you.

[@alexanderlee6509]

Loved that you clarified that MQA is lossy. That’s why I dumped tidal for Qobuz.

[@larrywarner9775]

Very good review @ No Theme Reviews. Since you mentioned peak performance, what amplifier would you recommend to pair with the Sundara to acheive its peak performance? I will use topping E30 as the DAC. It is just a simple PC setup using Spotify. I am just using a hipdac to power my Sundara the past year and I would like to upgrade. Price point is $200 to $1K. I listen to funk/blues/jazz. I am also open to your other suggestions even an amp/dac combo just as long I can drive the Sundara to its peak or near peak performance. Thanks in advance.

[@NoThemeReviews]

You don’t need anything particularly powerful. An amp that provides 250mw at 32 ohms will be plenty. I don’t recommend spending more than a few hundred of all you’ve got is the Sundara. In that price range, any of the Topping or SMSL amps will do fine. The Drop 789 is also a good option. Hifiman doesn’t publish performance info, unlike Audeze and Avantone, so there’s no telling what the manufacturer’s suggested power requirement is for the Sundara. However, I’ve tested this headphone with all sorts of amps and I’m convinced it should be treated no differently from the competition-eg, 250mw at 32 ohms. More power won’t provide you meaningful differences in sound.

[@larrywarner9775]

@@NoThemeReviews Thanks for your reply and advice. I appreciate it.

[@MrKeech666]

If you have the E30, pair it with the L30! I have the E30/L30 stack and on 0 gain the L30 provides more than ample power for my Sundara. 🤘😎

[@larrywarner9775]

@@MrKeech666 Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

[@dilshodtojiddinzoda]

Hi! Thanks for the review of Hidizs S3 Pro. I have one and am using it with JVC HA-RX900. What's bothering me is that it's heating. Could you describe, are there any differences in heating degree between the stock and other firmwares?

[@NoThemeReviews]

I don’t think there is any difference in how warm it gets

[@ebeisaac7700]

Great review! How does the Hidizs S3 Pro compare to the FiiO K3s?

[@NoThemeReviews]

I don't have the K3. But, they're fairly different in features.

[@jeremywilliam79]

Surprised you didn’t compare to the apple dac. Do you have an opinion on how it stacks up to that?

[@josepimentamarques415]

Please, review the Lotoo Paw S2 !? Is it worth acquiring ?

[@josepimentamarques415]

By the way, is there any dongle DAC more suitable for the iPhone ? If so, can you suggest some options ? Many thanks in advance

[@NoThemeReviews]

I can’t think of any that don’t pair well with an iPhone. You have a lot of options-and I can’t recommend one over another. If you want more power, then your options are fairly limited. But around this price range, there’s barely any meaningful difference.

[@josepimentamarques415]

@@NoThemeReviews , which ones would be these limited options , please ?

[@NoThemeReviews]

Lotoo Paw S1, UP4, Fiio BTR5

[@josepimentamarques415]

@@NoThemeReviews , Many Thanks again … It was really helpful !!!

[@MeeTube29]

I know you said that the s3 won't properly power planar magnetic headphones.... What about the Hifiman Sundaras? There are 37 ohm headphones... Is this an exception, or are there other factors to consider?

[@NoThemeReviews]

It’s hard to say with Hifiman stuff as they don’t provide any info about how much power their headphones need. But, the Sundara i think probably needs around 200mw. Beyond that, there’s little if any need for more power as you’re unlikely to get the drivers to perform any better. Less power and you’ll probably hear less clarity, soundstage, and bass. What you’re listening to will play some role in this as well

[@nicktan4530]

Hi have you try Mp3 compressed audio sometimes once in a while. Because there are some amp/dacs, iem, headphone combination can sometimes sound forgivable, suitable for casual and non typical audiophiles.

[@NoThemeReviews]

Yeah, there are artists who release only on MP3 or to streaming services like YT.

[@kevinhidebass]

Really appreciate your outlook on this stuff buddy, the elitism is abhorrent. I’m looking for a sub $100 portable DAC primarily for IOS but also for MacOS; this and the Zerda ITM01 look fine, any direction I should go for lower noise, or is it all about what features suit best?

[@Altamimi911]

Hi brother is there more better amp & dac dongle with more strong bass around 50$ to 100$ please Thanks 🙏

[@NoThemeReviews]

You should look into a Dac that offers DSP for bass emphasis. iFi has them, but not in single dacs. An alternative would be the Lotoo Paw S1/S2.

[@Altamimi911]

@@NoThemeReviews so s1 and s2 Will be my choice right?

[@NoThemeReviews]

Yes, or any other single dacs that have EQ. Some of the Fiio devices do that through apps, and the BTR5/7 is able to do that without the need for an app. But my experience has been that the Lotoo single dacs have a far better implementation of EQ/DSP than Fiio.

[@jasonbhatnagar7134]

Review the Tanchjim Stargate dongle dac/amp. It's a great sub $80 product

[@WarEagle256]

I'm fixing to buy a Topping L50 amp and was just going to use a apple dongle until I could afford the E50 would you recommend something like this instead? Thanks for the review!

[@NoThemeReviews]

Funny you should ask. I've had the L50 and E50 for a few months. I keep getting distracted from doing their reviews, but was just working on the script when you wrote your message. Instead of giving you an answer here, I invite you to watch the review--which will be uploaded next week. Hopefully that will give you a better idea of your options.

[@WarEagle256]

@@NoThemeReviews Thanks, I look forward to it

[@DGardn100]

@@WarEagle256 I use a dongle (not the S3 Pro) as a dac with a headphone amp. It works. It's connected with a 3.5mm to dual RCA cable. I considered getting a S3 Pro, but as measured by ASR, the output voltage is 1.4 instead of the standard(?) 2 volts. I don't know if that makes a big difference, but I'm cheap and I don't want to spend money to find out.

[@WarEagle256]

@@DGardn100 Thanks for the reply, that's what I'm going to with as well for now.

[@EricAjimine]

Have you done a comparison to the Apple lightning or USB C to 3.5mm comparison? I heard the parts are of high quality.

[@NoThemeReviews]

Nope. I don’t have the official Apple adapter.

[@Polyfusia]

Apple dac is good but limited to 44.1khz.

[@markpomerhn76]

I tested the red Audio Quest DAC at Best Buy last year and I couldn't hear any difference whatsoever in sound quality or boost through my headphones. Better off buying a new pair of headphones.

[@WillieBloom]

I purchased a sub-$100 lightning-to-3.5mm/lightning charge port DAC through MassDrop several years ago out of necessity and convenience. This is pre-MQA. I wanted an AudioQuest DAC but figured that since the Black and Red had been out for so long that a newer one should be on the way. Long wait later the Blue comes out and I rush to purchase it. (BTW I don’t care about MQA because I don’t like Tidal and don’t believe in MQA as a format). Anyway so now I own the $300 DAC. Damned if I can hear a difference between the two. AudioQuest is ridiculously overpriced and not just these DAC/amps. All their cables are just stupid expensive. Luckily I haven’t been duped by them regarding that.

[@andreaaaaaaa574]

Please can you check if this device work well with the bit perfect of USB audio player pro, i have problems with the hidizs s9 , the volume goes immediately High and never change

[@ferrybellamy73]

i am facing the same trouble but with different usb dac and music player app (Shanling UA1 Pro & Onkyo HF Player) still don't know how to fix this issues

[@nicktan4530]

Hi I like your setup. Where do you get the glass table setup ?

[@NoThemeReviews]

Amazon. amzn.to/3wzp4mB

[@nicktan4530]

@@NoThemeReviews That is awesome

[@sf2explus184]

will i get maximum audio quality from using amazon prime on my windows 11 laptop

[@NoThemeReviews]

Yes

[@wanaboed]

Have you ever reviewed very cheap budget DAC dongles like JCALLY JA3 and JCALLY JM10? I am curious if I should go with Hidizs Products or cheap-ass products like JCALLYs are enough

[@NoThemeReviews]

Nope

[@chipruts]

I love all the fact that you're saying

[@CharlesSeraphDrums]

Whilst I get that the Dragonfly Cobalt is wildly overpriced (and you know it's ridiculous when people use it to listen to KZs, Blons, and even Shuoers), what do you think of the quality to price ratio of the Black. I've had it for a couple of weeks now and it's killer.

[@NoThemeReviews]

I'm not a fan of AQ's dacs. They're all overpriced. The Black actually has fewer features than dacs that cost half as much.

[@MisterBeRight]

Thank you for this excellent vidéo !!

[@DaveTheBird]

Great another well priced DAC dongle to get, just got a Sabaj Da2 Portable USB DAC for 40 pounds about 50 to 60 dollars, pretty good value, but now I have to get this one! just got a refund on the Astell & Kern USB DAC, so there is that to help out my wallet. Good video as ever! I think ifi still use burr brown and I have a portable Teac amp dac with burr brown, hopefully AKM will get back up and running. I think the zelda is a cirius dac ? wolfson is sad that cannot get them anymore, I had an Astell & Kern AK120 DAP with dual Wolfson dacs, wow I loved the sound and form factor of that dac, but the old and slow android operating system got too much for me, but am sad I sold it though.But you are right most dacs are all ESS based at the moment, I like them (most ESS chips) but is a shame there are not more choices at the moment as you say.

[@DGardn100]

I've had a SMSL Idea, which is the same internally as the Sabaj Da2, for three years. For the past couple of years, I've used it as a dac with a Monolith Liquid Spark amp. It's stood me in good stead, but it has one problem- it buzzes loudly when it's used with Android or Linux. Unplugging it from the device then plugging it back in makes the buzzing go away, but it's still a pain.

[@DaveTheBird]

@@DGardn100 strange I have been using mine with a Pixel 4a and have not had this issue luckily, sorry to here yours is playing up like that.

[@DGardn100]

@@DaveTheBird I'm glad you don't have that problem with it, but I'm surprised you're not having that problem with it. SMSL posted a firmware patch that solved the problem, but it also downgraded the USB from 2.0 to 1.0.

[@lordhades9455]

I will eventually be getting a Samsung S21 Ultra. I'm having a hard time choosing a dongle DAC to run my Ikko OH 10s

[@NoThemeReviews]

Why the difficulty?

[@Devi_1]

Don't go for Samsung buy apple or oneplus

[@limbo4934]

Спасибо за обзор 🤗 Аппарат хороший?

[@NoThemeReviews]

да

[@carlolaguerta6677]

This or zoloo ztellar?

[@neighborhood_k]

Having mqa support is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

[@aodhanmorrissey]

I love this because having that little window is as interesting as listening to MQA just to get that exclusive LED colour

[@Luca-xr7bs]

no I have S3 pro and can ear the difference non in all but in many songs

[@aodhanmorrissey]

@@Luca-xr7bs you noticed a difference on MQA VS FLAC? I'd recommend watching Goldensound's video about MQA. He mastered a track specifically for tidal with MQA, and it is NOT lossless as the owners claim. 20th century snake oil.

[@epicmike3915]

The atom 2 has a better form factor IMO. Unless someone comes up with a better solution I'm not changing it.

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

Those "tethers" are the weak link in the device.

[@christopherherr7561]

I have the S3 non-pro. I wanted the pro, but maybe it is a good idea NOT to. It sounds perfectly fine to me... Almost wasted money.

[@mauanderuk]

Finally some sense many DAC's sound the same mine do you reach a limit in them.

[@mikemcguinness1304]

Audioquest are con men anyway.. Snake oil salesmen. Buy dacs and cables from decent vendors

[@richardhernandez7741]

You're suggesting everyone should hear just as you, which appears limited, no thanks.

[@NoThemeReviews]

My hearing is perfectly fine-no worse or better than any other audiophile. The only difference is that I don’t make shit up and actually put things to tests. You should give it a try, and stop acting like a petulant child.

[@vansleen1]

Hidisz adds really almost nothing to he sound. Ive tested it over ayear. On Phones, laptops and audio HI-FI systems... Its gives a minor extra of clarity to the sound... but nothing woth a dollar. Ihave experience with raspberry Pi dacs, that really make a difference bot in low and Hi Fi audio. this Hidizs DAC is not worth the money for shipping.