Hidizs MP145 Review

Today we review the Hidizs MP145, the latest planar magnetic IEM from the Chinese brand, available for just $159 USD.

Disclaimer: the Hidizs MP145 was sent to us free of charge by the brand, in exchange for our honest opinion. 

About Hidizs

Founded in 2009 by Tamson Tan, Hidizs offers a full range of DAPs, DAC/Amps, and IEMs which all share the same DNA: good sound, affordable price, and neat build. And if their first model, the AP100, was one of the quirkiest devices I ever held in my life, it was still a solid alternative against FiiO’s or Shanling’s players, for a lesser price.

Then, for their second-generation player, the AP200, the brand launched a Kickstarter, which appeared to be quite successful as Hidizs managed to raise no less than $280,000, with 943 backers. A great success that pushed the brand in a whole new direction, where each new product was crowdfunded: AP80 (which became the AP80 Pro X), MS5, S3Pro or the latest MP145 – the IEM we are about to review today!

My third IEM from the brand, after the NF-3U a few years back and the MD4 more recently, but Yagiz had the chance to review both the MS2, MS3, and MS5, so if you’re curious about them, check his reviews!

The Hidizs MP145 is a new model, advertised as an ultra-large planar HiFi IEM, designed with the help of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) to mimic the whales’ biological features. Enough to impress? That’s what we’ll find out today.

Design & Build Quality

Casing

Out of the box, it’s hard not to be impressed by the Hidizs MP145. Big and bold, the aluminum case was designed to mimic the whale tail and rorqual pleat characteristics, and it shows. From the “Y” shaped faceplate to the twelve-layer milling pattern, up to their hidden ventilation ports – only seen through the grazing light – the new IEM is an acquired taste but I’m fond of it!

It’s a “gritty” IEM, that’s humongously big and does look like the whales of entry-level planar IEM, but thankfully the inner part kept the same rounded body found within its siblings. In fact, despite its lower MSRP, the new IEM enjoys the same kind of treatment you’ll find in higher-priced models from other brands, such as five-axis CNC carving or advanced molding.

A massive-sized IEM through and through, but that’s kind of of the point here. Are they comfortable? We’ll see that in a moment, but first, let’s check their construction.

Build Quality

Made of two parts, the Hidizs MP145 shell feels almost unbreakable, but that’s usually the case with CNC-milled cases. Sure die-cast ones are even more durable, but in hand, the ones carved through CNC machines always feel stronger, sturdier, and – overall – better. It’s hard to understand when not in hand, but once you hold one, you really feel the difference.

And, apart from the slim slit separating the two parts of the case, the Hidizs MP145 is impeccable – even more considering the price. No shards or misplaced elements, a smooth shell with matte-blue finish, and a super rigid duct giving a good level of comfort, once the earphones are placed in your ears. My closest comparison would be the Meze Rai Penta, and from afar the two do share some common traits, but Hidizs decided to push the cursors to the max.

Sadly, the MP145 trades the MMCX socket for a 2-pin one, something that I do feel regrettable, as I encountered more issues with the 0.75mm socket, than the micro-BNC, but maybe that’s only my own experience.

Last but not least, let’s talk about the cable: for a sub-$200 IEM, the stock cable is quite good. Hefty and braided, the robust cord is made of high-purity OFC, silver-plated, copper assembled in 4 strands and then braided. Lovely

Now, let’s see how they fit.

Comfort

In the ears

“Unmatched Audio Quality, without the bulk”, that’s what Hidizs said on their product page. But, compared to most of my recent IEMs, the Hidizs MP145 definitely are one of the bulkiest IEMs I encountered, weighing close to 9g per ear and outshining even my biggest CIEM – the UM Maestro – or the Shanling ME800, my daily driver.

But, thankfully, if the outer part absolutely stood out of my ear – so much that it almost feels ridiculous – the team at Hidizs did a great job with the inner side, perfectly following the convoluted shame of the ear. And if not perfect, I never had any trouble inserting/removing them from my ears, nor did I have any issues with the provided tips (medium one, balanced, for me)

In addition to that, the cable exceeded my expectations and never bothered me in any way during my review. There were some slight microphonics, but with my winter clothes, that was to be expected. A solid 7 out of 10 in that regard.

Isolation

With a solid shell, good tips, and an ear-filling design, the Hidizs MP145 were supposed to be awesome noise-blockers, but the small vents did let some unwanted noises through – not that much though. On my daily commute, they dampened the noise coming from the train up to a certain level, but the subway was a much harder task for them. On the contrary, at the office: once plugged in, the ears completely cut me off from my colleagues, when music played and shut off most of the annoying background hum, just plugged into my ears.

The article continues on Page two, after the click here

Page 1: about Hidizs, casing, construction
Page 2: UI & Usage, Bundle, specifications
Page 3: Sound & conclusion