In this article, we review the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus, the third version of the brand’s DAC/AMP dongle, available for just €/$79 Euro/USD.
Disclaimer: the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus 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, 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 decided to launch 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 (review incoming).
But, like its predecessor, that doesn’t apply to the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus, which came through the regular channel. A new DAC in USB stick format – the third version in this series – incorporating everything that made the previous model such a success, plus numerous improvements, at a lower price. Banger? Let’s find out.
Design & Build Quality
Casing
Like the AP-80 Pro-X we reviewed a few months ago now, the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus is built around an aluminum frame covered with glass panels. A design more in-line with the brand’s recent line-up, ousting the bump seen on the previous model, favoring a more streamline presentation with the two headphones ports put in parallel. In fact, the case embraces the same polygonal design saw on the DH80 and AP80 Pro X, with angular sides, brushed aluminum, nice knobs and the brand’s illuminated logo.
Size-wise, this remains an ultra-compact device. End to end, the S9 Pro Plus is just 55 mm long, 25 mm wide, and 11 mm thick and a very slight weight gain compared to the classic S9 Pro : 6g, for a net weight of 17g. To those measurements, you can add the USB-C cable (bundled) or Lightning to USB-C one (not bundled, go check ddHiFi or Apple) only, so yeah like the FiiO KA13 we tested last time, this one should fit in all and every pockets.
A neat DAC with a proper design.
Build Quality
Like every product recently released by the brand, the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus is absolutely flawless in this regard. Made of one solid piece of “aerospace-grade aluminum”, cut through a CNC machine, the DAC shows an immaculate, screw-less design, from top to bottom, that make it a little more posh than the S9 Pro 1st gen. On the other hand, while some will appreciate the new buttons, I have to say that I prefer the volume buttons, as they offer better handling and greater precision.
The USB port is quite sturdy, thanks to its recessed design, and the same goes for the headphone ports, available on the other side. If the 3.5mm jack was kept, the 2.5mm one is now gone, replaced by a 4.4mm Pentaconn, since more and more headphones tend to favor this one solution.
Apart from that, everything looks and feels nice to grasp, and some might find this one more comfortable to hold than the FiiOs that keep on growing every year now!
All in all, a solid piece of work, that really gives a good impression.
Comfort and Specifications
Compatibility
Like every modern DAC, the Hidizs S9 pro Plus can be connected to most digital sources with ease. I tried it on my PC (Windows 10), MacBook (OSX), iPhone with a ddHiFi TC28i, iPad – with the provided USB-C port – and finally the Hidizs AP80Pro-X: all worked flawlessly.
There are no specific drivers, but since the S9 supports ASIO drivers, it should be able to decode high-resolution files directly.
Daily use
As expected, the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus is extremely simple to use.
You plug it into your phone, insert your headphone jack, and you’re good to go. There were no issues with my iPhone 13 Pro Max + TC28i + USB-C + S9 Pro Plus, or with my MacBook: each time, the S9 Pro was immediately recognized by the source, and music came out almost instantly. On Windows, I had to wait a minute, until the OS got the right driver but after that, it worked flawlessly. Again, Hidizs only provides a USB-C to USB-C cable, plus a USB-C to USB-A adapter, so you’ll have to purchase a Lightning adapter separately.
On the go, it’s a pleasant device to use, and the small size is great for commuters like me. The lightweight body, combined with the elongated design, makes it easy to fit in a pocket. And, if the default cable doesn’t ply correctly, once replaced by ddHiFi TC09, the combo Hidizs S9 Pro Plus + TC28i + iPhone fitted right in my jeans pocket.
Good news, there are now volume controls on the S9 Pro Plus, which means that you won’t have to reach for your phone every time you want to adjust it. In addition to that, the DAC now comes with additional knobs (press both buttons at once to switch), dedicated to digital filters selection, allowing you to unlock the 9038Q2M full potential – a really cool feature. Last but not least, underneath the logo, Hidizs have hidden an led indicator, indicating the current sampling rates:
- green for PCM files up to 96kHz
- blue for PCM files up to 192kHz
- red for PCM files up to 384kHz
- white for PCM files up to 768kHz
- yellow for DSD files up to DSD128
- purple for DSD files up to DSD512
Let’s take a quick look at the specs now.
Specifications
Like the S9 Pro Plus or FiiO’s KA3, at the heart of the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus, you’ll find the old, but powerful, ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M, a top of the line ESSTech mobile chip line-up.
An excellent DAC, advertised as a high-performance 32-bit, 2-channel audio D/A converter, capable of great lengths thanks to various integrated DSP functions and technologies like Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, or the now-famous HyperStream II architecture. More than enough to, on paper at least, suit even the most demanding audiophile.
All in all, you get:
- up to 32bits / 768kHz PCM decoding + DSD512 support
- ASIO and Windows driver’s full support
- 3.5mm PO: 138mW @ 32Ω
- 4.4mm BAL: 180mW @ 32Ω
- 3.5mm PO: 123dB (@32Ω)
- 4.4mm BAL: 120dB (@32Ω)
A good setup that should be able to drive the most demanding headphones, even if high-end and planar will need higher-end solutions. Still, apart from the missing MQA support, this is a great circuitry, outperforming many competitors available in the same price range, even more that the S9 Pro Plus cost even less that its older sibling.
If you look closely at numbers, you’ll see that the old S9 Pro seems to offer better numbers here in balanced mode (118dB of channel separation instead of 115dB) but worse SNR (120dB compared to the 123dB of the new Pro Plus)
For the nerds out there, here are the full specs.
Technical specs
- Type: USB DAC
- Model: Hidizs S9 Pro Plus
- Chipset: Sabre ES9238Q2M
- Frequency range: 20 – 50 000Hz
- Compatibility: PCM up to 32bit/768kHz – DSD up to DSD512
- SNR: 123dB@32ohms (3.5mm) / 120dB@32ohms (4.4mm)
- THD: < 0.0019% (3.5mm) / < 0.0008% (4.4mm)
- Size: 55 mm x 25 mm x 11 mm
- Weight: 17g
- Socket: USB-C
- Price: $79.99
Let’s check the sound now.
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