Hifiman HM-602: Hi-Fi DAP Perfected

Excitement!

Earlier today I saw some japanese tweets about the HM-602. I couldn’t have guessed that later the same day I would be listening to some sweet music out of the Hifiman HM-602 player. When I saw the package sitting on my desk, I only remarked “Ah, that’s probably the new Hifiman HM-602”. Last month I received a big package that is the Zana Deux, and after that, it’s pretty hard to get excited about anything. Anyway I opened the cardboard box, and quickly opened the packaging. The HM-602 was enclosed in an anti-static plastic, and it didn’t look too good with that packaging wrapped inside it. So I put the box in the car and drove to the office.

I finally unwrapped the player from the anti-static packaging, and boy it looks really sweet now! First impression, and probably the most significant of all is the small size of the HM-602. Now THIS is something that I would actually use on a regular basis. After all, the HM-801, though EXCELLENT, was simply too big to fit in the average jeans pocket. I continue to inspect the player, on the back panel it says “16GB”. Sweet, it must have built in memory, in additional to the external memory slot. The paint finishing is dark metallic grey and it looks very good. I think the quality of the finishing is much improved from the HM-801 player. It also feels very lightweight, much lighter than the HM-801 and surprise-surprise, even lighter than the Ipod Classic, and by quite a significant margin. Gosh, I’m not going to need that new Ipod Touch after it seems.

The layout is very good, and the screen is much brighter than what I remember the HM-801 to be. Two USB ports for data exchange and for using the HM-602 as a USB DAC. Oh, this thing is sweet. I still can’t believe that a small player like this can excite me the way I was with the Zana Deux amp. Headphone out jack, line out jack, and volume control. All good. 5VDC external PSU for charging, and last but not least, a high and low gain switch! (I don’t think the HM-801 has such a switch). I think this player is perfect! Thank you Hifiman for such a wonderful product!!!!!


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81 Comments

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    Anaxilus

    Any chance to include the QA350 in your comparison? Thx.

    • Reply September 24, 2010

      Mike

      Sure thing! I’ll try to find a QA350. But just looking at the size of the HM-602, I don’t think I’d still want to use the bigger players. 🙂

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    Joey

    Ah. U got me excited too Mike! $439 for a top-notch DAC/DAP/headphone amp sounds like a good deal to me 🙂

    • Reply September 24, 2010

      Mike

      I know. I can't wait to listen to it again! And especially is the size!

    • Reply September 24, 2010

      Mike

      I'm listening to the Zana Deux + HD800 combo, with the HM602 serving as the source. Slightly less technical proficiency than the Grace, but otherwise I can't believe I'm listening out of a DAP source! Damn this player is good!

      • Reply September 23, 2010

        Mike

        Please don’t make me go back to a regular DAP!!

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    Mampus

    Mike, how about battery life? 😀

    • Reply September 24, 2010

      Mike

      Haven’t really tested that one yet. 😀

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    iyayy

    i tried the hm801, was quite good.. but somehow i found something lacking in the sound.. preferred my modded 4th gen ipod classic + go-vibe ppk amp. maybe just my preference, but the usb dac function of this player really interest me.

    • Reply September 24, 2010

      Mike

      Perhaps it's the sound signature doesn't suit you, but the quality of the HM-801 DAC is far superior. All of us who's listened to the HM-801 agrees that it should compete with desktop CD players instead of DAPs.

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    iyayy

    possibly.. yes.. possibly no. i kinda feel the hm-801 has a slight U-shaped frequency presentation.. or maybe my modded ipod have a slight inverted u-shaped instead? im not sure. i did decided not to buy a d10 / d4 since i found the sq (using DAC alone) slightly below my ipod. (yep.. this comment is gonna get some rage goin xD).

    im running my ipod on rockbox + flacs, recently started using wav for smoother treble, very slight but noticeable difference.

    well hopefully later i can try the hm-602.

    one thing i really wish to haev now is a similar sounding setup on portable as well as desktop. 🙂

    • Reply September 24, 2010

      Mike

      Well if you like an inverted U (midrange centric sound), then the HM-602 should be a good match. It's not extremely mid-centric, but it's more to that direction. The DAC quality of the HM-602 is quite above the Ibasso D10/D4s, so no worries there.

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    Brian

    Finally something reasonable from the Hifiman line of DAPs. Mike, can you find out these several things:

    1. How the HM-602 performs when it plays songs from an external SD card. Try filling the capacity up. Does it lag that way?

    2. What file formats the HM-602 support.

    3. Like Mampus has said, battery life is important when we are talking about a portable player. I'm interested on how long it will last.

    4. Hiss. Does it hiss when plugged with sensitive IEMs?

    5. And the UI. Does it support album covers? Can you create playlists on the go like you can do in iPod? Does it have a search function?

    6. I see it has a USB port to connect with your computers. Can you charge it via USB?

    Thanks in advance, bro. 😀

    • Reply September 24, 2010

      Mike

      Damn, dude. That looks like a homework! I'll try to see what I can.

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    .Sup

    Damn that photo of HD800 and HM602 sure does look nice. Can't wait to get mine and try in with HD800, only the 1/4>1/8 with adapter will kinda get in the way.

  • Reply September 24, 2010

    iyayy

    very interesting.. i really like mids.. gonna be looking forward to try out one. and yeah, that's quite a homework from Brian, would love to know that too.. probably should include what load it's running and the volume output as well, hard to drive stuff will drain more batteries.

    thx Mike.

  • Reply September 26, 2010

    May

    Hi Mike, thanks for the review. I'm looking forward to seeing your updates.

    This could be the portable player I've been looking for: something of good quality that could drive high-impedance headphones like the Sennheiser HD-650 or HD-800.

    Do you really think this device is powerful enough to feed those headphones? Specifications say "30mw at 32 Ohm; 26mw at 150 Ohm" so it seems 300 Ohm would be too much.

    • Reply September 27, 2010

      Mike

      Hi May, it has enough gain for 300 ohms. But as "powerful enough", of course not. 🙂

      I was using it with the HD800 just to compare it to the HM-801, which I felt to did a very good job in doing that. Of course they'll never compare to a proper desktop set up, but I'm sure you get the point. 🙂

  • Reply September 28, 2010

    May

    Hi Mike,

    What I wanted to know is whether this player is worth buying if I will use it with the HD650 or HD800.

    Let me explain: the HD650 sound much better when I use them with my desktop set up (even if it is a cheap Pioneer amp and Sony CD player) than when I use it with my portable mp3 player (something decent like a Cowon D2). I suppose it is because the desktop amp has more power and because the portable player has to give up some quality in exchange for miniaturization.

    Having said that, what I wonder is: Does the HM-620 sound more like a decent portable player like the D2 or more like a cheap (or even fairly good) desktop amp?

    Thanks for your opinion!

    • Reply September 29, 2010

      Mike

      Good question.

      The HM-602, in terms of source quality, far exceeds most portable players, except probably the HM-801 and the QLS 350 (I'm trying to find time to compare the trio). The HM-602 and the HM-801 really belongs to the league of desktop sources, and less more on portable players — that's in terms of source quality.

      In terms of amplifier performance, the HM-602 has quite a transparent and clear sounding amp, but not so much in impact and PRaT. AV Receivers may have more PRaT, but maybe not as transparent as the HM-602's internal unit.

      So, pairing with the HD650 or HD800, it can drive it enough loudness wise, but is it perfect? Probably not, for ~$400, what can you expect? Compared to a desktop amp, what level are we talking here? There are so many variables, a decent desktop amp would have better PRaT and impact, but the entry level ones may not be as transparent as the HM-602's internal unit.

      Personally, I'd still prefer a desktop set up for listening to the HD650/HD800, but again my desktop set up is quite "high end" when compared to the ~$400 HM-602. It's a marvelous player though, and I've been enjoying it for the last one week. I still need to get the checkpoints that Brian asked a while ago, battery life, etc.

  • Reply September 28, 2010

    Earfonia

    A very welcome high-end portable player!

    Thanks for the review Mike!

    I'm now searching how much it cost 😀

  • Reply September 28, 2010

    Earfonia

    Hi Mike, one question, when you tested the 24bit file, was it 48k or 96k audio file?

    Thanks!

    • Reply September 29, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Bram, I just did a quick check on that. I was playing a WAV file, 24 bit, with a "96" written on the file name. That may've been a 96k file, but I'll have to check it in iTunes to be sure.

  • Reply September 29, 2010

    Earfonia

    @Spike: Thanks for the info!

  • Reply September 29, 2010

    Spike

    It's about $400..

  • Reply September 29, 2010

    May

    Thanks Mike. I think I'll give it a try. Luckily there's a 30-day refund policy so I can always return it if it doesn't meet my expectations (I hope it does).

    @Earfonia: http://www.head-direct.com is selling it for $439. What I don't know is whether it is the best place to buy it.

    • Reply September 29, 2010

      Mike

      As far as I know, Head Direct has been the primary source for Hifiman products.

  • Reply September 30, 2010

    Spike

    http://cn.hifiman.us/products/?pid=90

    the above link is official website which state the price to be RMB2688 incl. one earphone(Gift) that is about US$400 but excl. delivery fee.

  • Reply September 30, 2010

    Earfonia

    I'm curious here, how TDA1543 DAC which according to it's datasheet only support 16 bit 44k/48k format, plays 24 bit 96k audio files?

    • Reply September 30, 2010

      Mike

      Excellent question. Fang said that the files are downgraded to 16/96. Supposedly yhe TDA1543 can play 96k files. (I don't know how that is though, as it contradicts the datasheet)

  • Reply September 30, 2010

    Randius

    Does the HM602 outperform your iPod classic + Toucan? I reckon that since the HM602 also has a very good DAC section, it may be more worthwhile getting this than getting a DIYmod + iBasso Toucan/D12 + LOD.

  • Reply October 1, 2010

    Earfonia

    @Mike: In that case, no point stuffing the memory card with 24 bit files, since we won’t here any different, if the 24 bit files are downsampled to 16 bit. Maybe once you have time, you can do a quick comparison of the same song, in 16 bit and 24 bit, just to confirm that there is no audible different. Thanks for the info!

  • Reply October 1, 2010

    Mike

    Randius: The HM-602's source quality is so far ahead the Ipod they don't belong in the same league. The amplifier section of the HM-602 is quite okay though, I think the Ibasso Toucan has a stronger oomph than the HM-602's amplifier out.

  • Reply October 1, 2010

    Mike

    Earfonia: Probably that's true. Most of the wow factor on 24 bit files come from the superior recording quality of 24 bit files. BTW, how can I convert a 24 bit song into a 16 bit song?

  • Reply October 2, 2010

    .Sup

    Just got mine yesterday. So far I'm impressed. Haven't tried them with HD800 yet but it sounds pretty impressive with RE 262 that I got them bundled with it. Letting both burn in now.

    • Reply October 2, 2010

      Mike

      @Sup: Sounds good!

  • Reply October 4, 2010

    Earfonia

    @Mike: There are some freeware to do it, you can use this one to convert it to 16bit WAV file:
    http://www.koyotesoft.com/indexEn.html

  • Reply October 15, 2010

    Sherwin

    Hi Mike,

    Just of interest, wondering how would you know if the output capacitor that Fang mentioned is installed on my 602? I think the biggest chink in the armor of my 602 is the sibilance. Was wondering how to actually remove this manually just in case it is installed and see the difference in SQ. Would appreciate your help on this.

    My first attempt of a newbie review, lol:
    http://www.headphiles.org/index.php/topic,915.15….

    • Reply October 15, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Sherwin, here is the picture guide that Fang sent me. http://bit.ly/aNT1Yb
      Feel free to follow the guides to check it. According to Fang all the version that was shipped to customers already come with no caps at the output.

      • Reply October 16, 2010

        Sherwin

        Thanks for this Mike! Just want to ask, should I do this procedure on my own, it voids the warranty? I am also assuming this unit of mine already do not have the caps but the sibilance is a bit annoying to be honest.

        • Reply October 16, 2010

          Mike

          I wouldn't worry about opening it up if I were you. I think there is a strong possibility of voiding the warranty if you do it, plus in my experience, most of the sibilance is straight from the recording. The HM-602 is not a very sibilant source in my experience.

  • Reply November 18, 2010

    soulgalactic

    hey mike , when you get the chance , can you test the HM-601 Player how it compares to the 602?
    thanks
    loving this site

  • Reply November 18, 2010

    Mike

    Hi Soulgalactic, to be honest when you mentioned the HM-601, I was like "What?" I just googled it and found out about it. Be emailing Head Direct after this.

  • Reply December 1, 2010

    Carlo

    Hi Mike, will there be a HM-601 impression/review soon?

    • Reply December 1, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Carlo, I don't plan to. It should be the same as the HM-602, right?

      • Reply December 1, 2010

        Carlo

        It is also my assumption that it should be the same.

        Anyways, have you tried any of the ff setup?
        a. HM-602, JH5 Pro
        b. HM-602, Pico Slim, JH5 Pro

        I am curious of the benefits of Pico Slim on JH5 Pro.

        Thanks, Mike.

        • Reply December 1, 2010

          Mike

          yes, I'm assuming that too, and so I thought there probably isn't a need to do another article on that.

          The Pico Slim still remains to be my favorite amp for the JH customs. Last time I used them was with the Ipod Nanos, and the Slim would help to add more treble presence on the JHs, which is a tad too dark for me. The HM-602 is far more refined than the Nano, but the treble is even more laid back, so I think the Pico will also help in bringing out some treble. Personally I don't like using the Pico with the 602 because I think the 602 is fine just by itself.

          With the JH16, the Pico adds a much needed bass control. I think on the JH5 it should also make a difference on the bass control, though maybe not as big of a change as with the JH16.

  • Reply January 29, 2011

    ubik

    What do you think the synergy between the hm 602 and the hd650.

    The hifiman is better in the treble than the sflo for the micro details or not?
    And in generaly, the hifiman is it really better than the basic walkman (sflo, cowon..)?

    • Reply January 31, 2011

      Anonymous

      HM602 and HD650, I think it is a good pairing, if you don’t mind the
      warmth in the sound. However, I don’t think the HM602 has enough punch
      and gain straight out of the headphone out to drive the HD650. Now, pair
      it with a good portable amp, and you have a good set up.

      This is why I think it’s more practical to go straight to the HM-801, as
      the driving power is far better, and you can plug the HD650 directly to
      the headphone out.

      The HM-602’s treble is much relaxed than the s-flo, but micro details
      and ambiance is quite better than the s-flo.

      The Hifimans are better than the s-flo, ipod, walkman, but I’ve never
      tried a cowon so I don’t know.

      A lot of my friends collect these DAPs. I believe my friend Peter and
      Sem has all the popular ones, and once they’ve got the HM-801 and the
      HM-602, they haven’t looked back, except when they need the smaller size
      of the other DAPs.

      Cheers.

  • Reply January 30, 2011

    Vitor

    And with the JH16?
    Good sinergy between them?

    • Reply January 31, 2011

      Anonymous

      Not bad.. I still like my JH16 better with the HM-801 though.

  • Reply February 1, 2011

    Audiofriend

    Hi, Mike, Just want to know , how about comparing that to the Sony M10 and D50??..(HM602)

    and according to your updated, i want to cut the capacitor after purchase, while can you put a little bit detail for the steps.

    for example which one should be cut out and what for replace??

    Also, heard that they do a little bit modify from Hifiman on the wave filtering part , AD8620 and OPA2604 also the headphone amp. is OPA2604, just want to know how can i distinguish the new one or the old one. Did you try them both?

    Finally, what do rate for the DAC part of HM602

    P.S. i really willing get the HM801, while got stucked for its size, sigh!!`

    Thanks you so much!!~ Really lookign forward to your reply!! : ) (after that i would get one)

    • Reply February 1, 2011

      Anonymous

      Hi,
      Been wanting to compare these to the Sony player/recorders, but I
      haven’t had the chance to. As for the capacitors, I don’t think you have
      to do it. I received the prototype version, but everyone else should’ve
      gotten the version without the output caps.

      I will try to compare the new HM-602 to the old one. I personally don’t
      know if they have changed the opamps.

  • Reply February 14, 2011

    Christian Lebert

    Hello Mike,

    I have a question. If I want to use USB DAC I put mini cable in USB DAC and on my USB Laptop . I put my earphones in Hifiman 602 . I take a flac on my computer but it doesn’t work. I have no sound .

    What is the problem?

    Sorry for my poor english.

    Best regards.

    • Reply February 14, 2011

      Christian Lebert

      Hi Mike,

      I have found .

      Best regards

    • Reply February 14, 2011

      Anonymous

      Hey Christian, I suppose your problem is fixed now? You need to choose the proper output device on windows/osx and you need to toggle the switch on the HM602 to DAC mode.

      • Reply February 16, 2011

        Christian Lebert

        Thanks for your anwer.

        Best regards.

  • Reply February 15, 2011

    9homme

    Hi

    I already have Hifiman HM-602.
    Now, after reading your review, I deciding to buy some DAC from HRT or CA DacMagic or Matrix mini-i but I’m not sure that is it a worthy buying.

    I’m not sure that Dac which listed above will do a lot better that HM-602 or it is in the same league.

    My preference is musical and analog sound but still love to hear the detail of music.

    Could you give me the ranking for Dac which listed above?

    Could you give me some recommend about this case?

    What should I do?
    . Buy HRZ Music stream II+
    . Buy HRZ Music stream II
    . Buy CA DacMagic
    . Buy Matrix mini-i
    . Don’t buy anything and use HM-602 as DAC

    Thank you so much

    • Reply February 15, 2011

      Anonymous

      Hi,
      I found out that the HM-602 hangs out with the best $300-$400 DACs including the Dacmagic and the HRT Music Streamer II+.

      You can read the comparison in more detail on these two articles:
      http://www.headfonia.com/hifi-dap-comparison-hm-801-hm-602-qa350-boomslang/
      http://www.headfonia.com/hm-601-and-hm-602/

      To recap the results of the test, here is the list that I created, sorted according to the sonic performance and nothing else. I added some comments such as soundstage size, depth, micro details, etc. In my experience, a good soundstage depth is far harder to achieve than a wide soundstage. Hence I will rank a source with better depth even if the width is narrower than the source below it. Likewise things like micro details and ambiance, though very subtle, is also harder to achieve than soundstage width, so the same logic applies to the ranking.

      (Best)

      * Hifiman 801 DAP = Detail, ambience, bass, depth, separation
      * Ibasso DB1+PB1 Coax = Soundstage slightly more narrow than HRT, but more refined, little details, depth, separation
      * HM602 DAP = Soundstage slightly more narrow than Ibasso DB1+PB1 Coax, but still very good micro details, depth, separation better than HRT2
      * HRT MS2+ USB = Very good overall. Widest soundstage (even wider than HM801), but micro details, depth, separation is not as good as the three above it.
      * HM602 USB DAC = slight downgrade than the DAP version, loses a little bit of refinement.
      * Ibasso DB1+PB1 USB = also downgraded, and more than the HM602 this time
      * QLS QA350 = wide soundstage, good separation, but lacks depth and micro details
      * HM801 USB DAC = soundstage and detail suffers a lot, but still maintains separation and depth.

      (Least)

      • Reply February 15, 2011

        9homme

        Hi Mike

        Thank you so much for your comment.

        It is very very useful for me.

        Best,

        • Reply February 15, 2011

          Anonymous

          You’re welcome.

  • Reply February 16, 2011

    Christian Lebert

    Hello Mike,

    I have a question… I have bought on internet CD at the website :

    http://www.linnrecords.com/index.aspx

    I have taken STUDIO MASTER FLAC in 24 bits 44,1

    When I have load these tracks on my 602 I have seen only 16 bits on the screen!!

    What happens ? The 602 desn’t take the 24/44,1 ???

    I hope your answer.

    Best regards.

  • Reply April 12, 2011

    Jason Suarez

    Hi Mike. I’ll make this relatively short and quick so as to not bother you.
    My parents don’t think I should get a home setup right now. They say there’s plenty of time to build a good one up later and that I should keep my audio setup portable.

    Rather than bother you in great length the way I normally do, I’ll just say that i’m stuck and can’t convince them in the worth behind the U100 or that rockbox/imod compatibility justifies purchasing an older Ipod 5.5G when I have a 6gen 80gb classic, even though I bought my IPod from a friend for $30 usd. (They think newer=better)
    So I might switch out the K271MKII’s for the HF5 and enjoy my current setup in all its upper Low-fi glory rather than drive myself crazy XD.

    More importantly, have you ever heard of the ColorFly C4 Hi-Fi Player? At $799 it aims to be direct competion to the HM-801, with anSPDIF in/out, a 3.5mm/6.3mm headphone jack/line out and oversampling up to 24/192KHZ; unique features in a portable player to say the least. It has a “jitter kill” module and a Cirrus Logic CS8422 chip, so I wouldn’t know whether or not its as good as the HM-801 is based on its own ability. Although durability might be an issue, the steampunk design is really kickass. Talk about a classy DAP; you Hi-End audiophiles deserve choices as well . 🙂

    • Reply April 12, 2011

      Jason Suarez

    • Reply April 12, 2011

      Anonymous

      • Reply April 12, 2011

        Jason Suarez

        Figures… =/
        Nice review Mike.

        I’m a steampunk fan, so I really would like to order this from the chinese site in 16 for $500. I think it will give my parents a good laugh at any rate… 🙂

        • Reply April 12, 2011

          Anonymous

          Lol.. Enjoy the C4. It’s a good player.

          • Reply April 29, 2011

            jr

            I’m trying to find out how the hm-602 would compare to a 5g iMod. Any thoughts on that? I know the iMod is much more expensive, but would you say the price is justified strictly based on sound quality? Thanks for any feedback you can give!

            I really like the idea of an integrated unit, although the UI of the iMod is pretty convenient. How would you compare the relative sound signatures?

            Thanks again!

            • Reply April 29, 2011

              Anonymous

              The Imod takes on the basic sound signature of a regular Ipod. Expect a
              little more open sound, slightly better detail and instrument separation.

              The HM-602 is based on a much better DAC chip, the TDA1543. In terms of
              sound signature, it is warmer and mellower. If you like to listen to
              Jazz and Classical, the improvement on the soundstage imaging and micro
              details should be obvious. For Rock and general Pop Music, the Ipod is
              more livelier sounding, though some people also prefer the HM-602 due to
              its warmer tone and sweeter mids.

  • Reply September 22, 2011

    Francis88

    Hi mike, i have a few question regarding the HM602
    1.What is the average charging time from empty to full
    2.Does it generate any heat when use as both dac and dap (when not connected to any power source or pc).
    3.Does it generate any heat when charging.

    • Reply September 22, 2011

      Anonymous

      Hi Francis,
      1. I’ve never counted the hours.. if I were to guess probably around 2 hours? 2. Yes it does
      3. No

  • Reply November 2, 2011

    Nishy Wijewardane

    Mike, re. the EQ settings of the HM-602: can one hear the differences on say RE-262 easily? I am asking because I can’t distinguish any variance whatsoever and wonder if this is normal or a fault. Further which of the Sennheiser 5xx series might you reccommend for listening to jazz instrumentals/vocals, given the Hm-602’s adequate but not expansible bass? (I have Re262). Thanks.

  • Reply January 28, 2012

    Anson

    Mike, I understand that this is an audiophile class DAP, but I have a few questions hoping to be clarified:

    1. Since my music library is mostly non-English, is HM-602 able to show non-English metadata, meaning UTF-8/Unicode support?

    2. Does it support to show lyrics from the metadata?

    3. Does it support ReplayGain?

    Thanks!

    • Reply March 30, 2012

      Rian Kurniawan

      Ive used the hm602 and notices the japanese and chinese characters displayed as a title, but no lyricss

  • Reply March 30, 2012

    Rian Kurniawan

    Mike, sorry for bumping this old topic, but when we use hm602 as a dac, the dac and amp used is it the same circuitry used as when it is used as a DAP?

    • Reply March 30, 2012

      Mike

      Yes I believe so.

  • Reply June 26, 2012

    Stephen Loke

    Hey Mike,

    Sorry for bringing up an older review. Does the HM-602 have gapless playback?

    Thanks.

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