Verdict

The Hidizs AP100 is a great media player. I look forward to future firmware updates but in the meantime the UI is quite useable, and the unit gives a clean, uncluttered sound with a decent amount of power. This is an amazing first effort which begs the question; whatever next from Hidizs?

Pros

• Built to last

• Neat, useful carry case

• Large clear display

• Firmware can be updated

• Sounds superb at this price point

• Internal data/file storage

Cons

• Button layout may need getting used to

• Micro SD card could be easier to insert and remove

If you like your brand names to look like the first line of an optician’s eye chart, the Hidizs is certainly worth considering – the name might take some getting used to, but it’s plain to see that this player is getting some covetous glances! The Hidizs AP100 has some stiff competition in the low-cost DAP (Digital Audio Player) market, not least from FiiO’s ‘X’ range. The Hidizs AP100 appears to be a halfway house between the Fiio X3 and X5 in terms of size and cost.

Key Features

Inputs and outputs are well represented; both headphone and line-out sockets are present on the top and a separate 3.5mm coaxial in and coaxial out can be found at the base of the unit. Volume buttons are side by side on the front, and on the left side there are both the source/SRC and EQ buttons. Being capable of playback at up to 24bit/192KHz, the SRC button can select the bitrate the player works at. The EQ button scrolls through available presets, and the user can define their own preferred EQ settings.

The case is a really nice design; it is enough to protect the AP100 without bulking it out, and has an understated look much like the player itself. The case is made from a synthetic leather-like material which looks quite durable.

The battery lasts a good long while, and although no precise measurements were taken, there was a good amount of playing time between the ‘low battery’ warning and the player turning off – maybe an hour or two. My experience with the Fiio X3 gives little chance to enjoy music before the unit runs out of power – perhaps 20 minutes at most. Helpfully, the status of the battery is given as a percentage on the screen when charging the unit, so we can make an informed choice of whether to leave the unit charging or to take our chanced with what power is there.

First Impressions

The buttons on the Hidizs AP100 are lovely to press; there’s a great chunky feel to them and they are good solid buttons which will last. Someone said that they are reminiscent of Gameboy buttons – certainly the placement of the volume buttons on the AP100 give a flavour, but they are the kind of buttons that let you know they’ve been pressed – there’s no doubt involved as with touch screens and wheels. The only problem is that Hidizs saw fit to add separate buttons for ‘fast forward/rewind’ – usually the same buttons are used for track skip and forward/rewind, but not on the AP100. Also the ‘back’ button is on the right of the other navigation controls, which makes it feel like a forward/select button; this may lead to a few wrong turns for the uninitiated but it’s easy to get used to.

Sound Quality

Compared to the Fiio X3, the AP100 is a little more accurate and coolish but this is not to say that the AP100 is harsh. Listening to unyielding and brittle-sounding early 80s pop such as Duran Duran is fine on the AP100 but the X3 just gives it a bit more warmth and roundness to a presentation – the AP100 wins in terms of detail.

Compared to the Fiio X5, the sound is extremely similar; the X5 comes across as just a little smoother up top. Soundstage and imaging are similar, but with just a hint of edge to the sound on the AP100 which brings up harmonics a little more.

Added to that, the AP100 holds enough wherewithal to power some less than sprightly headphones such as the HifiMAN HE-400 very well, so the need for a separate amp is lessened.

Summary

An excellent player with a bulletproof design. Solid and reliable, the Hidizs AP100 gives a similarly solid sound and user experience. The sound quality and power gives amazing results, however less sensitive headphones may need a little help. The Beyerdynamic T1, at 600 ohms/102 dB gets up to a good level, but quieter recordings will be lacking in headroom. In our opinion, it bridges the gap between Fiio’s offerings and Astell and Kern’s AK100 but at a very favourable price.

Score 9.0

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The post Hidizs AP100 Review – A Sturdy Source Of Solid Sound! appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

RRP – £230-£250

If you like your brand names to look like the first line of an optician’s eye chart, the Hidizs AP100 is certainly worth considering – the name might take some getting used to, but it’s plain to see that this player is getting some covetous glances!

The AP100 has some stiff competition in the low-cost DAP (Digital Audio Player) market, not least from Fiio’s ‘X’ range. The AP100 appears to be a halfway house between the X3 and X5 in terms of size and cost, but how about sound quality?

The same can easily be said – compared to the Fiio X3, the AP100 is a little more accurate and coolish but this is not to say that the Hidizs AP100 is harsh. Listening to unyielding and brittle-sounding early 80s pop such as Duran Duran is fine on the AP100 but the X3 just gives it a bit more warmth and roundness to a presentation – the AP100 wins in terms of detail.

With the default firmware, tracks stood a good chance of having the first second chopped off if selected from the track list on the device, but this was fixed after upgrading to V1.31067. One problem I had after upgrading was that the unit reverted to its native Chinese language – there was no clue how to get it back to English again. Luckily I found the option in the menu as the only item with 2 Chinese characters. Select this and you’ll see ‘English’ in the sub menu.

The buttons on the Hidizs AP100 are lovely to press; there’s a great chunky feel to them and they are good solid buttons which will last. The only problem is that Hidizs saw fit to add separate buttons for ‘fast forward/rewind’ – I’m so used to using the same buttons for track skip and forward/rewind that I keep skipping tracks by accident. Also the ‘back’ button is on the right of the other navigation controls, which makes it feel like a forward/select button; this may lead to a few wrong turns for the uninitiated but it’s easy to get used to.

There’s a little flap in the case which is held shut by velcro. It took a while to figure out but this is for spare micro SD cards; just be aware that you may need tweezers to remove them again. SD cards can be changed simply in the device, however a tool or long fingernail is required to ‘click’ it into place and retrieve it.

I did also notice a problem with the track list on the player – select ‘track 1’ for instance on the track list and skip forward a couple of tracks via the play screen. Then on going back to the track list, ‘track 1’ is still highlighted as if it is still playing. Perhaps this will be addressed in future firmware updates.

Summary

A good little player; I look forward to future firmware updates but in the meantime the UI is quite useable, and the unit gives a clear uncluttered sound with a good amount of power. A great first effort which begs the question: whatever next from Hidizs?

The post HIDIZS AP100 Digital Audio Player (DAP) – HifiHeadphones Mini Review appeared first on HiFiheadphones.

Uncompromising high-fidelity music playback at your fingertips: the Astell and Kern AK100 is the pinnacle of modern portable audio playback. Capable of Studio Mastering Quality sound, this portable player offers high-definition lossless music playback well beyond the realms of standard CD quality.

With the Astell&Kern AK100 listeners can enjoy music as it was intended to be heard with all it’s details and subtleties. Equipped with high-quality Wolfson DAC chip, the AK100 offers the highest levels of signal-to-noise ratio and lowest level of harmonic distortion for a highly detailed and realistic sound experience. The Astell&Kern AK100 can also be used as an external DAC via the Optical In/Out function.

The Astell&Kern AK100 is capable of playing all lossless music files offering high-definition music playback. Lossless music files are larger than standard music files and require more storage space. Astell&Kern AK100 carries an on-board memory of 32GB with additional dual micro SD card slots, making the internal memory expandable to 96GB.

An intuitive and responsive touch screen interface combined with traditional control buttons makes using the AK100 fast and easy. The user interface of the Astell&Kern focuses on quickly searching for and listening to songs. Housed in a robust case of black-anodized aluminium with a hairline finish, the AK100 represents a deep and defined craftsmanship

Features

Portable high-fidelity audio system with Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) playback
Up to 24bit/192kHz playback of high resolution audio files
Lossless playback for  WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, APE, MP3, AAC, WMA and OGG music formats
Meets 100% of Hi-Fi audio specifications
Equipped with high-performance WOLFSON DAC chip
Optical DAC function for PC and MAC
Dual Micro SD card slot supports up to 96GB of total memory
User Interface with intuitive touch screen and control buttons
Digital volume control wheel with traditional analogue feel
Solid machined aluminium casing

To purchase the unit, please visit our website:

Buy Astell&Kern AK100 Portable Digital Audio Player & DAC

The post Astell and Kern AK100 Portable Digital Audio Player & DAC – Announcement appeared first on HiFiheadphones.