Introduction
Hidizs has always been an innovative company in the audio scene and they have. been around for quite some time now. They are famed for their lavish designed portable products with a user friendly price that is truly reachable for most users there. Their product ranges from digital audio players like the AP80Pro-X to their in-ear monitors such as the Mermaid series also the recent multi BA in-ears, the MD4 which I personally bought and also their dongle series that truly have a performance that possesses a bang for your buck. Hidizs kindly has sent us a pair of their venerable S9Pro that was released a while back for a refreshed review to see how they hold their ground in this competitive market of dongles in 2022 and we are truly grateful for the opportunity. Will the S9Pro still be competitive in this market? We shall find out here.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Hidizs S9Pro;
- DAC Chipset : Sabre ES9038q2m
- Connection : USB Type-C
- Format Supported : Up to 32Bit/768kHz PCM, Native DSD512
- Output Power : 100mW@32Ω SE, 200mW@32Ω Balanced
- Frequency Response : 20Hz-50kHz
- SNR : 120dB SE, 119 Balanced
- Channel Separation : 80dB SE, 118dB Balanced @32 Ohms
- THD+N : 0.0012% SE, 0.0006% Balanced @32 Ohms
- Body : Aluminium with plastic cover
Retail Price & Where to Get
The Hidizs S9Pro can be purchased at Hidizs official site
Packaging & Accessories
The S9Pro is packed pretty neatly in a small box containing all the necessities like a USB C to C cable, a USB A adapter, a clip case and 2 “hi-res” stickers all packed neatly and quite lavishly.
Design
The S9Pro build is average for the price paid but they are very light in weight and quite small in size making them a true portable device. The sides of the S9Pro is made from aluminium while the front and back is made from plastic.
On the bottom is a standard USB type C for sound input. On the top we will have a 3.5mm and 2.5mm balanced which might deter some 4.4mm enthusiasts out there but a simple converter will solve this issue. The S9Pro does not have a dedicated volume control and gain settings but the simplicity of their design is something that I really dig as they are simple and straight to the point.
The front of the body there is a window with a RGB light that indicates the file type where green is for files 96kHz and below, red for 352.8kHz and 384kHz, white for 706kHz and 786kHz l, Blue for 176.4kHz and 192kHz while purple is for DSD 256/512 and yellow for DSD 64/128. No MQA support here which is fine for me but as for the current trend, MQA support seems to be an advantage.
The S9Pro is equipped with the legendary portable flagship DAC chipset from the chip manufacturer Sabre, the ES9038q2m and they are known for their high performance with a low noise floor and a clean mature sound that will sound superb is its tuned well and the S9Pro is one of them.
They have an internal amplification that provides 100mv + 100mv in 3.5mm SE and 200mv + 200mv in 2.5mm balanced out all at 32 ohms load which is sufficient for most in-ears and some low impedance headphones. They are truly powerful enough even for my 600 ohms earbuds which is amazing for their size.
Users might want to take note as the S9Pro draws power from your smartphone or tablet quite considerably and they will run warm after long usage.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO M17
Questyle M15 & M12
Shanling UP5
FiiO KA3
DUNU EST112
Moondrop A8
JVC HA-FW01
Letshuoer D13
Hidizs MD4
Blur daBass custom earbud
Toneking TO600s
Sennheiser HD800s
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The S9Pro is a neutral sounding beast with a clean and detailed sound signature without any harshness typical of a well tuned Sabre DAC chipset free of any glaring highs or harshness. They have a rather intimate sound with a sound that is crystal clear with an authoritative dynamic sound. They do not sound cold but have a mild warmth in their mid-range that sounds rather pleasing for a fun listening as well as a critical listening.
Soundstage
The soundstage that S9Pro gives is a rather average soundstage that has acceptable width and height. They do sound spacious enough to listen to but at times they might sound a little closed in. Air with the S9Pro is actually quite good with them pushing out music with good air making music sounds lively. Placement in their soundstage is great with separation and an accurate placing in their presentation making them quite useful for gaming and movies as well.
Separation and Timbre
The main strength of Sabre sound is their capabilities in their separation in music and the S9Pro truly displays this strength with music presented without any congestion. With fast and busy tracks, the S9Pro truly excels with them handling music with finesse. Timbre that the S9Pro produces is quite natural with great energy without sounding too intense and they do not incur any extra coloration in their presentation. Overall, they are an organic, natural performer.
Drivability
On paper, the S9Pro may seem average but in my usage, they are a beast to me, providing adequate volume even for power hungry earbuds and being able to drive all my in-ears from dynamic to BA to planars with ease. They are able to retain their dynamics even on high volume and on low volume, hiss is almost non-existent even on high sensitivity in-ears which is amazing. On full sized headphones like my HD800s, they will struggle to drive them as expected but on portable headphones such as my T51i, they drive them with ease. As for source pairing, they are not picky with the type of files played, whether streaming, PCM or DSD, they excel in all types of files. They may exhibit some flaws in poorly mastered files but in a minor way.
The Bass (Low)
The Bass department of the S9Pro is a rather neutral to flat response with great details and clarity intact. They do not add any midbass or sub-bass, instead producing a cleaner bass response making music sounds clearer overall. Bass impact is somewhat slightly tighter than usual but in a mild way. Decay on the bass is natural and does not sound hazy or possess any bleed into other frequencies even with bass oriented in-ears. Texturing in the bass is quite amazing with every layer of bass notes clearly presented. Sub-bass amount sounds mostly the same but it does go in slightly deeper than usual with a cleaner rumble. Overall, the bass department does sound good but I do prefer a slight aggression in this area but that’s my preference.
The Mids
The midrange that the S9Pro brings is rather balanced mids without any major dips or lifts all around. It possesses great clarity and all details are intact. It excels in the macro and micro details department with every note clearly presented with great resolution as well. Though their clarity is great, their midrange do suffer from some vocal thinning and dryness, especially males vocals might lack some body overall. Due to their high resolution sound, they are able to give a rather organic and natural sound signature in their midrange with little to none over colouration which is a good thing for critical listeners. Overall, the midrange here is pure, clean and highly detailed but they do lack some lush body to them on certain music.
The Highs
The high range is actually a mildly bright but smooth response free of any glaring highs that represents a well tuned Sabre chipset. They are lively, airy and very well extended high range that is very enjoyable even on harsh music such as metal based genre. They have a decent sparkle but may lack some crisp decay on them but they are still great nonetheless. Details are all intact with everything sounded full and clear with decent energy on the top end giving a lively listening experience. Treble that the S9Pro possesses is an organic, slightly intense sound that is able to sound pure while giving a small bite onto music played. Overall, very well tuned high range that tamed the glare while still retaining their details and clarity of a Sabre chipset.
Comparisons
VS Questyle M15
My trusted companions, be it in or out of home, are truly a wonderful sounding device that has a top sound and they are easy to bring around for their size. The Questyle M15 is the current king of the dongles in terms of their performance in my book that’s for sure. Both are powered by similar Sabre chipset but the M15 is running on ES9281ac versus the ES9038q2m on the S9Pro.
The High range on the m15 has a slightly smoother response with better extension while clarity is better on the S9Pro. Details are toe to toe in terms of the quality and quantity. Sparkle on the S9Pro has a better presence mildly.
Midrange on the M15 has a fuller body, thicker and they are lusher overall. S9Pro midrange sounds a little brighter and more detailed. Vocals on the M15 have a more intimate presentation while the S9Pro has a more clinical approach.
Bass on the s9pro has a leaner bass without any major lifts while the M15 have a slight lift in their midbass. Slam on them M15 is bigger making music sounds fuller. Sub-bass on the M15 reaches deeper with a greater rumble. Details in the bass on both are on par.
Soundstage on the M15 is wider and has greater heights overall while having a better headroom but the S9Pro is still able to hold its ground in this department.
It Is worth noting that the M15 draws less power than the S9Pro by quite a big margin.
VS FiiO KA3
The FiiO KA3 is currently the top offering in the dongles department of FiiO and they have a similar chipset, the ES9038q2m, along with a quite similar price range. Built on the KA3 is slightly better but size wise,the S9Pro is lighter and smaller.
Highs on the KA3 seemed a little stronger and might sound a little harsh at times. Details on the KA3 is slightly better with a brighter tone but the S9Pro has an airier presentation.
Midrange on the KA3 has a more forward take to them and they are mildly thicker. Clarity on both are similar but the S9Pro has better details. Resolution on the S9Pro is better by a small margin.
Bass response on both of these units is similar in quantity and quality but the KA3 bass has a tighter slam while the S9Pro bass has a cleaner bass. Both sub-bass are not too deep but the S9Pro sub-bass has better air. Soundstage on both of these units sounds similar, very average height and width with similar medium sized headroom.As for power drawing, both are similar as they both do draw significant power from your smartphones or tablets.
Synergy
Hidizs MD4
The MD4 is one of the latest releases from Hidizs themselves and they are equipped with 4 balanced armature along with a tuning switch that provides a variety of tone profiles for users to choose from. The treble setting will be the tuning used for this review as they are my favourite setting.
High range amounts seemed the same but they are more airy and extends pretty well along with an airier presentation. Details are intact and details are increased a little. Smoothness on the high range of the MD4 is retrained.
Midrange on the MD4 seemed a little more forward in nature making vocals more intimate and lush. Clarity is pushed up a level with all details intact.
Bass has become slightly leaner overall with a tighter slam. Sub-bass remains the same mostly but they are slightly airier.
Soundstage mostly remained the same overall with a slight airiness added into their presentation. Overall, they seem to synergize pretty well in this pairing.
Dunu EST112
The venerable tribrid from Dunu TopSound China and they are equipped with 1 dynamic driver, 1 balanced armature driver and a dual Sonion electrostatic drivers that have a great natural tone along with a rather balanced sound signature.
High range on the EST112 seems to get a little smoother overall with all details intact. Airiness stayed mostly the same but it does extend a little more.
Midrange has become slightly thinner but has a slight push forward. Details and clarity is mildly clearer but it does seem to sacrifice some body instead.
Bass has a tighter punch to them and details are added into them. Clarity in the bass response is better by a small margin while sub-bass remains the same overall.
Soundstage width and height stayed the same but airiness on them had a slight increase.
Overall, they are a pretty decent pairing preserving the electrostatic high range flavour without masking them.
Who Is It For?
The S9Pro is highly recommended for users who want a neutral sound amplification with a natural timbre and sufficient power even for some full sized headphones. They are not suitable for bassheads as they do not amplify the bass amount or have a major lift in their midbass, instead, they provide a leaner, cleaner bass for a natural music reproduction. For those who prefer more bite in their music, they might want to look for other dongles as the S9Pro is slightly clinical in nature making critical listening more suitable.
Final words
Hidizs in my opinion has created a solid product here with ample driving power along with a amazingly tuned portable DAC/amplifier that caught my heart when it was first launched. It has a lean neutral sound with great clarity across all frequencies that provides a pure sounding experience while giving a clinical response without sacrificing the fun in music played. I don’t have much to criticise on the S9Pro sound but only I would prefer a thicker midrange along with a slightly harder hitting bass but this is all down to sound preferences. Also, the big battery draw might be a concern for users out there as well as the absence of MQA support but all being said and done, the S9Pro is still an awesome dongle that will stand the test of time. Great product Hidizs! I would rate this product a solid 4 stars over 5.
