Hybrid Ruggedness

Introduction

Hidizs may not be the most talked about brand in the audiophile scene but they are an experienced audio company founded way back in 2009 and they have been producing a wide plethora of products from digital audio players, IEMs and portable DAC/amplifiers. With classics, well praised products like the S9PRO dongle to the venerable MD4 in-ears all the way to the AP80 series digital audio player, they have certainly caught my heart and audiophiles across the globe. Recently they have introduced a new hybrid in-ears with a classic combination of 2 balanced armature and a single dynamic driver in an all metal casing that looks pretty promising on paper. Hidizs has caught my attention and I have willingly participated in their Malaysia tour for a taste of their new hybrid, the MS3. A big thanks to Carson Tong and Bella for this opportunity. How will they perform? We shall find out here.

Functions & Specifications

Before we start the review, here are the specifications of the Hidizs MS3;

Retail Price & Where to Get

The Hidizs MS3 can be purchased at;

Packaging & Accessories

The MS3 is packed with the usual Hidizs flare with all accessories included and they are packaged quite premium worthy of the asking price. They include 9 pairs of eartips, a user selectable 3.5mm or 4.4mm braided cable, a pouch, 3 pairs of tuning nozzle, manuals, a warranty card and the earphones itself. The inclusion of a hard case like the MD4 ones will be better appreciated as I do feel the soft pouch doesn’t help in protecting the in-ears.

Design

The design philosophy of Hidizs is a rugged, edgy faceplate with a medium sized shell that is constructed from aircraft grade aluminium and is well made along with a futuristic, elegant design. They are lightweight and fit comfortably for most ears as they are medium sized over ear earphones. They have an average passive isolation as they have a vent located at the back side of the earphones. No driver flex is present and they are well vented with a pressure relief vent near the nozzle.

The MS3 came with 3 pairs of pneumatic tuning nozzle that has these characteristics;

Red Nozzle : Slightly darker sound with a mid bass boost

Silver Nozzle : Brightest sound signature with a lift in treble amount

Rose-Gold Nozzle : A balanced tuning somewhere between red and silver nozzle The review will be done with the rose-gold nozzle as they are the most balanced sounding one and they are my favourite tuning.

The MS3 is fitted with a single dual cavity, dual magnetic 10.2mm dynamic driver with a bio-nanofiber (PEEK+PU) composite diaphragm that’s in the 3rd generation designed by Hidisz and a classic Knowles SWFK-31736 Composite Balanced Armature Driver that is responsible for the high range. They are tuned toward a 2019 Harman target that is a well balanced tuning. Cable included is a high quality, plated 4 core OFC cable with an angled ‘shark fin’ 0.78mm cable in a copper colour and they are very well built. The termination is optional from 3.5mm to 4.4mm.

Overall, the build quality is solid, lightweight and comfortable, suitable for a wide range of uses.

Gears Used for Comparisons

Songs list

Tone and Presentation

The MS3 is an almost balanced signature, probably almost a U shaped tone with a slightly bright sound that has decent clarity in all the frequencies. The bass provides a clean, punchy response with a slight lift in the mid-bass but a rather rolled off sub-bass presence. They have great overall transparency and resolution along with a wide dynamic range. They have lush, organic, musical sound signature along with decent technicalities typical of a well tuned hybrid in-ears. The MS3 might be tuned more towards a fun, casual listening and not really suited for a clinical listening for monitoring purposes.

Soundstage

The Soundstage on the MS3 has a decent width but the height is average at best. They are indeed wide sounding in-ears but in this price range, they are mediocre at best as the segment here is getting pretty competitive. They possess a medium sized headroom and sound quite airy overall with accurate sound placements which may suit certain gaming users out there.

Separation and Timbre

The MS3 is a hybrid IEM and they are tuned very well with a good cohesion and superb separation with their drivers working in harmony without any major issues. Though they are not as good as a single driver in-ears the bass may sound a tad distant but they are audibly minor. The medium to high frequencies are very well presented and they blend in beautifully which is typical of a Knowles SWFK-31736. The timbre of the MS3 I would describe as thick, smooth and organic that has a soulful yet possesses an accurate sound.

Drivability

Rated at 18 ohms at a 112 db sensitivity, the MS3 is easily driven by any source but they do scale well with a good source to perform optimally. For loudness, any source is ample but the sub-bass does suffer from being lacking authority for lower powered source. A good, simple wired dongle will do the job but a better source output will scale the MS3 even better. They are quite forgiving in their music playback as any bitrate or mastered tracks will sound great nonetheless.

The Bass

The MS3 bass is a neutral type of bass that is clean, clear and punchy. The bass has a good fast pace that possesses a decent energy and for a more fun bass response. Details here are good with everything sounding clear with no bass bleed present and the clarity is superb. There is a very minor mid bass lift and the bass is accurately presented along with a decent texture. Sub-bass on the other hand is quite rolled off as they lack depth and don’t have adequate rumble. They do not cater to bass lovers and certainly not for bassheads but suitable for those who want a pure, clean bass presentation.

The Mids

Midrange present here on the MS3 is a balanced sounding mids that is a little recessed due to the slightly strong high range and a mild mid bass lift presentation. They have a superb clarity which is a well known trait of a Knowles driver. Macro details are great while micro details are good presenting a clean midrange performance. They have a slight thickness and have a rather lush, intimate signature that is suitable for vocals and instrumentals alike. Transparency here is good as they are certainly a clear midrange without any haze present. Resolution wise is average for this price range but still able to deliver a vivid representation without any coloration which contributes to an accurate midrange.

The Highs

The high range is a neutral type of high range that is lifted slightly and they are bright sounding which is a trait of a balanced armature. They are slightly dry and have strong borderlining sibilance high range, but they are still a smooth sounding high range. Details and clarity here is superb with everything sounded clean and clear without any peaky or harsh sound usually found in a lower grade balanced armature. Energy here is good with a lively sparkle and a mild crisp sound along with a touch of brilliance. Extension on the high range is average but they do possess a good airy high range. Timbre here is quite intense but they do not possess a typical metallic timbre of a balanced armature which is good as the high range does sound natural and lively.

Comparisons

VS FiiO FH11

The FH11 is a release by China’s renowned producers of audiophile products, FiiO, which I covered a month back. They are equipped with a single dynamic driver and a single balanced armature encased in a zinc alloy conch shaped shell. They cost half the asking price of the MS3 but their accessories are bare bone compared to the MS3 and they only have 1 balanced armature versus the dual Knowles driver in the MS3. Built on both are solid but the FH11 does have some extra weight on them.

The High region on MS3 is slightly stronger and they sounded more natural than the mild metallic timbre on the FH11. Details and clarity on both of these units is on par with each other but resolution on the MS3 is better. MS3 high range is also airier but extension on both is good.

Midrange on both have a similar tone but MS3 has a more forward approach and they sounded more spacious. Macro details on the MS3 are also better but resolution on the FH11 is better by a small margin. Both have almost no coloration but the MS3 sounded a tad more natural.

Bass on the FH11 has the edge in their quantity but the MS3 has a cleaner, clearer bass. The FH11 possesses a punchier, more evident slam in the bass department but lacks a good texture like on the MS3. Sub-bass on the FH11 also trumps the MS3 by sheer amount and they have a very good and deep sub-bass response which is lacking on the MS3.

Soundstage on both is similar as well with a great width along with an average height. Headroom is an average medium sized room that is spacious.

VS Kinera Idun Gold 2.0

Kinera is another well known maker of great products from China and they are famous for their well made, well designed in-ears that are housed in high quality resin shells. The Idun gold 2.0 has the same configuration as the MS3 which consist of 1 dynamic + 2 balanced armature. The Idun cost a little more than the MS3 and both have a solid build along with a well accessorised package.

Highs of the Idun is more lean and have a smoother presentation while still able to retain their details and clarity to be on par with the MS3. Sparkle is more evident on the MS3 and they are crisper with a livelier presentation. Air on Idun is slightly better but MS3 has a better extension.

Mids on the Idun are thicker and sound more neutral with better resolution than the MS3. Clarity is better on the MS3 along with better macro details. The Idun has a lusher, sweeter midrange that has wider vocal capabilities in vocals.

Bass on the MS3 is tighter and cleaner with a sharper slam but the Idun have a more textured bass response. Details and clarity is better on the MS3 but in the sub-bass department, the Idun has a more complete, deeper sub-bass response.

Soundstage in the Idun is wider but the height is actually quite similar. Headroom that the Idun possesses is also bigger but in a small margin.

Synergy

FiiO M17

The top dog DAP of FiiO, the M17 and they are filled with great driving power along with all the current high end features that boasts a powerful output along with a decent sound for their price and it is great to test the scalability of the MS3.

The M17 is to give a deeper bass response with a slight increase in their clarity and details. Impact is tighter and they add some amount in the overall bass. Sub-bass is slightly more present and they have a deeper extension along with a cleaner rumble.

Midrange seems to be thicker and has better resolving capabilities. Vocals are sweeter and lusher with a more spacious sound. Details are better especially in the micro details department.

High range sounds smoother with no changes in their amount and they have some air added to their sound. Details and clarity remain mostly the same. Sparkle has a more clear decay with more crispness added and they sounded more polished overall.

Soundstage has improved with an improved height and a slight increase in headroom.

Overall, the MS3 has improved with a higher quality source and the extra output power seems to increase the sub-bass but just mildly. The scalability is actually quite good but not great.

Hiby FC6

The R2R flagship offering from Hiby China, the FC6 dongle, is their top dongle that has been received really well all around the community for their organic, R2R flavoured sound. They are equipped with their signature R2R architecture named Darwin in miniature sized body and they have a very organic sound that is slightly warm.

Bass has a looser approach with a flatter signature and they actually widen the bass a little making them sound bigger but not more in terms of quantity. Details and clarity remain the same as well as the resolution but they do sound better textured with a better extension. Sub-bass sounds deeper and has a slight increase in their presence.

Midrange sounded clearer with better resolution and they sounded more musical. Mids remain clean and clear with a more analogue sound that makes vocals more intimate. Details seem to be the same on their macro region but the micro details seem more defined. Transparency is also more revealing in a small margin.

Highs are airier with a more breathy timbre and possess a crisper sound. The highs also sound less sharp which makes the MS3 sound smoother in this frequency.

Soundstage has a better width and height but only in a small margin along with a same sized headroom.

Who Is It For?

For those who love a clean, balanced sound signature with a great hybrid cohesion that doesn’t really over emphasise on anything, the MS3 is a great choice as they are a clinical performer with a fun take in their sound signature. They have a great bass quality with an average quantity which might not suit bassheads out there but will make it for a bass purist lover. Treble sensitive users might find the high range a little hot but treble lovers will find this a delight. They are more suited towards a vocal based genre but not for EDM or jazz as they do lack sub-bass extension. They are suitable for gaming as they have an accurate placement of sound with a superb clarity but not so much for movies as they lack immersion. They aren’t really suited for monitoring as they aren’t clinical enough but it can make it due to their accuracy and cleanliness.

Final words

The MS3 is certainly one of the products from Hidizs that is a showcase on how they are delivering high quality products that perform well. With a clean overall sound signature that possesses great technicalities along with a solid build, the MS3 might be a hit as they are priced quite well judging by their solid build and sound. Competition is heating up in this segment and the MS3 might have a handful of competitors as the downside of the MS3 for me is their lack of sub-bass presence and their overall soundstage size but they are indeed one of the cleanest sounding hybrids in this price range. Hidizs has been really hard working this year with their releases and the MS3 is one product that showcases what they are capable of, a solid product.

I would rate this product 4 over 5 stars.

• Slightly lean lower end
• Midrange a little thinny
• Red and silver nozzle sounds bad
• Pouch instead of a hard case
• Sub-bass roll off
• High range borderlining sibilance
• Short soundstage