Introduction
2023 has been an active year for Hidizs with their amazing releases from them like the MS5, MS3 and the continuation of the S series dongle, the S9 Pro Martha. 2024 is here and nothing is stopping them this year and they have been in the works with an all new S8 dongle, the S8 Pro, codenamed Robin, in honour of the small thrush bird that is known for their sweet singing chirps and they symbolises the beauty of nature. The Robin is equipped with 2 pieces of the most cost effective Cirrus Logic CS43131 steering away from their previous choice of Sabre chipset all in a fresh new edgy design with futuristic looking buttons. Zoie from Hidizs has arranged a demo sample for us for an honest review before the launch of the S8 Pro and we are truly grateful for the opportunity given. How will they sound and will the Robin extend Hidizs’ superb dongle lineage in this packed segment? We shall find out here.
Functions & Specifications
Before we start the review, here are the specifications and features of the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin;
- Dual 32-bit High-performance DAC Balanced Architecture – CS43131×2
- PCM Supports Up to 32bit/384kHz
- Native DSD 64/128/256
- 4.4mm Balanced & 3.5mm Single-ended Output
- CNC Aluminum Alloy Integrated Molding
- Practical Function Buttons (volume +-/filter switching)
- Sampling Rate Indicator
- 80mW+80mW@32Ω 3.5mm SE, 160mW+160Mw@32Ω 4.4mm BAL
- Compatible with All platforms: Windows/Mac OS/iPad OS/Android/iOS/Harmony OS
- Hi-Res Audio Certification
Retail Price & Where to Get
The Hidizs S8 Pro Robin is set to launch on the 20th of May 2024 and there is a special price for early birds, so be quick!
Packaging & Accessories
The Hidizs packaging here is a surprise as it comes in a miniature cube box and they are packed inside a hard plastic case that is useful for protection and as a box to keep your precious audio stuff. Inside we are greeted with the necessities like a USB C to C cable, a USB C to lightning adapter, a USB C to B adapter, some paperworks and of course, the Robin itself. They do lack a case for them which but the unit itself is priced pretty low for us to complain.
Design
The design of the Robin is futuristic, edgy and techy with large buttons on the side. They are made from aluminium with glass front/back panels and they are very well designed without any sharp edges. They are incredibly light with a small footprint similar to the Martha which made them suitable for outdoor usage. The logo on the front does have LED indicators in them which I will elaborate later on.
Hidizs this time has made the decision to venture into a chipset other than a Sabre based one and they have landed on the CS43131 from Cirrus Logic. They have implemented 2 pieces of this chipset to create a balanced architecture to give more driving power along with better separation. The CS43131 is known for their efficiency and a great neutral balanced sound where the Robin certainly excels in this department.
The Robin sports the usual 3.5mm single ended output and a balanced 4.4mm output on the top and the 4.4mm output has a gold plated ring on it. The bottom part of the Robin is the USB C input for receiving digital signals.
On the other side of the unit we will find the volume buttons and a rather large knob-like button for the play/pause function which I personally thought was a volume knob. The volume buttons double as the filter selections and we have 6 different filters to choose from corresponding with the colour change on the front logo. No gain selector is available though.
The front logo LED also indicates the sample rate as below;
Yellow: DSD 64/128
Purple: DSD 256
Blue: PCM 176.4/192(kHz)
Red: PCM 352.8/384(kHz)
White: PCM 705.6/768(kHz)
Green: PCM 44.1/48/88.2/96(kHz)
The Robin has quite an efficient dongle as they might be the least power drain from a dongle at this size. Battery drain is minimal out of all of my dongles but still not as power efficient like the small wired dongle. They do run slightly warm after a few hours of usage but never hot. Amazing efficiency to say the least for this Robin.
Gears Used for Comparisons
FiiO Q7
Hiby FC6
FiiO KA3
Hidizs S9 Pro
Questyle M15
Colorfly M1P
Rudistor RP8
Sennheiser HD800s
Moondrop A8
Dunu Luna
Hidizs MS3
Dunu EST112
Letshuoer S15
Blur daBass custom earbud
Toneking TO600
Songs list
Tone and Presentation
The tone of the Robin is a neutral warm type that has a balanced tone of being not too dark or too bright which is typical of a CS43131 setup. This is a departure from all the previous dongles of Hidizs and they are indeed the smoothest one of them all with a laid-back sound signature that is inoffensive all around which is great for a long listening session as they incur no fatigue whatsoever. They have a wide dynamic range with an organic sound that is both accurate and musical along with a mellow timbre that have decent technicalities.
Soundstage
The soundstage of Robin is good with a wide and tall sound to them that is acceptable at this price range but they are up against plenty of competition from the likes of Ibasso DC04, Colorfly and EPZ to name a few. But other than that, the soundstage the Robin provides is still possessing a good depth with an airy, medium sized headroom that in no way sounds boxy or small. They have a decent immersive sound that is vivid and accurate which is suitable even for gaming and movies.
Separation and Timbre
Separation of the Hidizs S8 Pro here is excellent as they have a great left to right separation with no crosstalk present on both outputs but their balanced output seems to perform better with a lower floor noise. Texture and layering here is superb and they are able to keep with fast tracks such as EDM or metal with an organic timbre with a good natural sound that is lively. The Robin does possess a breathy timbre that is smooth sound overall without any offensiveness which is great for a relaxing listening.
Drivability
The driving power of the Robin is rated at a maximum of 160 mw on 4.4mm balanced which is actually quite mediocre compared with their competitors at this price range but they are still adequate for most IEMs and some portable headphones. With higher impedance, lower sensitivity IEMs such as my Alpha Omega Ra and RHA T10i, they seem to struggle providing a loud volume and their dynamics seems to be suppressed a little but on any other normal IEMs they tend to sound great with superbs dynamics. The output on both 3.5mm and 4.4mm has a great low noise floor and even with highly sensitive IEM, they sounded black without any noise being picked up.
The Bass (Low)
Bass that the Robin produces is a balanced, neutral bass that has a slight mid bass lift that gives a textured accurate bass response. It has a good, tight slam with a natural, organic bass that sounds accurate and smooth. Bass has a good weight and body and has a mild thickness to them giving a soulful presentation without sounding overpowering. Bleed is not present into the other frequencies and they are very well controlled with good details and clarity. Bassheads will find the Robin a little unappetizing as the amount of bass here is adequate and they do not add any bass amount, instead they provide an accurate bass that is natural. Sub-bass extends deep with a clean rumble but there isn’t any lift here giving a natural decay of rumble. The resolution here is vivid but the transparency here is average but still acceptable without sounding hazy or muddy. Overall, the Robin has a good bass performance with a neutral, natural and accurate bass but at times they will seem a little underwhelming for those who seek more energy and a bigger bass response but they are great here for mt music preference.
The Mids
The midrange here is a neutral midrange that is balanced with a warm tone that has a lush, musical sound while retaining a good degree of technicalities. Details and clarity here is great alongside good detail retrieval capabilities in their macro and micro details but leaning more towards the former. They are indeed a full sounding midrange and they do possess some thick body to them which makes them a rather organic and intimate type of midrange without sounding thinny. Resolution here is vivid with some mild coloration to give a little more vibrant sound without altering the natural state of music but on the other hand, the mids here aren’t clinical for those who seek a sterile sound. Transparency here is great with a clean, clear sound that faithfully presents the music as it is without any major altercation. Vocals sounded quite balanced suiting male and female vocals very well as they have great depth with a good intimate yet spacious sound but they do lack some top end brilliance partly due to their polite sound but it isn’t a deal breaker. Overall, the midrange here has a great warm neutral sound that is invitingly pleasant to listen to but not very much so can be said for those who seek a clinical sound signature for critical listeners.
The Highs
The highs of the Robin is a neutral high range that has a flat sound with a smooth response and has a good extension in their presentation that gives a good air in the overall sound. Tone here is a very mild bright sound that gives music a lively sound without any offensiveness and they incur no fatigue in my usage which makes them a good match for brighter sounding gears. Details here are good with great clarity as they are clean and clear with a rather slow roll off at the end giving a good presence of high that doesn’t sound too polite. Sparkle here has a rather sweet sound but they do lack some crisp sound to them as they lack some energy here. Transparency here is rather mediocre as they do sound a tad but polite that makes the high range rather lean and lack brilliance in some instances but resolution here is great with a vivid sound that is vibrant. This type of high range actually suits treble sensitive folks as the high range is inoffensively smooth with a low intensity treble that is relaxing while still able to be present.
Comparisons
The dongle that is still one of the best in terms of their technicalities and driving power till this day, the Questyle M15. Equipped with their own current mode amplification(CMA) with a Sabre ES9281AC chipset, they are able to drive hard to drive gears with ease and they have a high gain that is certainly more powerful than the Robin but they do lack a independent volume function and they cost almost 3 times the asking price.
The high region on the M15 has a slightly stronger, crisp type of presentation with a more balanced treble. Details and clarity here is better on the M15 and they are more refined while the Robin does sound smoother along with a more forgiving high range. The extension in the high range on the M15 is slightly better with more air present in their presentation in a small margin.
Midrange on the Robin is thicker with a more musical sound that has a lusher mids versus the mids in the M15 but details on the M15 is better with more clarity and they are more technical overall. Mids on the Robin are intimate while the M15 had a spacious, more balanced and had a clinically accurate midrange.
Bass on both of these units are similar in terms of quantity but the M15 bass sounded cleaner and tighter and they sounded deeper as well. Details and clarity are slightly better on the M15 while the Robin has a more extended sub-bass response. Bass slam on the M15 is tighter.
Soundstage on the M15 is wider and taller with a better depth.
VS Colorfly CDA M1P
The M1P is one of the latest entry level dongles from Colorfly and they do possess a superb value versus performance index. They are solidly built with a hefty weight along with plenty of settings to play from like the Robin but the M1P does have gain settings and they do have a slightly stronger driving power than the Robin.
Bass on the M1P has a more organic and a warmer tone with slightly less details than the Robin’s bass as it has a clearer bass with better clarity. Texture on the bass of the Robin is better with a deeper bass and sub bass extension but the amount of sub bass is bigger on the M1P. The Robin has a cleaner, tighter bass while the M1P has a more musical bass that is more immersive.
The M1P midrange has a more resolving sound, warmer and sounds more intimate. Details here are similar with each other but overall details and transparency does sound better on the Robin. In terms of thickness, the M1P does have the edge here with a slightly more coloured sound while the Robin does sound more natural with less coloration. The M1P does sound better with vocals but the Robin has the accuracy in vocals.
High range on the M1P is smoother and has slightly better extension with a faster roll off sound while the Robin sounded mildly brighter with a more evident sparkle along. Details and clarity is slightly better on the Robin but the M1P does sound smoother.
Soundstage on both of these devices is quite similar which is great for the price paid.
Synergy
Beyerdynamics DT1350
The portable DJ headphones from the venerable Beyerdynamics from Germany that I truly adore for their portability and their superb passive noise isolation. They are a neutral sounding device with a mild bass boost that sounds clean and clear, perfect for a portable headphone usage. They are relatively easy to drive and built like a tank typical of stuff from Beyerdynamics.
Bass is good and they possess a tight slam and they are decent in their dynamics with a more forward mid bass lift bass. Sub-bass is great with a deeper extension with details and clarity slightly better. Overall bass amount is the same but they indeed sounded clearer and cleaner.
Midrange has a thicker and clearer presentation along with added clarity and details. Mid-range has a more spacious sound with some added lushness in the vocals region. Resolution wise is better but transparency seems unchanged. Not much improvements here but they do sound a tad lusher.
Highs here sounded leaner and smoother from the stock high range harshness of the DT1350 and they do sound less and have less offensiveness. They have better musicality and the highs here are clear and sounded rather full with added crispness.
Soundstage is good but it does not add to their width and height but they do provide some air in their presentation. Dunu Luna
The flagship of Dunu earphones that is equipped with a single dynamic driver and they are one of the first adopters of a pure beryllium foil driver. They are a superb balanced neutral sound that has amazing clarity with sublime resolution. They do need a good source matching and the Robin actually does a great job with these Luna as they make the Luna sound superbly smooth with great extension on both ends.
Bass has a tighter impact with a sharper slam and they provide a better extension to this region. Details and clarity has a more vivid sound along with better transparency and resolution. Sub-bass amount has been slightly increased and they do extend deeper with a slower roll off.
Midrange here is clearer and has a thicker sound along with some warmth added. Vocals sounded more intimate and had a more forward sound to them. Transparency is more natural but resolution stays mostly the same.
Highs have a more sparkly feel to them and they have a sweeter sound. The Robin does provide a crisper decay which gives the Luna better presence with a slightly more fun sound profile. Highs are extended with more air added.
Soundstage is great with height and width added for a more spacious presentation.
Who Is It For?
The Robin is actually a very good starter audio dongle for those who are new to this hobby and for those who want an efficient, smooth sounding device as they are simple to use and possess an inoffensive sound that is easy to listen to all at a rather user reachable price. They have a great overall clarity that doesn’t sound muffled along with good detail retrieval capabilities that suit a wide range of genres especially with rock, metal, EDM, pop and any acoustics songs. It is also a great companion for long travels as the Robin has a superb energy efficiency as they do not drain the source battery as much as others and they might be the most efficient dongle in their segment. They are a smooth sounding device that incur near 0 fatigue and suited for gaming and movies as well for their immersive sound. For treble heads and bassheads, this dongle might leave you wanting for more as they do not add any amount in those regions, instead they are a natural and organic performer that plays music as intended. For those who want a dongle to drive high impedance gears, this might not suit you as they are merely enough for portables like small headphones and IEMs.
Final words
While the audio dongle segment is getting more and more saturated, Hidizs has been consistent in standing their ground of being one of the highest price versus performance ratios in their products. With the recently successful release of the S9 Pro Martha, the S8 Pro Robin is a rather new setup with Cirrus Logic chipsets and they are surely a hit for their amazing sound performance and a solid yet beautiful design all at a low asking price. It is surely one of the best CS43131 based dongle out there with their smooth overall sound that doesn’t skip on their technicalities. Though there are some caveats like the lack of gain control providing a mediocre driving power, they are sufficient for most portable gears and it also provides an efficient dongle suitable for long usage. It is also not a bold, energetic sound profile but its smooth, inoffensive sound is easy to love. I would say the Robin that landed on my porch does sing like a bird and I am loving it. Great job Hidizs!
I would rate this product a solid 4 and half stars over 5 stars
Pros
- Solid build and design
- Volume controls
- Filter settings that is well implemented
- Small sized and lightweight
- Silent background
- Good overall detail retrieving
- Decent technical performance
- Good separation
- Great resolving capabilities
- Well balanced warm sound
- Textured, extended bass
- Neutral, thick and clean midrange
- Smooth, inoffensive high range
- Decent soundstage
- Amazing power efficiency
- Good pricing and value for money
Cons
- High range a little lean
- Need some extra brilliance in the midrange
- Soundstage is good but not great
- Bass a little polite
- Lack gain settings
- Driving power a little low versus the competitors
- Might not be clinical sounding enough
- Play/pause button is on the bigger side
