You can as long as be assimilated to ostriches, burying your head in the sand, or, like the three famous monkeys, close your eyes and ears in an attempt to fence yourself off from reality, but the fact is that the further, the more portable players will go to Android. And today we will talk about one of the most affordable models with this OS, Hidizs AP200.
For all my personal dislike for the OS from Google, this is the only way to implement the player's support for Wi-Fi and streaming services without much effort from the developers. Practice has shown that most users really want these very services in full, and it's not even in price (it's ridiculous to talk about this in countries accustomed to unlicensed content by 99%), but in convenience. Here you have some nice tips "what else to listen to," and an almost endless library of properly extracted albums, automatically replenished with new releases, and the same new-fashioned MQA is interesting. Of course, hypothetically, large manufacturers can subsidize the development of firmware based on the same Linux or even uOS with support for Wi-Fi and streaming, it will be expensive and, as a consequence, not very smart, but, let's say, it will be decided. Here, the Tidal / Deezer / Spotify licensing policies and all others will enter into force, and all these efforts will be in vain. Android also allows you to simply install Google services, and then - the user downloads the client himself, and there are no problems with the license, and the developers of the client are engaged in the programmers of the service itself. If we add to this the simplicity of implementing such things as DLNA, USB OTG and much more, the choice of OS for player developers becomes obvious.
In general, okay, something the introduction came out a long time, let's go back to AP200. Hidizs decided not to lose the opportunity to stake out a piece of the prospective market and released (after 3 years of development, considering 120 design options and creating 10 prototypes) quite unusual for the hardware player. There are two chips ES9118 (interesting SoC from ESS, including DAC, amplifier and output switch), TPA6120A2 is responsible for headphone amplification, in general - simple but effective scheme. In Hidizs tried to squeeze out of it maximum, using two high-quality master oscillators, special screening of chips to protect against interference and so on and so forth.
At the same time, the company managed to keep a very nice price tag, the basic version in an aluminum case with 32 GB of flash memory is sold for about $ 300, and for additional money you can get a variant in a steel "body" with 64 or 128 GB.
Specifications
- Processor: RK31884
- DAC: 2 × ES9118C
- Opel : TPA6120A2
- RAM: 1 GB
- Output power: 130 mW @ 32Ω
- Recommended load impedance: 16Ω -150Ω
- Frequency range: 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Signal to noise ratio: 115 dB
- Channel separation: 75 dB
- Output Impedance: 4.8Ω
- Support for formats: APE, ALAC, AIFF, FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3, OGG, AAC, DSD (ISO, DSF, DFF), DXD
- Maximum resolution: up to 384 kHz / 32 bit, DSD to DSD128
- Wireless interfaces: WiFi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0 with APT-X
- Built-in memory: from 32 GB to 128 GB depending on the model
- Memory Cards: MicroSD up to 256 GB
- Input: USB Type-C
- Output: 3.5 mm
- Screen: 3.5 "IPS, 960 × 640
- Battery: 3100 mAh
- Operating time from one charge: 8-10 h
- Charging time: <4 h
- Dimensions: 107 mm × 61 mm × 16 mm
- Weight: 145 g aluminum version, 208 g steel
Packing and delivery kit
Well, at least this time the box is slightly different from the "canon" - for the AP200 they did not do the "dust jacket", leaving just a package of black cardboard with the same black printing on the top cover and listing the TTX and "features" on the back. For connoisseurs of primordiality, the box is sealed in plastic.
Inside, of course, you'll find the player itself, a USB-C cord for charging, a plastic semi-bumper-bumper, a spare protective screen (one immediately glued to the factory) and a few pieces of paper. I still had a USB-C cable on the MicroUSB in the box, but I'm not sure if it's included, so if you need a set of wires in the box, consult the seller before purchasing.
Of course, I would like to see a more "full" cover in the kit, but in an attempt to squeeze the lowest possible price, Hidizs donated them, and the "leather" variant will have to be bought for some money (however small).
Design and management
What I always liked from Hidizs is that they always went their own way in the design. Like the previous models, the AP200 turned out to be unlike other manufacturers, while almost everyone else tries to somehow cosplay A & K, Hidizs produces another rectangle with rounded edges and a small bevel under the headphone jack below. I would give a separate half-point to the "two hundredth" for resembling the AP60-II, lying together, these two players immediately evoke memories of the film about Austin Powers. At the service of discerning audiophiles, there are many design options. A simple aluminum version uses the rear panel "under the glass" and exists in three color versions, the more expensive model of steel allows you to choose as a back panel glass, carbon or wood.
If you are wondering whether it is worth overpaying for a variant of stainless steel, then it is worth considering a couple of factors. First, aluminum here is quite soft, so scratches are not ruled out, and secondly, the steel version is decently heavier (about 200 grams vs. 150), and this is quite noticeable in the course of operation.
In general, the player is not heavily overloaded with controls. To the left is a volume rocker with a proprietary "bend", above it there is a play-pause button. To navigate tracks, developers suggest using a double click on the volume buttons - the method is quite working, but rewinding the track in this way will not work. For me, this is, for example, not a frequent scenario, but I think there are people for whom this is important. On the top edge of the device placed the power button, it also serves to turn off the screen with a lock.
The right side was without controls, on the lower end there was a headphone jack (can be used as a linear output), USB-C connector and a slot for microSD cards. The player, of course, is deprived of a number of pleasant bonuses available to competitors (one more memory card and balanced output), but here we must once again remember the difference in price. The company tried to maximize the player with the most features, here and support USB OTG, and audio output via USB to external DACs, and work in USB DAC mode, but not all of them work equally well. In DAC mode, there is a delay in sound, which will upset fans to watch video, although for simple listening to music it is great. Also in the firmware there is still no promised HibyLink and support for the aptX codec Bluetooth, however, Hidizs promised to add these two "features" in the near future (with the amendment, of course, for a two-week celebration of the Chinese New Year).
The front panel is almost completely given to the screen, and it's just very good. There is an excellent resolution for the player, and eye-pleasing color rendition with viewing angles, and there is a reserve for brightness for a summer day (although, of course, you'll still have to cover the screen with your palm). From the point of view of the picture, this is perhaps the best screen for the budget segment of the players. The touches are worked out well, although lags are very rare, but I suspect it's the fault of the firmware, not the screen itself.
The operating time in my standard test (wireless interfaces turned off, MEEAudio P1 as load, FLAC 44.1 / 16) was about 7 hours and 50 minutes, the result is not a record, but overall it's not the worst. Full charge (I use a charger for the iPad) took 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Firmware
I think that the day is not far off when it will be enough to say that the firmware was made by Hiby, and everyone will imagine its capabilities (in the lower segment of the players it already happened, in the players with Android everything goes to this). Here we expect to have two modes: pure Android with a preinstalled player Hidizs Music and "Pure Music", in which this player replaces a launcher, eliminating the need to remember about the OS lying "down".
At the moment, the firmware has a "talking" version of 0.2.2 Beta, although such a numbering for Hidizs is more likely than an exception, but on the whole the company has proved itself from the positive side in the field of "dopilivaniya", so I think there will be updates.
About Android-mode, perhaps, there is nothing to describe, except for mentioning the fact of the presence of the Play Store, everything is expected: 5.1.1 in the role of OS, additional "player" settings in the upper curtain, the settings of the DAC filter and timers - in the settings menu. In general, everything is quite simple and familiar.
The player is much more interesting. It consists of three sections, which are turned over by horizontal svaypami.
Playback screen. Of course, the designers of Hiby with their love for the semicircular progress indicator of the track want to subject the wheel, this thing has penetrated here. On the other hand, it's still possible to rewind the track, and in general the playback screen is simple and logical. The covers or lyrics are expected to be expected, there are buttons for switching the playback order and adding to the playlists. There are all the makings of the modern interface, the color of the panels is adjusted to the tone of the cover of the current track, beautiful blur effects are used, but the other two sections are still out of this style.
Media library. Also quite a familiar section, after scanning, your tracks are displayed here, grouped into albums, artists, genres and so on. More unusual here is the availability of access to networked storage such as Dropbox and Baidu. Since I do not have the last one, and the first one includes two-factor authorization, I did not bother with connecting and checking these items.
Main menu. Here, for some reason, you can enter into a certain Hidizs account, what it will give, I do not know, but it is possible that in the future it will become some sort of proprietary network storage, it would be a strong step. Also here you can scan files on the device, twist the equalizer (it is better not necessary), download and include several DSP plug-ins (it is better not to be squared) and change the settings of the player itself. The latter include playback without pauses, auto-update of the program itself, the DSD output mode and the like options.
In general, the firmware is normal, there are no major problems with it, everything is reproduced, it is supported by Unicode and so on, but some lags and some illogicality leave a slight sense of incompleteness. I hope the following versions will save us from this.
Sound
To listen to the device used the following headphones: iBasso IT03, Meze 99 Classics, Audio Zenith PMx2, Noble Kaiser Encore, Campfire Audio Andromeda, 64 Audio U12, HUM Pristine and others.
In Hidizs decided to continue their tradition slightly accented to bass sound, but this time it was slightly smoothed, to ensure a pleasant warmth and comfortable filing.
The bass is moderately accented, but this accent is not limited to midbass, but goes deeper. Therefore, with headphones that can play deep LF technically (hello, Dunu Falcon C), on music like Juno Reactor you can get a very effective "bottom of the bottom". In general, the bass is normally balanced quantitatively, despite the added mass, it is not smeared and generally has normal texture and separation of tools, although, of course, there are no superhigh basses even with multi-turn fittings.
The midrange is also slightly flattened, so sometimes the player may lose some microns at medium frequencies, but the recording faults are most often attributed to them, which allows the AP200 to play well not even high-quality recorded tracks. The player communicates emotions well, but the character of the instruments is sometimes skimmed, however, the tracks on which it is audible are not so many. The imaginary scene is somewhere medium in width and slightly below the average in depth, although the separation of instruments is done at a decent level, and the plans do not merge with each other.
HF are very worthy in quality, they have a good resolution and even there is an elaboration of attacks and damping that is excellent for this price category, but they are sometimes not enough quantitatively, however, this is still subjectivism, and headphones with bright HFs noticeably correct this. On the other hand, those who do not much love the "top", the trimmed HF can even become a plus.
If we talk about comparisons, then the two main competitors here are obvious.
Cayin N5-II. And in this, and in the following comparisons, I will not specifically focus on design, functionality and price, but will only talk about sound. If the feed of Hidizs tends to taste, sometimes it is called "warm" or there is a "musical" sound, then Cayin is just monitored and technical, without adding anything from itself, it is better by permission, but brighter and more neutral. So the choice is quite simple, you just have to ask yourself which sound you want to receive.
FiiO X5-3. At first glance, it seems (or at first hearing?) That these two players are similar in pitch, but a longer comparison shows that this is not the case. FiiO has better resolution over the entire spectrum of frequencies (except for HF, there is qualitatively better than AP200, and quantitatively - X5-3). Accents on LF Hidizs do with the help of "mass", and FiiO - with the help of additional "shock", also in FiiO better resolution of MF.
Lotoo Paw 5000 Mk II. Speaking purely by sound, Lot has better resolution (what to do, the features of smoothed feed and comfortable sound), more emotions on the midrange, bass is served in a more biting and dynamic manner. HF is slightly worse for attacks, but otherwise there is parity. At the same time, 5000, like the other AP200 competitors, is more picky about the quality of records.
Compatibility
On the one hand, 130 milliwatts is not called a "huge power reserve", but let's be fair: this will be enough for almost any headset, which makes sense to use in a portable. And most models that do not have 130 mW are generally recommended a fixed amplifier. Of the positive, it should also be noted that the player turned out quite quiet and even with hypersensitive fittings, the noise is almost nonexistent.
If we talk about genres, it all depends on the preferences of a particular listener, the player especially came to me with electronic music, jazz, soul, funk, dub, classical rock. But there are also connoisseurs of other styles that AP200 likes. The player is moderately tolerant to poor-quality recordings, I would rate him on a 10-point scale of "pickiness".
Traditionally, several tracks in the role of example
Chaka Khan - I Mean You. A little good low female vocals - just what you need to serve this player. Similar tracks with AP200 get even more realism, and here also the instrumental part is more than good.
Apocalyptica - Path vol.2. Well, yes, this is not a new track, but it perfectly demonstrates the strengths of AP200: bodily cello, beautifully underlined percussion and a background whisper - all this simply immerses the atmosphere of this record.
Hayley Kiyoko - Curious. For some reason it sometimes pulls to supplement the collection with something from the modern priest. Just like a bad habit, in general - muck, but I can not do anything with myself, especially when there are tracks like this: a spectacular batch of drums, a well-written volume, in general - all that is necessary to emphasize the strengths of the hero of this review.
conclusions
On the one hand, of course, the "killer of the giants" did not work for Hidizs. The player has a number of flaws, which I think will be corrected with firmware, and the sound turned out somewhere "with my own money". On the other hand - we have an affordable player with Android, which plays quite decently, but it is quite compact and tightly knocked down, so that the model turned out to be quite competitive. Interestingly, in the price segment "from 300 to 400" has already developed a strong triumvirate of models with Android, and yet another "new old acquaintance" from Korea is approaching.
The article is based on materials .
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