Hidizs S8 Pro Robin
Intro
Hello everyone, I have with me today the latest dongle dac from the audio brand Hidizs named the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin. I was completely curious about this one as I was an early purchaser of the last S8 series device, the Hidizs S8. I’m a fan of all of Hidizs dongle dacs and audio devices. Having owned darn near all of them over the years I’ve always been impressed for what you get for the money. I was completely shocked by Hidizs’s ultra-budget dongle dac, the Hidizs SD2 (SD2 Review) which I reviewed earlier this year. For a very low price you can have truly special sound with the SD2. However, the crown jewel series in the Hidizs lineup has to be the S9 series. I loved the 2nd S9 series dongle dac the Hidizs S9 Pro and have worn that device out over the course of my time with it. Recently I also reviewed the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus Martha (S9 Pro Plus Review). I gave the S9 Pro Plus very high marks for many reasons but mainly for its ability to replay my music.
Fan-boy?
So Hidizs is not ignorant to the dongle dac world. In fact, Hidizs isn’t ignorant to the source device world period! They were actually one of the pioneer brands of this very mobile technology and the lineage shows through in all of their releases. Always considered by many to be near the top of the heap per whatever price point they are daring to enter into with their dongle dacs. They are all nice devices. Still, there’s no way to get around the fact that this is a crowded market with no shortage of crowded opinions. At any rate, like I said, I owned the first S8 model and though it is pretty ancient compared to today’s standards, the sound was awesome for the time. Especially for sensitive iems (not a lot of output power). The S9 series was a giant leap for the brand while the S9 Pro is easily one of the legend dongle dacs and made many top five lists in its heyday. Heck, it’s probably still ranking high around three years later (good sound is good sound). I say all of this to also say, Hidizs knows exactly what they are doing folks. They are a brand who specializes in mobile audio. Even their daps fit within the “mobile” moniker. I realize I’m going a bit “fan-boy” in my intro here, but I want to set up the S8 Pro Robin in the right light. This’ll be interesting folks.
Where did Robin come from?
Just as Hidizs has done in the recent past with devices like the S9 Pro Plus “Martha”, they have also given the S8 Pro the name “Robin”. These names are actually supposed to be a reminder for conservation, nature and the beauty of nature while also highlighting their innovative devices. The whole idea is to bridge a gap between nature and technology and intertwine these two vastly opposite chasms in our present world. It’s a good theme and a good idea to promote a certain likeness to your products. I will always praise any brand who cares enough to never give a number name. Put some effort into it “other brands”! Not Hidizs. They have recently really began pushing conservation and and awareness of our effects on nature. I feel that Robin is a nice name. The name Robin actually comes from the Thrush birds, or the scientific name the “Turdidae”. Of course, most folks simply refer to these birds as “Robins”. Growing up the Robin bird was clearly the most abundant in Northeast Ohio. Every spring was filled with these curious little birds. Hidizs states that the Robin is a nod to remind us to “cherish our natural world”. “Through Robin we hope to deepen the appreciation for the creatures around us, bridging the gap between nature and innovation.” – Hidizs
Well, my friends, I don’t want to run this intro too long. I do have a review to conduct. However, at the moment the S8 Pro Robin is taking some run-in or burn-in, whatever you want to call it. I’ll let it go for a few days and get to critically listening. I will do so and circle back in about two weeks. The Hidizs S8 Pro Robin…
Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:
-Note: Sales price: ($69 ); with the 5% discount code applied, it will be $65.55.
Special price: ($65) – limited to 100 units; with the 5% discount code applied, it will be $61.75.
Official website 5% discount code: CHRIS5OFF
Disclaimer:
I received the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin from Hidizs as a review sample and in exchange I will conduct a full review and feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. I have not received any payment or any other form of compensation for this review. This set is a review sample iem. Hidizs has not requested to pre-read any review and doesn’t have any control over “what” or “when” anything gets published to mobileaudiophile.com. All thoughts within this review are my own, though please take note that I will always have my own biases. This is impossible to get around. I try to be as objective as my subjective self can be, but this is an opinion piece folks. Thank you to Hidizs and thanks for reading.
S8 Pro Pros
-Build Quality is always great with Hidizs devices
-The design is one of the sickest in the market (my opinion)
-One of the best sample light indicators, dope looking.
-Lightweight (17 grams), won’t kill your usb-c port
-Six working filters (subtle changes)
-Very low battery drain
-Very low noise, black background
-Tactile physical buttons
-Clean sound, neutral presentation
-Low-end punch with good definition
-Slightly forward and smooth mids
-Treble is non-offensive
-Technicalities are nice for the price
-Nice stage size
S8 Pro Cons
-Older and widely used dac chips
-Needs burn-in (just my opinion, settle down)
-No gain switch on device
-An app would be nice
-Driving power isn’t quite up to the price point standard
-Front & back panel is a fingerprint magnet (not really a con)
-Some may want a bit more treble extension and emphasis (I don’t mind it)
Gear used for testing
-Too many iems to report here
–Simgot Dew4x (Comparison)
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
This will be rather short, just like any and every source device review. Unboxings aren’t usually very gratifying. The Hidizs S8 Pro Robin (S8 Pro for review purposes) arrived at my door in a very small black box. On the front sleeve is simply a picture of the S8 Pro and on the back is some specs. Nothing out of the ordinary. Take off the sleeve and you will be met with a Hidizs style plastic black box which is very nice. Open up the box and the S8 Pro will be sitting in a rectangular foam cut-out. Under that layer of foam is a small box which contains both a Lightning (IOS) to USB-A adapter as well as a Type-C to USB-A adapter. You also get the ever-important “Hi-Res” stickers which is nice. Lastly there is a black type-c to type-c data cable provided. The accessories are exactly what I’d expect except I didn’t expect to see both Lightning and Type-c adapters. That was pretty cool.
Cable
Hidizs does provide a usb type-c to type-c data cable which is nice that it is the type you can swap out if damaged or if you are looking to upgrade the type-c cable. In my most honest opinion, I wish the cable was a little bit more pliable. This cable is a bit harder than others with the straight rubber lining which doesn’t have a whole lot of give. I did swap out the cable quite a bit for my listening with the Aful SnowyNight’s amazing cable as well as the EPZ TP50 cable. Both are very nice and do help to bring a more dynamic presence, believe it or not. Cables matter with these devices folks. Having said that I also want to stress that the included cable is perfectly fine and won’t hurt your listening experience at all. This is simply my own pet-peeve. I like a braided cable and I like my cables to have some flexibility. Not a big deal at all. Hey, at least it’s removable.
Specifications
-Dimensions:
58×23×11mm
Weight:
17 grams
-DAC Chip:
CS43131×2
-DSD:
Native DSD64/128/256
-PCM:
Support up to 32Bit/384kHz
-Output option:
Compatible with single-ended 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm earphones
Sound Parameters
-Frequency Response:
20Hz-45kHz
-Distortion:
PO (3.5): 0.0005%, BAL (4.4): 0.0006%
-Signal-to-noise ratio:
PO (3.5): 125dB, BAL (4.4): 128dB
-Separation:
PO (3.5): -74dB, BAL (4.4): -110dB
-Output power:
Up to 80mW+80mW SE 3.5mm / Up to 160mW+160mW BAL 4.4mm
–THD+N:
-115db
–Sound Filters:
Red: High Pass Filter
Green: NOS Filter
Blue: Deem Phase Filter
Yellow: Fast & Slow Filter
Pink: Low Latency & Phase Compensated Filter
White: Wide Band and Flatness Mode
–System compatibility:
Windows, Mac OS, Android, IOS, Harmony OS
–Audio Sample Rate Indicator:
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)
Build / Design / Internals
Build Quality
The build is a bit less robust than the older sibling, the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus. However, this doesn’t make it a worse build by any stretch. Hidizs made sure to craft the S8 Pro Robin with glass panels on each side. Beware, they are fingerprint magnets. The actual housing is built by one piece of aluminum and so the build is actually quite impressive. This is a very light weight dongle dac which is a great thing for our usb type-c female connector on our phones. Beyond the housing, you’ll also notice three very distinct buttons on the side of the S8 Pro. There are two arrow buttons for volume up/down, and what looks like a volume wheel in the middle. Of course, this is not a volume wheel but instead it functions as a play/pause button. The build is nice, par for the course really. At least for its price bracket anyways. The S8 Pro is just past a couple inches, about 2 ¼” to be exact in length. It’s roughly about an inch wide and about half an inch in thickness. It’s a very practical build that works well for the hobbyist who wants an easy to use ‘plug and play’ device.
Design
This is where Hidizs really does shine against the competition. The design is very cool looking. You have glass front and back panels with probably the best sample light indicator on the market. It’s in the form of the Hidizs logo and lights up in a multitude of colors depending on your filters being used and what sample rate you are currently playing. The actual design footprint is dope. I love the colors as well. Now, you can purchase the S8 Pro Robin in either “silver” or “black” and each are very sharp looking. Obviously, mine is the black version. Hidizs used some very distinct and contrasting colors for the volume and multi-purpose buttons which does help them to stand out. Hidizs states that the little wings on the side of the S8 Pro are supposed to mimic bird wings. They call it their wing-inspired design. It’s a tough look, nice job Hidizs!
Internals
There isn’t a whole lot of info to throw at you all concerning the Internals. This is usually the case with dongle dacs. Hidizs decided to go with the tried-and-true Cirrus Logic CS43131 dac chips. Two of them to be more specific. Some of my favorite budget dongle dacs use this chip. I’ve noticed that the overall tonality can be quite different between devices which use this chip. For instance, the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 is a neutral dongle while the IFi Go Blu is warmer and there’s many more instances of pretty drastic differences between devices. One thing that seems to remain no matter the device is the nice clarity though. Now, I don’t see any op amps in use within the S8 Pro. It seems that they went solely with the inbuilt amp within CS43131 which is able to drive up to 2vrms of output power. Coincidentally, that is exactly what the S8 Pro Robin can do. There are a set of crystal oscillators as well but that’s about it. As expected.
Internals cont…
The CS43131 dac chip has the ability to give the listener up to PCM 32bit /384khz Decoding as well as DSD256. Now, these are not amazing numbers when you consider that many devices are able to give you 32bit /768khz and DSD512 these days. However, I don’t know how many people even have the ability to listen at these levels. For all intents and purposes I can tell you that what the CS43131 decodes at is perfectly fine and 99% of hobbyists will ever need higher values. At any rate, this is a very low power drain IC which can provide up to 2vrms of actual output power. The CS43131 is designed to have proprietary digital-interpolation filters which offers up to five sound filter operations. It offers perfectly seamless switching from PCM to DSD and vice-versa with great channel mixing & volume matching of analog volume output. This chip is widely used for a reason as it’s especially well regarded in mobile situations. Hence why you see them in so many devices over the course of the last couple years. Good stuff.
Buttons
I’ve already spoken on the buttons, but I will simply reiterate that they do control a couple functions on the device itself. On the side of the S8 Pro is two opposing arrow buttons with what looks like a volume wheel in the middle. Of course, many people got excited thinking Hidizs put an actual mini volume wheel in this device as well as the S9 Pro Plus. However, just like the S9 Pro Plus the circular button simply is a push button. It’s a cool look though. At any rate, the middle circular button controls play and pause. There is a slight click upon pressing the button for some haptic recognition which is nice. Next, the arrow buttons perform a couple different functions. First, the arrow buttons will control volume up as well as volume down. Hidizs had the actual volume steps engineered to make more sense for real world use. Meaning, the steps are tighter together as you raise the volume while the lower-level volume are bigger gaps in actual volume. These buttons also control the sound filters as well…
Features
Sound Filters
Sound filters are in use in many audio devices nowadays. I have many on hand which make use of this simple digital filter. It’s a simple way to ever-so-slightly change up the sound to suit your preferences. However, if any of you have ever played around with this feature then you can probably attest (like me) that you rarely notice a difference. The differences are extremely subtle on most source devices. This isn’t always true, but it’s true for the majority of the devices I’ve ever used. Well, just like the S9 Pro Plus, I do notice the slightest changes in the overall sound when using these filters. All you have to do is press both arrow buttons at the same time and the filters will change. As you do, you’ll also see the indicator lite changing to inform you what filter is in use. Those colors go like this:
Red: High Pass Filter
Green: NOS Filter
Blue: Deem Phase Filter
Yellow: Fast & Slow Filter
Pink: Low Latency & Phase Compensated Filter
White: Wide Band and Flatness Mode
Again, these are not sweeping changes that will drastically alter how you perceive your music, and it will take a tiny bit of concentrating to hear their effects. They are changes though. Personally, I use the green NOS filter (non-oversampling) most of the time.
Driving power
This is one of those areas that the S8 Pro Robin falls just a hair short of some of the more powerful dongle dacs within its price point. Of course, I don’t know how much more you need or expect. The S8 Pro will get you 80mw @ 32 ohms on 3.5 single ended and 160mw @32 ohms on 4.4 balanced. The S8 Pro has plenty of driving power for any iems that I have on hand, whether that be planar sets or harder to drive single BA iems like the Aful MagicOne. I have many planars, like the Hidizs MP145 on hand to test how well the S8 Pro is able to bring out the dynamics in these earphones. Unfortunately, I do not have over ear headphones but I’m assuming that some harder to drive planar headphones etc. will likely want a bit more than the S8 Pro has to offer. However, for in-ear earphones I don’t have any issues at all. Sets like the Raptgo Hook-X sounds fantastic and pairs well sonically. The fact that I didn’t need more power than the S8 Pro had to bring out the true dynamic presentation of the Hook-X was a great thing to hear. So yes, the S8 Pro doesn’t have the output of some similarly priced dongles, but I really don’t think this is a deal breaker at all. It has plenty of power for most any iems, short of maybe the Final Audio E5000 of course. One thing I would’ve liked to see is some sort of a gain function but I’m happy with what Hidizs was able to do here.
Battery Draw
One of the better surprises that has come out of my time with the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin is the fact that it doesn’t draw nearly as much power from my phone as other similarly priced devices. I think that only the Simgot Dew4x comes anywhere near the S8 Pro in this regard. I cannot give you concrete evidence of this, but I can tell you from one hobbyist to another, you’ll be happy that the S8 Pro isn’t killing your phone’s battery too badly. This offers a refreshing upside to this device that I hope is talked about more because to me the slight battery drain is quite easily one of the best attributes that a dongle dac can have.
Sound Impressions
Note: I just want to preface this entire section by stating that I did let the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin burn-in for about five days. I simply set it up with some music, white noise, pink noise and tones/sweeps for the entire time on repeat. Generally, it is thought that most source devices do need a certain amount of time for some run-in. I feel the time was long enough that I honestly couldn’t remember if the sound actually improved, changed, or if the run-in was a benefit at all. I simply do so on every review to get it out of the way and cover that base. Whether it helps or not is another thing. I listen to flac or better files stored on my devices using the UAPP app (mostly) as well as Hiby Player. Also, I should state that source reviews are some of the more challenging to explain. I say this because most of the way the sound will be tailored comes from the earphones or headphones you have attached. All the sources can do is influence that sound. Of course, some devices effect that influence greater than others and sometimes to a great degree.
What’s it sound like?
The Hidizs S8 Pro Robin is another good entrant into the sub $100 market for a dongle dac. As far as actual sound quality and functionality are concerned. Coming across with only a slight hint of warmth against an otherwise neutral sound, the S8 Pro Robin sounds very nice with a whole host of iems and headphones. I find the S8 Pro to be on the smoother side with good dynamics. The S8 Pro has a more engaging quality to the sound that brings upon some nice macro-dynamics. Energetic with a warm/neutral expression. I hear good presence to the sound which isn’t dull to my ears. Perhaps the lower portions of the mix come across slightly emphasized and a mostly fatigue-free treble.
Easy pairing…
This is a very nice sounding dongle dac which will pair well with many different sets of earphones, simply due to the fact that it’s roughly warm/neutral in tonal coloration. However, if anything, I do feel that slightly cooler sounding sets pair a bit better. The treble does get smoothed over a bit which is nice on some more offensive sets. To a degree. I used too many iems to speak on here while testing out the S8 Pro Robin. I used cooler sets like the Aful Performer 8, and warmer sets like the Penon Fan 2. Both sound clean & mature with nicely contoured notes yet in a smoother setting. This is a relaxing listen. It isn’t ultra defined or super technical in its approach. Basically, this isn’t a very analytical style tuning and much more leans to the emotional response in my music. It’s pretty amazing to see how far budget audio has come over the last few years.
Sound Between the 20’s
Bass Region
Like I said, the bass is slightly more emphasized and only a hair north of neutral. I’d say it’s emphasized enough to bring some warmth to the mix. The frequency slightly leans to the left on this one. I don’t mind this at all folks. Extension into the lowest of lows is nice with a solid rumble. The S8 Pro will not turn an already bassier iem into a “basshead set”, but it does give extra heft and density in this region. The Aful Performer 8 is not all of a sudden going to become a bassy set. Instead, the S8 Pro Robin will simply prop up this area a titch more. The bass is decently defined though whatever iem you are using will be the real determining factor in this regard. I do notice that the bass does have a nice punchy feel to it with good texture to the sound.
Midrange
If I were to describe the way the midrange will react with your earphones, I’d say that they come across a hint more forward but with a touch of added note weight. Just due to the additional warmth I find the lower mids to usually feel a hint heavier. Again, a lot will be determined by what earphones you are using but there are source changes in the final sound of any set. Basically, any set you are listening to with the Hidizs S8 Pro will come across a hint more forward in the midrange. The mids are close to neutral and a subtle hint of warmth. There’s a smoother inflection to notes and a hair more fullness in note body. Another thing I do notice compared to other dongle dacs is the very small taming of the upper mids. This is not an overly energetic take on this region yet stuff like female vocals really do sound highlighted and just shimmery enough without adding sibilance, fatigue, or odd timbre. Now, the S8 Pro Robin will not take an upper mid heavy sound like the Simgot EA1000 and all of a sudden take the energy out of it. In fact, I love this pairing with the EA1000 because it does take a slight bit of the shout out of it on certain tracks. Almost like a leveling off of the peaks. The mids do have a good transient response with a nicely technical sound. Smooth doesn’t usually equate to better details and separation but the S8 Pro has a nicely articulate and clean midrange with nice details and very nice imaging.
Treble Region
The highs are slightly dialed back and not as overtly displayed as some other source devices on the market recently. Of course, that doesn’t mean the treble comes across as “less-than” but rather it’s simply less brilliant than others. This can be a great thing on some brighter iems as the S8 Pro will subtly take the edge off for sets like the Celest Relentless, Rose Technics QT9 Mk3, etc. However, with iems that have a less energetic treble region I don’t feel there is a drop-off either. Hidizs only has so many ways to go with how they wanted the S8 Pro to sound, and I like the direction they took. I hear actual good separation of elements within the stage while the S8 Pro also has a penchant to illuminating details pretty well too. Let’s put it this way, I certainly don’t hear a loss in detail retrieval listening with the S8 Pro and I don’t think you will either. Extension into the upper treble is nice as well and will provide good info past 10k to any iem which can get you there. The treble isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn’t the type which adds a cool levity across the mix. I hear a transparent and clean treble region with the earphones that I used for testing and never came away feeling that I needed more. Yes, it’s less emphasized but also, it’s cleaner and more contoured. Couple that with the black background and you have yourself a technically savvy treble region.
Technicalities
Like I’ve said, I do feel that the S8 Pro Robin is a musicality first device. However, I don’t want my words getting twisted because not only is the S8 Pro musical…it also carries a fair number of details, along with very good separation of instruments and vocals, good depth of field too. These are all good traits for a source device to have. To think it only costs $65 to have a very nice device driving your earphones is nice to know and a testament to how far the hobby has come. Of course, the other half of the equation is the earphones that you choose to use. Thankfully the S8 Pro Robin does pair well with a wide array of iems and headphones.
Technically astute
At any rate, the S8 Pro does an admirable job of bringing out the subtleties within my music into the forefront. There are about a thousand variables to that though. The track you are listening to, the volume you listen at, the earphones you are listening with, the genre… yada, yada, yada. These all play a part in the end result. I feel that the S8 Pro Robin really does compete extremely well against the competition. Especially in the field of “technicalities”. I’m telling you people, pair the S8 Pro with a technically inclined iem and you’ll see what I’m talking about. To add to that, you’ll also be getting slightly more plump note weight and slightly less peaks and glare, slightly less sibilance too, slightly better stage size. Again, so many variables. So yes, the S8 Pro may not specialize in detail, separation, transient attack through release, Imaging etc. but… why then is it so good in these areas? While maintaining an emotional hue to the sound, and while also maintaining its musicality. Against the competition at $65 I’m sure you’d be hard pressed to find many better. Unless of course you are in love with a more analytical sound, at which point… yes there is other dongle dacs which may have a more technically astute replay and there are source devices out there which can give you that for the price.
Comparison
Simgot Dew4x ($80)
The Simgot Dew4x (Dew4x Review) was one of the very nice surprises to come out this year for me. Also, it was nice to see how well Simgot could do entering into the world of dongle dacs. Of course, it was actually no surprise to see that they absolutely nailed it. Now, the Dew4x comes equipped with two updated and brand new CS43198 dac chips. I feel that if I were deciding what dongle dac to purchase within this price point, the Dew4x or the S8 Pro Robin would be the two I’d look at first. They are both very capable and I feel it’s a no brainer to use the Dew4x as a comparison. Hopefully it helps.
Differences
The first difference to speak on is the fact that the S8 Pro does have slightly older dac chips in the CS43131 compared to the Dew4x’s CS43198 dac chips. Of course, this is not something to hang your hat on. It’s the implementation of these chips which makes the difference and Hidizs has had a whole lot more experience with source devices. At any rate, the Dew4x is actually slightly smaller in stature but slightly heavier in the hand. As far as looks, I do like the look of the S8 Pro quite a bit more. As far as features each one trades blows as the Dew4x has the ability to change gain at the device as well as switch between UAC1.0 and UAC2.0 while the S8 Pro has sound filters. The Dew4x is also slightly less powerful as it maxes out with a 150mw @32 ohms compared to the S8 Pro Robin’s max of 160mw @32ohms. They are basically the same and I honestly hear no difference between the two as far as output power is concerned. Both on 3.5 single ended (Dew4x – 70mw / S8 Pro – 60mw) or 4.4 balanced listening. Bit devices drain the least amount of battery I’ve encountered for having two quality dac chips within the price point. I don’t think you’ll find better folks. Granted, they don’t have as much output power as some other devices or op amps which do drain battery easier.
Sound Differences
Both devices perform at a very high level for the prices they are both being sold at. I truly believe they are two of the best your money can buy for those prices as well. Now, they also perform a bit differently too. The S8 Pro has a hint more warmth to its sound whereas the Dew4x is closer to neutral. Understand that the differences are very minimal, but enough that my ears can discern the difference. Between the two I hear a slightly more technical approach from the Dew4x while the S8 Pro comes across leaning more to the musical side of things. Note weight is fuller on the S8 Pro while the Dew4x has a slightly leaner note profile. The low-end of the S8 Pro is a bit more plump, punchy and dynamic whereas the Dew4x does have the snappier bass. Both midranges come across forward to a degree, but the Dew4x adds a hint more shimmer in the upper mids. The treble on both devices is held back a hair. Or better said, both devices will not kill your ears in fatigue and they both do well pair with brighter iems. I feel the Dew4x is a bit more clinical in its approach which is in perfect keeping with other devices which feature the CS43198 chips. But the S8 Pro has a hint more emotion to the sound, with a slightly bigger macro-dynamic expression. Details come through well on both devices, but the Dew4x’s tuning is a hint more tailored for the technical stuff. Of course, the S8 Pro is no slouch either and has a bigger stage, wider, more depth. At least as far as I can tell.
Further thoughts on this comparison
Honestly, I enjoy both devices as they provide two slightly different sound profiles but yet equally as enticing. Both offer nice features, and both are very good with power consumption. I guess it comes down to what you enjoy. Do you want a slightly more neutral take with a pinch better micro-details and clean-lined clarity or do you want a little bit more low-end weight, note weight, and bigger macro-dynamics. Obviously, that is cutting both very short and both do just about everything well sonically per their price points. Both are very nice devices.
Is it worth the asking price?
For me, I feel that the MSRP of the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin of $69 is very good. Folks, I don’t know what you can do better with. There’s a couple that should compete well and give the S8 Pro a run for its money like the Simgot Dew4x, Moondrop Dawn 4.4., Hiby FC4, Tanchjim Space, Tempotec Sonata BHD, Shanling UA2 among many others. Of course, each one of those has its own set of drawbacks. I feel that the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin is one of the more complete units within the price point. Granted, no gain switch, less overall output than some of its competitors too. So, you do have to measure and weigh this purchase based on your own unique taste, use cases and affordability. However, if it’s me, then the S8 Pro Robin would be at the top of my list in this price segment along with probably the Simgot Dew4x. So, to answer this question from my humbled perspective, I feel the S8 Pro is worth every penny. Especially at the interim sales price of $65.
The Why?
Have you looked at this device? It’s so cool looking! Hidizs does the build and design of any of their products very well. In fact, one thing you can count on with a Hidizs product is just that… It’ll be built very well, and it’ll have a very unique design. The S8 Pro is very light in weight and so it won’t ruin the type-c female connector on your smartphone. Made of lightweight aluminum and glass, the S8 Pro feels like nothing as I’m strolling through my home jamming out to music. Also, a great asset to the S8 Pro is that it doesn’t draw a lot of power from your device. Much less than many dongle dacs in the market carrying quality dac chips. There are some very nice upsides to this device, however once again everything comes back to the sound. Always. The S8 Pro is a nicely tuned dongle dac which can take on many genres very well and can pair well with many different earphones as well. A slightly lifted low-end, tight and defined. It has a transparent midrange with decent energy, forward and nice note weight and body. The treble has just enough brilliance and treble punch to give the listener a well-balanced treble region. Technically the S8 Pro is no slouch and is actually well detailed and clean. The stage is nice, good width, good depth. Separation and imaging are also very well done. Honestly, the S8 Pro doesn’t miss on much and I cannot imagine folks not enjoying it. So yes, I couldn’t say with a straight face that it isn’t worth the money for owning it, of course it is!
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the Hidizs S8 Pro Robin, I want to thank the fine people of Hidizs. These are some of the sweetest people in the hobby and thankfully their products are sweet too. Thank you Hidizs for providing the S8 Pro Robin for a subjectively honest review and feature. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Robin.
Friends, you can go back and forth for days looking at a hundred different dongle dacs. What are the specs? How much output power, what’s the dac chip, what’s the price, and on and on. I can tell you right now that the S8 Pro is certainly up bear the top of its price point in straight up sound quality. At least for me it is. I have to give this device a definite recommendation. Nice work Hidizs!
Different Perspectives
Please, check out other thoughts about the S8 Pro Robin. Look at other written reviews, listen to other thoughts, watch other perspectives regarding this fine little dongle dac. We are not all the same folks. It’s just a fact if the hobby. What is amazing to one person may be horrible to the next person. It’s a constant in this hobby. So please get a good read in many different opinions so that you can make a good and informed decision. It can only help. With that, I think I’m done. Take good care if you and yours and always…God Bless!
