HIDIZS MP145 PRO – BOLD DYNAMICS (Kathir’s Take)

Hidizs, the brand has good name among the fellow audiophiles through its meticulously tuned in ear monitors and DAC/Amp’s. Previously I have reviewed their infamous products namely MP143 Salt and MS2 Pro which does impress me a lot. Though I haven’t got any chance to try out the predecessor of this Pro version, today in our hands is its successor and let’s dive in detail.

DISCLAIMER:

This unit was provided to me by kind people from the Hidizs Review Tour (India) for the purpose of my review. The views are based on my observations and setup hence it might appear subjective.

BUILD AND DESIGN:

The complete aluminium build and the subtle branding give premium touch to the product. Despite the bigger shell design, this fits snug onto the ear canals and provides exceptional seal. Good collection of ear tips is provided in the box ranging from bass oriented, balanced and vocal focussed. The sea anemone ear tips feel refreshing to look and do feel good in the ears providing better seal compared to the stock generic ear tips.

The included screwable nozzle filters are neatly enclosed in a small box for user’s versatility in switching the sound profile. The stock cable looks premium with interchangeable termination which is included within the package.

SOUND ANALYSIS:

Sound Signature: Warm – Balanced

Tone and Timbre: Neutral with slight metallic sense

Setup: Rose Gold Nozzle + 4.4mm + Tanchjim Space and Hidizs S9 Pro

BASS PROFILE:

• Planars have a unique bass presence that focusses speed over the richness but MP145 Pro defies that by delivering a dynamic profile.
• The cleaner bass allows the sub bass to sound distinct from the mid-bass allowing the snare drums and bass drops to sound evident.
• The faster attack and decay make the MP145 Pro sound more controlled even when complex tracks are replayed.
• The adequate warmth gives concentrated weight to the mid-bass without making them appear congested.
• Overall, this exhibits a snappy yet dynamic bass profile that satisfies the ear without compromises.

MID-SECTION:

• The intimate vocals uplift the engagement factor out of MP143 Pro getting the users attention to it.
• Despite the vocal closeness, the wide staging helps the background instruments to spread out and take up their places.
• The mid-bass warmth gives lush feel to the lower mid-section allowing them the showcase themselves full enough.
• The upper mid-section’s-controlled elevation gives sparkle to the female vocals, expressing themselves alive throughout the presentation.

TREBLE:

• The brightness out of the MP145 Pro brings out the vivid outlook yet not making them appear peaky.
• The percussion instruments got snappy attack and decay for precise note transition.
• The sharp note edges give enough bite to the attack yet keeping the sibilance under control.

TECHNICALITIES:

STAGING AND IMAGING: Planar’s best is seen here representing a massive stage presence that sweeps from extreme right to the extreme left with proper dept immersion. The notes take up their precise place for an accurate positioning making them sound more realistic.

TONALITY AND TIMBRE: Planar’s biggest downside is seen here yet the MP145 Pro tried reducing it. The metallic taste is seen in its display whenever the percussion instruments notes peek up.

DETAIL RETRIEVAL: MP145 Pro exhibits an uplifted experience in detail retrieval, extracting all the essential nuances with ease and even going a step up. The faster transients allow the notes to keep up the precise timing of appearance.

TUNING FILTERS:

Rose Gold: This appears to be more balanced with equal emphasis of all the three frequencies. Controlled bass profile, intimate mid-section and an elevated treble profile while keeping the sibilance under control is what exhibited by this filter.

Silver: This has emphasis over the treble providing more sparkle to the top end. Lessens the bass a bit to sound more open but in compensation for less dynamics.

Red: This boasts a bigger bass with more weight to the overall presentation. Though they have an authoritative slam, they make the top end softer leading to a more muted out display.

VERDICT:

Hidizs, the brand known for its unique implementation is out now with an interesting upgrade to the acclaimed product MP145 in a PRO fashion. This comes with an ultra-precision nano-grade 14.5mm Planar Driver that boasts a dynamic profile while maintaining the technical aspects on point. This carries the same design language of its predecessor that goes in line with an aluminium build and screwable nozzle filters. Despite its huge size, this does fit well in the ears without causing much trouble even during long listening.

Setup: Rose Gold Nozzle + 4.4mm + Tanchjim Space and Hidizs S9 Pro

Planar drivers are known for their immersive sonic output, delivering a staggering stage and faster transients. The upgraded nano-grade driver brings the same out of the MP145 Pro with added boost over the technical aspects.

Bass response out of planars in general feels fast in terms of attack and decay allowing them to provide a cleaner output. It’s all about the quality over quantity! I do feel the lack of authority in those bass responses but the nano grade planar driver in this MP145 Pro broke the curse! The authoritative and speedy bass response out of this brings the best of both worlds. The rumbles reach the ears evidently when the sub bass drops and does have provide enough warmth to the mid bass for an elevated pleasing listen.

The intimate vocals and wide staging bring a new life to the mid-section of the MP145 Pro. The closer sounding vocals carries a natural tone accompanied with fullness throughout its presentation. Lower midsection utilises the bass warmth to make it appear lush and the upper mid-section uses the added sparkle from the top end to give life to the presentation.

Treble has good extension that brings the shimmer and brilliance in the top end. The elevation gives adequate brightness and air presence to the notes making them sound vivid and natural. The snappy transients give extra clarity to the percussion instruments like trumpets and cymbals. The note edges feel sharp enough to deliver decent bite to the presentation while keeping the sibilance under control.

Technical aspects are on par with that the planar’s generally exhibit. The faster transients, excellent detail retrieval and wide stage presence makes this MP145 Pro an allrounder and does go well with all the genres.

The gripe with the MP145 Pro is its metallic taste in the timbre. It’s the usual case with most the planar’s that I have tried before. However, this tried to reduce it as much as possible yet the taste slightly peeks up.

Out of all the mid-range planars that I have tried, the MP145 Pro from the house of Hidizs exhibits an energetic sonic flow with a touch of BOLD DYNAMICS. This exquisite sound profile will attract everyone and a must pick under 200USD.

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES:

Pros:

1. Warm Balanced Signature
2. Clean and Authoritative Bass
3. Faster Transients
4. Holographic Staging
5. Warm – Neutral Tonality
6. Resolution
7. Easy Driveability

Cons:

1. Metallic Timbre