Hidizs My Lin Special Edition Review 

Intro 

Hello, this review and feature covers the latest from the audio brand Hidizs named the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition ($99). The My Lin Special Edition is actually somewhat of a successor to the well-received Hidizs MS2 Pro (MS2 Pro Review). It appears that the My Lin also uses one dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver, though it also appears to be a highly stylized version. A little more jazzed-up, and from peaking at Hidizs’ graphs of the two, the tuning is certainly different. I was asked awhile back if I’d take a look at the new My Lin, and since it was Hidizs… I obviously said yes, very quickly. So, as always, I do what I do and learn as much as possible about this new product prior to me even getting them in the mail. Now, based on early promotional material, it appears that this “Lin” is a character, and it also appears to be a neat idea (more on that later). Well, the theme behind the product is very neat and I definitely like that Hidizs decided to use the Hidizs MS2 shell mold. At any rate, I look forward to actually receiving the My Lin Special Edition and I am genuinely hoping that it can be that under $100 price-to-performance set. We shall see. 

My Lin 

As I said, Hidizs did something special on this set and decided to go with a character theme as their basis for the packaging, build, design, and tuning of this set. Now, many brands do such things. We’ve seen many brands in the past use certain characters, whether real or fake, whether myth or legend to help create their products. However, Hidizs is doing something a little bit differently. You see, Hidizs went and made a Hidizs original character. This character’s name is Lin (Ruo Xue Lin) and she represents the philosophy behind the creation of this set. Hidizs got to create her personality, her outfit (colorway), and her story. The beauty of that is that Hidizs now gets to craft the My Lin around that. They say that Lin embodies words/descriptors like clarity, warmth and balance. Hidizs also states that her character concept is one which responds to music response and emotion. I’m sure you gather at least a little bit how Hidizs is going to go about tuning this set. Friends, I have been one to praise the concept of creating to a theme. I love the idea and it has proven to work. I definitely give Hidizs two big virtual fist bumps for this new idea. There’s not telling how far they can go with this. They can dream up as many characters as they want. All with different personalities and traits. It’s genius. At any rate, kudos to Hidizs. I hope this is the beginning of many great products and a bunch of solid characters. Welcome to the Audioverse My Lin. 

Hidizs 

In every single Hidizs product review I’ve spoken of Hidizs and in each one I’ve marveled that they have been a business in the personal audio space for over 17 years. It was actually the year 2014 (after many years of R&D) when Hidizs finally brought something to market as they came out with one of the more legendary small daps, the Hidizs AP100. Thus began a long and successful jaunt through every area of personal audio making anything from daps to iems, to dongle dacs etc. Their transition began with daps, moved to dac/amps, and later they began making iems. I think one of the biggest signs that an audio brand is worth their salt depends on the answer to the question… “Do people like their products”? The short answer is absolutely. Of course, every brand has some growing pains, some failures, and some pitfalls. Surely Hidizs has had a couple. Like any brand. However, those are very rare and by-and-large there have only been large scale wins. You see, this is a brand who moves slowly. Every step is calculated. Every product is drenched in R&D, expertise, and time. Nothing that Hidizs has ever released was a product of throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks. Hidizs plays the long game folks, the wise game, and it shows with just about every release they’ve had over the course of the last five years. One thing which is common with all of their products is that they are all well-made, built strong, and very stylish, with a strong market presence and plenty of consumer anticipation. You don’t make it 17 years by accident.

Reviews 

Now, as I said, I have had the pleasure and honor of being able to review and feature many of Hidizs products at MBA over the years. I can say that I have yet to turn anything away and each one was a product that I’ve enjoyed, in one way or another. Have any of you sat back and actually thought about some of the products that this brand has made? Ya know, there are iems and daps, dongle dacs etc. which I deem as “legendary”. Hidizs has a few of those types of products. In fact, I don’t think many other brands can match how many Hidizs has crafted. Sure, there are a few brands, but those also aren’t typically price-to-performance types. Think of products like the AP80 series daps! The AP100 as well (as noted earlier). How about the S9 series dongle dacs (maybe not “legend” but close). Have any of you heard of the planar set… Hidizs MP145? Absolutely legendary and possibly the most lauded, praised, and popular planar iem ever. Just recently Hidizs created some of the best single DD iems under $200 in the MK12 series. In fact, I personally feel that the Hidizs MK12 Turris Titanium Edition is easily top shelf for single DD’s. Now they just came out with the Hidizs MP145 Pro, which was a follow-up from the legend itself. I’m not even bringing up all of the other huge success stories with some other products from Hidizs. I guess I say this as a fan, a fan of the hobby. Friends, Hidizs has had all of this success. Think about it. They’ve had tons of success and they still price all of their products much lower than one would think. They haven’t ventured into kilo-buck territory (though I’d love to see them do so), and they haven’t gotten jaded, or pompous, no arrogance, no crazy declarations about their products or promises that never got delivered. I suppose that’s how they’ve made it this long. 

Reviews cont… 

Below are some of the reviews that I’ve conducted with Hidizs products:

MM2, MS5, MS3, MP145, MS1, S9 Pro Plus, SD2, S8 Pro, MP143, ST2, MK12

MK12 Titanium Edition, MK12 X-DucBloke, AP80 Pro Max, MP145 Pro among others. Also, go to mobileaudiophile.com and check out Hidizs reviews from my partners as well. 

Finally Here! 

I had to wait a bit longer than usual for this set to arrive. It’s actually been over a week and a half since I wrote the last paragraph. One thing which instantly caught my attention was the unboxing experience. You guys should like this. I really wouldn’t have guessed the My Lin would be an “under $100” set by the look of the unboxing. I noticed that the My Lin got a major face lift looking very sexy in comparison to the older MS2 Pro. The next thing I noticed happened when I put the My Lin in my ears. Without a doubt Hidizs has most certainly changed up the tuning and added a very fun, very musical, and very engaging spin on the series. This one is going to be fun folks. Now that I’ve done my initial listening and made my Facebook post of my initial impressions I am going to put the My Lin on the burn-in rig. I’ll give it three to four full days. Then after I will begin the long process of critical & casual listening. However, I am so ready to get this one going and I’m ready to learn a lot more about this set. So, without further ado, the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition…

Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:

–Hidizs 

Pricing Details:

Limited Flash Deal: $89.00 (31% OFF, first 100 units only)

Launch Price: $99.00 (23% OFF

Gear used for testing 

–Shanling UP6

–Shanling UA6 

–Ifi Go Blu

–Surfans X10 

–Hidizs S9 Pro Plus  

–Shanling UA7

–Shanling H0

–Hidizs AP80 Pro Max 

–Fiio JM21 

–Hiby R3 Pro II

–Hiby R6 Pro II 2025 

–Shanling M1 Plus

–IBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2 

–Shanling M6 Ultra 

–Fiio Q15

-Many more sources used including weaker Android 3.5 set phones, iPad, and a few weaker 3.5 se dongles

Packaging / Accessories 

Unboxing 

The Hidizs My Lin Special Edition arrived at my door in a good-sized white box (7 ½” x 6” x 2 ¼”) and is adorned with a very nice waifu style artwork depicting the Hidizs original character Lin. Really a nicely done artwork. Clearly a very talented artist worked on this for quite some time. On the back are some specs as well, nothing out of the ordinary. So, open the box and the first thing you’ll see is the gorgeous My Lin Special Edition iems sitting in cardboard covered foam cut-outs along with all of the eartips, and the nozzle filters also sitting in cut-outs as well. A very clean look, very premium looking too. Now, take out that layer and you’ll find a plastic stand which also features Lin which you can put up wherever you think she’d look nice. Definitely a cool addition. Take out that layer and you’ll find a cleaning micro-fiber cloth which has Lin on it as well as a bunch of stickers of Lin. Lastly, at the bottom of the box is the leather carrying bag on the left and the stand base on the right. Inside of the bag you’ll find a nice-looking cable. I know I breeze through the unboxing section, but I have to give Hidizs their props here because the package as a whole has a total premium element to it. Such a clean and fun look. Nice job for under $100 Hidizs. 

Eartips

Hidizs provides two different styles of eartips in the packaging, six pairs in total. The first set of three (S, M, L) are longer dark gray silicone eartips which have a narrow-sized bore and a very rigid flange. Fantastic tips for any set which needs a hair less treble presence. That is not an issue for the My Lin. Great eartips when you need them though. The next set of three (S, M, L) are a white shallower fit silicone eartip with a semi-wide bore. I would like this set of eartips but they are a hair too flimsy for my ears. For whatever reason my ears require some firmness to the flange. Eartips have a much harder time sealing in my ears without that rigidity. So, once again I could not use those eartips either. So, of course I do what I always do and seek out the perfect eartips that will seal well, that fit comfortably, and that sound good. What I ended up using was a set very similar to the KBear 07 tips. Basically, the same eartips with just a different color stem. Really, the tips provided should work well for most people and it’s nice that you do get six pairs in total, however for me I had to go a slightly different route. 

Carrying Bag (Pouch) 

The carrying pouch added into the package is actually the exact same pouch provided with most of Hidizs iems. I would imagine that some people would like to see an actual carrying case, but it doesn’t really bother me at all. I say that because I actually love this carrying pouch and use it all the time. I’ve received this same pouch for multiple Hidizs iems and trust me, I always have it in my front pocket for one set or another. So, it wasn’t a bad thing to receive one more. The bonus of this pouch is that you can slide it into a pocket, and you won’t look ridiculous with it there. Also, this pouch is actually made very well, folks. It’s made entirely of black leather, very soft, great with a nice snap to open & close. The opening mechanism is done by pinching the sheet metal ends together to open and releasing them to close. Honestly, I don’t mind this pouch, but I know that some are going to complain that Hidizs didn’t provide an actual hard case. Again, not a big deal.

Tuning Nozzles

As I said earlier, the packaging uncovered three sets of tuning nozzles which each portray the tuning slightly differently. Always a nice thing to see, in my opinion. Hidizs calls the nozzles “Red Ring” “Black Ring” & “White Ring”. Basically, the Red Ring Nozzle is supposed to present the most balanced sound of the three. The white Ring Nozzle is meant to be the brightest, and most technically savvy. Next, the Black Ring is meant to be the warmest, shifting all tonal coloration towards the low end. In my opinion, each nozzle tends to do exactly as it describes, though the differences aren’t world changing. Still, each nozzle does impact the sound enough to justify having tuning nozzles in the 1st place. Please trust me, there are so many iems which come equipped with supposedly differently tuned nozzles, but in reality, there’s almost no change at all. I’m talking about you… Tanchjim Origin! At any rate, Hidizs did a solid job here. Let’s zero in on these nozzles a hair more. 

White Nozzle 

The white nozzle certainly is the brightest of the three. There is no doubt about that. This nozzle isn’t just the brightest, as it’s also the most detailed, thinnest sounding, and more glaring of the three. I honestly do not like this nozzle folks. It adds a touch too much upper mid glare for me. I’m sure those who enjoy a more crisp and open treble will appreciate this nozzle the most. 

Red Nozzle

The red nozzle is marketed as being the balanced sounding nozzle and once again, I have to agree with that. It clearly is the “in-between” nozzle and does have the best balance tonally of the three. I like this one because it has that nice bass presence and smoother take on the spectrum yet still has some good upper end brilliance too. For the record, it’s the red nozzle that I used for all critical listening. 

Black Nozzle

Now, the black nozzle is said to have the biggest low-end emphasis, and this is true. However, the bass isn’t worlds above the other two nozzles. I think what makes the bass stick out as much as it does is because of the less intense and less lifted upper midrange. It actually allows the low-end to sound more forward and present when listening to music. Also, don’t confuse this nozzle with anything basshead, because it isn’t. Just the most boosted low-end of the three. 

Cable

I was so pleased to open the package and see such a nice stock cable. Folks, Hidizs has really stepped up their game in the cable department. I did not have to swap cables and was more than happy to use the included cable for all casual and critical listening. Anyway, to be exact, the included cable is a very nice looking white braided cable with one black wire giving it contrast. This cable is a 2-pin, silver-plated copper cable, reasonably fat, with a great appearance attached to the My Lin. Now, you can purchase the My Lin with either the 3.5 single ended or 4.4 balanced connections. The set I have came with the 4.4 balanced connection. It’s a nice-looking wire folks. It won’t change your life, and I’m sure there are better looking 3rd party cables, but for under $100 you will rarely find many “better” stock cables. It’s a nice addition. Not too heavy, still plump and has that thick appearance, but also won’t weigh down the earphones, and it isn’t microphonic either. So, good job Hidizs!

Build / Aesthetic / Internals / Fit 

Build Quality  

Just as I said in my MS2 Pro Review’s “Build/Design” section, it too is made wonderfully for being a budget set. Once again Hidizs used the exact same materials and the exact same process to craft the My Lin. That is, it is made fully out of ZA12 Zinc Alloy for the shell and nozzles, and the faceplate appears to be some sort of composite resin insert overlaid to give this set a nice decorative look. I’ll be honest, Zinc Alloy is by far one of the best metals to use for iems. Typically, these types of shells will be cast, or molded. Sometimes honed out of a chunk of Zinc Alloy. I’m assuming Hidizs cast these shells and then polished them to a mirror polish because the finished product is beautifully produced. Really one of the best looking iems under $100 in my mind. I love the shape of these iems, just like I loved the MS2 Pro. The fit is great, ergonomic too, and while there is some weight to contend with, they aren’t too heavy. It’s a great and very durable build. Nozzles are right around 6mm in width and medium in length. You’ll notice a large vent towards the back used for pressure relief making the My Lin almost a semi-open style. I did say “almost”. It’s a big vent. There’s also one smaller vent towards the front of this set too. Friends, one thing that Hidizs is known for is good build quality. Literally with everything that they create. The My Lin is just another example of that. Built like a tank but also very elegant and bold at the same time. 

Aesthetic / Design 

Once again, this set looks so dope. The choice to go with the resin inlaid insert piece on the faceplate absolutely makes this design what it is. Well, when you contrast the silver mirror polished shell body. The resin insert hugs the contours of the shell in a beautiful way and is notched around the slotted vent which is so cool looking. The insert itself is this gorgeous black and gray marble design with small pieces of speckled glitter to give the look some personality. Honestly, this design language follows the Lin character perfectly. All of their colors are shown, and it gives this set that small bit of pizzaz that it needs to be associated with her character theme. It’s a bold look, it’s a pretty look, and either males or females would look dope with this set in their ear. Really a nice job by Hidizs. 

Fit / Comfort 

When it comes to fit and comfort, I don’t think many people will have issues. The My Lin is a small enough set that smaller ears shouldn’t have fit problems, and the My Lin weight is distributed well enough. There are no crazy angles that the nozzles take to seal. Honestly, I had an easy time fitting once I found ear tips that sealed well for my ears. Again, I used the KBear 07 tips and they really did the trick for me. Granted, they always seal well for me, no matter the iem I put them on. Still, the My Lin is reasonably comfortable. All though I will say that in cold environments the Zinc Alloy will get cold fairly quickly, so, keep that in mind. 

Drivability / Pairings 

Sensitivity 

Please do not worry if all you have is a smartphone with a 3.5 port because the My Lin is a very sensitive iem. Rated with an impedance of 17 ohms and a sensitivity of 111 db’s, the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition can be properly driven off some of the weakest sources on the market and you’ll still get great sound. There’s absolutely no need for a 4.4 balanced connection and hundreds of milliwatts of power. I used two older Android phones, and each has a 3.5 single ended port, and each was easily able to drive this set. One of those two is weaker than the other and it did just fine. Plenty of volume headroom, good dynamic presentation too. I used my KZ AZ20 Bluetooth earhook adapters and they drive this set very well. Also, I always test each set with my super weak (25-35 mW) no name Conexant 3.5 se dongle dacs. Another is the Roseselsa RZ-200M 3.5 se dongle dac and it actually sounded way better than it should. I mean, this set sounds flat out great with it. Good synergy can happen folks. So, the moral of the story is please don’t worry about your source and the output power. Hidizs made sure to make this set very easy to drive off of just about anything that allows a 3.5 single ended jack. 

Scalability 

Now, just because you don’t “need” more power doesn’t mean it doesn’t make some sense to give this set more power. I simply said earlier that this set doesn’t “require” a tone of juice. I didn’t say that it doesn’t scale further with a bit more power. Because the Hidizs My Lin certainly does. I found that with an upgraded dongle dac while using either 3.5 or 4.4 connections, the My Lin will most certainly reciprocate with better staging, better note control, and more of a refined character to the sound. You’ll notice when you try if you have a discerning ear. However, I always say that adding more amp power certainly helps but also, most of my more powerful sources are also my “better sources”. I mean, better dac chips, better circuitry, cleaner amping, lower noise floors, stuff like that. So naturally any set is going to sound better. Well, the My Lin certainly does. Now, without question there is a point where scalability sort of plateaus and you won’t hear further refinement. I don’t know exactly where that point is. I can tell you that using my 1Watt iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2 installed sounds absolutely awesome with the My Lin. Granted, I run that one on medium gain (I’m sure low gain is fine). However, there wasn’t some monumental uptick in sound quality from my Hidizs S9 Pro Plus, or even my weaker EPZ TP35 or EPZ TP35 Pro. I suppose what I’m getting at is adding a decent upgraded dongle dac will help. Preferably one which matches the My Lin tonally. Which I’ll explain next. 

Source Pairing 

So, I have quite a few sources that I’ve been blessed enough to get my hands on and they run anywhere from warm to bright and everything in between. It’s a great luxury to have for testing. Something I tried desperately to achieve early on in reviewing. As far as the My Lin, it comes across fairly bassy, warm down low, somewhat thickened lower mids, and slightly more vibrant as you run up the frequency. The treble has some brilliance to it but it is generally fairly smooth overall as well. I’d probably call it warm/neutral as a whole. What I tend to enjoy with the My Lin is a source which runs from warm/neutral to neutral. For instance, my favorite listening sessions came with my neutral iBasso DX240, my warm/neutral (with a slight tilt warmer) Shanling UA7 (tube mode), as well as my warm/neutral Hiby R6 Pro II 2025. In truth, having a source with a slightly smoother top end is nice too. However, the My Lin doesn’t discriminate too much and tends to sound nice on just about anything in that range (neutral to warm/neutral). Of course, these are all my opinions. 

Sound Impressions 

*Note: before I deep dive into the sound quality of the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition, I first want to preface a few things of mild importance relating to my experience with this set. First off, I did conduct a lengthy burn-in of about three and a half days. I can tell you that I was hoping that the slight bit of metallic BA timbre would sand down a hair and that is exactly what happened. So, I do believe it makes sense to burn this set in. I can’t tell you how long it took to reduce the metallic tinge. I also used the “Red” nozzle for all critical listening too. Next, I listen entirely with flac or better files (some MP3) which are stored on my devices. The Android music player of my choice is mainly UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) as well as Hiby Music Player, and for a few daps I have to use Eddict Player. For all critical listening I used KBear 07 eartips and I used the included 4.4 balanced cable as well.

What’s It Sound Like? 

Thankfully I was able to spend quite a bit of time with the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition. Something I try to achieve for every review. You can rest assured that I will always try to get as much time with every product as I possibly can before I unleash my thoughts upon you. What I found was that the My Lin is actually a more controlled, slightly refined, and less fatiguing version of the MS2 Pro. Not that the MS2 Pro was a super fatiguing set either. That touch of added low-end muscle certainly makes a difference. Just a pinch more low-end warmth to contrast the moderately boosted upper mids and treble. A bit better balance you could say. In truth, there is not much which separates the MS2 Pro and the My Lin sonically. Now, I’ve gone back and forth about what sound signature I would call the My Lin. I’ve broken it down to a “mild V-shaped” signature with a definite emphasis on the low-end as well as the upper mids. 

A “Fun” Sound First

I find the My Lin to have serious dynamic energy, yet it maintains solid note control. It’s a fun sound first. This set is here to move your feet, bob your head to, and it comes close to an all-rounder style sound. There are little variables and caveats which push it away from that “all-rounder” distinction, but it’s certainly in the ballpark. Great for a high budget set and for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the iem space. You really can’t go wrong. Unless you are ridiculously sensitive to upper mid energy or unless you detest an authoritative bass. Again, it’s a fun sound. You aren’t going to get a perfect audiophile crystalline sound, and you aren’t getting the most acutely focused details. What you are getting with the My Lin is macro-clarity, good macro-dynamic energy, solid dynamic balance, and nice timbre for a high-budget iem. 

Timbre / Tonality 

In my opinion I’d say that the My Lin is right around warm/neutral in tonal coloration. You have plenty of bass presence and plenty of contrasting top end emphasis too. So, to my ears, if the frequency were to be rolled into a ball the final tonal color would likely be around warm/neutral. As far as timbre, I hear a sound that leans organic, with a smoother overall presentation along with just a touch of natural crispness using the red nozzle. Certainly nothing artificially boosted and no glaring razor blade highs. The Musical/Analytical split is probably 60/40% and so it definitely has a more musicality, emotional engagement, and flow driven sound. However, the My Lin doesn’t completely lack technical ability. It’s actually fairly decent for such a tuning. Much of that is a product of the nice note control, natural transients, and solid enough note definition. However, nobody is going to call this set a “technical beast” anytime soon. Unless you are coming from a set completely devoid of any technical skills. The My Lin simply wasn’t tuned to be that and Hidizs basically told us so. Still, pretty good for a musicality-first tuning. All things considered, the Hidizs My Lin is a well-tuned iem for anyone who prizes a half emotionally charged sound with a penchant for decent precision. For under $100 you cannot go wrong folks. 

Note Weight 

Note weight comes across as semi-rich to my ears. Not lush, and not too thinned-out either. Nicely weighted with a smoother cadence, more rhythmic than it is sterile or robotic. I happen to love that. Nevertheless, this set also does provide some crispness when a track calls for it though. Nothing with ultra note bite, and you won’t have those perfectly sculpted glass-lined notes, perfect surface textures, or edge defining knife-edged crispness. But clarity doesn’t suffer either, which is a huge plus. Definitely you’ll hear some very nice and clear macro-details with micro-details coming through easier and more discernable when listening to less intense, less bass focused, or less complicated tracks. Considering the tuning, I hear decent to good note separation as well provided from the My Lin’s mild airiness, fairly clean note articulation, and moderate brilliance. 

Good to Have Options… 

That all said, you can obviously swap tuning nozzles and go with the white nozzle if you want even more of a clarity-rich and crisp sound and a slightly more articulate and transparent tuning. Not worlds better, but better than the red and black nozzle when it comes to analytical bias. Of course, the tuning also gains some extra brilliance too, keep that in mind. On the flip side, if you would much rather have a warmer and smoother sound altogether, then I’d suggest going with the black nozzle. A touch more bass presence adds a meatier sonic delivery, more bass heft, richer, and the elastic fatiguing. I actually like each nozzle. I have a preference towards the red “balanced” nozzle, but they are all simple variations of the same sound. As I spoke about earlier. It’s good to have options folks. To add to that, eartips do make a difference with this set as wide-bore shallow fit tips will increase the perceivable brilliance up top and the sound will come across a hair airier and more open. Also, I noticed that with some solid narrow-bore tips, like the dark gray tips in the packaging, the My Lin will sound a touch punchier, and a touch more robust down low while the highs will be somewhat attenuated. However, doing so will add other issues to the sound like a less refined with less concise perceivable transient response, it’ll sound smoother, and slightly more bodied too but details and separation will slightly take a hit. So once again you have plenty of options for further tuning of this set to fit your preferences. 

Not For Everyone 

The reason you are even seeing this review is because I enjoy this set. If I didn’t like the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition… I can promise you… I wouldn’t be reviewing them. Let’s just get that out of the way. However, I feel that I must add this section in just about every review anymore because the header is true, the My Lin is not going to be for everyone. Everyone on planet earth is different and each of us have our own ideas of what “good” sounds like. I already told you, anyone who desires a bass which sits in the background, rolled-off, and less bullish will want to sit this one out. Anyone who is a straight-up analytical head who dreams of perfect details, scalpel-like instrument separation, and ultra finite subtleties rising to the surface will also probably not dig the My Lin as much. I’d even say anyone who wants a more laid back tuning, easy going, less energetic will also not enjoy this set too much. Furthermore, folks, the My Lin has a mountain of qualified and awesome iems to compete with. The $75-$100 price point has no shortage of solidly tuned iems making the My Lin’s journey to success that much harder. Hidizs had to really pull out all the stops on this one and really did a solid job of correcting subtle subjective “issues” that some folks tended to have with the MS2 Pro. The good brands listen. Coincidentally, it’s also the brands who listen and adapt that stick around. Let’s check out each 3rd of the mix… 

Bass Region 

The low-end of the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition is without a doubt its backbone, its foundation, and arguably the bass region is also the focus of this set. Now, the upper midrange certainly has a thing or two to say about that, but it’s close. This is a bass which has the authority and bullish boom to really drive home those satisfying Hip-Hop bass drops, the mean and guttural bass guitar riffs, or a big full-bodied kick drum. Big enough to be considered a robust bass set, but not big enough to call the My Lin “basshead”. There’s a clear distinction because the My Lin is simply too dynamically balanced, and I don’t believe a 10-11 dB bass shelf will ever be a basshead iem. Not quite anyways. However, the bass region is actually fairly well behaved for its size too which is nice to hear. I’d call the bass reasonably well controlled per its class. It carries a warm and more musical sound, fairly well textured too, with a transient response which leans taut & punchy rather than slow & atmospheric. One thing I noticed was that the bass doesn’t smear as much as one might think for an under $100 iem with a bigger bass. You’ll have some masking happening at times, and no it won’t resolve every last bass detail, but it stays rhythmically controlled and can hit note to note in a pretty succinct manner. I hear nothing weak… ever. Nothing pillowy either. Note edges keep a cleaner edge, for the most part. So it’s quite nice for the emphasis. I should also add that the bass does bleed into the midrange adding weight and warmth creating a more organic sound. 

Sub-Bass 

The sublevels of the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition have the full-bodied haptic drive and force to come across palpable. Not the type to smear the mid-bass to a detrimental effect yet juddering enough to reach deep into the sub region. I notice a pretty clear distinction from the mid-bass as well, for the cost and for the tuning. Let’s not kid ourselves though, the sub-bass isn’t going to equal much pricier sets, but against similarly tuned iems at a similar cost you’ll notice that Hidizs tuned a very solid sub-bass which fits the overall theme of the tuning nicely. I enjoy it a lot. “Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose” by Father John Misty absolutely slays on this set. Those low synth notes carry that dark and deep haptic reverb and clean resonance which sounds foundational, cornerstone type of sublevel weight. The bonus is that the sub-bass has a very clean release. This is no small thing folks. I’d say transients are natural in decay, not ultra-fast or anything, but each note is clean. Most budget sets have that floating fuzz outlining deeper and more bulbous notes. Not the My Lin. Again, deep, palpable, textured, but also very dense too. The type of sub-bass which always has that dark vibrant presence. 

Mid-Bass 

The mid-bass is much the same in that it has that authoritative presence which favors a musical sound, it’s very warm, and the mid-bass has some solid prominence which bleeds just enough into the mids and always makes its presence felt. Well, depending on the recording. No doubt the mid-bass will provide added warmth across the mix, though it was smartly tuned not to veil and not so much that levity and vibrance sounds attenuated. I’d call the mid-bass “just-above-moderate” in overall emphasis which is something that I was personally hoping for. The type which adds character to the tuning, some engagement factor, and the type which can really deliver a full-bodied kick drum boom in a fairly clean manner. Just like the sub-bass, the mid-bass has a natural decay, clean enough note body, and has some healthy slam when called upon. I can tell you for sure that I don’t hear anything even remotely sloppy. This was important to me. Perhaps too much for some folks but well controlled per its size and weight. Notes have a satisfying body, they are dense, rigid, and better defined than one may think. To add to that, complex tracks actually come across nicely. Certainly not as snappy as a less emphasized bass region and not as textured as some planar sets, but it has texture and some good stop-and-go dynamic thrust. Notes are rounded, they have substance, and I don’t hear anything weak in this region either. All things considered (price, class, tuning), Hidizs did a fine job creating a fun and musical sound and the mid-bass has a lot to do with that. 

Downsides to the Bass Region 

Of course, the number one “issue” for some people would be the emphasis afforded to the bass region. This will always be a problem for some. Many folks will see 10-11 db bass shelf and stop reading altogether. I expect that. Not everyone wants a foundational style bass, plain and simple. They don’t want a bass that has that authoritative presence and focus. I was just listening to a set which really doesn’t have much focus at all and I adore the sound, so I get it. The My Lin’s bass region will mask some frequencies, and it will blur some finer lines. Any time you have a bigger bass it will be a problem for clarity. Everything in this hobby is a give and take, a push and pull, expansion and contraction. What I like is how well Hidizs measured that warmth, the push, the body, and the weight and how well they contrasted that warmth in the upper regions. I suppose I could also add in straight up surefire BASSHEADS. I mean, actual, straight-up bulbous-bass-loving fans who desire nothing less than ear tickling rumble and eye googling slam. Thankfully, the bass on the My Lin is not that, even with the Black nozzle. I think Hidizs did a solid job of tuning this set to be very rhythmic with a fluidity that fosters that musicality-first sound and that begins in its foundation…the bass. 

Midrange 

Before I listened to the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition I was really hoping that Hidizs was going to further expound upon what they did on the MS2 Pro but just dial the energy back a hair. Well, it turns out that in a way they did just that. I actually find the midrange of this set to be much better than its predecessor. Better balanced tonally, with better tone control, slightly richer note body, and simply more musical and harmonious. This is a midrange (using the red nozzle) that carries a touch of warmth, with a smoother demeanor, a more wave-like rhythm and flow. That said, you’ll also hear some nice crispness when called upon and some nice articulation of the nuances in music. As always, I have to caveat that with… “for the tuning”. I hear a semi-rich note body, definitely musical over analytical, and rarely becomes glaring with the red nozzle. The mids are also in a good spot within the sound field coming across not too forward and not overtly recessed either. Maybe the low-mids show some recession, but I’ll cover that in a bit. Expect a warm/neutral tone color and organic style timbre which is ever-so-slightly colored from the bass warmth. Hidizs did a solid job of walking that thin line where there’s enough warmth to add body & adding some richness without veiling the mix, sanding down the finer note edges too much, or mixing (smearing) notes. I do hear good enough separation and openness for distinct enough instruments & vocals too. Also, the mids just sound good. Vocals sound more moistened than dry, and the mids carry some prominent enough presence in relation to the cost and tuning style. No this midrange is not a technical dynamo, and no, the My Lin’s midrange won’t attract detail trackers. But it will satisfy those who enjoy a mellifluous sound for less than $100.

Lower-Midrange 

The lower midrange is one which is mildly elevated, it is generally warm, fairly rich in body, giving lower register male vocalists some fullness and instruments a more natural sounding timbre. There is a touch more of a recession in the lower midrange as opposed to the rest of the mids, which should go without saying. Typically, it’s the lower midrange which suffers in most modern tunings. However, a well-tuned set can make up for lack of prominence with solid enough presence. Yes, there’s a difference. One way to do that is to add body without making the low mids sound mushy, or veiled. Hidizs accomplished just that with the My Lin and it shows on just about any male lead track that I play in my “Vocals” playlist. Seriously, listen to “Heavy Hearts” by Syml and tell me that this set doesn’t sound awesome in this region. Sure, you won’t have the most prolific and laser focused crispness, but you do have harmoniously-melodious-musicality. Yes, I just said that and I’m not taking it back. His vocals sound flat out great. Of course, they sound great with most sets. Still, there is a good mix of fullness and intelligibility along with some nice resolution (for a warm/smooth sound) and a natural transient response which doesn’t lag, or congest, or feather notes. It’s actually quite clean folks. Instruments tend to do the same. No, you won’t have that satisfying edginess on strings all the time, among other instruments. And some instruments won’t sound quite as forward or accurate as some would like. Be that as it may, those who value tone, weight, and tunefulness over clinical neutrality and crystalline lightning quick transients should enjoy this region well enough. 

Upper-Midrange 

The upper mids were intentionally held back, not quite tamed, but less intense. Make no mistake there is still plenty of vibrant energy adding some pretty exuberant macro-dynamics and some solid tonal contrast too. Using the red nozzle, I find that the My Lin doesn’t cross that harsh barrier for me. Maybe some folks will disagree, but I’m very happy with how well the upper-mids turned out. Definitely more forward, more present, and better articulated than their low-mid counterpart, and yet still not dry with a glazing of moistness adding body to female vocalists. There’s some nice immediacy in transient decay and fantastic clarity in this region yet somewhat softened or less prickly than some brighter tuned sets. I hear zero metallic cheap BA timbre at all along with solid note definition and note contour. I have enjoyed weeks of female vocals with this set and have many notes and examples. One of those is “Vanish Into You” by Lady Gaga. My word does she sound awesome with the My Lin in my ears! So well controlled, even in her more rambunctious moments. Another is actually a male, Benson Boone in “Beautiful Things”. A voice which easily becomes grainy and fizzy when he’s belting out the chorus, but in the My Lin his voice remains disciplined and his screaming never sounds shrill. Also, less intense vocalists like Norah Jones in “Don’t Know Why”. Friends, she sounds feather soft and tonally velvet with this wonderful, embossed clarity sounding salient and pronounced. Honestly, the upper mids are easily one of my favorite aspects of this tuning. 

Downsides to the Midrange 

The main downside of this midrange is its subtle lack of neutral clarity and resolve, the occasional masking of notes from the low-end, and it’s simply not the best for analytical style critical listening. This is a budget set and one thing you should expect on a bass pronounced tuning is some smudging of transient detail and separation. There is definitely less micro-detail resolution and less fine-lined and clean-lined openness than some may like too. Of course, this is a problem with all warmly rendered musicality-first sets. Or at least a potential problem. Also, while I praised this set for its glare control, there are moments when brighter tracks will sound a hair too exaggerated and fatiguing. I honestly don’t find it to be a problem, but I know the consumer landscape in this audio game, and I know sensitive listeners will probably have a slight issue. However, to me the mids are exactly as they should be. There’s only so many ways to tune a set when you have that richness and warmth and when you have a more musically engaging sound. In fact, I don’t think I spoke enough about how nicely engaging this midrange can sound as well as emotionally charged it can sound. Not bad at all. 

Treble Region 

The Hidizs My Lin Special Edition’s treble region is one of semi-brilliance, one which aids the sound in sparkle, and one which “generally” doesn’t cause massive offense to the ears of hobbyists. For a high-budget iem ($75-$100) the treble is one of the most difficult areas to get right and if a brand can tune the treble to sparkle, yet not cause fatigue, then you can have the “possibility” for a reasonably well-balanced sound. Dynamically, the treble region has some push, some energy, and has some gusto. Forgive me for using the word “gusto”, but also… I’m not wrong. It has some sprightly energy which is able to uplift and provide levity to not just the treble, but also the midrange and it’s well able to contrast the heavier bass very-very well. Enough brilliance trickles down to midrange notes aiding percussions with some subtle snap, some pop, and gives upper midrange plucked strings the sweet abrasive edge needed to sound somewhat legitimate or vocal inflections to come across resounding when needed. The lift is modest but also needed for a dynamically expressive sound. Stuff like treble harmonics are perceived to have (what I’d call) a gentle lift, nothing too pervasive or rambunctious. The upper treble is extended to the point of adding some solid non-glassy shimmer, a sense of openness, and nothing sounds dry or brittle. However, this treble doesn’t sound nearly as composed without the lift in the low-end and vice-versa. Hidizs tuned this set nicely and the treble is a huge part of that tonal dance. 

Timbre

As far as the actual treble timbre, I hear a smoother cadent flow, not choppy, not tizzy, and after burn-in (yes, “burn-in”) I don’t hear any metallic tinge cresting treble notes. The treble carries a tempered edge to notes, slightly sanded down, less biting but still somewhat crystalline. Of course, some tracks will defy what I’m saying, making me a liar, but for the most part the treble timbre is closer to natural than anything else. Certainly, it isn’t artificially boosted. Hidizs made the wise decision of not seeking out perceived details by spiking the upper treble which definitely buffers some sting. This all helps the timbre to stay in the organic zone. Fluidity and rhythmicity are maintained while providing a touch of crispness and sparkle. More like controlled crispness with minimal bite and also minimal glare. I suppose what I’m saying is that the treble timbre is good for me. Not perfect, and not at all created to make treble heads jump for joy. Though I also feel that the treble will not be a huge issue for those who simply want a good casual listening iem for the cost. That’s what this all comes down to anyways. Can I listen for long periods of time with some good energy which doesn’t skew the timbre too badly and without spikes of sharpness? I’d say the answer is yes for the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition treble. 

Technical Stuff

Of course, to keep the treble somewhat composed, not harsh, not overtly brightened, to keep the treble within that organic zone and to make sure the overall tonal balance isn’t skewed bright and inorganic, Hidizs had to make sure that the treble wasn’t so boosted and skewed bright. They wanted to make sure the My Lin kept its musical theme, its persona. Of course, this also means that some subtleties (details) might take a small hit up top. Again, this is a smoother treble overall, but I find that Hidizs actually tuned this BA to be nicely crisp and clean. I hear clean treble transitions as well as a pretty airy sound, decent note separation, and transients which are anything but slow. I find that treble imaging comes with intelligible placement of instruments (providing the track isn’t too chaotic) as well as a sense of layering, front to back dimensional cues, and just enough note defining bite. While the My Lin’s treble won’t win any awards for its detailed retrieval, or any technical skills for that matter, you also aren’t missing much up top folks. This is a high-budget iem that’s tuned musicality-first, so none of us should expect analytical precision. Just don’t be surprised when you are hearing some of those finer micro details. Not bad at all Hidizs. 

Downsides to the Treble Region 

I feel that the number one complaint of the My Lin treble region will come from those who prize treble brilliance over everything else. Obviously treble heads will not find the My Lin to be especially amazing up top. Even with the brighter White Nozzle. So, there are those who will judge this set harshly because it doesn’t fit their preferences. I could say that the My Lin will not walk step-in-step with more analytically inclined iems within its class when it comes to detail retrieval, separation, and fine-lined clarity. Another small note that I made was concerning poorly recorded or poorly mastered tracks and hearing a touch of metallic glare and even some very-very slight sibilance. However, I am grasping for straws here. Honestly, I hate to jot down issues with a set that was never promised to be a technical master to begin with. Hidizs never told us that. They created what they said they were creating. They didn’t say in their promotional material that the My Lin was meant for fine-tuned critical listening. What they did say is that the My Lin Special Edition was crafted and tuned for everyday listening and musicality. They made what they said they were making. Of course, you’ll get reviewers complaining about top end lack of resolve. This is where I shake my head. 

Technicalities 

Soundstage 

The soundstage presentation of the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition is what I’d call “good”. I would not call the stage compressed, congested, narrow, or cramped. This set actually has nice width, natural height, and decent depth of field. I wouldn’t say that the My Lin’s soundstage is going to be life altering for you, it isn’t that awe inspiring and grandiose. It’s a solid stage folks. It has an actual dimensional feel to it. You can hear just enough front to back depth, and the width is actually quite nice. I’d say the sound is somewhat open, there’s air to the sound, and while I wouldn’t say the stage is “holographic”, I would label the stage nuanced and nicely laid-out. 

Separation / Imaging 

Instrument separation is not a “strength” of the My Lin’s repertoire, but I’d still call it above average for its price and class. The My Lin has discernable separation of instruments and vocals, easy enough to hear. I certainly haven’t heard anything which sparked a red flag. Also, nothing sounds blatantly congested, unless I am listening to a heavy bass track or a very-very complex recording. Those are the only two ways the My Lin seems to lack perfect instrument separation. Of course, same with every other set in the price range that isn’t analytically tuned. The My Lin is clean enough, natural transients, an airy enough sound too, so all in all, it’s pretty good. Imaging on the other hand is pretty great for a two driver iem under $100. You can only ask so much out of these sets and I gotta say, I really find the My Lin Special Edition to be quite good at placement of instruments. Even more, there is some layering happening in tracks which carry those front to back layers of sound. 

Detail Retrieval 

When it comes to detail retrieval, I’d pretty much say the same thing I’ve been saying. That is, the My Lin Special Edition is better than I thought it would be in uncovering or illuminating finer details within my music. However, I also know what to expect from a set that is not a very expensive iem (in comparison with other iems on the market) and wasn’t tuned to resolve every last detail. Again, you can only expect so much. This set is musicality focused, musicality-first, with a richer environment (for the most part) and so I have zero reason to think it’d do a decent job… but it does. Don’t expect top shelf details but do expect that in less bass heavy tracks and less complicated tracks that details will come through rather well. Probably above average for its class ($75-$100).

Genres

As always, I try to include what genres that each product would possibly sound better with, and which ones might not come across as well. The kicker is that these are my opinions. You may have totally different feelings about this subject. Also, it’s kind of a crap shoot in that; even in the genres that I feel works well with this set there will be tracks which defy that. Vice-versa for genres which typically don’t sound as good. There will be tracks which sound fantastic. We reviewers like to be the end-all-be-all of sonic understanding and if you ask me, reviewers tend to do that far too often. Meaning, what a reviewer hears and thinks is the correct thing to hear and think. I don’t buy that, not from me or anyone else. We give opinions. So, the opinion that I have is that the My Lin Special Edition is close to an all-rounder for its class. However, in my “opinion” the My Lin Special Edition definitely seems to excel in a handful of genres and simply doesn’t do quite as well with others. Let’s check it out. 

Genres Which Work 

To begin, any genre which typically carries bass driven sound is going to work with this set or anything vocal forward is going to work. I think the genres which don’t quite work as well are any genres which require that neutral-natural, flat balanced, or extremely detailed sound. However, we will cover the less solid genres in a moment. I can tell you that the My Lin sounds especially awesome with vocal-forward Singer-Songwriter stuff, Acoustic music typically does well too. I love Rock with this set. That is, any Rock. Alternative, Progressive, Classic, you name it. I like Metal with this set too. Now, there are caveats to that, but many Metal tracks come across great. Stuff like Country music or Folks tends to always do well. R&B sounds very ambient, soulful, groovy. Hip-Hop is its bread and butter along with hard EDM stuff, Synth pop music. Lastly, most Pop music in general seems to come across like a good match, most of the time. 

Genres Which Don’t Work Quite as Well

I had a harder time convincing myself of what genres don’t sound quite as good and I barely agree with myself on some of these, but here we go. Jazz and Blues are actually enjoyable for me, but those airy and highly detailed recordings do suffer. Granted, it has the soul, the richness for Jazz, but it misses on some tracks when it comes to the intricacies. Also, some Metal just doesn’t quite get there for me. There are moments when I wish I had a touch better extension, and more of an edge to the sound up top. Not perfectly satisfying I would say. The last example I would give would be Classical or Orchestral, whatever you want to call it. Especially for “audiophile” purists who live to hear that micro-detailed dynamic shading or those subtle textures, the ultra-airy ambience, and the stage height vertically layer a bit better which I feel is mandatory for Orchestral, for me anyway. You may feel different. At any rate, agree or not, these are the genres that I generally feel either work or don’t work quite as well. For the record, I don’t find that the My Lin Special Edition is bad with any genre. Again, very close to an all-rounder style tuning and only lacking a bit of focused articulation and nuance. Great for the cost though. 

Last Words on the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition 

Another review in the books and another Hidizs set that I feel is a solid purchase. I really feel that the My Lin is a set that you cannot go wrong with unless you really detest bass or you absolutely NEED top class detail retrieval and a very clinical, crystalline, and analytical style tuning. I think that Hidizs did make the necessary changes to the tuning from the MS2 Pro and really did a solid job in making a set that most people can plug and play with. Furthermore, Hidizs also upgraded this set in many other categories as well. Like, the design. I think the design went from ultra minimalist to absolutely dope. Or, in the unboxing experience. Friends, I realize that this is a special edition set, but the unboxing is night and day from the MS2 Pro. Shoot, I gave the MS2 Pro high marks for the unboxing. I give the My Lin Special Edition extremely high marks not just against other Hidizs sets under $100, but against the market of under $100 sets. Of course, it’s the sound difference which really makes me want to give Hidizs a huge KUDOS! Really, good Hidizs for listening to the public, for keeping their ear on the pulse of the hobby, and for being willing to change things up. Also, the fact that they went with a theme which is original and followed that theme until the end is quite awesome. I think so anyways. 

Competition 

Again, this set will not be for everyone in the hobby. To add to that, the hobby is absolutely inundated with awesome $75-$100 iems. Let’s face it, the My Lin’s greatest struggle has always been against the market. I didn’t have time for comparisons, but I can tell you that it didn’t matter. I actually did a lot of comparing in my time with this set and I felt that it always came down to “package-to-performance” because so many sets performed admirably against the My Lin Special Edition. Granted, I do not think any set similarly tuned is flat-out and hands-down better than this set. Really, going side-by-side against the best in the price point. From my perspective. That is, “similarly tuned” iems which are primarily musically engaging, richer than they are clinical, bass focused, vibrant, and semi V-shaped iems, you aren’t going to hear anything that makes the My Lin Special Edition obsolete. Obviously, I can find sets which aren’t tuned similarly which trounce the My Lin in detail retrieval, some have larger and more cavernous sound stage presentations, and some basshead sets have a bigger and deeper bass presence. However, for what the My Lin Special Edition is, it is very good. Will it fit your preferences? Maybe, maybe not. With all of that said and as solid as the My Lin is, there are still many iems which compete very well against them sonically. So, it then may come down to other factors like design, like unboxing etc. The My Lin checks all of the boxes from package, to build, to aesthetic design, to tuning. If it isn’t an all-rounder sonically, it is definitely an all-rounder when it comes to those attributes. Oh yeah, this set is an easy rec for me. Of course. Nice job Hidizs. 

Conclusion 

To conclude my full review and feature on the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition I first have to thank Hidizs who made this feature possible. I will forever enjoy working with these awesome people. Friends, I have only had good experiences with Hidizs. From day one, years ago, Hidizs has only asked one thing of me, and that is to be honest with them and honest in my review. They’ve never hounded me to get a review out in time, and they’ve never asked me to change words to fit an agenda. Of course, if that ever happened it would be the end of that. However, they’ve never done even one thing underhanded with me, and I give them all the props. Thank you Hidizs. I also have to thank you, the reader. Thank you so very much for clicking the link and spending time here. Thank you! It’s you who keeps mobileaudiophile.com in the Google search results and even somewhat relevant. I’m all about thanks right now and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. 

Other Perspectives

Now that you’ve spent your time reading my lengthy review, I implore you to check out other thoughts from other reviewers. This is of huge importance, especially considering the price point. Make sure to read, listen to, or watch other opinions. I’m only one-man folks and I am not infallible, nor am I the end-all-be-all of reviews. There are so many talented reviewers who have valid and great impressions. So please check out other thoughts. With that, I think I’m ready to end my review of the Hidizs My Lin Special Edition. Please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!

My Lin Pros

-Price-to-performance 

-Unboxing experience is great

-Built like a tank with all zinc alloy, mirror polished, and seemingly durable

-A very nice looking iem. Great aesthetics. Flat-out dope faceplates! 

-Three sets of tuning nozzles which each portray the tuning slightly differently 

-The My Lin fits my ears very well, comfortable for long listening 

-Highly immersive and engaging sound for its class & cost

-Authoritative bass region, deep rumbles, haptic energy, and solid slam without clouding or veiling the mix

-Midrange is built on musicality-first, clean, vocals are great (especially females) 

-Treble has solid brilliance while remaining relatively non-offensive 

-For the engaging tuning details come through rather well

-Imaging is spot on

-Nice soundstage, open, airy, and decent enough depth of field

My Lin Cons

-Mild lower midrange warmth, and slight recession can hide some clarity

-While the fit is great for me, the My Lin is not a typical iem build and may present some issues

-Straight audiophiles who desire a reference neutral sound will be disappointed 

-Can become slightly peaky in brighter tracks

-Micro-details are solid for a musical, warm, and bassy tuning but nowhere near class leading analytically tuned iems. 

-Nice focus in the low-end but not for bassheads