The Hidizs XO is a single-ended & balanced dongle DAC. It features dual SABRE ES9219C DAC chips, MQA support and RGB lighting. It’s priced at $99 but you can get it for an introductory price of $89 from 12.15.22-12.21.22.
Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Hidizs for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are based on my experience with the product.
Hidizs XO
Design
Let’s start with the internals. Dual SABRE ES9219C DAC chips are at the heart of the Hidizs XO. They support up to 32bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD64/128/256. The dynamic range is +121dB and THD+N is -114dB. In addition, the XO does MQA 16x decoding so it’s ideal for Tidal Masters subscribers.
The XO’s chassis is made from lightweight aluminium and is available in 3 colours: black, silver and rose gold. It has 2 headphone outputs: a 3.5mm single-ended output plus a 2.5mm balanced output. Data input is done courtesy of a USB-C port on the bottom.
There are 2 buttons on the front of the device. The first X-shaped button controls the XO’s RGB LED lights. You can choose between a total of 15 lighting effects or you can turn the lights off completely. Unfortunately, if you want to turn the RGB lights off again you have to cycle through the whole range first.
The second circular button cycles between the 2 digital filters. Furthermore, this button has a sampling rate indicator LED that glows different colours depending on the current file being played.
With a power output of up to 195mW from the balanced output, the XO has a lot of power on tap. It can drive most IEMs and efficient full-sized headphones with ease. *However, note that the power draw is limited to 100mA on iPhones which might result in slightly lower output power.
Sound
The XO hosts the same ES9219C*2 chips as the Hidizs AP80 Pro X, so if you’ve heard that then you will have some idea of how the XO sounds. However, to my ears, the XO has a slightly warmer tilt, notably in the bass which carries a little added weight and girth.
Apart from a subtle lift in the bass, the XO has a neutral tonality with good end-to-end extension. Switching between the 2 digital filters yields no noticeable results and seems more of a gimmick than an actual feature.
The lows are textured and gritty. There’s no perceptible smoothing and despite being elevated, bass notes are agile and punchy. Instruments and vocals in the midrange have natural timbre and tone. Paired with some good IEMs, the midrange is resolving and detailed. Vocals sound articulate but smooth and there’s good spacing throughout the mids.
The XO has a crisp, neutral treble. It sounds natural and doesn’t get grainy or sharp. Treble notes have enough body so they don’t sound scratchy but at the same time, they’re spacious and airy.
I’m hearing good soundstage properties on the XO. The stage is slightly wider than average but still has good forward depth. As a result, the imaging is quite precise and with good earphones plugged in, the XO can facilitate the holographic placement of vocals and instruments.
Verdict
The Hidizs XO is a great-sounding DAC. That’s hardly surprising considering the quality of the S9 Pro and AP80 Pro X. It’s a good choice for anyone looking for a balanced dongle with MQA support and decent output power.
I’m on the fence regarding the RGB lighting but I’m sure there are plenty of listeners out there that would get a kick out of the disco lights. However, I think the filter button is unnecessary and some onboard volume or playback controls would be far more practical.
Save $10 now with the early bird price (offer ends 12.21.22).
Specifications
- Dimensions: 55*24.5*9.35mm
- DAC chip ESS SABRE ES9219C*2
- Transmission Interface: USB-C
- Output power: 78mW + 78mW@32Ω (3.5mm SE), 195mW + 195mW@32Ω (2.5mm balanced)
- SNR: 118dB (3.5mm), 119dB (2.5mm)
- MQA: 16X
- DSD: Native DSD64/128/256
- PCM: Support up to 384kHz/32bit
- Supported systems: Android, Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS, iOS
- Net weight: 11g