Hidizs H2 Portable Bluetooth DAC/AMP Review: Cute Little Performer!!
In 2020 many brands have jumped right into the market of portable Bluetooth DAC/AMP market as the demand is increasing day by day. They provide an easy alternative for big or hefty digital audio players on the go and can provide excellent sound quality performance connected to our smartphones as a source. Famous products in this category include FiiO’s BTR5, BTR3k, and more. Today I am gonna review such a Bluetooth DAC/AMP from Hidizs, the Hidizs H2.
The Hidizs H2 is a tiny little device equipped with Qualcomm’s latest CSR8675 Bluetooth chip and a powerful MAX97220 amplifier chip. It can be connected to a smartphone in either Bluetooth or with USB Type-C as a USB DAC. It supports high-resolution Bluetooth codecs such as UAT, LDAC, AptX HD, and many more offering consistent performance with the best quality possible. The H2 can also be connected to PC/Laptops as a USB DAC too. So, let’s begin with today’s unboxing and review.
Disclaimer:-
The Hidizs H2 has been provided to me by HiFiGo for the purpose of this review. I am not paid or affected by any means to write positive or negative about the pair. All impressions in this review are completely my own based on my usage of the device. You can buy the Hidizs H2 from HiFiGo from the link below.
Packaging & Accessories:-
I requested HiFiGo to send me only the unit and bundled accessories as that will make the package smaller and reduce the chances of heavy custom charges on the shipment. So I received only the Hidizs H2 along with its bundled plastic case, User Guide, a Hidizs branded short Type-C to Type-C cable, and a USB-B to USB-C long cable for connecting it to PCs and Laptops. You can check out the unboxing video of Hidizs H2 on HiFiGo’s YouTube channel below.
Package contents:-
>Hidizs H2 Bluetooth DAC/AMP.
>USB Type-C to Type-C short connector cable.
>USB Type-B to Type-C connector cable.
>User guide.
Build Quality & Design:-
I never believed the Hidizs H2 would be such a tiny little device. It is so small that it makes my hands holding it look gigantic. The body has a shiny mirror finish on the front and back. It has Hidizs and H2 branding logo’s on the back with a small description on the back. On the front, we just have an NFC logo at the bottom. The 3.5mm headphone output and microphone are located on top of the device. We also have volume controls on one side and the power button along with RGB led indicator on the other side of the Hidizs H2. It weighs only 12gms and fits perfectly in the bundled plastic clip case.
The device looks quite well-built. In fact, it is very easy to carry around due to its feather-like light-weight and small size. It even fits in my IEM and EarBud cases along with the earphones.
Connectivity:-
The H2 can be connected to smartphones in two ways, Wireless Bluetooth connection, and USB DAC method. I would suggest connecting earphones before turning the device on as it provides voice commands for pairing and other functions. When the Blue light blinks quickly it means the H2 is in pairing mode(It also provides the voice command for the same), you can search for it in your phone’s Bluetooth menu. It will come by its name “Hidizs H2” in the Bluetooth menu. Just click on it and it gets paired instantly. For USB DAC, just connect it using a USB cable to your smartphone or PC, and voila you are done. I tested it with iPhone 11 via Bluetooth connection and to my laptop via USB DAC method. I also connected it to my Cayin N3 Pro and tried it with UAT wireless codec.
While I was initially not able to pair it up easily, reading the provided user guide helped me easily. You just have to hold down the power on button while turning it on to put the device into pairing mode and it will be there into your Bluetooth menu. For friends with NFC supporting smartphones such as Samsung Note 9, and more. It is super easy, just put it in pairing mode and put touch the H2 to the back of your smartphone and it will instantly prompt you to pair. The connection is strong for about 9-10 meter range, on UAT and LDAC it surely drops down a bit. But I never experienced any kind of lag or stutters during my usage over the past week.
Driving Power:-
The Hidizs H2 is meant for casual usage with your low-impedance IEMs and earbuds. It powers FiiO FD5, NiceHCK EBX21 easily without any trouble. But for something like the KBear Believe that shines with some extra power the Hidizs H2 surely lacks some dynamics even at full volume. In my experience, it would be sufficient for IEMs with a low impedance of around 16-32 ohms and high sensitivity(100+dB/mW).
Battery Life:-
I find the Hidizs H2 for last for about 6-7 hours on a single charge connected to my iPhone 11 AAC codec. Most of the time I used NiceHCK EBX21 with it at around 70% volume on my smartphone. I don’t find it less as the device quickly charges up too(1-1.5h max).
RGB Indicator:-
There’s a multi-color RGB indicator light near the power button on the side of the Hidizs H2. It glows with different colors denoting different frequency rates and charging notifications for the device.
>Flashing Red light: Charging.
>Constant Red light: charging complete.
>Blue Flashing light quickly: Pairing mode.
>Constant Blue: Paired successfully.
>Green flashing: 44.1kHz-48kHz.
>Blue flashing: 88.2kHz-192kHz(LDAC & UAT).
Sound Quality:-
Most of my listening session with the Hidizs H2 is done connected with the iPhone 11 via Bluetooth connection. I find the Hidizs H2 to present a natural response to the connected earphones. I never felt any kind of coloration by the H2 in any of the tested IEMs. The EBX21 showed a natural tonality with a wide soundstage presentation. FD5 showed a punchy, lively sound output. The output is pretty clean, there’s no background noise or distortion of any kind with any of the pairings.
The lower end sounds extended well with good texture and speed. It provides ample power to both the FD5 to produce a deep punchy bass response. Though the power is not enough for Believe and it actually sounds slightly bloated lacking dynamics. The mid-presentation is pretty clean and transparent. They are presented with a rich natural tonality, not coloring them at all. If your connected IEM has thin mids, it will sound thin, if it has lush vocals they are gonna sound lush. The treble frequencies, here again, sound transparent and detailed. It provides ample power for IEMs and earbuds to retrieve good details from the treble frequencies. It doesn’t color them to sound bright or warm either.
One thing that is important here is that with UAT(a specially designed high-resolution codec by HiBy) that supports high-resolution up to 192kHz bitrate streaming over Bluetooth connections, the H2 provides ultimate crisp clarity and high-quality sound output over wireless connections. When I played the same song through my N3 pro using the UAT codec, the output was crispier and cleaner than with the AAC codec on Apple Music.
Mic Quality:-
I find the Mic quality to be quite good. I clip it using the included protective case to my shirt and never faced any voice drop issues over calls.
Final Verdict:-
The Hidizs H2 here is a fantastic little device with a natural approach to our music. With high-resolution Bluetooth connectivity, the H2 brings a new life to my music enjoyment. Ever since I got it I have it connected to my iPhone 11 most of the time and I am always listening to the Apple Music library. The only drawback with the H2 is its limited amplification power that only limits its usage to IEMs and earbuds, otherwise, this is a perfect product for music enjoyment on the go. I would like to thank HiFiGo for sending me the Hidizs H2 for the purpose of this review. You can buy it from their store here.
