Introduction

Hidizs is an audio brand that's been around since 2009, which makes it one of the more established companies in the rapidly growing world of portable/pocket HiFi. Indeed, the founder proudly talks about fronting a rock band while in college and wanting to making on-the-go audio more accessible and affordable to everyone. This comes in the form of Hidizs developing and selling portable DAC/amps, dongles, DAPs, and even IEMs. Indeed, we took a look at the impressive Hidizs S9 Pro as part of this review and ideally I'd have had time to cover one each of the brand's IEMs and DAPs by now. But then the company representative reached out to me about a new venture in the making, and here we are today taking a look at the all new Hidizs XO portable DAC/amp, courtesy a review unit kindly sent to TechPowerUp!


If the title wasn't enough to get you to read further, then surely this title photo will! In an unexpected twist, Hidizs has managed to do to headphone DAC/amps what we've seen happen in the PC DIY space for a while now. The new XO portable DAC/amp has RGB LEDs that are there purely for aesthetics, and you can even select between static and dynamic lighting effects—I can already hear the comments being typed about this. What we can also tell is the Hidizs XO comes in three color options and offers both single-ended and balanced outputs, in addition to MQA support for those who care. We'll cover the XO in more detail today in this quick look article that begins with a look at the product specifications below, so be sure to click the image twice to fully open it and go through all the details.

Packaging and Accessories

Hidizs has already finished the retail packaging for the unit, and perhaps now is a good time to mention the Hidizs XO was originally slated to go on Kickstarter before the company changed its mind given how finished a product this already is at this stage. As such, it will be up on sale on the Hidizs website and its retail partners right away without any waiting period. Going back to the packaging, we see the use of a square-shaped box with a black base that has the company logo and product name on the front in addition to a render of the DAC/amp all lit up from the sides. On the back are more marketing features and some product specifications, which slightly differ from what's on the product page; perhaps this is a case of the product box being slightly out of date. I then noted my username on the side indicating this sample was made for me, and it's a sticker placed on a premium-feeling hard shell box that has the Hidizs logo and slogan on the top.


Another sticker on the side confirms the exact model and SKU inside, while also confirming a 2-piece design with the lid lifting up to reveal the Hidizs XO placed inside a plastic wrap and surrounded by foam, for protection on its way to you. I appreciated the tags used to help remove the DAC/amp as well as to gain access to the accessories seen underneath. There's paperwork in the form of a QC card, a note containing the unit's serial number, and another note which is simply a reminder to register for the company's VIP program to get news, updates, and a 5% discount code in your email inbox. There is no product manual available at this time, although the product page does a good job walking you through the features on board. Hidizs also includes a short and low-profile USB Type-C to Type-C cable here in addition to a Type-C to Type-A adapter, albeit one that doesn't match the cable well in design, to allow easy connectivity for this wired-only portable DAC/amp with Android phones and PCs/laptops. There is no Lightning cable provided, so you will need to supply your own OTG cable if you are on the iOS side of things.