Chinese Hidizs is located in Hong Kong and has been producing quite interesting audio equipment for about ten years, such as this new A80 PRO-X portable media player.
Of course, not everything labeled as ‘Made in China’ is junk. There are several brands that have been bringing hifi and high-end stuff to the market with passion and expertise for many years. What often stands out is that the prices of equipment from those regions are significantly lower than in the West. This is also the case with the Hidizs A80 PRO-X portable media player. But make no mistake: for just $169, you get a lot of player. You can connect a range of headphones, or go for a wireless connection via Bluetooth. Inside, you’ll find a dual-DAC configuration. This allows you to play hi-res PCM, but DSD and the slowly becoming outdated MQA are also supported.
MicroSD
The Hidizs A80 PRO-X does not have its own internal flash memory. No problem, as you can easily insert a microSD card. The maximum storage capacity of which may be 512 GB, plenty enough for many hours of music. A built-in battery provides up to 11 hours of playtime, 8 hours if you use balanced headphones. Finally, the A80 PRO-X can also be used as a portable DAC, for example in combination with a laptop, tablet, or phone. All in all, a versatile little device and a great entry point to get acquainted with the phenomenon of portable hi-res music players.