Hidizs AP80 Pro Max review: Compact hi-fi player with big, audiophile-grade sound
Tiny body, huge sound: the Hidizs AP80 Pro Max fits in your palm but plays like a full-size hi-fi rig. Picture: Noel Campion.
After years of bouncing between Spotify and Apple Music, I finally ditched streaming services. I wanted control, so I digitised my old CD collection and started buying audio CDs again, ripping them in lossless formats and serving everything from a home NAS. It’s been liberating: no ads, no compression, no disappearing albums. I can now stream my collection from anywhere using my phone or, more often, a DAP (digital audio player). Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing the Hidizs AP80 Pro Max, a compact player with impressively big sound.
The AP80 Pro Max is built from precision-machined aluminium with glass panels on both sides, giving it a solid, premium feel that belies its size. The 2.95-inch HD touchscreen isn’t exactly spacious, and that’s one of my few complaints. While it’s bright and responsive, the small size makes navigation fiddly, especially when using a case. Still, it’s hard to stay mad when the device looks and feels this good in hand.
The layout is practical, with tactile playback buttons on the side and a large, well-crafted metal dial for volume control. If you push it, it acts as the power button. There's also a USB-C port at the bottom, and both a 3.5mm single-ended output (112 + 112mW @ 32ω) and a 4.4mm balanced output (380mW @ 32ω), which is a serious bonus at this price point. A microSD slot supports up to 2 TB, but I was able to fit my library on a 512GB card, which means I have lots of room to grow.
Under the hood, the AP80 Pro Max packs dual ES9219C DAC chips, delivering native DSD256 and 32-bit/384 kHz PCM playback. It handles 16× MQA decoding for those who use streaming services like Tidal’s studio masters.
The layout is practical, with tactile playback buttons on the side and a large, well-crafted metal dial for volume control.
The system runs HiBy OS, which is functional and music-focused. It’s not Android, so don’t expect to install Spotify or Apple Music, a definite downside if you live in those ecosystems. The only built-in streaming options are Tidal and Qobuz, both of which work well over Wi-Fi (2.4Ghz).
There’s Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC and aptX support, and it functions as both a receiver and a transmitter. That means you can stream music to it from your phone or use it as a Bluetooth DAC. It can also serve as a USB DAC for a laptop or phone, delivering high-end sound wherever you are. The player supports Apple AirPlay too, and I easily connected it to my amplifier to stream music from my iPhone — super convenient.
Battery life sits around 8–12 hours, depending on whether you use the balanced or single-ended output, which is more than enough for long commutes or travel days.
The AP80 Pro Max is shockingly good. Out of the box, the sound is clean, balanced, and full-bodied. Bass is tight and deep, mids are natural, and treble has sparkle without harshness. Instruments and vocals have real depth and space, even with complex mixes. It easily drives every set of IEMs I own, from budget models to more expensive models. Full-size headphones like Audeze LCD-X (3.5 single-ended) or even more power-hungry Hifiman Sundara (balanced), or Sennheiser HD 650 sound great. The latter were the hardest to drive, but I never had to push the volume past 75% with the gain on high.
For tuning, the MSEB (Mage Sound 8-Ball) system lets you tweak warmth, note thickness, and texture in a more musical way than a traditional EQ. A firmware update adding parametric EQ is expected soon, which should make this even more flexible.
In daily life, the AP80 Pro Max has become my constant pocket companion. It’s perfect for work breaks, travel, or simply chilling at home with a good pair of IEMs. Because it’s so compact, I never hesitate to bring it along.
However, that portability comes with trade-offs. The tiny screen makes scrolling through large libraries a little frustrating, especially with album art lag when quickly navigating folders. And while I appreciate its focus on pure, local playback, if you’re an Apple Music or Spotify user, you may wish it supported more streaming apps natively.
Still, it nails what matters: reliable performance, top-tier sound, and zero distractions. When I pick up the AP80 Pro Max, I’m there for the music, and not notifications or algorithmic playlists.
The AP80 Pro Max is a compact, audiophile-grade player that proves great sound doesn’t need bulk. Despite its tiny screen and limited app support, it’s one of the best-sounding DAPs in its price range.
€120 Hidizs
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