AP80 Review - Twister6

Copper top!

PROS: very small footprint with a compact design, responsive touch screen, dedicated playback buttons, bi-directional BT w/LDAC, USB DAC and Digital Out, impressive sound performance (improved over Aluminum version), FM radio and step counter.

CONS: premium price for copper chassis (and stainless steel).

The product was provided to me free of charge for the review purpose in exchange for my honest opinion.

Manufacturer website: Hidizs. Available for sale on Hidizs site and Amazon.

Intro.

When it comes to reviewing IEMs vs DAPs, you can review earphones even 6 months or later after the release and it will be still relevant. With DAPs it often feels like the interest is high for a month or two after the release, and then it dies out as soon as something new is announced. So, it begs the question why am I reviewing AP80, almost a year since its introduction on KS after their successful campaign with 1,800 backers? The simple answer – I just rediscovered it all over again after a brand-new Copper (Cu) version arrived at my doorstep.

I had the original AP80 Aluminum (Al) pre-production sample for a while, shared my initial impressions, but never got around to finish the full review since I was waiting to receive the final production model (cosmetic changes). I also don’t remember being as excited with Al out of the box as I was now while listening to their new Cu version, though during past year Hidizs issued a number of fw updates with various fixes and improvements. I’m not denying I’m a sucker for small gadgets, but this one definitely deserves a closer look. So, let us proceed!

Unboxing and Accessories.
I didn’t find anything fancy here; the unit arrived in a small black box. Also, because Cu version is so new, it looks like the spec on the back wasn’t even updated since it mentioned a lighter weight of Aluminum version. But regardless, it’s a small box with a foam cutout inside to keep AP80 secure during the shipment.

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