**Reasons to Buy**
Many people ask, "What's the fun of a small portable music player?" In my opinion, the comfortable user experience, volume control, and battery life are all things worth worrying about. Of course, sound quality and power output are also good enough to exceed expectations. Ten years ago, the design of players back then wasn't as advanced as today's Class D amplifiers, and sound quality and power were often limited.
Now that MP3 players have faded into history, many low-cost products are constrained by budget and don't offer an exceptional listening experience. However, there are still some cost-effective options. For example, some time ago, I considered buying the older model of the Rainbow C3 from Jingdong, which was around 169 yuan.
Besides using a mini USB port, the sound is smooth and fluid. The digital tone control is also acceptable for an older model. It’s a great choice for Huawei or Xiaomi users, but VIVO or Meizu users can save their money.
I also really like the HIDIZS AP60, even though it's an older model now. The touch interface isn’t very different from the second generation, and at 699 yuan, it's competitive in terms of quality compared to similar domestic and international products.
The official website doesn't mention much about the differences between the first and second generations, and even the sound is similar. However, the first-generation touch models have been discontinued. The second generation introduced physical buttons, reducing the chance of accidental touches. So, when looking at reviews, it's better to refer to the second-generation version.
**Appearance Gallery**
The old touch models are flat, while the new ones have printed elements on the bottom panel. According to some mobile phone KOLs, I have to say that the old AP60 has its charm.
For example, comparing the previous image with the one below shows the difference in screen lighting areas, and the touch keys hidden before booting can be controlled within the control area. The size of the body fits comfortably in your palm, which is the most satisfying part.
Below is the AP60's size and related parameters. You can refer to the second generation since this review focuses more on this product, and the sound and second generation are almost the same. Keep in mind that this machine does not have built-in storage — it uses an external TF card!
Although the official details show a switch design on the bottom panel, the front operation area now has physical buttons, giving a more tactile feel. I think removing the touch interface in the second generation slightly reduced the aesthetic appeal, but it made a trade-off against the problem of small-size touch misoperations.
The back remains the same as the two generations, although the overall design hasn’t changed much, the edge feel is still quite good, without the metallic “water chestnut†sensation.
The round button on the side is a switch. The up and down buttons create a slight difference in perceived feel, making blind operations easier. The volume adjustment level is 80, and you can set a volume limit to protect your hearing.
The bottom has a bit of a “Sawfajin Chrysanthemum†design, with a 3.5mm jack featuring a CD-like texture, highlighting the metal fittings and giving a strong sense of quality and output.
In fact, the AP60’s architecture uses Japan’s AKM 4452 DAC combined with Maxim MAX97220A. While this combination isn’t known for high-end sound polishing, I’ll explain why it has excellent value for money.
**Listening Test**
I recently listened to the second generation at the Guangzhou Headphone Show and felt no difference. So I took the older model again and decided to recommend it. This machine isn’t being promoted much these days, but if the price of the C3 drops to something like cabbage, it could become a reference for everyone.
This player is priced higher than some sofa products. Its sound is very positive, even lighter than the D50, with a line that is more pleasing than the D50. It's an entry-level small machine capable of producing the quality of a thousand-dollar product. This evaluation may seem exaggerated, but it's definitely an excellent machine that's not popular.
In fact, the former product manager of this product is someone I'm familiar with. Even though the AP60 wasn't used in PY transactions when he left the company, because the machine hadn't launched yet, my prototype was handed over by another friend, and the channel came from Guangzhou Zhitong.
**Bluetooth DAC Support**
The second generation added APTX support, but after updating the latest 1.07 BETA firmware, I found that the first generation couldn’t identify APTX with a Green Alliance Bluetooth adapter. Is it necessary to install other firmware? No, it still couldn’t recognize it. However, when the XPLAY6 phone outputs Bluetooth to this machine in Bluetooth DAC mode, the sound quality is still very good, reaching APTX levels. The Bluetooth DAC mode is basically noise-free, and you can hardly hear any interference. The machine itself also supports USB DAC, so you can use a laptop or a phone as an OTG sound card.
**Power Output**
This machine supports high and low gain settings, so it can easily drive both small earphones and larger portable headphones. Although the output current isn’t large, the overall sound path saturation is very balanced, giving a strong impression of driving and matching headphones. Compared to other small machines, it can be considered to have high-end power output.
**Three-Frequency Balance**
The sound field of this machine is medium-sized, with a slight emphasis on the mid-range. Although the sound field isn’t very wide, it doesn’t feel narrow. Especially the ultra-low-frequency atmosphere is well-balanced. Listening to high-quality headphones in the moving circle clearly feels that the overtones are flexible and powerful. Unlike general low-cost players, the low frequencies here are neither too rigid nor overly soft.
The mid-range voice density is also impressive. Especially in the albums of Yingge 12 by Guan Shanyue and Liu Guijuan, the relationship between the recording space and the voice is very harmonious. It can even be said that the distance between the sound field direction and the vocal position is very good. I tested this part with my own company's Rui Sheng in-ear monitors, and only a few high-end earphones on the market can achieve such recognition. However, the AP60 has great potential in mid-range performance.
The high-frequency part of the AP60 isn’t very bright, but the transition details are rich and ideal. Many low-price players still lack high-frequency harmonics, even with the best high-rate recordings. The AP60’s dynamic performance is well-balanced, but it's not recommended for Duckey’s dynamic circles or loop iron links. Instead, Sennheiser IE60 or similar old models would work better. CKR100 is also a good option, though factory goods may be out of stock.
Although UHF performance is limited, the relationship between high-frequency harmonics and spatial processing is smooth, flexible, and detailed. This is truly commendable. The AKM chip isn’t bad, but combining it with the MAX97220A to this level, or even beyond VIVO’s development of this chip, is impressive. After all, VIVO still has the largest shipments in the industry.
**In Summary**
The AP60 was born before Shan Ling started making small players, but later the screen became smaller. Considering the size, it's still acceptable. The entire operation and function are very strong, but when it launched, Shan Ling relied on crowdfunding to raise the AP60's popularity, along with personnel changes before it was released. This created a promotion effect and turned into a "pit." Few people write about or understand this machine.
However, since the second-generation products are still available, I’ve given the older models a bit of praise. If you need a compact, powerful, and highly musical device, I strongly anticipate a wave of success. I can even say that the AP60 is more outstanding than its elder brother, the AP100. But I feel that the new AP200 isn't as surprising as this AP60. The main reason is that HIDIZS inadvertently pushed small players to a new level of quality. I think of it as an unpopular German cavalry — although the analytical quality might be overhyped, the listening experience is genuinely good.
The AP60 starts at a low price with a solid quality foundation, and its price-to-performance ratio is actually excellent even at the original price. Unfortunately, the ID design was untimely, but it doesn’t hurt the machine. If I want to clear out some stock, I wouldn’t be surprised. Well, this review isn’t entirely neutral toward the manufacturers, because after clearing, we'll see my evaluation flaws. I don't know if the manufacturers will want to take offense. Anyway, now it's time to go to some auditions to find out.
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