Hidizs MS3: Fun and Energetic but is it Too Much?

Pros

• Excellent stock cable
• Wide selection of ear tips
• Solid metal build quality
• Surprisingly easy to drive
• Tuning nozzles that are actually working
• Full, engaging bass
• Rich, lush lower midrange
• Good note weight 
• Bright, sparkly treble
• Good treble extension
• Great technicalities

Cons

• Muddy, bloated bass
• Recessed midrange
• Sharp, peaky, fatiguing treble 
• Unnatural timbre and vocals

Disclaimer

• Huge thanks to Hidizs for providing the opportunity for me to review the Hidizs MS3 through a tour. I really do appreciate it. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way. 
• Please take this review with only a grain of salt, as everyone's hearing, fit, and gears may differ, so our experience may be different.

Price(MSRP)

• $169.90

Source(s)

• FiiO KA13
• Truthear Shio
• Jcally JM6 Pro
• Hidizs XO

Ear tips

• Dunu S&S
• Final E 

Packaging

• MS3 with the Gold nozzle attached
• Soft, leather textured pouch
• Good selection of ear tips.
• 3 pairs of generic bass silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• 3 pairs of generic vocal silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• 3 pairs of generic balanced silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• Tuning nozzles
• Red
• Silver
• Oxygen-free Copper Multi-conductor Cable with 192 Ultra-small Wires
• Feels very premium and comfortable, one of the best stock cable in this price range, doesn't tangle easily.
• However, there is a sharp, pointy edge on the connector.

Build Quality

• Excellent build quality, has a metal shell.

Fit

• Nozzle length is average, but it is slightly on the wider side 
  
• Fit is really good for me, fits very comfortably.

Tonality

• V shaped. 
• Gold nozzle
• Bright tilted V shaped. Upper midrange becomes a lot more forward and the treble gets noticeable brighter.
• Silver nozzle
• A bit similar to the gold nozzle but with a touch more brightness.
• I wish the silver nozzle can be replaced with another nozzle that can further tame the peaky treble instead ... I honestly don't see the point of further enhancing the already bright and energetic treble.
• Red nozzle
• My preferred style, upper midrange and treble becomes smoother and tamed, and it becomes a more balanced V shaped tonality, perhaps with a very slightly emphasis on the lower end. 
• My review below will be based on this red nozzle. 

Bass

• Mid bass is a bit more prominent than sub bass.
• Thumps and slams quite well, which makes it fairly fun and engaging. 
• Very well textured and has a fairly natural decay that is neither too quick or lingers too long. 
• Doesn't have a very deep rumble but it is present, it also sounds quite full with a good amount of body and density.
• However, the bass is not very well controlled, which bleeds into the midrange a little.
• Quantity is on the bassier side especially on the red nozzle. 
• Overall, the bass has a solid performance for the price, my only nitpick is the bass bleed. 

Midrange

• Midrange is quite recessed, which pushes back vocals and instruments a fair bit.
• Lower midrange is affected from the bass bleed which makes it very warm, lush and rich. It is a bit too much for me, so it sounds a bit bloated to me. 
• Upper midrange on the other hand sounds rather smooth, with just enough emphasis so they don't sound drowned by the lower end, but suffers with some slight huskiness from the excessive warmth.
• Timbre is not the best as expected for this kind of signature.
• Overall note weight and density is thick and heavy on the lower and upper midrange but is thin in the middle.

Treble

• Treble has enough sparkle to shine and balance out the lower end energy even on the red nozzle.
• However, the 8k peak is very noticeable to me and I had to turn down the volume most of the time because it gets fatiguing too easily.
• Treble extension is decent, which adds a little airiness to it.
• Details can be perceived quite easily as the treble is quite revealing even though it is quite smooth other than the 8k peak.

Technicalities

Resolution

• Resolution and detail retrieval is good for a hybrid in this price bracket.

Soundstage

• Soundstage is decent in terms of width and depth but nothing outstanding. At least it doesn't sound narrow and cramped.

Imaging

• Imaging and accuracy is good, I am able to pinpoint positions quite easily and accurately.

Separation

• Separation and layering is good as well, nothing really sounds congested.
• Instruments and vocals are spaced out and separated among each other well.

Conclusion

• Overall, I think the Hidizs MS3 is a pretty decent offering in this price bracket that consists of a fun, energetic V shaped tonality with tuning nozzles that is effective. It also offers very solid technicalities for the price as well!
• However, the Hidizs MS3 will not be suitable if you're looking for a clean, natural and mid centric signature as the midrange of the MS3 tends to be recessed and muddy. The treble is also peaky to me even with the Red nozzle, Final E ear tips and Truthear Shio combination.
• From what I observed, Hidizs have sales going on quite often, the MS3 is already a decent buy at MSRP but if you can get it at a lower price, I absolutely recommend it, but keep the cons in mind before making a decision.

Non Affiliated Link

• If you are interested after reading the article, feel free to check out the non affiliated link below.

• https://www.hidizs.net/products/hidizs-ms3-2ba-1dd-hybrid-3-drivers-hifi-in-ear-monitors

Thanks for reading!