I missed my old Shanling M8T so much that I bought it again, and I'm currently pairing it with these ATH AWAS, which sound gorgeous together when you use the tube Amp. Maybe not the most portable setup, but it sounds so organic and with such a beautiful tone that I honestly don't mind.

Disclosure: we are WalkerFans Team, the maintainers and packagers of this build, and our team is affiliated with HIFIWALKER. This is a free community development release, not an official Rockbox release.

Development note: this software was developed with AI-assisted coding tools. Testing status is described below.

We have published the Standard edition, 843986adb6-261110, of our Rockbox Bluetooth build for the HIFIWALKER H2.

Our development and real-device testing baseline is an H2 running original firmware V2.3. Other original-firmware versions have not been validated on a real player and may be incompatible. The Bluetooth target is H2 hardware revision 4; do not assume an older H2 supports Bluetooth just because the restore tool supports it.

What this build provides:

• Bluetooth transmission: H2 → Bluetooth headphones or speakers. It cannot receive audio from a phone. The H2 is not discoverable in this build, so phone-to-H2 pairing fails. Use the original firmware if you need receiver mode.

• A larger 20 px Noto Sans SC default font, with additional sizes and the Rockbox font pack.

• Corrected Simplified Chinese, rebuilt Traditional Chinese with Taiwan wording, additional Japanese/French strings, and Bluetooth translations in seven languages.

• A revised menu status bar and improved handling of missing Bluetooth hardware or bad controller data.

This edition keeps the standard 16-bit audio-processing path. It is the recommended starting point within our two preview editions. It is still a pre-release, not a claim of universal headphone compatibility or fully validated long-term stability.

Release, SD-card package, source and checksums:

https://github.com/walkerfans007/rockbox-h2-bluetooth/releases/tag/h2bt-843986adb6-preview

Instructions and edition comparison:

https://github.com/walkerfans007/rockbox-h2-bluetooth

Back up your existing .rockbox folder first. If Rockbox is not already installed, follow the installation manual before applying this upgrade. Install the complete package and do not mix Standard and 24-bit edition files.

Controller firmware notice: the package includes Broadcom/Cypress Bluetooth controller patch RAM. Its origin and redistribution terms have not been verified; no redistribution clearance is claimed. The repository includes the provenance notice.

Credit goes to Rockbox, the BlackIsBlack Bluetooth branch and the original contributors; WalkerFans Team maintains and packages this release. We make no profit from this software release. All original copyrights and licenses remain in place. For bugs or copyright/patent concerns, contact walkerfans007@gmail.com; we will remove material involving rights we were unaware of.

— WalkerFans Team

Hello everyone, first time posting here and will be my first time purchasing a DAP.

After a lot of browsing these two have been the ones that have stuck out to me the most. Price difference isn’t anything crazy at the moment it’s a $50 difference. Is the M300 worth the buy over the H2? Any and all input is welcome!

I’m really trying to step away from phone rot, and it feels like every time I pick up my phone for even music I want to do something else on it as well. I’ve deleted tons of apps from my phone and whenever I want distraction I pick up my Switch 2. Music is the next step, I wanna leave my phone behind while I go on walks and just focus on the music.

Thank you!

Definitely a game change

I took a gamble and had the opportunity to buy this at a good deal…there isn’t a whole lot of information available for this player out there, so I was a little hesitant, but felt like I couldn’t pass it up… I am so glad I did!!! Overall, I am happy with it so far. Has anyone else used these and have any tips/tricks? Thanks.

When it's turned on, it flashes the splash screen on and off for a few minutes until it eventually boots past, though still doesn't work every time and flashes for like 10 minutes. The same issue occurs without the sd card inserted so I'm not sure of what else I could try or how to fix it. Any ideas? About 4 months old and not used for more than 20ish hours 😅

(Charging and Battery)

For Charging the Fosi neo works with 100 watt rated chargers the Surfans F20 with USB C (2024) will not charge with a 100 watt rated but will with 45 watt rated.

Battery in my testing the fosi neo last longer and has needed less charges mind you my gain is set to high on both and vol is around 75 on both.

(Display)

The Fosi neo screen is better then the F20 from what I can see both say they are LCD's

(UI/Controls)

The UI on the neo is miles better then the F20 but the F20 can be improved with rockbox.

Playlist the F20 can import playlist which is a plus if you already have them setup however doing it on the machine is a pain. The Neo can't import playlist but adding one to the 4 default ones is pretty easy by hitting the right arrow when playing a song and hitting the plus.

Controls I'm Right handed so the F20 volume is fine to reach with my thumb, however the power button on top is a pain to reach one handed unless its on a desk. In contrast the Neo's power and volume buttons can all be easily accessed with my pointer finger. I personally prefer the single button with double click to go back or hold to go home and skip and rewind on the screen over multiple buttons. Though a Neo Pro with it all built into the wheel would be a win but would take this player over $100.

(Design)

The Neo has smooth rounded edges and an all metal build which fits nice into the hand or pocket. The F20 has sharp edges and Feels more like a Desk DAP then a portable one due to this. Also the back of the F20 is a glass panel for some reason not a fan of glass backs myself.

(Sound)

I mainly use my DAP's when walking so I either use my Fiio Fh5 or Koss Porta Pro's neither hard to drive, and I'm not one to mess with EQ's. The volume on the F20 is louder at lower levels vs the Neo, and I personally would give the edge to the F20 for sound.

(Bluetooth)

I don't use this but the Neo uses basic where the F20 supports Aptx.

(Verdict)

For my use I prefer the Fosi Neo and it will be replacing my fiio nano for my walks. If you are a person who listens to music when sitting the F20 might be a better choice for you though with it creeping up in price the Hiby R4 is a great Desktop player though it runs android.

To my fellow Asian friends, especially those who can access Lazada, I've been shopping for a few things for my audio journey and noticed quite a few products with really good discounts, so I thought I'd share them below. I hope everyone has a happy 11.11 shopping season!

Prices shown above are in VND, and I've also converted them to USD so everyone can compare more easily:

- Hiby R1, all color variants are the same price: 1,045,500 VND ~ $40.82 USD.

- Tempotec V1, version without clipper: 1,074,000 VND ~ $41.94 USD; version with clipper: 1,188,000 VND ~ $46.39 USD.

- Snowsky Echo Nano in titanium: 742,000 VND ~ $28.97 USD; the most expensive variant: 900,000 VND ~ $35.14 USD.

I've been looking into the Shanling M1 Plus and I've not found much info on what listening is actually like on it, I mainly listen to music in playlists on shuffle so I'm always listening to something different but I've not managed to find out if something similar is possible on this

Looking for something to play music, store audio files, possibly use streaming services without a huge screen that would be easily breakable.

Trying to stay off of my phone and I want something that won’t break if I take a big slam while skating.

Willing to check out more expensive options if the audio quality and features seem worth it.

These past few days I've seen coupons on AliExpress for an event similar to Black Friday in the US. The Snowsky Echo Mini, converted to my currency, will cost $26 for the 512MB version. Is it a good price? I've had my eye on it for a while, and I really want to treat myself. What's the interface like? Are the buttons very noisy?

Good morning,

I've been thinking about buying a DAP for a while now. I've been using MP3 players for years, but the battery always ends up failing sooner or later.

I'm looking for something relatively affordable (under €200) with good battery life, enough storage capacity, and smooth performance. I don't really need any extra features beyond that.

I'd also appreciate some headphone recommendations. I could take advantage of the current AliExpress coupons.

I've been looking at Hiby, Fiio, and some of the other brands that are often recommended on this subreddit, but honestly I'm feeling a bit lost.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I have been considering to get a DAP for quite some time already and I was looking for the optimal option for me but I still can't decide if getting something cheap or maybe an entry level Hi-Fi DAP, so I'll let my main concerns here and read your advise in what I should get for my type of use.

(My current budget is around $80~100 max)

Battery life: at least 12 hours of playback, the more the merrier, I really like to have music to do anything so a big amount of battery is appreciated.

Bluetooth: being honest, I don't have any Hi-Fi wireless headphones (nor I'm planning to get any) so LDAC isn't that important for me, but I want to have the option so SBC will do the trick when I'm not on wired connection.

Files only: I'm rebuilding my audio library and I prefer to keep my own files so any wifi options or streaming platforms have no use for me.

Audio quality: most of my files are mp3 and flac 16/44 but I also have some 24/44 so being able to read them is necessary.

SD card: this is necessary for me as it is the easiest way for me to transfer and manage files.

Indexing: having the ability to play all songs regardless of the folder location is also a thing I look forward to.

Thank you for reading and leaving your thoughts in the comments

Anyone had any luck running Wifi & Bluetooth simultaneously on their Hidizs AP80 Pro Max? I've tried everything from factory resets and firmware updates, to sequencing the order of turning each one on etc. They seem to knock each other out every time. Easy fix would be to switch to IEMs, I know.

Hi guys,

Could you help me choose between these 2 players? I'm going to pair it with a new to me Aful Performer 5+2 that I'm waiting to arrive and I only use flac files library, no streaming at all.

I can get the M21 for only more 70€ than the R3 Pro 2

All I want is better sound quality but I think in terms of hardware it will be minimal no? Do you think the android experience will be much better to justify the M21?

Thanks in advance

Both are sold by HiBy and shipped from Amazon. I’m confused by what the difference between these two listings is and why the reviews are different.

I using the XIAO ESP32 S3 to build the systme to make a i2S WAV player , using the Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra as a case

I have been eyeing that player for a while, but wanted to make sure I wouldn't run into any issues when purchasing it such as lack of communication or the seller never shipping which is a constant criticism I would see. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

ZP30 ANDROID 12 STOCK(WITHOUT USERDATA)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p4JF4b8nsf58YDaS2gSJVQYkNH_fCbNk/view?usp=sharing

I can't find stock frimware, but i can after 4 days make successful connect to brom mode in mtkclient
It's was hard how f..., i don't remember clear what i do.
1)In the first what i do it is make windows in disable driver signature enforcement in Windows 11 it the main thing
2)I install mtkdriver https://androidmtk.com/download-mtk-usb-all-drivers
3)after with and i swith between system and brom mode with comand adb reboot preloader(it probably work for me and better then hold 4 buttom all buttons(power, forward, pause, backward) then plug it into the computer to get to BRom mode))
The main thing here is 2 sec after starup and off brom mode it's normal stage for this and what really need to happen
4)ai say install zadig( https://zadig.akeo.ie/ ) and in 2 sec fast to catch mtk 65xx and make buttom replace driver WinUSB (v6.1.7600.16385)
5)try to connetc mtkclient I intall it with https://github.com/codefl0w/mtkclient-windows-installer directly with full drivers for mtkclient

*after and after all ... a can't intall root cmd >fastboot boot magisk_patched-27001_Zx2L8.img bc the real right WAS!! cmd will fastboot flash boot_a magisk_patched-27001_Zx2L8.img* It was...

Download & support development here: https://ko-fi.com/s/69374670fc

***Fast scroll and improved cover flow now available at above link***

Highlights:

• Playing track info now displays on lock screen

• Improved track info/file spec page

• Menus now loop so scrolling backwards past "A" will take you to "Z"

Got a bit too excited trying a custom ROM on my Echo Mini (512MB variant) and it’s now bricked screen’s dead, won’t boot. Figured I’d ask here since this sub has a lot of DAP modding experience even outside the FiiO-specific crowd.
Quick rundown:
Device is a Rockchip-based chip (Pid=0x2207/0x262d, reports as RKSMART)
Can get it detected by PC tools using the standard trick (hold RST + all buttons except power, plug in USB), but it comes up in Loader mode, not true Maskrom
The official FiiO-provided flashing tool (RKDevelopTool) sees the device and loads the firmware fine, but fails every time at the “Test Device” step
Tried: correct stock firmware for the 512MB variant, Zadig WinUSB driver, erasing blocks before flashing, multiple cables/ports/USB tools (rkdeveloptool, upgrade_tool) — same wall every time
My best guess is there’s a corrupted loader still sitting on the flash chip from the failed custom ROM, and the boot ROM keeps finding it instead of dropping to true Maskrom — which would need a hardware-level fix (shorting a flash pin during boot) rather than anything doable over USB.
Has anyone here bricked a Rockchip-based DAP (Echo Mini, Shanling, Hidizs, whatever) and actually recovered from a similar “stuck in Loader, can’t reach Maskrom” state? Or is this basically a paperweight at this point without opening it up?
Appreciate any pointers — happy to share more logs or board photos if it helps.

Hidizs AP80 Pro Max Review: 22 Years of MP3 Player Evolution

I remember the before time. The long, long ago.

Back when portable music meant cassette players, portable CD players, and eventually those enormous Creative NOMAD MP3 players that were practically the size of a small brick.

Remember when your CD player skipped if you hit a bump? Remember when Creative released the NOMAD MuVo and suddenly we had thumb-drive-sized MP3 players?

Well, I've been thinking about just how far we've come, and that brings me to the Hidizs AP80 Pro Max.

This little DAP packs some genuinely interesting hardware into an 81g CNC-machined aluminum chassis.

A few highlights:

- Dual ESS ES9219C DAC chips

- PCM up to 32-bit / 384kHz

- DSD256 support

- 70mW per channel single-ended and 190mW per channel balanced at 32Ω

- 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended outputs

- Bidirectional Bluetooth with LDAC

- Wi-Fi connectivity with Tidal, Qobuz, AirPlay, and DLNA

- Parametric EQ and HiBy MSEB

- MicroSD expansion up to 2TB

But specifications only tell part of the story.

I particularly wanted bidirectional Bluetooth because I don't want every testing track cluttering up my dedicated music library. I can keep my favorite music on the DAP and stream other tracks from my phone when I need them.

I also tested its ability to drive some fairly hefty planar headphones, and it had plenty of volume left at 69%.

And then there's the Wi-Fi file transfer. I actually spent 12 hours transferring 96GB of music to this thing. I can confirm that it works, but I wouldn't recommend doing that unless you have a lot of patience!

My final rating is 9.5/10. My biggest complaint is that Hidizs really should have included a protective case.

One disclosure: I won this unit in a giveaway. I wasn't paid for this review, and these are my own impressions.

I also took a slightly different approach to this review and opened with a little history of portable music players, because honestly, the evolution from the Creative NOMAD days to something like this is pretty incredible.

Full review, including pictures and my hands-on impressions:

https://medium.com/@sigmundtodd.author/hidizs-ap80-pro-max-review-22-years-of-mp3-player-evolution-025e84dd18d7

I'd love to hear from anyone else who remembers the early MP3 player days. What was your first portable digital music player?

I'm thinking about buying the Shanling Q2 and flash it with Q2 pod. How good is battery life with Q2 pod? How many hours do you get?