HiFiMAN is a young company that was founded in 2006 by Fang Bian. HiFiMAN has its headquarters, design bureau and production facilities in China. The company became famous very quickly due to the development of products that have become iconic in the personal audio market. For example, the company HiFiMAN was one of the first to prove that it is possible to make high-quality isodynamic headphones for reasonable money. In 2009, HiFiMAN presented its famous High-End portable player, the HM-801. It was a real challenge for the engineers to fit audiophile-quality circuits into a compact device, providing sound quality unprecedented for portable audio. In particular the DAC of the player was built on the legendary Burr-Brown PCM1704 multibit chip.
The new player HiFiMAN HM-901 vintage design does not negate the large LCD screen
In this test review we will talk about the successor of HM-801, a new flagship of portable electronics HiFiMAN, released in 2013, the player HM-901. The new player is expected to be large and heavy: 72x117x29 mm WxHxD , 250 grams. The body is made of good quality plastic and metal back cover of the battery compartment , the top is trimmed with eco-leather. Half of the front panel is occupied by a color LCD screen not a touch screen , which updates the vintage look of the player.
The device is controlled by buttons on the front and a rotary wheel with a central selection key, with which you can navigate through lists of albums, records and settings. The player interface, the creators called it TAICHI UI, works quickly, intuitive, allows you to select multiple languages, including American. Yes, it takes some time to get used to the navigation by means of a spinning wheel, but itâs a matter of habit.
The player has no built-in memory, the music is played from removable SD cards.
The volume level is changed with a round knob embedded into the upper part of the case. Moreover itâs regulated not smoothly, but stepwise, realized with the help of a resistor assembly. Some more switches can be found on the sides of the player: the choice of the headphone output type: normal/balanced with a separate ground , low/high gain, the audiophile can switch the HPF 3 dB/octave roll-off after 20 kHz or leave the upper range as it is. Another switch on the right side of the case enables the locking of all buttons and turns off the playerâs screen. HM-901 has not many jacks, only three: the upper mini jack is for headphones, the slot on the left is for an SDXC-card up to 128 GB the player has no built-in memory , the lower port â multifunctional. With a few cables, coming with the kit, it can be adapted to connect the player to a computer via USB, to output analog signals HM-901 works as a DAC , to receive a digital signal SPDIF on âcoaxial. An adapter for charging the built-in battery plugs into the same port. Among the accessories on the companyâs website is an additional cable for digital SPDIF output with coaxial connector, with it HM-901 can be used as a digital player that reads music from the SD-card. The disadvantage of having only one port for all connections is that you canât charge the device while loading new music albums on it or use it as a D/A converter/headphone amplifier.
Equipped with a 9 hour lithium-ion battery. The amplifier module can be replaced.
In good audio devices, the power supply is always given special attention. The metal back cover of the player can be easily removed there is a special lock to prevent this action from happening on its own , revealing a view of the large proprietary HiFiMAN battery. The original lithium-ion battery HM-901, according to the manufacturer, includes several cells, distributing voltage to two lines ± 7.4 v. Up to 9 hours of battery life. Taking out the battery, we get access to the amplifier module, which by tradition is made replaceable, it is easy to hook and take out, putting in its place another board. At the moment the producer offers four versions of amplifiers for HM-901: standard, IEM, Minibox and balanced in ascending order of cost , but he assures us, that the modules from the previous model HM-801 will also fit to the new player.
We had a chance to try two amplifier modules, each with its own sound character.
We tested a player with a pre-installed amplifier card and one IEM plug-in. Logically the first card should be standard, but it is different from all the modules described on HiFiMAN site. We may have met a new modification of the standard card. So the gain stage of the first card includes a dual operational amplifier AD OP257G and two âbuffersâ Burr-Brown BUF 634u. In the circuit of the IEM card with the same âbuffersâ operational amplifiers Burr-Brown OPA627 are used. In the circuit of digital-to-analog converter, hidden in the depths of the device, developers uncompromising approach resulted in the installation of two 32-bit chip ESS Sabre ES9018, one for each channel. In principle, one ES9018 chip is enough for multichannel conversion of 7.1, but the designers HiFiMAN decided even in detail to decouple the two channels of stereo, starting with the digital part of the circuit.
There is one port for all connections and a number of cables that come with the player.
Can you please explain how to properly remove and insert memory cards in the HiFiMAN HM-901 player? Are there any specific steps or precautions to follow?
To properly remove and insert memory cards in the HiFiMAN HM-901 player, follow these steps:
1. Make sure the device is turned off before attempting to remove or insert a memory card to avoid the risk of damaging the card or the player.
2. Locate the memory card slot on the player. It is usually located on the side or the back of the device.
3. To remove a memory card, gently press down on the card until you hear a click. This will release the card from the slot, allowing you to easily pull it out.
4. To insert a memory card, make sure the card is facing the correct direction (usually with the gold contacts facing down) and gently push it into the slot until it clicks into place.
5. Make sure to handle the memory card with care to avoid damage from static electricity or physical mishandling.
6. Once the memory card is inserted, turn on the device to ensure it recognizes the new card and is functioning properly.
To properly remove and insert memory cards in the HiFiMAN HM-901 player, you should first power off the device to avoid any damage to the card or the player. Next, locate the slot where the memory card is inserted and gently push down on the card until it clicks and pops out. To insert a new memory card, line up the card with the slot and gently push it in until it clicks into place. Make sure to handle the memory card carefully to prevent any damage to the card or the player. Additionally, be mindful of the orientation of the card to avoid inserting it incorrectly. Following these steps and precautions will ensure a smooth and safe process for removing and inserting memory cards in the HiFiMAN HM-901 player.
Can the HiFiMAN HM-901 support players with removable memory cards?
Can someone please clarify if the HiFiMAN HM-901 portable music player has removable memory cards?