In his Super* Review video, Mark Ryan finds that the Hidizs AP30 Music Boy’s gaming-inspired design offers more than visual novelty. Its compact body, directional controls, volume wheel, and built-in block puzzle game all contribute to the experience.
Ryan considers his early unit a work in progress, so the video is not presented as a final review. Instead, he highlights five things he likes and five areas he would like to see improved.
Five Things Ryan Likes About the AP30
1. Compact Retro Design
Ryan enjoys the AP30’s classic gaming-inspired appearance and compact dimensions. Compared with other small digital audio players in his collection, he finds the AP30 particularly short, compact, and easy to handle.
The included magnetic case allows the AP30 to attach to the back of a compatible phone.
2. Clean Sound and Useful Output Power
Using a sensitive earphone, Ryan reports a clean listening experience from the 3.5mm output.
He also tested the AP30 with his relatively difficult-to-drive Headphone 2GT. Through the 4.4mm output in high-gain mode, he reached his normal listening level at approximately 80 out of 100.
Based on his testing, Ryan finds that the AP30 offers good sound and useful output power rather than relying only on its retro appearance.
3. A 100-Step Volume Wheel
Ryan responds positively to the AP30’s 100-step volume wheel. He likes its precise adjustment and the way it also functions as the power button.
He notes that moving between very different volume levels can take time, but considers this a typical trade-off with a physical volume wheel.
4. Intuitive Directional Controls
The AP30’s gaming-style control layout works particularly well for menu navigation in Ryan’s experience.
The directional pad provides clearly defined up, down, left, and right controls. Ryan finds this arrangement more intuitive than the button layouts on several other compact music players he has used.
5. A Built-In Block Puzzle Game
Ryan also likes that the AP30’s gaming theme extends to a playable block puzzle game.
He does not consider it the best implementation of the game, but finds it suitable for brief play while listening to music without taking out a phone.
Five Areas Ryan Would Like Improved
1. Game Controls
Ryan would like an option to move a falling piece downward faster without immediately dropping it to the bottom. He also suggests adding an option to store a piece for later use.
2. Button Noise
The AP30’s buttons are noticeably loud when navigating menus or playing the built-in game. Ryan would prefer a quieter, more damped response.
3. Separate Volume Memory
Ryan would like the AP30 to remember separate volume settings for its 3.5mm, 4.4mm, and Bluetooth outputs.
In his testing, changing from a harder-to-drive headphone to a sensitive earphone could leave the volume set much higher than required.
4. Interface Behavior
Ryan suggests several software refinements, including an adjustable font size and consistent play/pause control across every menu.
He initially thought the AP30 could not return to the previously played track after restarting. After discussing the issue with our team, he confirmed that holding the play button returns to the previous playback screen, although he feels this shortcut could be easier to discover.
5. Track Transitions
The firmware tested by Ryan did not support gapless playback.
He also reports that tracks faded in and out, causing part of their opening and ending to be missed. Ryan considers removing this fade behavior particularly important, even if gapless playback cannot be added.
An Early Assessment
Ryan notes that the AP30 received firmware improvements during the weeks he spent with it. However, the concerns discussed in his video remained present on his early unit at the time of recording.
He therefore treats the video as an early assessment rather than a final verdict and plans to review the retail version after its release.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.