Pros
Great allrounder
Very nice mid bass
Very nice DSP Cable
2 in 1 Earphone plus Dac/amp
Comfort- replaces the need for a separate Dac/amp
Cons
Not for vocal lovers
Stock ear tips not so good
Hidizs ST2 Pro Nebula review
I am an audiophile from sunny South Africa. I already use one Hidizs earphone many times a week. The MS1 Galaxy is always in my gym bag and is my go-to earphone for gym so I was pretty exited when Hidizs contacted me for a review on their new project the ST2 Pro Nebula. This review is my own and I receive no money from Hidizs for this review. Like my previous Hidizs packages the Nebula shipped really quick and was delivered to my door in about 21 days. This is the details for the Kickstarter project of the Nebula.
Kickstarter Launch Date: December 19th, 2024, at 10:30 AM (EST)
Pricing Details:
ST2 PRO Nebula (Super Early Bird): $39.00 (Limited to 500 units)
ST2 PRO Nebula (Early Bird): $49.00
ST2 PRO Nebula USB-C DSP 0.78mm 2-pin/MMCX Earphone Cable (Early Bird): $36.00
Kickstarter Link:
Hidizs ST2 Pro Nebula
Unboxing
The Kickstarter price in South Africa comes out to R899. The Nebula shipped in a small, square two-piece cardboard box that is very sturdy. On the front is a picture of the earphone and the specs are at the back. When you lift the one piece off the other you find the Nebula shells peaking at you and it looks like a display you find in a coin collection because the Hidizs logo on the top plate looks like an old collectable coin. Underneath that you will find a USB-C TO USB converter, cable and your ear tips. Overall, I am happy with packaging and overall display for the price.
Specs
Dac Chip: ES9281AC PRO
DSD Native: DSD64/128
PCM Support: up to 384kHz/32bit
MQA: Supported
Sampling rate indicator: Yes
Target H-2019 Curve
Dynamic Driver: 10mm Dual magnetic Pu-peek
Sensitivity: 108dB
Impedance: 32 OHM
Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
Connectivity
The Nebula shipped with a really cool cable that has a Next Gen DSP Cable that features a really cool Dac chip the ES9218AC with a very sufficient output up to 70mW+70mW@32Ω and drives the Nebula with ease. This makes the Nebula a 2 in 1 device as there is no need for a separate Dac/amp or dongle to go from USB-C TO 3.5mm. The Nebula DSP cable worked on all my phones like the Samsung S21, Huawei P40 Lite and LG V40. It did however not work on my Oppo A78 but that is not a fault on Hidizs side as that Oppo battles to connect to most Dac/amps I own. So, if you have an Oppo make sure of compatibility before buying. I also connected the Nebula to the Hiby M300 Dap and that was my favorite pairing all throughout. There was so much headroom on HIBY Player that the volume I preferred was hardware volume 9 and at 12 it started to get uncomfortably loud.
Look & Build
I really like this type of ear-shells from Hidizs as with the MS1 Galaxy which is the most comfortable fit out of all the earphones that I own the Nebula fits just as snug. The very light shells make the Nebula a very non fatiguing earphone and that is a huge plus. The shells themselves are really plain and transparent and a nice touch is the coin like Hidizs logo on the top plates. In design less is more. The DSP cable is the real star here and it grew on me very quickly. It is made from the same material used as parachute rope and it adds a certain cool factor for me as I am so used to braided cables that this is refreshing and very welcome. The Dac chip part which plugs into your phone’s USB-C port and I was scared at first because when you walk with a dongle connected to your phone in your pocket sometimes the connection comes loose. This was not the case at all and I found the connection very secure when carried around in pocket connected to phone. I like the leather pouch a lot and it is also refreshing to not just a canvas or leather case. So, Hidizs was thinking outside the box here and I like it. The pouch also has a magnetic top part that just slams together once you put the earphone in for storage. I have to say the only thing I did not like on the Nebula is the stock ear tips. Wide bore tips really gave a very good sense of realism to the vocals which the stock tips did not do.
Sound
To get a feel for the Nebula sound signature I plugged it into the Hiby M300 and went straight to Tidal through Hiby player. The first song I chose was Tori by the Nicolas Parent Trio and oh boy this song gives me an impression on an earphone really quick as the song has got a lot going on with different sounds, transients and overall imaging and stage. I also used the stock tips and stock cable for my first impressions. First thing I noticed was a very creamy bottom end. There is a drum roll near the end of the song that sounded really good on the Nebula.
I would say the bass is mid bass focused but there is sub bass at hand when required as on Massive Attack’s song Angel. I wanted to explore the bass a bit further and I fitted some Penon Liqueur Black tips. Listened to the same song and it sounded like I was sitting inside an SQ car at a competition car show. You know that nice tight bass. I also found that the nebula did much better with bassier instruments like the Cello and Bass guitar vs Violin and Electric guitar. I loved the lower notes on Comme un Tango by Vincent Belanger and Anne Basson and the lower notes trumped the Violin. The Cello performance on Adam Ben Ezra- Can’t stop running was so good it made me listen to the song twice and you can clearly differentiate when the string is being plucked and the reverb that follows.
With the mids being recessed I found the vocals to not be so good and if you are a vocal lover this set is not for you. I think it is more the stock tips than the Nebula itself as when I fitted some wide bore tips the vocals opened up and the voices had a much more realistic feel to them and Bryan Adams had so much emotion in his voice on Thought I died and gone to heaven. The higher notes on the Electric guitar also became much more forward. The male vocals sounded better to me than female voices as the female voices just had a bit of sparkle missing on top while male vocals like Jeff Buckley’s voice sounded so wonderful on Lover, you should have come over. This is also where the Acoustic guitar shined and every instrument and vocals just blended in perfectly together.
When I listened for highs one of my favorite tracks is Crystal Ribbon (Extended Smelting). On this track if you have a bright earphone, you get fatigued very quickly and I am happy to report that the treble has a warm feel to it for me. Contact by Daft Punk is one of my go-to songs for highs as some of the stuff going on in that mix can reach pretty high and the Nebula kept up really well. With a song like Kyla La Grange- Cut Your Teeth (Kygo Remix) you will not keep your earphones in your ears if they are bright and it was a very pleasant listen even though I had to kick the volume down two nudges.
There is absolutely no fatigue and even though I also listened for sibilance I found non even on well known sibilant tracks like On the Border by Al Stewart and The Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane. These two tracks are torture to listen to when you have a sibilant earphone. The Nebula passed that test with flying colors. The Nebula has great pace, rhythm and timing and if you get the Nebula, please listen to Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones. There is some foot tapping goodness going on with the Nebula and that song.
I really liked the soundstage on the Nebula. On Tool- Chocolate Chip Trip it was a total out of head experiencing as the stage is moderately wide but very deep. The song also has a lot going on and the Nebula kept up well with this busy track. I also need to mention that the Nebula has very good holographic imaging as I was listening for a 3d effect which is greatly done by Peter Gabriel on the Security album. The Nebula was so engaging I listened to the whole album and really enjoyed it.
Regarding the DSP cable, I used it with some of my other earphones to and the chip had ample power to drive most I tested it with and the ES chip is really good sound wise.
Conclusion
My conclusion is that the Nebula to me is for everyone and I think everyone from audiophiles to music lovers and gamers should buy it. If you are looking for a nice affordable set of earphones that does not break the bank and comes with a premium DSP cable and something that sounds good with most genres then the Nebula is for you. I would strongly advise you to order a set of wide bore ear tips from any manufacturer as I found that various brand wide bores unlock some real magic with the Nebula.
