The Hidizs MK12 was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links.
The regular price of the MK12 is $199 but you can take advantage of the pre-order discount and get it for $179 from the Hidizs online shop.
About Hidizs
Hidizs is a Chinese audio brand founded in 2009, known for making high-quality audio products with audiophile-grade performance at accessible prices. The brand’s product lineup includes digital audio players (DAPs), in-ear monitors (IEMs) and DAC/amp dongles, all designed with a strong focus on portability, sound fidelity, and modern aesthetics. If someone was asked to name a few well known products, that would be AP80 Pro-x DAP, the MP145 and the MP143 earphones, as well as the S8 Pro USB DAC dongle among many others.
Hidizs MK12 “Turris”
The Hidizs MK12 is a brand new earphone that uses a large 12mm dynamic driver with an M-shaped, 91% pure magnesium dome diaphragm.
This application is not something new, the Sony MDR-Z1R was the first headphone to come with a magnesium dome. There are also various Focal headphones, like the Clear Mg, that utilize an M-shaped magnesium dome.
Hidizs claims that the MK12 is the first time that this technology is used on such a small scale. However, I can easily think of the Periodic Audio Magnesium V3 earphones that have an Mg diaphragm with 96% purity or the IKKO Asgard OH5 that has a lithium-magnesium diaphragm. Maybe Hidizs means that the MK12 is the world’s first earphone with an M-shaped magnesium dome and the most affordable one.
Anyway, let’s skip the marketing literature and get back on the Hidizs MK12 that except for the special M-shaped magnesium dome, it also incorporates a 1.5T external magnet design, a CNC-machined integrated metal cavity and a pressure relief system.
As most other Hidizs earphones, the MK12 is designed with swappable pneumatic tuning filters that when combined with the three different types of silicone ear-tips, offer 9 types of sound styles for a personalized listening experience.
Design and build quality
The design of the Hidizs MK12 is inspired by the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish, hence the nickname “Turris”. Hidizs is a brand with great environmental awareness, they actively support the WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) and they name their products after various sea creatures.
Honestly speaking, the outer appearance of the MK12 reminds me more of a vicious alien head from a sci-fi movie or some kind of an insect, rather than a jellyfish but you may think otherwise.
The shells are made from CNC-machined aluminum alloy and are a little bulky but not too heavy as they weigh less than 10g each. Build quality is very good, the shells are durable and have a smooth outer finish in either ocean blue, gunmetal grey and classic back colors.
The MK12 is also available in a titanium alloy edition that is limited to 499 pieces and costs $299 or $249 with the current promo discount.
Wearing comfort
Despite their strange outer appearance with the sharp corner at the bottom part of the faceplate and their largish size, the shells have an inner surface that is ergonomically shaped so the fit is actually comfortable. The MK12 is more comfortable than the Hidizs MP145/ MP143 models while it offers decent passive noise isolation.
However, there are two issues that can affect the overall comfort. Their large size may not fit well people with small ear cavities and the too shallow nozzles are not a good fit for users with deeper ear cavities like me. I had some trouble achieving a tight and stable fit because all the supplied ear-tips are too short and can’t go deep enough into the ear. Hidizs also sent along the ET01 “Sea Anemone” ear-tips that are super soft and extra comfortable but made things even worse because they are shorter than the stock ear-tips.
Double or triple flange ear-tips are necessary for people like me but they are not supplied. After trying a lot of different options, I finally resorted to the Penon Liqueur ear-tips that have an anti-slip surface while they don’t affect the overall tonal balance.
Cable and accessories
The MK12 comes with a 2-pin detachable cable crafted from high-purity silver-plated copper in a four strands twisted design. The cable is available with either 4.4mm or 3.5mm plugs that you can choose upon placing your order. It is a well made and flexible cable that doesn’t get too tangled and has low microphonic noise. However, at this price point a modular cable would have added more value.
The package includes three different types of silicone ear-tips in three sizes each that are stored in a nice cardboard box. Also included are the two spare sound filters in a small plastic case and a customized carrying pouch. No hard carrying case or other bells and whistles but I think that it is a much better practice to keep prices low than including luxurious and sometimes unnecessary accessories.
Sensitivity and associated gear
The rating of the MK12 is 32Ω with 112dB of sensitivity so it is really easy to drive without the need of special amplification. It pairs well with USB DAC dongles like the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus but after extensive testing with various sources, I was positively surprised to find out that it scales incredibly well. A $200 earphone that can do justice to sources like the iBasso DX260 or the Cayin N6iii is not something very common and should not be overlooked.
Listening impressions
The MK12 is the most neutrally tuned Hidizs earphone up to this date. This time Hidizs decided to forego their usual preference for the Harman target curve with its generously emphasized bass/mid-bass for a low-end with a much more neutral tuning. However, it is really difficult to get rid of old habits, so Hidizs made sure to equip the MK12 with the red filter that boosts the bass making it sound more prominent and fun.
With the gold and silver filters, the low-end follows a rather natural curve with good sub-bass extension and mildly emphasized bass without overdoing it on the mid-bass. The transition to the mid-range is smooth and the overall tuning is suitable for listening to all kinds of music. Critical listeners will appreciate the satisfying tonal accuracy while casual audiences will enjoy plenty of high quality bass.
Speaking of quality, the MK12 has one of the most technical presentations you can find in its respective category and not only. The bass is fast, tight and controlled with excellent timing and not a single trace of audible echo. It has class-leading layering and definition while at the same time it sounds full bodied and visceral with natural elasticity.
People familiar with the Focal Clear Mg will know what the M-shaped dome can do when it comes to the dynamics and the raw power of the bass. The driver of the MK12 might not be suspended as in the Focal Clear Mg but it still manages to offer impressive physical impact with widely contrasted dynamics, qualities that are difficult to match at this price point. The Hidizs MK12 impresses both with the quantity and the quality of its bass and it should be considered as a class leader in this department.
The red filter
The low-end of the MK12 can’t become more neutral, albeit most people will find it tonally correct without much unwanted coloration. What it can become though is much more prominent thanks to the red filter that lifts up the bass shelf while also attenuating both a part of the upper mid-range and the treble.
Thanks to this double effect, the MK12 not only becomes more bassy but also warmer, darker, smoother and less bright. The red filter is very effective and it literally transforms the Hidizs MK12 into a whole different sounding earphone than it is with the other two filters. It becomes considerably more casually tuned and fun sounding with extra bass presence and less prominent treble but it still retains good clarity while the overall technical performance of the bass remains pretty much unaffected.
More listening impressions
Back to the balanced filter, it produces a mid-range that is fairly neutral with some upper mid-range prominence that adds plenty of energy without venturing into shouting territory. Most people will enjoy the clarity and the vividness of the sound without getting fatigued except those with increased sensitivity in this area or poorly mastered material.
The sound is very clean but not clinical with far better resolution and definition than someone would have expected for the category. The textures are lush and weighty yet refined and articulated while the timbre is surprisingly natural and organic. The overall tonality of the mid-range is very convincing, the MK12 is harmonious and expressive, it sounds musical and emotionally engaging.
The presence area has plenty of energy and definition with a sonic character that is not irritating or harsh. The treble is transparent and honest, bright material will sound bright and smooth will remain smooth without any artificial intervention from the earphones. The MK12 is fast and brilliant with very good detail retrieval but it doesn’t sound analytical or sterile.
The use of a single dynamic driver offers unmatched sonic coherency throughout the whole frequency range and helps the treble to retain full bodied and weighty textures, just like the mid/lower frequencies. As a result, higher pitched instruments don’t sound thin or dry, they have plenty of harmonic richness while the timbre remains rather natural and free from any metallic artificiality. The overall sound coherency can only be compared with much more expensive earphones or full sized headphones.
The silver filter
People who like more present and brilliant treble can use the silver filter that does exactly that while also emphasizes the upper mid-range by a tiny margin. The MK12 becomes a little more luminous and brighter sounding without becoming too harsh or sharp. The bass remains exactly the same as with the gold filter, both in quantity and quality. A nice option for those who like their music more vibrant and airy.
The very special soundstage
The soundstage is really impressive and makes it hard to believe that you are listening to $200 earphones. The MK12 is as open and spacious as many open-back headphones, actually it performs much better than a lot of them. The sound field is not only wide and extended but it also has sufficient depth. The imaging accuracy is far superior than someone would have expected for the category and it becomes very easy to follow groups of instruments or focus on individual performers.
The MK12 offers a concert-like presentation, grand and almost holographic, conveying the scale of the music with realism and offering a good sense of the surrounding ambience. The MK12 has a speaker-like soundstage that is uncommon and rare to find at this price range.
Vs the competition
There are plenty of other single dynamic driver earphones worth considering at this price point, like the FiiO FD15 that I value very much. A few other examples can easily spring to mind. There is no point in going into detailed sound comparisons, each one has its own unique sonic character, there is a tuning style for everyone. You can explore further reviews here.
One thing that I would like to emphasize though, is that I can’t think of a competitive earphone that can match the unique bass presentation of the M-shaped magnesium dome. The textures, the various qualities and the technical performance are radically different and, I would dare to say, better than the other technologies used. The bass of the MK12 is more natural and realistic, it is like listening to speakers or high quality headphones than earphones. And finally, the speaker-like presentation of the soundstage is also difficult to get matched by the competition.
In the end
This time Hidizs have managed to outdo themselves and go beyond their usual design concepts. The MK12 is an earphone with a very successful tuning, great fine-tuning versatility and some unique sonic qualities, especially in the bass and the soundstage, that are rare to find in this category.
The overall sonic and technical performance of the Hidizs MK12 are so good that it makes you wonder how they have come out with such a modest price, to the point that $199 seems like a typo.
Honestly speaking, I would recommend the Hidizs MK12 even if it was double the price (with some better accessories though) so for $199 (or the current $179 offer) it is an absolute bargain that offers unparalleled value for money. My advice is to go grab one while the discount lasts or before they find out that they have made a mistake and raise its price.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2025.
+ Balanced tuning and natural timbre
+ Stellar audio performance
+ Impressive bass qualities and technicalities
+ Very good transparency and resolution
+ Full bodied and visceral textures
+ Expressive mids and honest treble
+ Class-leading soundstage presentation
+ Great fine-tuning potential
+ Easy to drive with good scaling
+ Comfortable if you get the right fit
+ High quality detachable cable
+ Affordable with outstanding value for money
- Polarizing design
- The cable is not modular
- Large ear-shells and swallow nozzles can cause fit issues
- Slightly heavy ear-shells
- Underwhelming carrying pouch
- Average passive noise isolation
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