Hidizs AP30 Music Boy Is A Wearable Hi-Res Music Player

The Hidizs AP30 Music Boy is a tiny hi-res digital audio player you wear on your neck, bag or phone, built for blokes who still care how their music actually sounds. With Bluetooth, wired outputs and a retro Game Boy look, it aims to take the job back from your smartphone without feeling like extra bulk.

The project is live on Kickstarter with 3,587 backers who have pledged US$3,381,586 so far. The full AP30 Music Boy Kickstarter campaign breaks down the features and pledge options.

What Is the AP30 Music Boy?

The Hidizs AP30 Music Boy is a portable high resolution music player you can clip to your bag, hang around your neck or snap to the back of your phone. It’s aimed at people who want better sound than a phone can usually manage, plus the freedom to leave their main device in a pocket or on a desk. Instead of streaming only, it plays your own music library from a microSD card and can run wired or wireless headphones.

The maker also pitches the AP30 as a nostalgic throwback. The body is shaped like a mini handheld console, there’s a 2 inch colour screen, physical buttons, a built in retro block puzzle game and basic eBook support. It’s still set up as a serious audio player first though, with a dedicated DAC and amp, dual headphone outputs and support for lossless formats such as FLAC, WAV and DSD. You can see the full pitch on the AP30 Music Boy Kickstarter page.

AP30 Design and Build

The AP30 Music Boy leans into retro handheld styling. It uses a compact 68×53×17 mm body that weighs 56 g, with a 2.0 inch IPS display on top and a d pad, action buttons and playback keys underneath. The rear features a whale graphic backplate that ties into Hidizs’ marine themed charity work, and there are bold colour options in the campaign materials if you prefer something louder than basic black. A matching case lets you wear it on a neck strap, clip it to a bag or mount it magnetically to your phone.

Living with it should feel closer to wearing an accessory than tucking away a chunky player. At 56 g, it’s lighter than most true wireless earbud cases, so hanging the AP30 from your neck or bag strap should not feel like a drag. The dedicated buttons and small footprint also make it practical for quick volume or track changes on the move, instead of digging out your phone and waking a screen. For a clearer sense of the finishes and accessories available, check the images on the Hidizs AP30 Music Boy campaign.

How the AP30 Works

Under the shell, the AP30 Music Boy runs a custom HidizsOS interface set up for audio playback. You load your music library onto a microSD card (up to 256 GB is supported) then browse it on the 2.0 inch screen using the physical controls. A dedicated CS43198 DAC handles conversion while an RT6863 amplifier drives connected headphones. There are two wired outputs, a 3.5 mm jack for everyday cans and a 4.4 mm balanced port for more demanding in ear monitors and over ear headphones.

Wireless is covered by Bluetooth 5.3, so you can pair it with headphones, speakers or your car audio and it remembers devices once set up. Plug it into a phone or computer via USB C and it can also work as a standalone DAC, using its own 1200 mAh battery to clean up the signal before sending it out to your headphones. Beyond audio, the system adds a retro block puzzle game and simple eBook reader if you want something to kill time between tracks. For a full rundown of the signal chain and supported formats, have a look at the AP30 Music Boy Kickstarter listing.

AP30 Music Boy Technical Specifications

Here are the key technical details for the Hidizs AP30 Music Boy pulled from the Kickstarter campaign.

• Platform: Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign
• Backers so far: 3,587
• Pledged so far: US$3,381,586
• Dimensions: 68 × 53 × 17 mm body
• Weight: 56 g
• Display: 2.0 inch IPS screen, 296 × 240 resolution

AP30 Music Boy Pros and Cons

Based on the campaign details, here is how the Hidizs AP30 Music Boy stacks up, with some clear upsides and a few early caveats before you back it.

What We Like

• Compact 68×53×17 mm body and 56 g weight keeps it genuinely wearable
• Dual 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm headphone outputs cover casual and audiophile headphones
• Bluetooth 5.3 plus USB DAC mode give you flexible wired and wireless setups
• Supports up to 256 GB microSD storage for large offline music libraries
• Dedicated CS43198 DAC and RT6863 amp with wide lossless format support

What to Keep in Mind

• Still a crowdfunding product, so shipping timelines and final tuning may shift
• Relies on microSD cards, which adds extra cost if you do not already own one
• Retro button and game focused interface may not appeal if you prefer a minimalist look
• Single purpose hardware is less convenient than a phone for all in one use

What to Consider Before You Pledge

Dedicated digital audio players live or die on two things, sound quality and daily practicality. On paper the AP30 ticks the right technical boxes with a proper DAC and amp, lossless format support, dual outputs and Bluetooth 5.3, so the main questions are how you actually plan to use it and whether you’ll really carry another device. If you mostly stream music and don’t own any wired headphones, something like this might be overkill. If you have good wired cans sitting idle because your phone dropped the headphone jack, a compact player that can also act as a USB DAC starts to make more sense. You can compare how Hidizs has answered those questions in the AP30 Music Boy Kickstarter campaign.

You also need to be comfortable with crowdfunding in general. Backing a Kickstarter project is a pledge, not a guaranteed retail purchase, and delivery dates or final specs can move as production ramps up. Before you put money into the AP30, think about how patient you’re with delays, what headphones you actually own, how much offline music you have and whether you’ll use the wearable straps and magnetic case or just treat it as a small player in your pocket.

Man of Many’s Verdict

The Hidizs AP30 Music Boy looks like a neat fit for Australian listeners who still care about proper wired audio but don’t want to lug around a brick sized player. If you own decent IEMs or over ears, like the idea of a wearable controller and are happy to wait out the usual Kickstarter uncertainty, it’s worth a close look. If you’re all in on streaming apps, ANC buds and phone first listening though, a dedicated hi-res player such as this is probably more nostalgia than necessity, so you’re better off sticking with your current setup and watching how the first production units shake out on Kickstarter.

Where to Buy the AP30 Music Boy

The Hidizs AP30 Music Boy is available now as a live project on Kickstarter. You back it directly through the AP30 Music Boy Kickstarter campaign page, choosing a reward tier that usually includes the player itself and may bundle accessories like straps or the magnetic case. Pricing and exact inclusions sit on the campaign page, along with any limited early bird rewards and global shipping details.

AP30 Music Boy FAQs

If the mix of hi-res sound, retro handheld styling and wearable hardware sounds right to you, it’s worth spending a few minutes on the Hidizs AP30 Music Boy Kickstarter page before the campaign wraps.