Today, Meldrick reviews the Hidizs MP143 Salt Golden Titanium, a luxurious limited edition of the company’s 14.3mm planar driver IEM. It is currently priced at $249 and has an SRP of $369.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for our honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or status. I thank Hidizs for their support.
To read more about Hidizs products we have previously reviewed on Headfonics click here.
Please note that this article follows our current scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
Like last year’s MP145 Golden Titanium, Hidizs is commemorating another of its planar magnetic IEMs with a ‘golden’ finish.
The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium is built on the regular MP143 Salt‘s 14.3mm planar driver but ditches its aluminum shell for gold-plated titanium
Limited to just 499 pairs worldwide and priced over double the original MP143 Salt, is Hidizs’s newest set worth more than its weight in gold? Read my full thoughts below to see if it is worth more than its weight in gold.
Features
As the name suggests, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s shell is built out of a significantly pricier titanium material. This material’s combination of low density and high strength is said to give it superior electrical, thermal, and physical properties.
Hidizs claims that this material choice gives the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium a more “stabilized and clear” audio experience.
Just like the regular MP143 Salt, the Golden Titanium version still showcases the same FAST 2 planar magnetic driver.
While slightly smaller than the driver found in the MP145, it boasts reduced distortion and enhanced efficiency thanks to its symmetrical magnet array.
Equipped with three interchangeable tuning nozzles and three sets of ear tips, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium offers up to nine different tuning permutations right out of the box. This opens up the versatility of the set, giving listeners the option to fine-tune their most preferred sound signature.
Design
The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s fit and finish are just stunning. While taking photos in preparation for this review, I struggled to shoot the set in a way that conveyed how good they looked in person.
Since this isn’t my first time seeing Golden Titanium IEM from Hidizs, I didn’t have the same visceral eye-popping reaction I had with the MP145 Golden Titanium, but this doesn’t detract from just how impressive the hefty golden shell is.
The MP143 Salt Gold Titanium’s shell features a two-part construction comprising a separate body and faceplate. However, the tight fit of the titanium components almost gives the impression that the entire shell was sculpted from a single piece.
The faceplates sport a sleek ridged design that seamlessly integrates with the flat, inclined silhouette, adding a touch of sophistication.
This design approach creates a clean, understated shape that is simple, but still offers more character than the typical resin-based Chi-Fi IEMs.
The only prominent branding is an elegantly engraved Hidizs logo in dark blue, positioned just above the faceplate’s ridges.
Beyond the logo, the shell is free from decorative touches, with only the detachable nozzle and a tuning vent located directly beneath it.
Subtle details include printed “L” and “R” indicators and the text “Hidizs X WDC” on top. The markings are so faint that, in certain lighting conditions, they blend into the shell’s natural reflective surface.
I did find that the Golden Titanium finish was significantly more prone to fingerprints and micro-scratches when compared to the Blue MP143 Salt I had for testing.
Listeners who tend to quickly wrap their IEMs in a cable ball and throw them into their pockets may need to consider this when deciding if the Golden Titanium variant is worth it for them.
Comfort & Isolation
The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s comfort is decent, which I found to be quite impressive given the unit’s titanium shell.
Compared to the Hidizs MP145 Golden Titanium, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium is smaller and lighter. What caught me by surprise was how similar the original and Golden Titanium MP143 weighed.
However, in my testing, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium does not cause the same weight-related discomfort as the MP145 Golden Titanium. The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s straightforward design ensures a comfortable fit in my ear.
Throughout the testing period, I didn’t encounter any sharp edges pressing against my ear, nor did I notice the weight shifting uncomfortably.
For a vented IEM, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium delivers reasonable isolation. When no music is playing, background conversations remain audible, and low-frequency sounds, like the hum of air conditioners, are not entirely blocked.
With music playing, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium offers improved noise isolation, effectively reducing background distractions. However, it falls short of being a standout performer in sound isolation compared to other options.
Stock Cable
Hidizs took an unconventional approach with the Hidizs MP143 Salt Golden Titanium, throwing in 2 stock cables out of the box: 1x 3.5mm SE, and 1x 4.4mm BAL. This is a welcome addition since the original MP143 came with just a 3.5mm SE cable.
However, I would have preferred a modular cable system with interchangeable 3.5mm and 4.4mm terminations, like the kind used by the DUNU Titan S2 and LETSHUOER S08.
Aside from the differing terminations, the included 3.5mm and 4.4mm are identical. Even ignoring their bare-bones design, the materials used to wrap each wire in the two-core cable feel cheap and lightweight.
The cables do not exhibit any microphonics, but their lightweight build detracts from their ability to maintain their shape while in use.
The cable of the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium is also noticeably prone to tangling and often ends up twisted when stored in its case.
Compared to the cable of Hidizs’ MP145 Golden Titanium, the MP143’s cable feels like it’s made with lower-quality materials, and its tendency to tangle further detracts from its practicality for everyday use.
Packaging & Accessories
Just like the regular MP143 Salt, the Golden Titanium version employs some packaging techniques designed to minimize its environmental impact.
The outer box of the unit is standard, coming in a black box with a silhouette of the IEM embossed in gold, but the main difference lies within the box itself. The IEMs are housed in a cardboard tray with a cutout for the IEMs.
This is in line with the status quo, with even the MP145 Golden Titanium having a similar style of packaging. However, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s ear tip storage is what’s unique. The tips included are stored in a clever cardboard “hook”, wherein the tips are simply skewered.
The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s packaging stands out for being entirely free of single-use plastic bags, reflecting the environmental preservation values of the charity it partnered with for this product.
The included cables are basic in design, but the package makes up for it with a well-made pouch and an impressive array of accessories.
These include two additional pairs of tuning nozzles and three types of ear tips, each available in S, M, and L sizes, making the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium one of the more versatile options in its price range for tuning customization.
As a final touch, the IEM comes with a hand-signed and numbered card from the Hidizs CEO, along with a commemorative 10th-anniversary badge pin, emphasizing the special significance of this release in Hidizs’ history.
Sound Impressions
All sound impressions on the Hidizs MP143 Salt Golden Titanium were completed with the stock rose nozzles and the grey stock tips using a mix of dongles including the ddHiFi TC35Pro E2, iFi audio GO link Max, and the 7Hz Artemis39.
Bass
The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium sounds like the stock MP143 Salt with a noticeable boost in the sub-bass region, giving it a more V-shaped sound signature than its aluminum counterpart.
This increased sub-bass gives the Golden Titanium a more visceral impact in acoustic kick drums and 808s in hip-hop tracks. This gives hip-hop and modern pop tracks a more engaging sense of excitement.
Similar to the original MP143 Salt, the Golden Titanium has a prominent mid-bass that adds warmth and richness to bass guitars and electronic elements.
In modern pop tracks, background synth keys are well-defined, delivering a thick, engaging punch without overwhelming the mids.
However, this mid-bass emphasis does not significantly enhance the bass guitars in classic funk and disco tracks. Instead, it manifests through sustained synths that envelop the entire mix.
The boosted sub-bass occasionally overpowers the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s ability to articulate more subtle details in the mid-bass region, however, its sub-bass response is decently textured and is presented with very good tactility.
Mids
The tuning and presentation of the mid-range remain largely unchanged versus the original MP143 Salt, whose mids are presented in a forward manner with vocals taking center stage.
However, this vocal emphasis comes at the expense of natural timbre, as the overall tonality leans toward a metallic and slightly grainy character.
While string instruments are audible, they don’t receive the same level of prominence as vocals and can sound thin, lacking in note weight.
This becomes especially noticeable in complex mixes, where keys and electric guitars struggle to stand out against higher-frequency elements and the boosted vocal presence.
On simpler pop tracks, the metallic quality in the strings becomes more apparent, while the graininess in the mids is reminiscent of the trailing shimmer of hi-hat cymbals.
Though this texture doesn’t introduce discomfort or sibilance in most tracks, strings in less proficiently mastered tracks maintain good resolution at the expense of a full organic sound.
Treble
Similar to the original MP143 Salt, the Golden Titanium delivers sharp, detailed treble with a distinct emphasis on cymbals, chimes, and other metallic instruments in the upper frequencies.
Hi-hats and snares have a crisp, energetic presence that adds brightness without crossing into sibilance, maintaining a lively top-end. However, much like the mids, the treble carries a metallic edge, particularly in instruments that occupy the upper registers.
This characteristic can be a double-edged sword—while it enhances clarity and detail in tracks with intricate high-frequency content, it can also introduce a slightly artificial tonality.
The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium outperforms many competitors in its price range when it comes to microdetail retrieval, but this comes at the cost of a more natural timbre.
While the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium’s treble stands out in resolution and detail, its slightly metallic timbre may not appeal to everyone. In less proficiently mastered tracks, this treble presentation exhibits some sibilance, which can be fatiguing to some listeners.
Staging
The MP143 Salt Golden Titanium exhibits decent to good sound stage performance. The resolving nature of string instruments makes them easy to place within the soundscape.
Among other IEMs in its price range, its ability to detail and place each instrument in the mix is particularly noteworthy.
However, the Golden Titanium’s soundstage doesn’t fully match the 360-degree depth provided by some of its competitors. Instead, its more intimate stage enhances vocal performances, adding emotional weight and presence.
While it may not create an all-encompassing listening experience, the MP143 Salt Golden Titanium still provides a moderately wide stage that allows for enjoyable engagement with more intricate compositions.
Click on page 2 below for my recommended pairings and selected comparisons.
