Just received mine a few days ago and it is amazing in every way. Well worth the price. It completely blows away my R5 Saber. The R6 III can even drive my Audeze Sine headphones through the single ended jack with no issues. The same headphone sounded horrible through the R5 Saber using a balanced cable even though it has a higher power output. The class A amp is gorgeous.
considering buying one have you tried a 2td sdxc ? quality hp amp + line out its just an almost instabuy for me having all my favorite music on hand everywhere (easy to setup on a stereo system, car is amazing)
Hi can i know if the player is able to play Apple music downloaded files without any issues. Thanks.. Much appriciated it i can know this fact as i mainly use apple music as the source.
The rise of the mk, seeing that everywhere nowadays. In cars, cameras, phones, daps, iems - just tech in general. Nice format by the way! Laid out strengths and weaknesses in an easy to follow manner. I'm personally looking forward to the upcoming Hiby R6 Pro II, which looks like a real stunner, especially in Purple. I was thinking of stacking that with the Astell & Kern PA10, but a collab Rebel Amp is definitely a better alternative now that we know about it 😁. Hopefully we'll get to hear your thoughts on that DAP as-well when it launches! Definitely looking to see how it compares to some pricier DAP's like the Sony 1AM2, Cayin N7 and N6ii.
I almost bought the iBasso dx170 based on your review. I got as far as adding it to my cart on Amazon before getting in the mental argument with myself about the validity of DAP's today. I went back and forth for several days. Finally, reviews on Amazon began to accumulate and a number of people complained about the somewhat sluggish interface and the really cheap feeling volume knob. At this price point, I'm beginning to think it's just a much better choice to go with the Dethonray Pegasus.
got mine secondhand yesterday not disappointed, solid upgrade from the R5 Saber, does run a bit warm though if you have it in your pocket driving headphones, IEM's were fine
MSEB is 100% game changer on this DAP. Also.. BTW.. you can easily save those MSEB files locally and sync between devices. Using DriveSync to sync all sorts of stuff up.
I just got this one. I have to state first that I don't care about the look of electronics, so if you do perhaps you need to read other posts. It works very well, actually usable unlike the iBasso DX170 I had to sell (way underpowered, terrible experience although the sound was really good). Tidal offline works, 3 gain levels help the reduced power specifications, silent background also with Andromedas, soundstage is better than expected, sound too, probably on par with the DX170 and more customisable, however not comparable to a Mojo which plays on a totally different level and probably unmatched by any other DAP. Defects? Battery life is quite poor (and I am not using class A mode because I can't tell the difference).and so is charging time. If in generation IV Hiby will use a better battery they will have a complete winner. Tested with Meze 109, Arya Stealth, Denon AH-D7200, IMR Elan+ and Ozar, Meze Advar, 7hz Timeless, Fiio FH5.
I was looking to buy the R6 (III) and came across this review. Sir your explanation about Class A vs Class AB leaves a lot to be desired. Class A amps are not running “full tilt”. It’s just that the transistors are biased to be “always on”. In Class B transistors are switched on and off and Class AB biases the transistors so they are “almost” on. In either Class the power amplifier only produces as much power (in Milli watts in this case) as the signal feeding the amplifier allows. Thanks
Rembel amp needs a better volume pot. You max it out, keep that amp run for at least 3 days (basically you never turn it off) and it is outstanding. I am thinking about getting a JDS lab amp for my RebelAmp.
Just got mine and love it! The UI is so snappy! It sounds great with my Fiio F3 earbuds! Not streaming yet cause I got a ton of Lossless files! Originally wanted the Shanking M6 Ultra but I couldn't justify the 800+ pricetag. Glad I went with the Hiby! it's still expensive at 500 bucks but just what I wanted to spend on my first DAP!
I’m a big Sony fan; but never ever buy anything from Sony running Android. They are notorious for dropping support and not upgrading their OS. I bought a top of the line tablet from them that didn’t even upgrade to the next Android version that came out ONE YEAR later. And eventually not having the newest OS means apps will drop support. So you could easily have a $1000 brick in 2 years that doesn’t even connect to your streaming services.
I agree, my flagship (at the time) Sony ZX2 never received a single software update and lost Tidal support years ago. I'll never buy another DAP from Sony again.
Hidy updated the r6 iii a month ago, and now it has a pure audio mod and a usb dac only mod. Mite be worth bring it back out young man 👍 Just to see what you think 🙏👍
Could mean Hot Monster Cable Output.....ok not. I'm surprised Monster hasn't put out super expensive cables for DAPs but I guess Bluetooth killed that idea.
Just received my hiby. Running class A will burn you, literally. Too hot in my pocket so I dialed it back to class AB. Temp is good now. Sound is amazing. Screen is lack luster but I’m not looking I’m listening. Response is a little slow as well. Other than that I love it compared to listening on my S22 or iPhone.
I owe it 2 months, great detailed sound, not warmish signature, good space, decent power, stable firmware, but not the fastest one (still not problematic as in iBasso DX170). Dont buy it for class A - class AB is so similar in terms of sound (great), but the amp stays cool, when on class A it gets so warm it becomes unusable in bare hands and drains your battery quickly. My unit has an issue with switching between A/AB - once you switch to A it won't come back to AB, unless you restart it.
Great review. Any thoughts you can share about hooking this Dap up to their hiby dock and plugging it into a hifi system through a pre and amp? Seems like it might have as much SQ or more functionality as say the Gustard dac you reviewed?
I'm almost sold, how does the sound quality compare with my beloved Gryphon, and does 'Systemwide bitperfect audio' mean that the Amazon Music app plays at full resolution (rather than being reencoded in normal Android)? Thanks.
In case anyone else is interested: I bought one, I'm very pleased with it (probably end-game), it's a definite step up in sound quality compared to the Gryphon, 'Systemwide bitperfect audio' is true to its name and works with all apps, as does the balance control, which is handy. I would recommend.
Maybe I want one of these R6 III 😊👍🏻 Hey Zeos, you say the M11s ist far too slow - you can’t tell me the DX 170 is faster 🤔 Did you try any streaming service on the iBasso? This thing is not useable… at least the one that I got…
i have an r3 pro II. i just use it as in bluetooth mode. genre mapping is terrible. i can't simply play an artist radio or a genre radio. if people are expected to play only albums or artists then i guess the streaming services clearly ruined us all. hiby os doesn't let you change anything once bluetooth is connected and you have to disconnect to do any changes. its definitely handicapped without spotify or other streaming services.
Z can you please do a Comparison with the HiBy R6 lll as a music streamer to an amp as thinking of getting one for that reason, to stream to my Av system.......thanks if do as would be interesting to see the results. I would Connect it up 4.4 to phono 👍🏻👍🏻
Zeos I know it’s a sin but when you bluetooth 😱 to DAPs from my iPhone 😱i can use my watch to play/Pause/Ffwd/Rew/Scrobble and Volume KEEPING both devices in my pocket using wired headphones 😞 ….I’m just saying
I'm using asmartphone connected to my topping dac then to my amplifier. Im interested in buying this dap mainly for storage and bit perfect. Would this be overkill bypassing the daps internal dac and just using this in my main hifi setup?
how does this is compare with Fiio M11 Plus ess because fiio is £600 right now and Hiby R6 mkIII is £500 if you look at the sound quality first and other stuff later
Have you tried setting all the animations to zero in the developer options to speed up the screen? Usually makes quite a difference on Android devices.
Oddly - the sound on the original Cowon Plenue D is still right up there, it sounds great, and it has well over 100 hours of battery life. I want something comparable. There's something Hiby is doing with sound on their players that is helping them. I really enjoy the sound on the HiBy R3Pro Saber. But my main complaint is the battery life. I want 100+ hours. So i still run my Cowon Plenue D.
with IEM's you might get close to that on this, I was listening for half the day yesterday and only lost like 10% on full class A mode, A/B is probably a bit better
I wish there was a new Plenue D out there. The Hiby R3 is going to be as close as we get but still bigger and not the same battery life. The D was Magic.
@@ZReviews The D definitely was magic, (hehe, magic D....) still haven't found a good replacement for it. But I was able to buy a replacement battery, there is a company still making them. Technically the one they sell is for the Plenue D2, but it also works with the original Plenue D. I wrote a bit more about the process of opening up the Plenue D to replace the battery on HiFi Guides Forums. But it's a bit buried in a thread called "Small minimal DAP".
I'd honestly love to actually HEAR an Astell & Kern player, out of sheer curiousity, but what sucks is there's no stores anymore that actually stock them in real life. Or compare one of those to something like the Hiby. Also, do the Astells come with a good amp built in, or do you still have to use a head. amp or other amp for them?
@@ridhoputra8603 It's a serious question. Given the headphone/IEM can be driven with enough power by both, would one be able to distinguish between the apple dongle and this unit on a blind test?
@@mfdoom808reddit, r/headphones. Most of audiophiles would tell you that LG v series would beat most of daps at around 600 usd price range. Dap is just a toy for folks with extra cash
@@mfdoom808 see iwii review about apple dongle. Look apple dongle gives clarity but not weight. Even with super easy to drive Moondrop Chu. Yesterday I made an experiment. Tried Moondrop Chu with apple dongle and with the lighting dongle that came with Kinera Freya. I don’t know if there is a dac inside or not. Tried miserere by allegri (Tallis scholars, 3rd version). With Apple dongle all ok but jumping to Kinera dongle and wow instantly I began to recognize there were truly basses singing !! With Apple dongle almost non audible. So please there is a certain quality of amp that matters, not only volume
Fiio M11s is slow. Oh my gosh 😁 seems Fiio didn't pay him this time 🤣 and why everybody complains about Android 10? Apple Music and Tidal still work perfectly fine on Android 5.
@@wozfromoz8795 Wow that's incredible!! Well, none of the mp3 players I've owned or daps have been lightning fast on the UI or controls, anyway. It's not like an iPhone or Android phone, or a good fast gaming PC, etc. It's just a sluggish dedicated device, basically. The question is do the A&Kerns sound as good as they promise them to?
if they have different parts they will sound different, some people say DAC's matter, lots of people say AMP's matter, hell even cables can matter (even if it's not worth it).
@@chrisk3127 no decently engineered DAP has a sound, as DACs and amps involved should be transparent. Only distortion from tube amps might have a sound due to the distortion.
@@susokraut3169 Have to imagine the point of making new ones is to improve or CHANGE the sound characteristics. I could definitely sit someone down and hand them an 8 year old FiiO Player and this and the way it powers the good stuff would shine through. DACs I am less impressed but amp tech and picky headphones and IEMs have made this an actual thing.
@@susokraut3169 that's like saying Vanilla should be the only ice cream flavor, people have different tastes, if boring is what you like then that's all you.
No, it's not. It sounds boring as hell, not detailed enough, not funny, just absolutely flat. Every headphone i tried it with couldn't give me enjoyment
That's why they have included the MSEB. They encourage that. This player when corrected to your liking is amazing. That's what they were going for, cater to the masses. The circuitry is top class here.
@@Masimo_Yovanni i tried, but since i can't fully understand what i'm doing to the sound i didn't have an enourmous improvement. I also tried peq but it's also too complicated for me. I didn't touch equalizer. Also the plugins i can't really understand what they're for
We need more people to be like George Washington. George Washington did not believe in or support the idea of political parties, because he knew it would destroy the nation. Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative? It's all the same. Just a different side of the coin. Logical vs Reasonable. Practical vs Theoretical.