With an exceptional price-to-quality ratio, the HiBy R6 top-tier compact digital audio player set a precedent when it was launched. Now that a new R6 is about to be released, will they be able to replicate this feat? In today’s article, we’re going to have HiBy R6 III Review which was launched on February 15, 2023!
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to us in exchange for our honest opinion. HiFiGo is an independent website with no affiliate links. We thank HiBy Music for their support.
1. Box and Packaging:
Similar to packaging for the majority of contemporary smartphones, the Hiby R6 GEN III is packaged in a blue cardboard box, with the R6 specs written at the rear of the sturdy box and the Hiby emblem etched at the front. When you open the box, you’ll see the player packed in soft plastic in a cushioned case. Below are the other peripherals and documents including the user manual and warranty card. Everything is properly packed, and the majority of the items are covered in plush plastics to prevent dents or scratches during shipping.
2. Box Contents:
A. High-Quality Silicon Cover:
The HiBy R6 III has a translucent and high-quality silicon cover that can protect it from short-distance falls. Furthermore, the surface offers excellent grip, decreases friction when wearing tight outfits, and protects it against damages that may occur from rubbing against the clothing.
B. Warranty QR Code:
A warranty is offered for HiBy devices. The warranty covers any flaws in the product as compared to its specifications. The official warranty lasts for a year. The warranty duration is in effect as of the purchase date. This warranty does not cover any products whose serial numbers have been changed or defaced, and it will expire if you make unauthorized changes to the software.
C. Screen Protector:
A screen protector is a must-have investment for your HiBy R6 GEN III smartphone since it may shield it from scuffs and other screen damage. The HiBy New R6’s display glass is curved to the edges, in contrast to the majority of other gadgets. So, in this instance, purchase screen protectors that are purposefully designed to be smaller and do not completely enclose the monitor. If this screen protector entirely covers the surface of the display, it will eventually come away from the outer sections of the screen.
D. Charging Cable:
Unlike other gadgets, the HiBy R6 GEN III uses a type c to type c charging cable instead of the more common USB to type c. This includes a PD2.0 rapid charging port that can handle an 18W charging capability.
E. User Manual In Chinese And English:
In the package with the HiBy R6 GEN III and other accessories is the user manual which is written in both English and Chinese. While the device is easy and straightforward to use, the user manual has broken the ‘how to’ of the HiBy R6 GEN III into easy-to-follow steps.
F. The Device Itself:
The HiBy R6 GEN III mobile player is the first version in the line to feature a Class A amplifier circuit design. Sound quality, Performance, and power consumption are better balanced than in the previous versions thanks to two ESS9038Q2M decoders, three separate power supply lines, and an updated Android 12 operating system.
HiBy finally introduced a brand-new design in the mid-range market after a number of modifications, including the RS2, R5II, and RS8. Internal design, software, and perhaps the most crucial tuning strategy have all significantly developed from the last generation! The R6 III (3rd version) introduced Class A/AB amplifier style shifting to the 6 series structure for the first time, originating with the amplifier circuit. Users will receive more steady power output and sound details thanks to the enhanced power supply system.
3. Product Overview:
The HiBy R6 GEN III comes in two colors, black and gunmetal gray. On the side, you’ll find the power button as well as the controls for stop, play, previous, and next. There is also a MicroSD card slot on the opposite side. You might be disappointed that there’s only one MicroSD slot on this new version of HiBy R6 but like the previous generation, the device supports cards of up to one terabyte. The volume control is located at the top of the device. A LED indicator is included with the HiBy R6 GEN III.
The device has a 5 inches IPS Display, Bluetooth 5, and weighs 250 grams. The R6 III includes independent line output and analog output connectors, that provide 3.5 mm for single-ended, and 4.4mm for analog outputs. The device can also function as a USB DAC when connected to a computer, allowing you to use it as an external sound card. This includes a PD2.0 rapid charging port, and a 4500mAh battery that supports 18 Watt wired charging, on our test we found, it took 3 hours to charge from 15% to 100%, so it feels a little bit slow. The device is pre-loaded with the HiBy music player and library.
The R6III includes independent line output and analog output connectors that provide 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm analog outputs, respectively, for analog output. The HiBy R6 GEN III has a type c to type c cable port. Although it has an 18W battery charging, it feels a little bit slow. The device is pre-loaded with the HiBy music player and library. You can access quick controls for audio settings by sliding the notification panel from the top of the screen. You can also change the audio output by tapping the audio level. The following can be accessed by going to the audio settings:
- A low pass antialiasing filter setting with adjustable phases.
- Amplifier Operation: To increase the duration of usage, users can alternate between Class A/AB operating modes.
Class A – the max power output is constant. The audio quality is exceptional, the drive is excellent, and the feedback is quick.
Class AB – on the other hand, has an effective amplification mode that strikes a good balance between audio quality and battery capacity.
- Gain Settings.
- Plugins: A few standard plugin choices are provided. You can download them by tapping on them, and you can browse installed plugins in the tab above.
- MSEB: this can be used to measure the temperature, can be used to access bass extension, and tuning, and you can even select between local and readily accessible online tuning options.
- Adjustment for DSD Gain: The DSD512 and 32bit/768kHz file formats are supported by the ESS9038Q2M decoding utilized by the R6III.
- The Channel Balance.
- Settings for the Volume Control.
- Volume.
- An MQA decoder: which is turned on by default, is the most common MQA 16x layer extension. Streaming services may also produce the best audio quality after getting over the Android SRC restriction using DTA technology.
The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM, from which 49GB is still available which is quite enough for me, and for music players. The HiBy runs on an Android 12 operating system, specifically for the often updated Android apps, starting from the fundamental data in addition to updating the CPU. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor is enough for to system’s power usage. HiBy is a Dual DAC (Digital To Analog Converter) Mobile Digital Music Player with great performance.
4. HiBy R6 III Specifications:
A. Class A Amplifier Circuit Design:
The constant maintenance of peak output is a property of Class A amplifier structures. It responds quickly and has a highly steady driving force. On several desktop PCs or expensive mobile players, it is the certainty of audio quality. Its low operational efficiency, the fact that most of the power it consumes is converted to heat, and the fact that it is more susceptible to the quality of the power supply make it rather uncommon in the mid-level player industry.
Two OPA1652 operational amplifiers, four ELNA audio capacitors, and 16 hand-matched transistors make up the R6III amplifier circuit. In order to maintain the integrity of the whole circuit, the power supply design is changed and split into two distinct circuits that supply the filter and amplifying circuit sections, respectively. There is a reliable and sufficient power source in each scenario.
B. Dual ESS9038Q2M Decoders:
As the primary component, R6 III utilizes two ESS9038Q2M decoders. The main modification from the prior version is that the voltage output mode has been added to better complement the Class A amplifier circuit of R6III. A separate line directly powers a portion of this generation’s decoders, considerably reducing hardware interference and enabling this generation’s decoders to operate to their full potential. The power usage and operational efficiency are both higher when compared to the desktop decoder system. The power is comparatively lower, and HiBy uses the conserved power to focus on the amplifier circuit design, which has a bigger influence on audio quality.
C. Automatic switching between Class A/AB mode:
To increase the duration of usage, users can alternate between Class A/AB operating modes. Class A – the max power output is constant. The audio quality is exceptional, the drive is excellent, and the feedback is quick. Class AB – on the other hand, has an effective amplification mode that strikes a good balance between audio quality and battery capacity.
D. The Addition of Android 12 as a Feature Update:
The R6III created an Android 12 system specifically for the often updated Android apps, starting from the fundamental data in addition to updating the CPU to Snapdragon 665. The system’s power usage and digital interference are significantly decreased because of the elimination of extraneous operational data and the improved Snapdragon 665 processor.
E. A Number of Output and Decoding Options:
The DSD512 and 32bit/768kHz file formats are supported by the ESS9038Q2M decoding utilized by the R6III. It also supports the most common MQA 16x layer extension. Streaming services may also produce the best audio quality after getting over the Android SRC restriction using DTA technology. The R6III includes autonomous line output and analog output connectors, which provide 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm analog outputs, respectively, for analog output.
5. HiBy R6 III Review Sound Quality:
In terms of sound signature, the R6 Gen 3 has a balanced and neutral sound that is highly detailed and transparent. The bass is tight and controlled, the midrange is clear and detailed, and the treble is crisp and extended. The soundstage is wide and airy, with excellent separation and imaging. The HiBy R5 Gen 2 is a portable audio player designed primarily for use with headphones and in-ear monitors. While it can technically be used to drive external speakers, it is not optimized for this use case and may not provide the best results.
The R5 Gen 2 has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 4.4mm balanced headphone output, but it does not have a dedicated line output or speaker output. Therefore, if you want to connect the R5 Gen 2 to external speakers, you would need to use an adapter or cable that converts the headphone output to a speaker-level output.
When driving external speakers, the sound quality of the R6 Gen 3 will depend on the quality of the speakers and the amplifier used. The R6 Gen 3 has a powerful amplification section that can drive high-impedance headphones with ease, but it may struggle to drive less efficient speakers. In addition, the R6 Gen 3’s DAC and amplifier are optimized for headphone use, and may not provide the best results when driving external speakers.
6. DAC (Digital To Analog Converter)
We mentioned earlier that the HiBy R6 GEN III is a Dual ES9038Q2M DAC Mobile Digital Music Player with great performance. What is a DAC and how is it used? Most of us utilize a digital-to-analog converter, more commonly known as a DAC, every single day, even though we might not even think about it.
A DAC is a crucial component found in devices like computers, tablets, and smartphones that unlocks the comfort of digital music. It transforms endless amounts of digital data into analog signals that can be understood by devices like loudspeakers and earphones as well as the human ear. Each of these requires an analog waveform. Without a DAC, all of your digital audio files are nothing more than a large accumulation of “0s and 1s” that are only meaningful in the digital world. In conclusion, DACs are crucial to the success of digital music.
The main issue is that many devices don’t have efficient enough DAC circuitry to correctly convert digital to analog and preserve the integrity of the original audio. And for that reason, regardless of your system setup, upgrading your DAC might be the easiest method to enhance your digital audio and really get the most out of it. In order to achieve the best possible mix of quality, power, and durability, two ES9038Q2M DACs—either in SE or balanced mode—operate simultaneously. They also function in tandem with voltage mode and class A amplification.
7. Conclusion:
Finally, in HiBy R6 III Review we found the sound quality of the HiBy R6 GEN III is phenomenal, but it also relies on the output device. You may use the equalizer to manage the music output in the system’s in-built music collection. As well as changing the display’s default color to a personalized one, you may also import music over wifi. That’s it for the HiBy R6 GEN III product appraisal. Let us know what you think and if you’ll order this exceptional product in the comment section.
