amazon Hiby R3 PRO reviews
DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE OF HIBY R3 PRO
Compared to the design of the old version, Hiby R3 Pro isn’t such a huge difference. The rectangular body is curved in all 4 corners which allow a very comfortable grip. The compact size that fits in the palm of your hand makes it portable and doesn’t take up a lot of space.
Hiby R3 Pro still has a monolithic metal with 2 glass sides, keeping the elegance and concrete look for the product while the front of the device is the touch screen.
The placement of buttons and connectors are the same as the old version, reasonable, and easy to operate with just one hand.
The right edge is where the main control area is placed while the left side is the volume control cluster. At the top of the device, there are audio outputs and at the bottom edge, there’s the memory card slot and USB-Type C port.
Details above are the similarities, now these are the differences feature of Hiby R3 Pro:
At the 2.5mm Balance port, Hiby R3 Pro is installed with a yellow metal frame instead of a traditional black like the old version.
On the front, the pride of audio players – golden Hi-res logo has been imprinted sophisticatedly under the glass and completely sealed.
Small details in the engraving and the symbols on the new version are also made more sophisticated and sharper. Obviously, the small details in this design significantly enhance the elegance and balance in the overall design of Hiby R3 Pro, making it more perfect.
CONFIGURATION AND STATISTICS
Hiby R3 Pro could be considered an “old bottle – new wine” version when all changes are concentrated in the internal configuration.
On the Hiby R3 Pro, the entire audio circuit has been redesigned.
Instead of using an ES9028Q2M DAC chip like the old version, Hiby R3 Pro is equipped with 2 Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chips per channel. The decoding circuit of this audio player has become Balanced literally. This will greatly increase the dynamics, its ability to layer, and the soundstage.
The amplifier range has also been upgraded for improved capacity. With the 2.5mm Balanced port, the capacity increased from 112mW at 32ohm to 210mW at 32ohm. The distortion decreased from 0.003% to only 0.0008%. It’s promising that the dynamics of this device will be better with a significantly quieter background.
The new line-out port has 2Vrms standard, allowing you to mix amply from handheld to desktop without any signal distortion caused by the weak source as on Hiby R3.
In addition, Hiby also introduces the latest control chip based on the FPGA system designed by Hiby himself, combined with two ultra-low noise oscillating devices. These components help minimize the jitter, making the sound clearer and more natural.
Infinite connectivity
With Hiby R3 Pro, here’s what you have:
– A high-quality music player
– A digital source for DAC / AMP (Digital Transporter)
– A USB DAC for computer or phone (USB DAC / AMP)
– A high-quality Bluetooth signal receiver and decoder (Bluetooth DAC / AMP)
– A device that transmits Bluetooth signal directly or indirectly via a USB connection (Bluetooth Transmitter)
– A digital music streaming workstation via DLNA, Airplay (Wifi Music Receiver) connection
If you own Hiby R3 Pro, we would have up to 5 different versions of this device. Not all of us will use all of these features on Hiby R3 Pro. However, more is still better than nothing and Hiby R3 Pro is surely a bargain.
The Bluetooth standard on Hiby R3 Pro has been upgraded from 4.1 to the latest version 5.0 – and it also supports the current biggest Bluetooth codecs such as UAT / LDAC / aptX HD / AptX / AAC / SBC. This will allow Hiby R3 Pro to be compatible with the existing True Wireless headset devices as well as to enhance the sound quality for all wireless audio devices when receiving signals from Hiby R3 Pro.
Hiby R3 Pro has also been equipped with a 5Ghz Wifi standard besides the traditional 2.4Ghz standard, this will make the streaming experience of TIDAL, Airplay or DLNA more smooth and stable.
Improved battery life
Although it’s still using 1600mAh battery, thanks to the circuit being redesigned and more energy-saving, the battery life is increased from 11 hours up to 20 hours at the 3.5mm port and from 9 hours to 16 hours at the Balanced 2.5mm port.
Additional features
In addition to its role as an audio player, Hiby R3 Pro is also equipped with e-book reading and step-count features which are included in the pre-installed firmware version – very convenient and helpful.
In addition to those new features, Hiby R3 Pro still has some hardware features inherited from the old version:
– No internal memory: an external memory card to store music is required.
– 3.2 inch IPS touch screen, 360 * 480 resolution: the image is not really sharp.
– Ingenic X1000E CPU remains the same
– Hiby OS operating system under Linux
– Integrated TIDAL and MQA standards
EXPERIENCE
When it comes to the smoothness of the console, since it still uses the same CPU as its predecessor, Hiby R3 Pro does not appear to be too outstanding in this clause. The firmware on Hiby R3 PRO is also written specifically for new audio hardware, so the console of Hiby R3 Pro has changed a bit.
Regarding connectivity, Hiby R3 Pro has supported the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and Wifi 5Ghz. Testing streaming music on TIDAL, Hiby R3 Pro gives the result of loading playlists, album cover images much faster than the old version. The load time when switching to a new post is also reduced to about more than 1s instead of about 3s as on the old version of Hiby R3.
Hiby R3 Pro’s connection with True Wireless headsets that support Bluetooth 5.0 has stable sound and great distance. In addition, the UAT codec on Hiby R3 PRO was also stable when being connected to Bluetooth DAC / AMP Hiby W3. Bluetooth 5.0 on Hiby R3 Pro has definitely been one of its strengths.
We tried mixed-testing with Campfire Solaris – a considerably sensitive headset. Hiby R3 PRO gives a quiet background, without the slight hissing on Hiby R3. Sometimes, Hiby R3 also has sudden movements when switching between songs while listening at the Balanced gate. Hiby R3 Pro has completely resolved this phenomenon.
The capacity at the 3.5mm Single End port of Hiby R3 Pro is theoretically not that much better than the old version. In fact, when played at the same volume, it is difficult to recognize the difference in the level of the two devices. Not only until being switched to Balanced 2.5mm port could Hiby R3 Pro show its overwhelming strength. With Cayin YB04, the sound on Hiby R3 Pro is louder when played in High-Gain mode and at the volume level of 32.
SOUND QUALITY
After about 5 days of continuous listening, it should be noted that the overall tone of Hiby R3 Pro is balanced, warm, smooth, and full. The weaknesses on the old version – thinness in the mid-range, the lack of bass, and the sharp treble – are now fixed and made better.
Bass range stood out with clear-cut beat and a great pace. Subwoofer notes are able to show their heaviness even on full-BA headphones like Cayin YB04. The texture of the drum on the Hiby R3 Pro is tight and clearly better controlled when being compared with the elder Hiby R3.
In the mid-range, the vocals are full, clear, and sharp. Compared to Hiby R3, the vocals on the new version is slightly more advanced with a slight lift in the high-mid and low-treble. The tone of the instruments is kept quite natural.
The treble strip on the Hiby R3 Pro is quite airy. It is clearer, more detailed and sharper, even more tinkling when being compared with the previous Hiby R3. The texture in this high range is also tight, not as superficial as the old version anymore.
In terms of stage space, Hiby R3 Pro reproduces with good width, depth, airiness, and comfort. The height of the stage is not as vast as the flagship models but it is very good in the price range. Regenerating 3D space surrounded around the head of the listener. Good layering ability, with plenty of space between instruments. The sound and position of the instruments in the stage are reproduced with precision and reasonable volume.
CONCLUSION
The Hiby R3 Pro with upgraded connectivity and complete audio change of the audio processing layer has brought outstanding audio experiences. Obviously, this is an upgraded version that outperforms its predecessor Hiby R3.
Advantages :
– Compact size
– Combining 6 devices in one, the ability to support infinite music
– Supports a variety of high-quality wired and wireless music players
– Long-term software support by the most dedicated sound company today
– Equipped with a dual-DAC, powerful full-balanced amplifier
– Reasonable price
Defect:
-The display screen isn’t that sharp
where can you get a Hiby R3 PRO online
HiBy R3 Pro Hi-Fi Lossless MP3 Player, Hi-Res Music Player with Bluetooth 5.0/atpX/FLAC/DSD/LDAC/MQA, High Resolution Audio Player Supporting 5G WiFi with Full Touch Screen – Aluminum Alloy Black: Buy it now
HiBy R3 Pro Saber Portable Music Player with Dual DAC: Buy it now
HiBy R3 Pro Hi-Fi Lossless MP3 Player, Portable Hi-Res Music Player with Bluetooth 5.0/aptX/FLAC/DSD/LDAC/MQA/5G WiFi/Dual DAC, High Resolution Audio Player Full Touch Screen – Aluminum Alloy Gray: Buy it now
HiBy R3 Pro Portable Hi-Res Music Player, Hi-Fi Lossless MP3 Player with Bluetooth 5.0/aptX/FLAC/DSD/LDAC/MQA/5G WiFi/Dual DAC, High Resolution Audio Player Full Touch Screen – Aluminum Alloy Black: Buy it now
