HiBy R3II portable player review - little big DAP

One of the most beloved players on the market received a new update, improving sound and changing ergonomics. So, what can we have for this price now?
More information and purchase: store.hiby.com/products/hiby-...
0:00 - Introduction
2:26 - Unboxing, accessories, and design
7:34 - Firmware
15:57 - Sound
25:06 - Pairings and comparisons
Tracks mentioned in the review
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Ian Gillan - Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)
Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You
Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@afistfulofpimples1745]

Wow, we meet the person behind the voice.

[@frederf69]

packed with features, thanks for posting

[@PortaFi]

thank you for watching!

[@pascalm.2658]

Awesome reviews, thank you so much!

[@PortaFi]

My pleasure!

[@wongbagus6769]

Wow...amazing 👍

[@stockboy87]

Thank you for the video! I’ve been looking forward to a more portable player for exercising plus a less expensive option than my Fiio M15S for traveling on vacations but was afraid of missing out on sound. Hopefully this HiBy does the trick so I ordered it during their special Easter sales and scooped up the case too! I’ll be sure to let you know what I think.

[@PortaFi]

congratulations on your purchase! hope you'll like it

[@stockboy87]

Thanks! My only caution is that the DAP can hold a WiFi signal given it is 2.4 GHZ and I have heard of users experiencing signal drop-outs. Fingers crossed!!!@@PortaFi

[@PortaFi]

It heavily depends on your router/walls/etc. In my flat actually 2.4 GHz is more reliable :) But I hope you'll be able to enjoy your new DAP without issues

[@viv4ar]

Thanks to your reviews am the owner of Hiby R3 Pro for 2y 2m,, was listening at least 3+ hours everyday with very simple wired earbuds. Amazing player by quality, super ergonomic for using in pocket or blindlessly, only 1 bottom nav button is sticking down sometimes now, not an issue for me. I'd use the player forever but accumulator is about to be dead, 5 min of listening discharge 10% (all wireless options off, screen is off). Looks like it's time to find smth new. Thank you for reviews!

[@PortaFi]

Thank you for sharing! R3s are a great companions. And unfortunately, batteries are the weakest parts of modern electronics. So, good luck you with finding a fresh new replacement that will bring you joy and new emotions

[@c_imanuel]

Hi! What an amazing review. What do you think about Hiby R3II vs Shanling M1s?

[@PortaFi]

It's subjective, but I prefer HiBy. I like ergonomics a bit more, and more used to HiBy's UI

[@c_imanuel]

@@PortaFi oh I eee. soundwise?

[@PortaFi]

@@c_imanuel soundwise they are more or less the same. M1s is a bit warmer and tighter, but I can't call difference big, so that's where ergonomics matter for me

[@c_imanuel]

@@PortaFi Thank you very much. Really appreciate your replies.

[@classifiedsuser3265]

Is this better than the btr7? Will be using for MoonDrop variations. Great review by the way.

[@PortaFi]

it's a matter of your taste first of all. BTR7 is more neutral and focused on microcontrast, while R3-II is less bright and analytical

[@donsubleski1054]

Thank you for the great review!! Can you compare sound to the AP-80 Pro X?

[@PortaFi]

Hidizs is brighter, bit dryer and slightly more focused on microcontrast

[@ivanzvontsov4628]

Hey! Nice review! Have you tried comparing the sound of it with fiio ka3? I know its different types of devices but still... I have ka3, but I'd like to swith to cordless. Will i loose in sound quality?

[@PortaFi]

I didn't do comparisons, but switching to wireless will reduce sound quality as bluetooth codecs are lossy

[@ivanzvontsov4628]

@@PortaFi yeah, I mean for sure:) it depends on how bad it is 😁

[@PortaFi]

@@ivanzvontsov4628 for me - it's totally not bad, I'm ok with sacrificing some sound quality for higher convenience. But I'm definitely not a "true audiophile" :)

[@ivanzvontsov4628]

@@PortaFi true:) I guess it's the same for me. At some point I was chasing the sound quality like a crazy. But now I'm thinking if the sound is enjoyable that is enough. Cus there is no limit in this race anyway

[@ivanzvontsov4628]

@@PortaFi thanks for the reply! Appreciate it

[@chadguts600]

I really like my Btr5. Would it be better than Btr5 2021? Whats your opinion?

[@PortaFi]

yes, it will be better due to more balanced sound, but difference won't be huge

[@chadguts600]

@@PortaFi Thanks , I will stick to my btr5 for now. Great review btw!

[@PortaFi]

@@chadguts600 thank you!

[@Manupassero]

if I didn't have already the HiBy RS6 and the R6 Pro II I would buy also this one!! the red one especially looks so nice...! I would like to know how the album covers are displayed in the view (not on the track view, but on the main menu) and if the scroll of the covers is smooth and fast, if it's really good I'll buy it anyway ! thanks a lot for the video and the always very good reviews!

[@PortaFi]

Album list items have the same "two line" row height as other lists, and album covers are small squares the the left part of this list. Scroll is smooth (HiBy has the best scroll among non-android players I've tested), but album cover icons loads with a small delay (usually under 1 second)

[@Manupassero]

@@PortaFi thank you very much for this feedback! I had a very bad experience with the RS2, despite the wonderful sound the usability was really terrible, slow and inefficient, with a large library (nearly 1 TB) and long titles of albums and tracks (like you have in classical music) it was impossible to enjoy anything, so I sold it quite soon and now enjoy the Android experience on RS6 and R6 Pro II.

[@PortaFi]

@@Manupassero well, then I'm not a good advisor here unfortunately, as I use smaller SD cards (up to 256 GB), to make search and navigation simpler. RS2 and R3-2 most probably share the same CPU and part of firmware code, so on big SDs there could be the same issue. Also, you can ask on Head-Fi, it's a big forum, so probably there will be someone who tried big SDs

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

true theyre too different to even considered equal

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

yeah its rare both physically and sonically, ill prioritize it if its me

[@kenschultz8945]

I want to add an external Amp/Dac. What settings on the R3 do I use?

[@PortaFi]

As far as I remember, it doesn't require any settings

[@Alan-sx9fb]

Do you believe this HiBy player could serve as an upgrade over my Sony NW-A55 with Mr. Walkman mods, or do they offer similar sound quality?

[@PortaFi]

I haven't test Mr. Walkman mods, so I can't say anything about that. Compared to stock A55 - R3 is a viable step forward

[@bng0123]

to my ear Hiby r3 ii is better than a55 with Mr. walkman firmware.

[@vvshvv]

Do you have any plans to review Xenns Mangird IEMs?

[@PortaFi]

no, I don't have this in near plans

[@vvshvv]

@@PortaFi thank you! How do you generally decide what IEMs you would like to review or don't?

[@PortaFi]

@@vvshvv mostly, based on local community feedback. I know a few people that I understood in terms of sound perception, and lot of stuff I select based on their feedback. Also, I'm trying to test new interesting gear our retailers are bringing. Earphone retail in Ukraine isn't a really prosperous business now, so I'm trying to help them too. Unfortunately I can't go and get everything I want, so I'm trying to balance :)

[@vvshvv]

@@PortaFi thank you for the detailed reply! I have been following you since I got my first IEM (FiiO FH5) back in 2019 and always liked your reviews! I noticed that you stick more or less to the same brands like FiiO, Campfire Audio, Noble Audio, Hidizs, Meze, BVGP. Would be happy to see IEMs from companies like ThieAudio, QDC, and other "high-end" IEMs brands.

[@bng0123]

how is it compare to the old hiby r5 gen 1 sir?

[@PortaFi]

TBH I don' remember the original R5, by memory, it was a bit warmer than this one

[@E8S9]

Are these three buttons smaller as by r2II?

[@PortaFi]

I didn't measure them, but by the eye, they aren't smaller

[@zosahaal103]

Excuse me, not watch review through just yet, but want to know about streaming abilities in this one? I have first version of hiby r3 pro and thought about getting m3 ultra for streaming.

[@PortaFi]

streaming support is the same as in previous R3 versions: Tidal and Qobuz

[@stevenabakiss4394]

What's the reason they can't add tidal offline? I don't get it. People have been asking for this for a long time. Is it too hard to do? It is the only thing that stops me buying this. Great review 👏

[@PortaFi]

Because offline mode requires proper DRM implementation. And Tidal, or any other service, doesn't want to give away their DRM implementation to third-party developers. It's already great that they allowed access to their API, enabling online mode.

[@stevenabakiss4394]

@@PortaFi so basically it has to be an android or apple operating system if you want this feature? Its such a shame, it would be a game changer to have such a small device with that feature

[@PortaFi]

@@stevenabakiss4394 yes, it requires Android to function. And it's not something HiBy can change

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

lol yeah, bcs youll hear my earbud with it

[@d-godfather]

Can it be utilized as Bluetooth DAC?

[@PortaFi]

sure, it can, and it's a really useful feature sometimes in such small DAPs

[@d-godfather]

@@PortaFi thanks for the info

[@Strravigor]

Thanks for your videos . I've had the R3 II since yesterday, it's a good little DAP, it would be really great IF there weren't some big problems: I can't access my QOBUZ account (if anyone has the same problem as me, let me know) The keyboard is based on an old system of 90s this is not acceptable because there would be room to put all the letters, the little shanking Q1 fits there and it is much smaller! the interface is really not practical, for example, there is no way to return to the main screen without going up the entire screen chain, and no effective shortcut like on all devices of this type Currently. As for the sound, it's good. The device is handy and pleasant but I think I will still send it back if I cannot resolve this Qobuz account problem. Damage . But I already have a Shanling Q1 (without Qobuz) and a Fiio M 11

[@PortaFi]

thank you for sharing!

[@UrielBathan]

Does HiBy players have Parametric EQs?

[@PortaFi]

as far as I remember, they've added it to their recent Android app. non-android players doesn't have PEQ, but they have MSEB, good sound tweaking tool

[@taipan75]

Nice device - shame only Tidal and Qobuz 😞.....

[@PortaFi]

it's the only streaming services that gave access to their APIs others almost certainly won't do that

[@frederf69]

maybe on future firmware updates@@PortaFi

[@PortaFi]

I rather won't expect that. Streaming services don't want to share their APIs, it's a miracle that Tidal and Qobuz did that. Bandcamp also has an open API, so it can be added, but it's not that popular :)

[@raulrangel7439]

Si lo quieres con You tube music y Spotify mejor usa tu cel😂😂😂

[@johns1139]

great visual but it was difficult to understand you :(

[@PortaFi]

I'm sorry about that. I'm working with a teacher to improve my English, but it's not the fast process. In my defence I can say that in the past it was even worse :)

[@pascalm.2658]

I think you're doing really great, I could understand you perfectly fine and you have a great voice!

[@PortaFi]

thank you! :)