Since its debut in 2018, the R3 has journeyed through five years of evolution. As an evergreen model in the HiFi player industry, the R3 boasts formidable product competitiveness across aspects like sound quality, design, features, and user experience.
The R3 series carries HiBy's aspirations and hard work. Over these five years, HiBy continuously swapped out DAC chips, introducing models like the R3 Pro (dual DAC), R3Pro Saber (dual ESS DAC), and the latest R3Pro Saber 2022 with a brand-new DAC chip. Each product upgrade aimed to better fulfill user needs. Now, with the arrival of the R3 second generation, this DAP has undergone yet another upgrade while retaining the essence of its predecessor.
The R3 second generation maintains the previous model's sleek body, with the addition of a volume knob and further adjustments to body details. Crafted from aluminum alloy, weighing around 118g, its dimensions differ slightly in length and thickness from the previous model, yet it remains pocket-sized, compact, and easy to carry without hassle.
Equipped with two ES9219C chips, the R3 second generation natively supports DSD256 and PCM 384kHz/32bit audio formats. Its front features a 3.2-inch touchscreen, running on HiBy OS, boasting an intuitive and user-friendly UI. The bottom is designed with a USB-C interface, supporting USB DAC input/output and coaxial output. It comes with standard 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced ports. Notably, the 4.4mm balanced port is introduced to the R3 series for the first time, replacing the previous 2.5mm port. Additionally, the R3 second generation boasts an increased maximum output power of 380mW, continuing the positioning of the R3 series as a "200$ best choice".
The battery capacity has been boosted by 25% to 2000mAh compared to the previous generation, providing a continuous playback endurance of about 16 hours. It supports Bluetooth 5.1 and 2.4GHz wireless Wi-Fi, offering features like AirPlay, DLNA, wireless audio streaming from Tidal and Qobuz. Beyond music playback, the R3 second generation can function as a digital turntable, supporting LO output, coaxial output, and can be paired with other portable decoding amps, or even integrated into desktop systems without a hitch.
In summary, the R3 second generation retains its compact and portable touchscreen design while expanding its functionality to cover a variety of use cases. Compared to the first generation, the R3 second generation leans more towards professionalism, showing varying degrees of improvement in sound quality, output power,and battery life.