I’d like to thank HiBy for sending me a review sample of the R6 III in exchange for my honest evaluation. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, and have not been influenced by HiBy or any other party.
Introduction
HiBy has come into its own of late as a respected and innovative maker of digital audio players. I say ‘of late’ because the company has been around for years, making some iconic – and in some cases, class-leading – audio players under its own brand, and both Android and non-Android DAP software for other companies, including sister company Cayin.
The new R6 III, the third iteration of HiBy’s midrange series DAP (following the original R6 and R6 2020), continues many of the trends we’ve seen in HiBy’s recent players, including Class A amplification and a new Android 12 platform. R6 III therefore improves on the previous two generations in some important ways, and does so at a new, reduced price point: $499, compared to its predecessor’s $799, and the original’s $600+.
But it also cuts some corners to get there. A lower resolution screen, and reduced power output, are just two of the more obvious changes.
You could argue these ‘cuts’ are actually logical tweaks to a player in this price range and bracket, and don’t materially affect the sound quality. The only way to know for sure is to test it thoroughly, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past few weeks. But first things first, the unboxing.
Package, design and accessories
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