HIBY FC3 USB DAC REVIEW——primeaudio

HIBY FC3 USB DAC REVIEW——primeaudio HiBy | Make Music More Musical
Package & Accessories

The FC3 comes in a small square box with a transparent lid. Inside the box, you’ll find the FC3 USB DAC, a faux leather cover, a USB to Type-C interconnect, a Type-C to Type-C OTG interconnect, a small Hi-Res Audio sticker plus some documentation & warranty.

Closeup of the Hiby FC3 DAC

Design

Measuring just 45*13*9 mm and weighing a mere 9.1g, the Hiby FC3 is more diminutive than the average USB dongle DAC. But despite its small size, the FC3 packs in features that some of the competition does not, like the 30-step hardware volume buttons that are multi-functional and can also skip/rewind tracks.

The aluminium alloy body has a brushed finish and solid build quality all around. FC3 also has an RGB indicator light that changes colour depending on the current playback bitrate or format. The colours are as follows:

  • Red: connected, not playing
  • Blue: playing at PCM 32-48kHz
  • Green: playing at PCM 88.2-192kHz / DSD64
  • Light green: playing at PCM 352.8-384kHz / DSD128
  • Purple: playing MQA 

Speaking of bitrates, FC3 has support for PCM up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD128 DoP as well as MQA unfolding (with smartphone only). In terms of output, FC3 has a single 3.5mm headphone jack and can supply 70+70mW@32Ω. So, like most dongle DACs, it’s optimized for IEMs (in-ear monitors) or efficient headphones.

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Hiby FC3 —— head-fi HiBy | Make Music More Musical