HiBy Music has launched the new sub-brand HiBy Digital, a lifestyle-oriented company catering to the newest generation. Hiby Music will continue to serve medium to high-end seasoned audiophiles.
High-quality portable audio product development, research, and sales are HiBy's areas of expertise. They have a skilled R&D team and a solid track record in the portable audio industry. They are also well known for creating specialized portable audio players and phone music playback software.
To leverage their extensive knowledge of Android and related software and hardware technologies, HiBy Music has launched the new sub-brand HiBy Digital, a lifestyle-oriented company catering to the newest generation of smart device users in general. HiBy Music will continue to serve medium to high-end seasoned audiophiles.
To mark its founding, HiBy Digital has launched its first product--the HiBy Digital M300, which will set a new standard in the world of ultraportable Digital Audio Players.
The HiBy Digital M300 stands out from traditional DAPs with its focus on entertainment and portability. Unlike its predecessors, the M300 boasts built-in speakers, custom fn buttons, FM, and an impressive array of features. Running on Android 13 and powered by the Snapdragon 665 chipset, this device offers a seamless and immersive experience. It is not just a music player; it is a multifunctional companion for various aspects of your life.
Some of the key Features of the HiBy Digital M300 include:
1. Android 13: The M300 is powered by Android 13, providing users with a modern and user-friendly interface. This ensures a smooth and responsive user experience akin to flagship smartphones.
2. Snapdragon 665 Soc: Equipped with a Snapdragon 665 chipset, the M300 is capable of efficient computing and graphics processing. Whether you're streaming music, playing games, or running mainstream applications, the M300 handles it all with ease.
3. Entertainment On-The-Go: The M300 comes equipped with built-in speakers, allowing users to enjoy music, watch videos, and play games without the need for headphones or external speakers. This feature sets it apart from traditional DAPs, making it a versatile entertainment device.
4. Recording Capability: The M300's recording functionality allows users to create audio notes, making it a valuable tool for students and professionals. This unique feature makes it more than just a music player, enhancing its utility in various scenarios.
5. Customizable Fn Button: The M300 includes a custom Fn button that offers one-touch access to various functions. Supported functions include one-key silent recording, key lock, speaker mute, and screen flip. More functions are expected to be added through OTA firmware updates, providing users with flexibility and convenience.
6. Compact and Portable: Weighing only 136 grams and measuring 113 x 58 x 13 mm, the device easily fits in your pocket. With a built-in hanging rope for effortless portability and lanyard compatibility, your music is always within reach.
7. Music Playback ability: Featuring the classic HiFi DAC CS43131, Hi-Res & Hi-Res Wireless certification.A robust 2000mAh battery that delivers over 15 hours of playback time, letting audio lovers bid farewell to battery anxiety.
The HiBy Digital M300 is set to hit the market on November 15th, priced competitively at just $199. As a special bonus, till December 1, 2023, every M300 purchase will include a free pair of 3.5mm HiBy Digital XOE earphones, ensuring an enhanced audio experience straight out of the box.
For more information about HiBy Digital and its products, including the HiBy Digital M300, please visit their official website https://store.hiby.com.
]]>The VGP awards are one of the most influential audio-visual awards in Asia, recognizing brands and products that bring innovative technology and excellent design to the industry. Hibymusic's five products stood out among its competitors, earning a spot as some of the most noteworthy products to pay attention to.
The HiBy R6 III, as one of Hibymusic's popular products, received the Gold Award as a testament to its quality and innovation. This portable digital audio player has a unique and highly customizable software and hardware platform that offers an unmatched audio experience. The HiBy RS8, HiBy RS6, HiBy RS2, and HiBy R5 II all offer exceptional quality and design features in their respective categories and have been noted for their achievements.
The awards are a significant recognition of Hibymusic's innovation and dedication to pushing the boundaries of the audio industry. Hibymusic has always been committed to developing high-quality and diverse audio products that meet the needs of music enthusiasts. The award-winning products offer a glimpse of what is possible in the world of audio and demonstrate the brand's commitment to advancing the field.
One of the key selling points of the HiBy R6 Pro II is its dual AK4499EX+AK4191 DAC, which allows for superior digital-to-analog conversion. The device also features a Class A/AB dual amplification circuit that can be freely switchable, making it compatible with a wide variety of headphones and other audio equipment.
Other standout features of the HiBy R6 Pro II include a Femtosecond precision crystal oscillator, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, and a 5.9” 1080p large display size. The device also boasts a 5000mAh battery, which provides an extended battery life for long listening sessions.
The HiBy R6 Pro II is designed to deliver a truly authentic music listening experience, with systemwide bit-perfect architecture ensuring that every music detail is accurately reproduced. The device also supports MQA 16x unfolding, which allows for the playback of studio-quality music with increased accuracy and detail.
In addition to its advanced technical features, the HiBy R6 Pro II also offers an abstract artistic backplate and bold asymmetrical lines for the chassis, making it as visually stunning as it is functional. Moreover, the device comes with all independent 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone and line-out sockets, USB DAC/coaxial digital/line-out support, and two-way Bluetooth for added convenience.
With the HiBy R6 Pro II, Hi-Fi music lovers can experience the ultimate audio experience at a reasonable price point. The device is priced at $749 and is accompanied by a leather carry case, type-C-to-type-C charging cable, type-C-to-type-A adapter, user guide, front screen cover x2, warranty card, and QC card.
HiBy Music's HiBy R6 Pro II represents a true reimagining of Hi-Fi in both form and function and is sure to be a hit with audiophiles around the world.
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HiBy launched the advanced version of its famous music product R6, i.e., RS6 – Darwin R2r Portable HiFi Music Player, which uses a new Darwin architecture to provide rich playability to listeners worldwide.
Hiby Music is credited with launching a wide range of HiFi music players like RS8, R5, RS2, etc. The new HiFi music player RS6 will be using the Darwin architecture. With a mature and familiar external design, RS6 is available in all copper shells, champagne gold, and bright fold (limited edition) colors. Its high-resolution large 5-inch 1080p display will make music listeners fall in love with it worldwide.
As evident, the Darwin architecture is a brand-new high-resolution digital signal processing architecture that HiBy created internally. In a ground-breaking extension of the conventional R2R design, the system incorporates resistor ladder linearity correction and, for the first time, advanced features like switchable oversampling/NOS, linear FIR filter, nonlinear harmonics control, and DSD bypass on portable equipment are also included. The end-to-end adaptable design is entirely configurable, opening up countless opportunities for ongoing expansion and future enhancements.
This new architecture will also provide a 16X oversampling, thanks to several selectable filter types designed to preserve linear phase and reproduce the original sound, adapt to different earphone characteristics with customizable features, and ensure adaptability to different earphones of different designs and driver configurations. It also enables it to provide 8.5 hours of continuous playtime and a 25 days standby time. For fast charging, a quick Charge QC3.0 for charging power of up to 18W is also provided inside the package.
In fact, in order to create the final product, RS6, HiBy collaborated with 10 professional HiFi brands, both inside and outside of China, to acquire their sound tuning specialists to adjust the Darwin architecture’s numerous hardware settings to match the characteristics of each brand’s earphones. Full of musicality, vibrant and natural, the R2R-based amplification stage brings performers and music to life onstage in an immersive experience. Now, users can finally enjoy full convenience by fully controlling their RS6 from the HiBy Music player app on their smartphone, remotely controlling playback, volume control, playlist management, and doing a lot more.
Combining RS6 with Darwin architecture’s special harmonics management system in HIFI music players will result in a more soothing, natural listening experience, decreasing the nonlinearity brought on by resistor resistance mismatch in the R2R network. It’s NOS mode avoids antialiasing and oversampling, responding instantly to transients and stair-steps and converting to analog in the most unprocessed and unfiltered way possible. Its oversampling mode removes aliasing artifacts, enables all functions of the Darwin architecture, realizes personalized adjustments of sound signature, and adapts to different earphones.
Speaking about their new launch, one of the key spokespersons for the company exclaims, “Native DSD decoding on an R2R system is no longer an oxymoron thanks to distinct LPFs for PCM and DSD. The delta-sigma modulation method generates HF noise, which the DSD-specific LPF efficiently reduces to enhance DSD audio reproduction. The two crystal oscillators for the 44. 1xkHz and 48xkHz families are clocked at 45. 158MHz and 49. 152MHz respectively with subatomic precision down to – 140dBc/Hz @1kHz, DSD256 enabling 768kHz and DSD256 decoding at down to 0.003% / – 115dB THD.”
He continues, “With the help of the highly developed and high-performing Snapdragon 660, along with fast LPDDR4 RAM and eMMC storage, demanding multithreaded computations (audio or otherwise) may be completed in a flash. Finally, a discrete current-mode amplification method using 1x and 2x OPA1612 is constructed, providing plenty of currents for the output stage to attain excellent dynamic and transient response. It is then connected to four OPA1622 opamps of the highest performance, creating 8 separate channels for headphone amplification that are ganged 2 by 2 in parallel. Each channel consists of voltage and current amplification stages. Best of all, everything is controlled by a professional NJW1195A digital volume controller for optimal control and ideal circuit dynamics at all times. Now, you can control your player from just your smartphone!”
RS6 is available with a 14nm LPP process, 8-core Kryo 260 architecture, 2.2GHz, Adreno 512 GPU, 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, 64GB storage, and a micro SD slot, making it a complete package. The system architecture for HiFi music player created in-house by HiBy and optimized from the ground up for audio processing is known as the HiBy OS. The new HiBy system now supports advanced audio features like USB audio input and output, wireless audio input and output, and systemwide audio effects. It has also been updated to work with the Android 9 OS.
The Direct Transport Architecture is well recognized for getting around Android’s integrated headphone output’s original requirement that sample rates be converted. With USB audio now supported, DTA may also avoid sample rate conversion for third-party programs, enabling bit-perfect output from virtually any software to any place.
The sound of the original studio master is captured and reproduced by the award-winning MQA technology in a file that is tiny enough to stream and download. HiFi music player also works closely with MQA to provide listeners with real original sound quality. Due to the SoC’s powerful processing capabilities, it is now possible to reproduce the original master tape using ever-smaller source files and an astounding 16x unfolding of MQA data.
RS6 also supports a wide range of Bluetooth codecs, such as UAT, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC, etc., as well as both Bluetooth audio transmission and Bluetooth audio reception at the Bluetooth 5 standard level. The PCB’s digital and analog components are separated from one another to prevent interference using copper-nickel-zinc shielding in this new music player.
The entire board is additionally shielded from outside interference by a faraday cage.
Hiby RS6—Darwin R2R Portable HiFi Music Player truly delivers the best of both worlds, a record player that is as intelligent as a supercomputer yet shielded from its problems, making it the most customizable DAP of the year 2022.
On 28 September 2022, HiBy Music announced its new flagship portable digital audio player, the HiBy RS8.
HiBy entered public sight first with its HiByMusic app. Its path to being a hardware manufacturer was not easy; core audio algorithms, digital-analog conversion technologies, analog amplification.
Under the banner “all our powers combined”, RS8 represents the culmination of all the research and development ever done at HiBy Music, as well as all their resources--all titanium body, 2nd gen Darwin architecture, R2R DAC, class A amplification, turbo mode, HiByOS updated to Android 12… embodying all these advanced technologies, the RS8 represents the best from HiBy yet, a fully rounded device that will bring out the best of the most demanding music and headphones!
All-titanium monocoque chassis
The RS8 inherits the familiar HiBy family design lines, while moving up to an all-titanium material for a leap in perceived quality over the prior aluminium and stainless steel bodies! The RS8’s titanium body is formed from a single solid slab of titanium via CNC in 17 advanced steps over 19 hours for each unit, forming its bold lines with precision; a photolithography process is used to inscribe the monogram pattern on the back incorporating “RS” and “Darwin”. The designer’s attention to detail, the satisfying but not excessive weight and the quality of the machine process bring a qualitative leap to the impression of quality!
A leap in quality--the Darwin architecture, take 2
Those who know about HiBy products would know that the RS series is HiBy’s in-house developed end-to-end hi-res audio processing architecture based on the R2R resistor ladder design. In a breakthrough evolution of traditional R2R architecture, the system includes resistor ladder linearity compensation, linear FIR filter, nonlinear harmonics control, switchable oversampling / NOS, and DSD bypass on portable equipment. The end-to-end flexible architecture is fully configurable by HiBy themselves, as opposed to DAC-on-chip solutions bought from the likes of TI, AKM, ESS etc. where one is limited to what is provided, creating endless possibilities for future upgrades and endless evolution in the RS Darwin architecture!
As such, the RS8 comes with the latest Darwin II architecture, allowing decoding at breathtaking heights of up to DSD1024 / PCM1536! The RS8’s R2R network is also comprised of 12 high speed electronic switches and 184 high precision resistors, more than double the numbers on the RS6! To pursue the ultimate dynamic range and transient response, HiBy further added a DC offset correction circuit to enable the use of DC coupled direct output!
R2R DAC architectures are renowned for their steady character, conveyance of musical information and emotion, natural and rounded tonality! But one problem it has is linearity error brought about by resistor resistance variations. High precision resistors are used in the R2R networks, and the digital signals drive the voltage divider resistors in the R2R network through high speed switches, different divided voltage levels being precisely converted to analog signals corresponding to the originally encoded levels. Moreover, an in-house developed correction system, a hybrid hardware network / software algorithmic solution, comprises an R2R linearity compensation system, effectively removing the high frequency noise generated in playback and any sign of digitalitis, truly reproducing the original recorded sound!
Freely switchable Oversampling
Classic RS series option, NOS / OS mode switching available for the perfect sound for everyone; NOS mode yields faster response direct translation of raw data for the raw output of audio input and maximum transient response; OS mode enables all Darwin architecture functionalities, realizing personal tuning of the sound output, including earphone mfc + HiBy official tunings for different earphones for maximum customizability!
Femtosecond precision!
Two femtosecond-class crystal oscillators on board! Oscillators at 1024x of 44.1kHz and 48kHz operating at femtosecond precision effectively reduce phase noise and jitter to -159dBc/Hz @1kHz for all audio formats!
Cost-no-object component selection!
The RS8 reaches new heights in parts costs; its weighty chassis houses equally weighty (pricewise) parts, including handpicked gold-tantalum capacitors rarely found in transportable let alone portable units; 4 Elna SILMIC 2 silk fibre capacitors; 47 high capacity tantalum capacitors; and 10 Panasonic thin-film POSCAPs. All working to ensure pure ripple-free power supply, lower THD and noise. The velvety dark background brings out all details in the music! The luxurious loadout brings substance to the “all our powers combined” claim for the RS8!
Class A amplification for class A driving power!
The R5 Gen II also lends its power to the RS8 by putting its Class A headphone amp on the table!
Class A headphone amps appeared for the first time in a HiBy on the R5 gen II. On the RS8, the class A amp further comprises 2 OPA1652 op-amps+8 NXP dual bipolar transistors, ensuring that the amp fires on all cylinders in class A! The Class A headamp is full and rounded in tonality, highly energetic, and plays large ensembles and highly complex passages with great confidence! Drives full size headphones and hypersensitive IEMs with equal aplomb!
Full turbo power!
The RS8 also sports Turbo mode, your one-button solution to great sound! Turning on Turbo mode increases the amplifier’s bias voltage in hardware, increasing bias voltage by a whopping 25%, and changing the headamp’s operating conditions, yielding higher dynamic range and driving power, easily driving over-ear headphones and high-Z earbuds!
Larger! Larger! 12000mAh large battery!
The RS8 goes one better than R8’s 10000mAh battery and sports a 12000mAh battery! Providing unlimited power for the Class A headamp in Turbo mode! Even in Class A mode the battery life remains stellar at 8 hours SE / 6 hours balanced! Keep your music with you at all times at the highest quality!
4-way independent power supply
The RS8 supplies power to the digital, DAC, preamp and headamp sections fully independently of each other; the headamp is powered by 2 low-ripple DC/DC transformers and 6 high-magnetic-flux, ultra low IR and fully shielded high power inductors, supplying power independently to the SE and balanced headphone outs; the LPF is powered by a DC/DC step-up transformer and 7 +/- LDOs, supplying power separately to left and right channels; The R2R DAC is powered by a DC/DC step-up transformer and 2 ultra low ripple LDOs, supplying power separately to left and right channels.
Pure copper heat transfer framework
To handle heavy usage scenarios, the RS8 has been custom fitted with a pure copper heat dissipating battery frame to quickly dissipate heat out to the chassis, ensuring reasonable internal temperatures even at high operating speeds and power!
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 onboard
8GB+256GB storage
The Qualcomm 665 SoC is employed, together with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM. The ample processing power can be used to easily deal with and switch between multiple open and resident apps smoothly; the large onboard storage may be used to store large numbers of large music files, install streaming music apps and more besides.
Open Android 12
The RS8 will be the first HiBy to sport Android 12, optimized for low latency and workload distribution, increasing the performance of system-critical processes, adjusting processing logic of background processes; the system kernel has also been redesigned to increase system smoothness and responsiveness and battery efficiency!
A great big view
16:9 5.5” 1080p display, 443ppi with Corning Gorilla glass and oleophobic coating.
The HiBy OS ecosystem
New HiBy app--HiByCast
HiByCast joins the HiBy OS ecosystem, also lending its power to the RS8 launch! Supports systemwide remote control of the R player, allowing smooth clear control of the R player from smartphones and tablets, not just of HiByMusic but all apps and system settings!
The HiBy OS on RS8 also includes familiar elements such as DTA for systemwide bitperfect audio and MQA 16x unfolding.
Dual independent line out and headphone outs
The RS8 preserves the R8’s port scheme, including 3.5mm headphone out, 4.4mm headphone out, 3.5mm line out and 4.4mm line out, all with their own dedicated ports, all with independent volume memories.
Wireless features
Supports 2.4GHz / 5GHz dual band WiFi, DLNA/AirPlay/WiFi music transfer; supports Bluetooth 5.0, supporting high-res Bluetooth codecs such as UAT, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC.
PD2.0 fast charge protocol
A 12000mAh battery of course needs fast charging for quick refills! The RS8 supports 20W fast charging using PD2.0, to enable fast recharging!
Audio specification
Early bird perks
Pre-orders for the HiBy RS8 will open around November. The RS8 will be released to the market globally from November.
]]>On Qixi festival night 4 August, HiBy announced its first pure music HiFi music player--HiBy RS2. With the RS2 sporting the in-house developed customizable Darwin audio architecture first found on the RS6, one can expect the accolades piled upon the RS6 to apply here as well!
HiBy has always concentrated its efforts on open platform Android DAPs, and even its Linux based R3 and R2 series have always been multifunction pocket rockets. The RS2 announced just now takes a different path; with its PureAudio “pure” HiBy OS, it is without any wireless software or hardware; a pure audio pathway ensures a pure audio experience.
In appearance, the RS2 melds its usual family lines with a compact, retro motif. The volume knob on the side incorporates an opal emblazoned with the gold Darwin logo.
HiBy remade its Linux-based HiBy OS in the green and gold Darwin theme. The all new simplified UI blends in perfectly with the new software and hardware and makes the player a snap to operate.
The Darwin architecture is the in-house developed Hi-res audio processing architecture by HiBy. New-age audio fidelity technology is integrated onto the base of R2R ladder DAC technology, including linearity compensation for the R2R network, FIR filtering, harmonics controller, OS/NOS switch, DSD bypass path etc. HiBy retains full IP over this new architectures and gives full control of it to the end user, yielding endless potential for evolution on this unit as well as future devices!
With a complete output stage designed around the R2R DAC, the RS2 sound is fully musical, realistic, natural and analogue, highly energetic when called for, fully immersive for the listener.
The RS2 allows free switching between NOS (non-oversampling) and OS (oversampling) modes. NOS mode yields raw response to signal changes; OS mode is adapted to the various additional functionalities of the Darwin architecture, realizing personalized adjustments to the sound qualities to adapt to different earphones and different tastes.
The Darwin architecture is capable of up to 16x oversampling, with a variety of AA filters of up to 256 taps suited to various design goals, e.g. phase linearity, high fidelity; also adaptable to the characteristics of different earphones, guaranteeing the suitability of the RS2 to all sorts of earphones.
The RS2 has an FPGA-based clock regeneration system onboard, utilizing dual precision crystal oscillators at 45.185MHz / 49.152MHz, effectively reducing phase noise and jitter to -140dBc/Hz@1kHz offset.
Utilizing current mode amplification, the luxurious output stage amplifies current via a OPA1652 and an LPF consisting of 2x OPA1612, offering high and clean input voltage and current to the output stage for exemplary transient and dynamic response.
In conjuction with 2x flagship class OPA1622 amplifier chips, 4 independent channels of current mode headphone amplification, and the professional digital volume controller NJW1195A, the circuit guarantees maximal fidelity of the output to the input, and maximal control over the headphone drivers.
It also supports MQA audio at 8x unfolding to 352.8 / 384kHz. After years of advertising, MQA is now well known in HiFi circles as a low storage usage format that yields master tape quality playback.
The RS2 supports up to DSD256 / PCM 384kHz and all major audio formats; in terms of cabled connectivity options it continues the HiBy tradition of offering a ful suite of USB input / output, coaxial digital output and line output.
Other than this, the RS2 sports a unique Uncharging mode, which stops it from taking charge from the connected device (e.g. smartphone) while being used as a DAC. Not only does this reduce battery drain on the smartphone, it also isolates device from external power supply noise to the greatest extent, further improving the music experience.
It also supports dual micro SD cards for up to 4TB of mobile music storage, and up to 10 hours continuous playtime and 40 days extended standby.
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Let's find out what makes the R5 gen 2 and the RS6 competitive!
HiBy R5 gen 2: pushing sound quality with discrete Class A amps sets it apart from other midrange competitors
The award reason provided by VGP, “As a portable player at a mid-range price, the R5 gen 2 is still equipped with Class A amplifiers and 3.5mm/2.5mm/4.4mm all ports, making it stand out among players of its class.”
The R5 gen 2 is small and light enough to carry even if you’re already carrying a phone, and can double as a wired or wireless DAC for your phone if you so choose. As a standalone music player, however, the R5 gen 2 comes into its own, with all-day battery life when you’re out and about on hikes or at the gym, and a step-up in Class A sound quality when you’re listening intently at home. Coupled with HiBy’s rock-solid software platform, the R5 gen 2 is the ideal pocketable music player for almost any occasion or use case, and despite some obvious shortcomings, it still ticks almost every box: usability, versatility, reliability, sound quality, and wired/wireless compatibility.
HiBy RS6: with the game-changing Darwin architecture combined R2R and a modern Android platform
HiBy RS6 is a high recommended combination of features, flexibility and sound quality. It is the first R2R player of HiBy, and the Darwin architecture built an entire software and hardware system around the RS6, allowing for future expansion and configuration options with huge upside potential.
]]>Did you know that music streaming has a carbon footprint? In fact, it’s twice as large as the carbon footprint of the CD era. While it’s easy to understand the effects of manufacturing and distributing physical formats such as CD and vinyl, many people don’t realise that streaming also has an environmental impact. Digital music files are stored on servers. Every time you stream a track it has to be transmitted across a network to a router, then delivered to your playback device or hi-fi set-up. This whole process uses energy and generates greenhouse gas emissions. Streaming is characterised by listening to the same songs across this network. Compared to an ‘offline’ product such as CD or downloads, streaming can generate far more greenhouse gases.
Streaming is the primary mode of music consumption in the world and growing. The situation is only set to escalate. Based on analysis of millions of songs, HiBy Partner MQA has discovered that in a typical 192kHz 24-bit audio file, music uses only 20% of the data capacity; the remaining 80% contains no music information.
‘Greener’ Streaming Solutions
HiBy Music now incorporates global streaming service TIDAL. TIDAL connects fans to artists through unique experiences and superior audio offerings. In partnership with MQA, its growing catalogue of recordings offers studio-quality music across all genres and is now available in more than 60 countries. If you want to listen to the best quality music, delivered in the most responsible way, stream your favourite tunes on TIDAL HiFi+.
By focusing on the music information, MQA is able to reduce the file size, bandwidth requirement, and carbon footprint of high-resolution audio by as much as 80% while also improving the sound quality, and at the same time supports MQA decoding, bringing high fidelity music streaming.
As explained by MQA founder, Bob Stuart: “It's very beneficial because it gives us a lower carbon footprint. It's easy to think that bandwidth is free or cheap, but it comes at a price: the monetary cost of the data; and, crucially, the cost to the environment.”
Music Industry Initiatives
By raising awareness and challenging the inefficiencies of the existing supply chain, the music industry is encouraging innovation and is supporting a more responsible framework for music consumption.
About HiBy Music
Established in 2011, HiBy Music specializes in research, development, and sales of high quality portable audio products. With over 40 professional audio R&D staff and nearly 20 years of experience in the portable audio field, we have developed dozens of portable digital audio players (DAPs), earphones, USB DACs, etc. Our own HiByMusic smartphone audio player app also has a user base of 3 million users in over 200 countries around the globe and has won accolades from professional users regarding its audio quality.
About MQA
Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, MQA captures the sound of the original performance. The MQA file is fully authenticated, backward compatible, and small enough to stream, so you can play MQA on any device. MQA powers award-winning products and services worldwide with unmatched efficiency, which also makes it the most sustainable solution for the entertainment industry. Partnerships span recorded music, video, radio, broadcast and livestreaming. Wherever there is audio, MQA delivers the best sound. MQA is a UK-based private company.
Read more about MQA Sustainable Tech: https://www.mqa.co.uk/sustainable-tech
To find out more about MQA, visit mqa.co.uk.
Class A headphone amplifier
Employing flagship grade class-A amplification in this mid-tier android DAP, the R5 utilizes Class A discrete balanced amplification circuitry, capable of continuous high power output, with plentiful energy reserves for all music genres. Converting power with ease for the most dynamic compositions, the sound is clear and full.
Discrete output stage
With 4 independent channels of push-pull amplification with 270° conduction angles constructed of discrete componentry, including 8 high powered paired bipolar transistors, the R5 provides excellent current output power and control over variable loads. Enable Class A headamp mode for class-beating audio performance! THD is down at 0.0006% at the amplified output for unparalleled realism.
Dual High-Performance DACs for astonishing music resolution
Dual ES9219C DACs natively support DSD256, PCM768kHz/32bit high-res formats, with SNR of 130dB and THD+N down below -112dB. Presenting a highly accurate output voltage, ensures the most accurate signal is given to the class-A amp section for amplification; also supporting integrated DAC-amp output (economy mode) for excellent low power consumption and extra long play time.
Dual independent crystal oscillators, FPGA clock algorithm
Utilizing dual independent audiophile-grade crystal oscillators at 45.158MHz and 49.152MHz effectively reduces phase noise and jitter, providing high precision timing for all audio events in your music; employing 163 high-precision resistors, 19 Panasonic tantalum POSCAPs, and 4 ELNA electrolytic capacitors maximally suppresses power supply ripple, yielding silky black backgrounds.
Looong playtime and great sound
With 4500mAh battery yielding over 35 hours of play time*, go for days without worrying about a recharge! 10 hours play time available even in Class-A amplification mode for maximal enjoyment of class-breaking dynamic control and sound quality. Support quick charge 3.0, this battery takes forever to use up and a snap to charge back up!
*in economy mode
The R5 gen 2 sports the Android 8.1 system, but with HiBy OS customizations including two-way Bluetooth, systemwide advanced tonality control (MSEB), HiByLink remote control and DTA systemwide bitperfect audio. It also comes with an upgraded larger 4.7” 720p display.
HiBy OS
The HiBy OS is an in-house developed system architecture developed by HiBy targeting professional HiFi audio equipment. Optimized / novel components include system core, decoding system, audio DSP algorithms, media library management, external drivers / plugins etc. optimizing the player for lossless hi-res audio from the ground up. HiBy OS is synonymous with audio quality, flexibility and reliability.
2.5mm / 3.5mm / 4.4mm headphone ports all here
There are the 3.5mm SE, 2.5mm balanced and 4.4mm balanced ports on the R5 gen 2, covering every usage scenario imaginable.
MQA to the max!
Supporting 16x MQA unfolding, enabling full reproduction of master tape quality, original studio recording and transporting you to concerts!
The R5 gen 2 starts selling on 15 April in China first and it will retail globally soon for the following prices: early bird US$399 and RRP US$449. More information, please visit https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r5-gen-2.
]]>In the last few years, there has been no end to new models of USB dongle DAC/amps for smartphones, so much so that users have been asking us what’s the difference between a digital audio player and a dongle stuck on a smartphone? Of course a dongle is a handy addition to any smartphone, and is by itself much more compact than any DAP or portable amp, but it’s so tiny that you wouldn’t even be able to fit an electrolytic capacitor in there, let alone any complex power supply or amplification circuitry. Really, a smartphone of old with a built-in headphone jack may have had more room for a hi-fi headphone amp than this. On the other extreme, we have full-size desktop headphone amps which sound sublime but aren’t going anywhere with your portable earphones. At the heart of many of these fullsize amplifiers is a pair of class-A amplification stages for each channel, which also aren’t going anywhere with your portable headphones because of their high power consumption. You don’t think that’s got anything to do with the “Class-A act” of the R5 gen 2 do you?
Actually that’s exactly what they are.
So then what is a class-A amplifier? What’s so special about it? Let start from the word “amplifier”. An amplifier obviously takes a small signal and turns it into a big one. This is done by taking the small signal as a controller for the output, which is magnified in terms of voltage or current. Common amplification components include tubes, triodes and field effect transistors, which complete the same purpose through different means.
High-end Cayin A-845 Tube Integrated amp
Supposing the input signal is a complete sine wave of 360 degrees per period, one way of classifying amplifiers of push-pull topology is by their “conduction angle” :
Class A amplifiers have a conduction angle of 360 degrees, which is to say that the full signal passes through the amplification circuit.
Class B amplifiers have a conduction angle of 180 degrees, which passes the top and bottom halves the signal through the push and pull parts of the amp respectively;
Class AB amplifiers have a conduction angle higher than 180 but typically under 200 degrees, creating some overlap between the push and pull circuitry;
Type C amplifiers have a conduction angle of less than 180 degrees. Such amps won’t be used in audio applications as they don’t cover the full audio waveform even with both push and pull components.
Other types from D onwards are not within the scope of this discussion, as they work on different principles.
As such, sine waves amplified by the class A amplifier look the same as the input:
whilst the push and pull parts of a class B amp sum together to recreate the original waveform
Figure 1: in theory
Figure 2: in reality
In reality, the amp circuits are not linear over the range where they’re being switched on and off, resulting in crossover distortion as shown above.
Class AB amplifiers put out slightly more than half the waveform on each end, for reducing crossover distortion:
So we see that only class A amps pass a full cycle whereas class B and AB need to recreate the signal from two halves. Most common audio amplifiers are Class AB. If class A can reproduce the full signal whereas class B and AB don’t, why do the latter exist?
Class A amplifiers have no crossover distortion, which yields a very smooth sound, and there is no switching delay to transients, for exemplary transient response. But type A amplifiers also expend full power 100% of the time! Class B amplifiers were designed for higher efficiency (negligible power consumption at rest), but has crossover distortion because of nonlinearity in the on-off transition, hence class AB was born as a compromise.
Class | Typical efficiency | Advantage | Disadvantage |
A | Approx. 15%~35% | No crossover distortion, smooth sound, fast transient response | low power efficiency, runs hot |
AB | Approx. 50%~70% | Higher power efficiency than class A, less crossover distortion than class B | Compromise between class A and class B |
B | Approx. 70% | Highest power efficiency | High crossover distortion, slow transient response |
It’s exactly because of the unparalleled advantages of Class A in all sonic criteria that it had always been the Holy Grail of HiFi audio. To allow more HiFi enthusiasts to experience the magic of Class A amplification, we conquered the difficulties in costs, size and heat dissipation to install a full Class A push-pull discrete amplification circuit for the first time in the entry level HiBy R5.
In the to-be-released HiBy R5 Gen 2, a push-pull Class A topology is used, the output stage employs emitter-follower current mode amplification for a low output impedance, yielding high control over the driven load. At the same time, the feedback circuit is full DC feedback, making the offset voltage approach zero at all times for the cleanest backgrounds.
To obtain the highest amount of amplification, we utilized double the amount of paired bipolar transistors for a fully balanced pair of discrete push-pull class A amplifiers per channel, utilizing 16 paired bipolar transistors, with strict parts matching and further corrected on the board level with DAC optimizations. And to counter the component parameter drift caused by heat from the class A circuit, we further implemented temperature based compensation for the circuit to ensure the highest performance at any temperature. The sense of balance in the circuit is enough to bring balance to the Force, soothe the minds of the worst OCD patients, you name it!
Reaching for sublime sound, this is price-no-object design in an entry level DAP! Are you excited about the new gen R5 yet?
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The HiByMusic app is a lossless hi-res music player app, supporting both iOS and Android, with over 2 million users worldwide. It has won the general approval of HiFi audio aficionados with its hi-end audio processing and output capabilities and intuitive ease of use.
One of the highlights of the update is High Fidelity streaming music service provided TIDAL, as it now means that users can access TIDAL’s music library in the HiBy Music app to enjoy High Fidelity music streaming.
Another major update this time is support for MQA, allowing smartphone users to decode MQA files; MQA has rapidly gained popularity worldwide with its authentication system, which ensures you hear the same version as the original recording. And compared to file sizes of other regular lossless audio formats, MQA’s efficient folding and smaller file size make it more suitable for streaming.
HiBy Music’s support for MQA greatly increases access to high fidelity music for smartphone owners. For the optimal listening experience, pair the smartphone app with a USB DAC certified by MQA to fully unfold the file and deliver every nuance and detail of your favourite music.
MQA is also the most sustainable technology solution in the audio industry. Concerns about the environmental cost of today’s streaming-centred music business are mounting. The current model for digital music is very wasteful, twice as high as the CD era. MQA reduces the carbon footprint of high-res audio by up to 80% and makes resolution 15 times higher by using advanced methods for audio coding and packaging. To find out more about MQA Sustainable Technology, visit: www.mqa.co.uk/sustainable-tech.
About HiBy Music
Established in 2011, HiBy Music specializes in research, development, and sales of high quality portable audio products. With over 40 professional audio R&D staff and nearly 20 years of experience in the portable audio field, we have developed dozens of portable digital audio players (DAPs), earphones, USB DACs, etc. Our own HiByMusic smartphone audio player app also has a user base of 2 million users in over 100 countries around the globe and has won accolades from professional users regarding its audio quality.
About MQA
Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, MQA captures the sound of the original performance. The MQA file is fully authenticated, backward compatible, and small enough to stream, so you can play MQA on any device. MQA powers award-winning products and services worldwide with unmatched efficiency, which also makes it the most sustainable solution for the entertainment industry. Partnerships span recorded music, video, radio, broadcast and livestreaming. Wherever there is audio, MQA delivers the best sound. MQA is a UK-based private company.
To find out more about MQA, visit mqa.co.uk.
]]>HiBy Music is pleased to announce the v4.1 major update to the HiByMusic app, which now incorporates Sony’s Hi-Res music library and at the same time supports MQA decoding, bringing hi-res lossless streaming music to the masses!
The HiByMusic app is a lossless hi-res music player app, supporting both iOS and Android, with over 2 million users worldwide. It has won the general approval of HiFi audio aficionados with its hi-end audio processing and output capabilities and intuitive ease of use.
One of the highlights of the update is Hi-Res streaming music service provided Sony Select, as it now means that users can access Sony’s Hi-Res selection library in the HiBy Music app to enjoy High Fidelity music streaming. Sony Select service is only available in Mainland China.
Another major update this time is support for MQA, allowing smartphone users to decode MQA files; MQA has rapidly gained popularity worldwide with its authentication system, which ensures you hear the same version as the original recording. And compared to file sizes of other regular lossless audio formats, MQA’s efficient folding and smaller file size make it more suitable for streaming.
HiBy Music’s support for MQA greatly increases access to high fidelity music for smartphone owners. For the optimal listening experience, pair the smartphone app with a USB DAC certified by MQA to fully unfold the file and deliver every nuance and detail of your favourite music.
About HiBy Music
Established in 2011, HiBy Music specializes in research, development, and sales of high quality portable audio products. With over 40 professional audio R&D staff and nearly 20 years of experience in the portable audio field, we have developed dozens of portable digital audio players (DAPs), earphones, USB DACs, etc. Our own HiByMusic smartphone audio player app also has a user base of 2 million users in over 100 countries around the globe and has won accolades from professional users regarding its audio quality.
About MQA
Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, MQA captures the sound of the original performance. The MQA file is fully authenticated, backward compatible, and small enough to stream, so you can play MQA on any device. MQA powers award-winning products and services worldwide with unmatched efficiency, which also makes it the most sustainable solution for the entertainment industry. Partnerships span recorded music, video, radio, broadcast and livestreaming. Wherever there is audio, MQA delivers the best sound. MQA is a UK-based private company.
We went from 1 single player - R6 - to 7 as of today. Now all HiBy players support the MQA feature. We are particularly proud to have been involved in.
Enjoy studio-quality sound on the go with HiBy Music's new R2 portable player with MQAsound technology.
Find out more: https://www.mqa.co.uk/partners/hiby-partner-page.
After years of dedication to the HiFi circle, we know exactly what you want in a HiFi player today. The new HiBy R6 is your answer.
We revealed the new HiBy R6 in a launch livestream on October 28, 2020. Here is where to get your first look at the new HiBy R6!
The new R6 is redesigned with the new R series design language—bold, muscular straight lines. The Japanese Alps rotary encoder on the top makes the volume easier and smoother to adjust.
Equipped with a 1080p large hi-res display and combined with 5.0” Corning Gorilla glass; 1920x1080 resolution; 443ppi; 16:9; oleophobic-coated, the new R6 is as finely detailed and colour-accurate in looks as the audio is high fidelity.
The new R6 comes with a aluminum alloy body in two color choices, silver and black. The dimension is 130x73x15mm and the weight is 235g. Compared to the previous R6, the new R6 is easier to hold and operate with just one hand.
Utilizing an upgraded Snapdragon 660 SoC, the new R6 has speed and stability in spades, as can be expected when combined with the mature Android HiBy OS.
Upgraded to dual ES9038Q2M with native support for DSD512, 32bit / 768kHz, both DACs are in operation for both SE and balanced output.
The Android 9 supports unlimited app installation.
The all new dual independently power supply circuit design is good for cleaner, more powerful dynamics.
HiBy’s in-house developed HiBy OS, DTA (Direct Transport audio Architecture), HiBy Link, MSEB (MageSound Eight-Ball), UAT (Ultra Audio Transmission) continue to be improved on in the new R6 for unlimited flexibility.
As our 8th portable digital media player that is capable of MQA rendering, the new R6 is capable of unfolding MQA to an unprecedented 16x.
Sporting Bluetooth 5.0, the HiBy R6 supports Bluetooth audio in both input and output directions, with advanced codecs such as UAT, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC, etc.
Strong 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal transmission and reception are guaranteed for fast, stable connection online, thanks to the new external antenna forming the whole top bulge. You can enjoy your favourite songs with the new HiBy R6 on Spotify, Deezer or Tidal anywhere without interruption.
With its 4500mAh high-capacity battery, the new R6 is good for up to 8 hours of playtime and 25 days of standby time.
As for RAM and storage, in the new R6 there is 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and 2TB storage expansion via micro SD card.
We are expecting the new R6 available in November. Please follow HiBy’s official pages to get the exact availability. Price is projected so far to be $799USD, before VAT and/or tax.
The new HiBy R6 is designed to deliver you a pure HiFi audio experience. It delivers the sound of harmony, in bold, muscular visual fashion, while providing a silky smooth and snappy user interface, along with a balanced yet inspiring audio performance that easily handles all music genres at an affordable price.
At HiBy, we strive to provide the best audio experience. As a truly luxurious HiFi device, the HiBy R8 will directly link the music listeners to the original live symphony in a concert hall, allowing you to enjoy top-quality audio without losing the quality wherever you listen. It enables the listeners to hear the music how the artist originally intended it to be in the live performance.
Below we're talking you through all of the details of the HiBy R8 launch as they happened.
Superpowered power supply, the fruits of independent R&D
The HiBy R8 will be backed by back a 38Wh custom ATL battery, with high power density and low internal resistance, capable of continuous 10000mA current output.
A new Turbo mode
The power output may be adjusted. Turn on Turbo mode to increase power supply voltage on hardware level and change the headphone amp’s working conditions, to drive over-ear headphones with more power and dynamic range.
Luxurious audio loadout
4 ELNA SILMIC capacitors, 10 tantalum capacitors, 18 high ripple-suppression-ratio LDO regulators, 35 Panasonic Hi-Polymer POSCAPs.
Hand-picked gold capacitors
Utilizing gold capacitors reserved for home audio equipment—high precision, high consistency, and hand-matched prior to installation. Guaranteed clean power output and ultimate ripple rejection and low low THD.
4 ELNA SILMIC II audio capacitors
4 ELNA SILMIC II audio capacitors utilizing natural silk as the dielectric. 3rd order THD under -120dB. Literally silky highs.
Custom designed op-amps
Not found on any other player—we ourselves are involved in the research and design of the model OP02 opamps used in the HiBy R8.
Femtosecond precision
Dual oscillators locked to 45.1584MHz and 49.152MHz with femtosecond precision reduces phase noise to under -159dBc/Hz @ 1kHz offset.
Dual 4497 DACs
The HiBy R8 will come equipped with Dual AKM4497 DACs, to ensure powerful decoding and highly efficient. Paired with in-house designed audio pipeline, easily handles DSD512 and 32bit / 768kHz PCM.
Dual-shielded for pure audio
Customised internal conductive braiding, absorption material, etc. shields against internal interference. Custom made aluminium foil shields motherboard against external interference. Purity of the TeraPlayer achieved in a fully connected smart player.
Ultimate audio quality and power you should not be able to take out of the house
3.5mm and 4.4mm separate line and headphone outs (4 ports). Over 1000mW in power drives all over-ear large-scale headphones with ease.
4G connectivity
With 4G connectivity, enjoy top-quality audio of anything you want to play, anywhere. (supports 4G data, not voice calls or SMS.) *The 4G version may come in different configurations in different regions.
Rock-stable and lightning-fast
Type-C port across the series, with Type-C port across the series on 128GB version.
Notably, the HiBy R8 thoroughly impressed you with the hardware performance so far. Now let’s move deeper to the HiBy R8.
Operating system
The HiBy R8 will pack Snapdragon 660 SoC for driving a modern Android operating system with speed and stability, based on Android 9 allowed the HiBy R8 to obtain GMS certification. You'll be downloading apps directly from Google Play. Besides, the HiBy R8 will work on updated HiBy OS as well as a custom HiBy Music 4.0 UI.
MQA support 16x
The HiBy R8 will include MQA support at 16x. MQA is an award-winning technology that captures and reproduces the sound of the original studio master in a file that’s small enough to stream and download. HiBy is collaborating with MQA to deliver the true original sound quality to listeners.
Truly wireless
The HiBy R8 will feature 2.4/5GHz dual band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, Two-way Bluetooth (transmit and receive audio) and UAT high quality Bluetooth codec, ensuring a truly wireless music experience. Besides, The HiBy R8 supports music transfer by HiByLink, DLNA, AirPlay and WiFi.
The HiBy R8 looks like a new design motif, masculine straight-edged design exuding power and confidence. Featuring 1080p full HD display, 5.5” 5gen corning gorilla glass, 1920x1080, 400ppi, 16:9, oleophobic. Supports double-tap to wake and multiple finger gestures. Volume knob with Alps digital encoder will offer smooth control.
What are you hoping to see from its package?
The retro suitcase design and Dignis custom genuine leather case will be another symbol of nobility.
Available in two versions
Black stainless steel version: supports 4G LTE and WiFi, 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 520g.
Black aluminium alloy version : supports WiFi, 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM, 420g.
*Versions may vary in different regions.
The splendor of the HiBy R8 is created for the essence of sound, which will reproduce the true performance of your favorite symphony orchestra on a whole different level. Stay tuned as we’ll update with each and every detail of the HiBy R8 once it goes official, which expect in the upcoming one to two months.
Due to the current situation affected by COVID-19 around the world, some of the ports on some regions' borders have stopped passengers from entering, orders placed on our official website and our customer's RMAs may experience processing and shipping delays.
1. Orders & Shipping on Our Official Website
You are still free to place orders on our official website (store.hiby.com), and your order will be processed within 7 days after the payment. Orders placed on or after March 21st may experience processing and shipping delays due to the shipping regulations. We are still doing our best to resolve the shipping issues as many as we can.
2. Return Material Authorization (RMA)
We have always tried to solve RMA case from our customers as soon as possible. With so many moving parts currently, we are still trying our best to collect RMA units from our Hong Kong receiving point although it is not easy at all. We greatly appreciate your patience so far and gently remind that RMAs may take 30 days or longer to complete.
This is the first time we have ever encountered a situation like this and tried our best to handle it the best we can. We will keep you updated if situation changes in any way. Thanks for your understanding and support!
Do stay well in difficult times of the COVID-19 hit. We wish you, your family and everyone good health.
Best regards,
HiBy team
MQA’s award-winning technology captures and reproduces the sound of the original studio master in a file that’s small enough to stream and download easily. With the TIDAL Masters and XIAMI integration, users can instantly stream MQA tracks on the R5.
A new firmware update that will add MQA support for the R5 in October 2019. HiBy will be presenting MQA demos at Fujiya Avic Headphone Festival in Tokyo(November 2nd-3rd, 2019), as well as the inaugural Canjam Shanghai (November 9th-10th, 2019).
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1. Protect your W5 from as Many Accidental Drops as Possible
Do not place HiBy at a place with other sharp objects to avoid screen damages or scratches. To always safeguard your W5, get our leather case to protect your HiBy W5.
2. Prevent Unwanted Scratches
We recommend using accessories like silicone case to avoid any unwanted scratches. No scratching with sharp objects to avoid scratching the W5 surface.
3. Avoid Device Expose to Extreme Weather
Avoid using the device in an environment where the temperature above boiling or below freezing between -4°F to 68°F (-20°C to 40℃). Do not expose it to direct sunlight or place the W5 on the radiator as it may shorten the battery life.
4. Unresponsive Keys
Please contact the post-sale team for any repair inquiries.
You also can check out HiBy Wiki for the newest HiBy W5 updates, technical instructions, and even step-step guidance to get the complete HiBy experience. Hope you find this guide helpful in learning more about our HiBy W5 and how to optimize your W5 experience. You are always welcome to share your any comments and suggestions with us. Should you have any other problems, feel free to contact us at hello@hiby.com and we would be eager to help.
5. Learn more on how to use the W5 correctly here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KZOXyYh-yKT3H1V26DebuD6WGrnzaNB-/view?usp=sharing]]>
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Qobuz
HiBy R3 introduces one new streaming media - Qobuz. You can access Qobuz online music library by updating 3.0 firmware on your R3!
Tidal Masters Support
HiBy R3 can be connected to the TIDAL App online music library via Wi-Fi. What's more, new support for Tidal Masters is fulfilled on 3.0 version! Enjoy Tidal steaming MQA now!
E-book
You can read while listening to music on HiBy R3.
Grab HiBy R3 with 3.0 firmware to enjoy your music journey to the utmost now!
Fanoble began learning software design at the age of 15 and has extensive experience in multiple areas. He majored in mechanical engineering design and automation. Rick graduated from electrical engineering, his skills across the design, development, application, and integration of electronic device and information system. In 2004, both of them joined a well-known audio brand in China as a software engineer, where they have laid a solid foundation for their establishment of HiBy.
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HiBy displayed a wide range of products, including the latest R6 Pro, R6 (multicolor edition) and R3 in Canjam Shanghai, it was the first time for R6 pro to offer free product trial in China. With a booth set up for onsite product testing, Hiby’s staff and audio specialists simultaneously offered product introduction and debugging services for the participants.
As a domestic brand, HiBy drew a sound number of foreign attendees and overseas distributors to its booth for collaboration discussion. Hiby has successfully broadened its business network through the exhibition, leaving out an obvious potential source of new sales while introducing its brand philosophy to global audiences. HiBy will continue to adhere to the concept of “Make Music More Musical”, bringing everyone more quality products and services.