Hello everyone, today I am here to review the Hiby R6 III player.

An Initial Hands-On Experience with the Hiby R6 III New Product.

Review of the previous version.

Last year, due to my need for better operating experience and sound control, I upgraded to the Hiby R6 II.

Below is my experience with the previous R6 II.

① Here is my experience with the previous generation R6 II edition:

At that time, the configuration and system of the R6 II were excellent for the same price range. Its Snapdragon 660 processor and 4GB RAM were able to open Apple Music and QQ Music smoothly (forgive me for not being familiar with Qobuz and Tidal), and watch some videos on Bilibili. The device could handle playing games as well and operate normally, and the device could get a bit warm on its own.

② R6 II was used for daily purposes. When it was released in 2020, at the price point of 4500, it had higher-than-average performance with powerful driving force and high-quality sound style in a large sound field. At the beginning, I was still using the seven-hertz timeless flat-panel earbuds. The R6 II was able to push the slightly high-frequency earbuds into the low-frequency range, and the advantages of the large sound field of the flat-panel unit were also more apparent.

③ Changing circumstances. By 2022, after a series of big upgrades in players such as Shangling M6 Ultra, DX240, and the Rhythm Tank V6, the once-powerful R6 II gradually fell behind the average level of today's players. In the fiercely competitive HiFi market in China, I began to look for new cost-effective models for my upgrade. Coincidentally, news came at the end of 2022 about the release of the R6 III (hereinafter referred to as R6 III). I happened to have listened to R6 III today (January 5, 2023), and I felt it was really good, so I placed an order.

Hands-on experience

Below are my major impressions of the R6 III.

① First and foremost, the most significant improvement is the reduction of noise and interference. This has been a consistent issue with all the previous models in the R6 series. I am pleased to announce that the R6 III has finally solved the problem of noise and annoying interference. This is, to some extent, the most significant upgrade. Finally, I can listen to my earphones using the 4.4 balanced output without worrying about disturbing noise or interference.

② Speaking of the system, the R6 III has adopted a full-screen gesture system after upgrading to Android 12. I used to use buttons on my phone, but now I've switched to gestures. It's quite nostalgic. The new phone is naturally smooth, and the changes in the system may be exciting to many tech enthusiasts. However, I didn't notice many changes myself. If there's anything you want me to elaborate on, feel free to leave a comment.

③ Next is the soundstage. The R6 series has always had a wide soundstage, starting from the first generation, pro, and all the way to the R6 II. However, the downside of having a broad soundstage is the lack of a sense of presence in some parts of the music. In the previous generation R6 II, there was a wide horizontal soundstage, but the positions of instruments and vocals lacked depth. However, when I plugged in my Luna and turned on the class A earphone output, and listened to the signature track "Caravan" on the album "Bursting Out" by the drum kit master, I got an incredibly stunning listening experience. The drum strokes were full, and the atmosphere of jazz music was more intense. This song is a crucial test of the device's resolution and dynamic range, and the R6 III provides a very clear and precise interpretation.

④ Speaking of Decibel's strength, they have always been good at providing potent amplification. The R6 II already had a robust driving force, with a maximum output of 750mW @ 32Ω, which is more than enough to drive most earphones. The R6 III has a driving power of 405mW+405mW@32Ω, which may not seem like a significant upgrade. However, I believe the primary improvement is in the "stability" of driving earphones, rather than just increasing the "tension." When I listened to LiSA's "1 Centimeter" using my Luna, I felt that the sound was "flexible" and "comfortable to handle." If the sound of the R6 II was balanced and treated male and female voices equally, the sound of the R6 III is passionate and gentle, capable of adapting to any need. Regardless of whether it's high-pitched and cheerful or low-key and depressing, the R6 III sound can accommodate everything effortlessly. It can handle different genres equally well, no matter what songs you play.

Later, I plugged in my HE-R10 and listened to Queen's classic "Bohemian Rhapsody." I can confidently say that the R6 III can handle significant scenes with ease, and even has some of the qualities of a desktop amplifier (my own desktop amplifier is the original Q2.1). The dynamic and eye-catching details of the diverse playing styles were well captured using the R6 III + Men's R10 platform. The positions of instruments and vocals were clear, and the separation was excellent. The R6 III has excellent control over the sound, with a relaxed and confident resonance similar to the R8. The R6 III can handle both heavy and light music effortlessly.

⑤ Another significant upgrade is the audio resolution. The level of detail in the R6 III is terrifyingly high. After listening to half of the "Round Up" album by Marlboro (I stopped at track seven "Gunfight at the OK Corral" because of the gunshots), I was blown away. This brick you're talking about is a 4000-yuan new amplifier... you mean, this level is only 3700 yuan? I couldn't believe it. I strongly recommend everyone to have the opportunity to try it out. Although the R6 III has made a significant improvement compared to its predecessor, it's hard to compare it to anything in its own league. Those who own other devices in the same price range can compare and see the difference; those who own devices at a lower price can experience this new product's mighty power.

In my opinion, the R6 III  has significantly improved compatibility and driving power for all types of earphones compared to its predecessor. It is worth plugging in earphones with various price ranges to listen to its sound quality.

Overall, as a 4000-yuan player that has been on the market for 23 years, the R6 III sound performance is entirely up to standard. It could even be considered as a brick to kick off the audio year in 2023. It is not a lazy re-skinning product but a qualified successor with significant improvements in all aspects. The R6 III superior sound quality performance even makes me feel that calling it the R7 would not be an exaggeration.

These are my initial hands-on experiences with the R6 III. I hope it's helpful for everyone.

Thank you for reading this far.

Wow! I didn't expect the battery life to be only six hours when using Class A. I think in daily use it will be longer than the official claim, but it's still essential to balance the selection of amplifiers for different occasions and needs. Additionally, sound quality has been a significant selling point for Haibei, and I believe everyone will pay attention to its sound quality performance while using it.