I get that but this is something I experienced and it is not a direct complaint about A&K DAP's, merely another perspective on why some people buy DAP's. I am simply pointing out that there are other motivations to buying a DAP that having nothing to do with audio capabilities. I did not...

Glad I am not planning to order an R4 for a couple more months. Hopefully this overheating issue will be sorted by then. I know it is only a few units with the issue but it is still a gamble I would rather not take if possible.

I think to some degree those that buy the really expensive DAP's are more about the bling than the technical capabilities. There was this tiny Portable audio dealer I bought some stuff from (has since moved into a larger location). He sold A&K DAP's and he told me he would sell 7 or 8 a week...

Yes the ability to swap out tubes to change the sound tuning is a nice bonus to getting a desktop tube amp. I certainly can't comment on his DIY design implementations going back 15 years. He is a bit of a mad scientist and may have abused the tubes quite a bit. Ultimately though the...

That is stretching my budget a little to far, I am looking more in the $500 US range which fits the R6 III and also maybe the Shanling M5 Ultra. An updated R5 gen2 (to gen3) would probably hit the perfect spot if Hiby included the gen2 features with some upgraded hardware and software.

I am very interested in the R4 but I would also consider stepping up to a higher end Hiby DAP. I really like the look and features of the R5 gen2, any chance you could give a heads-up on a possible R5 gen3 coming out in the future? I certainly understand if you can't. I also just started...

Thanks for the information, will they ever be linked on the Hiby site under Downloads? It seems like a logical place given the Changelog for the firmware updates are listed their.

Can you explain how this works to a newby? If I click on a firmware update on the Hiby site for the R5 gen2 V1.30 for example it only shows the Change Log but no link to the firmware file. This would be my first full android and Hiby DAP which will require more updates than I am use to and I...

Is it possible to manually install firmware updates on Hiby DAP's. I was just on the hiby site and in the download section it appears the only way to do a firmware update on the R4 and most other DAP's is via wifi. I don't have access to wifi right now due to technical issues only have an...

I need for some funds to become available before I can buy another DAP so there is plenty of time to watch and wait to see how the N3 Ultra and other new DAP's mature with updates and more user feedback before the actual purchase. Yes I am also investigating some desktop tube amps to possibly...

Yes you are correct but in terms of someone I know and trust and my own experiences I feel better with the known vs impressions given by people I don't know.

I'll pop open a cold one and make some snacks and check it out this weekend, looking forward to it! Edit: great review once again and I did actually have to pause partway through to make a snack. The great thing about your reviews despite the length is you throw in everything including the...

I have no personal experience with JAN6418 tubes, the 1 to 3 year figure came from a friend of mine. He has experience using these tubes in his DIY tube preamps and amplifiers builds going back 15 years and I got this timing from another DIY site. This also falls in line with my own experience...

I appreciate the response and your openess to the question. I understand the chances of an issue are probably quite small but I have had nightmare experiences shipping DAP's to China for service. More than once having to eat the cost of the DAP when it was returned unfixed or got lost in...

Is it just me or is Hiby becoming the Chinese Sony with all these new DSP's and plugins? I don't use any of Sony's plugins as I find them of little use but it seems like Hiby's will have some real benefits. Looking forward to trying them at some point.