-Packaging and unboxing
The box of the new Hiby R8 II is functional and elegant, the DAP is perfectly protected, it is very easy to access its interior and easily remove the player, the cardboard box is well made, magnetic and well organized, I find that it is more than enough for a satisfactory experience without going into too many luxuries that make the product more expensive, the box includes:
- DAP
- Custom made TPU and alcantara case
- Charging and data cable
- Screen and top and bottom bezel protectors
- Manuals
-Technical specifications:
There is nothing better than a link to the Hiby website where you can easily and in detail see all its features. From my point of view we are looking at a high-end product according to its price and specifications.
https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r8-ii?variant=44121041797336
-Setup, handling and system
Firts, let's talk about the screen, we are looking at a screen with very good definition, more than enough brightness and perfect size in my opinion, I have no complaints at all about the R8's screen and I only wish that other manufacturers would pay the same attention that hiby when it comes to selecting a quality panel, the better visuals and usability that come with having 6 inches in size are notable, a success.
The build finish is of a high quality, it feels robust and well put together, I find the Alcantara finish pleasing as most of us will use the device with the case provided, I don't find it a problem at all, the anodizing looks very well finished.
The buttons feel solid and have a pleasant touch and recoil, you can perfectly notice the response to pressing them, the only problem you may have is due to the case provided, it is difficult to determine the real location and which of the buttons you are pressing next. If you look at where you are playing, speaking of the case, it seems to me to be of very good quality, perhaps I would have preferred that the case did without the alcantara finish, but it is a personal preference.
This is a heavy device, we are getting a DAP with a large screen, high amplification power and huge battery, which implies a high size and weight, personally I still find it manageable and within acceptable limits, it can be handled with a hand that still requires some effort to do so.
The first turn on and setup of the Hiby R8 II is extremely fast, just select the language and time zone, in a few seconds you will be on the home screen ready to play your favorite music, adding the Google account is the same Quick and easy, just open the PlayStore and log in with your Google account.
In the software section we have Android 12 which responds very fluidly and quickly in general, the 8GB of RAM and the use of faster ROM memory in the system are noticeable, I have had practically no bugs and anything that I may have had It is too irrelevant to mention it since I don't even remember it, so it does not spoil the user experience at any time.
In all my DAPs I like to install Nova Launcher and Power AMP, the first is an application launcher that allows me to customize the home screen to my liking, it allows me to add certain shortcuts such as the screen lock to avoid excessive use of the button, as well as direct access to the audio configuration menu, avoiding going through the notification bar to access said settings.
I like Power AMP again for its impressive customization and great appearance.
Both applications work perfectly and without hiccups.
In the software section there are some things that from my point of view should be added, the first is being able to unlock the screen with a double tap and thus avoid making such continuous use of the button, the second are widgets or shortcuts to very useful functions and widely used such as Pluguins, PEQ or MSEB to name a few, this facilitates access to options that are used very frequently and avoids having to navigate through several menus.
Then there is the battery life, I will only mention that it is excellent and even though I have not calculated the hours of playback that I have achieved, it is a device with a long battery life, you can make intensive use of the screen, the WiFi and still get many hours of music playback.
-Sound
I mainly listen to Pop, Rock and EDM to give a quick description, although random tracks from many other genres are included.
To make a first general description I will say that its sound signature is extremely balanced, perfectly neutral with extended bass and treble, this giving a general U-shaped sound signature, wide soundstage and excellent tonality, the speed and technicalities are of first level.
At first it seemed a touch colder and more analytical than other DAP due to its incredible transparency and speed, but that idea quickly disappeared from my head, giving way to a sound with the best balance I have ever heard in a DAP.
It has a lot of power available and although it is possible that with most iems it will not be noticeable, if there will be a noticeable difference with full size headphones or even with certain iems, I was able to test the R8 with Grand Maestro, which is undoubtedly the iem most power-hungry I've ever been, and the extra power improves some aspects of the sound, for example helping to maintain bass definition and presence, and also maintaining clarity and separation in the most demanding moments when a lot is happening at once on certain tracks.
-TREBLE
The highs on the new R8 have excellent detail and extension, they can show a lot of detail and a lot of air, which contributes to forming its large soundstage, in my opinion its slight emphasis is on the higher treble, this avoiding the troublesome mid-high area, where the dreaded listening fatigue can appear, everything is there, with excellent precision, detail and impressive speed, despite having slightly enhanced and extended treble, everything feels natural, there is nothing that is present in an overly accentuated or artificial way, it is free of any hint of listening fatigue, if you are a person looking for a very warm and relaxed sound, you may not find that here, but I am also sure that you can get used to it quickly due to its naturalness, free from any discomfort.
-Mids
I will be simple and direct, the best, most balanced and best tuned that I have ever heard in a DAP, many times manufacturers insist on advancing the mids where they give a W shape to the sound, bringing the singer closer to a few meters from the listener or even if it seems like you're on stage with him, it doesn't seem like a realistic sound presentation to me.
Luckily, Hiby adapted another approach, the mids are neither delayed nor advanced, they are in a simply perfect position, you are not too far from the stage, nor very close, you are simply in a privileged position in which everything is heard widely, spaced out and precise, you can feel everything around you and look anywhere without feeling like you are swimming between the instruments and the artist, I will use the words naturalness, precision and spaciousness.
Each element is perfectly separated and positioned in the vast soundstage, with enviable clarity and precision. Before I mentioned the word perfectly neutral, because everything has a very correct note weight, it does not have the necessary body to classify the signature as warm, but it is also not thin enough to call it cold or analytical, it is neutral in the best sense of the word, since we have sublime image positioning, incredible amount of detail, but it still sounds natural, there is nothing metallic or artificial that It will take you out of the immersion, all of this contributes in my point of view to offering the best media I have heard to date in a DAP.
-Lows
The bass is another star of the show and another of the pillars of the new R8, they have enviable speed, texture and impact, here you will not find anything slow or bloated, they always remain in place, despite their high quantity they are never overwhelming, neither eclipse the mids or highs, another tour de force of this DAP, it is incredibly deep and detailed, with excellent control and precision, its focus lies, rightly, in the subbass, not in the low mids that, although not they are clipped, they are not emphasized, someone may prefer a little more midbass and you can easily achieve that with any of the multiple adjustments that the device offers, but this approach favors the general signature that is sought with this DAP, which is clarity and separation, with a lot of headroom and air, if you are a fan of elevared bass with good taste, excellent control, depth and speed this DAP will give you great moments.
-Soundstage & Technicalities
Both are at a very high level, the soundstage is very wide, with very good positioning and individuality of the elements, there is a lot of separation and it never sounds slow or confusing, it manages to maintain the rhythm and speed even in the most complex or busy passages , there is no sense of loss of control or congestion in the presentation.
The timbre, despite its neutrality and scarce coloration, feels attractive and natural, thus respecting the sound signature of the iem in question, the instruments obtain a lot of texture and sound realistically.
There is a certain height and depth in the sound, thus providing a certain holographic sensation to the sound, although it is true that the height and depth images are not its strong point and there is room for improvement, the effect can be perceived in a decent way, due to since all the other technical aspects are at a very high level, I don't think anyone will feel disappointed in the technical section.
-Sound customization
I think Hiby is aware of how much audiophiles like to play different parameters and adjust various aspects of the sound, if you like to try and experiment with it, congratulations, this DAP is perfect for you, you can adjust very easily multiple parameters, but let's go in parts.
The first thing is the filters, there are many available and the truth is that the changes are much more noticeable than in other devices with third-party DACs in which, honestly, it is very difficult to hear any type of change between them, I notice that they mainly affect the texture and decay of notes, especially in the bass.
There is something worth highlighting and that is that the modifications work at the system level and will be applied regardless of the application used, so they will even work on Tidal or any streaming application.
From my point of view the most notable are the parametric equalizer (PEQ) and the MSEB, which allows you to adjust and modify certain sound parameters extremely easily, you get slight adjustments here and there to adapt the sound to your liking.
But it doesn't end here, in addition, there are several Plugins, in which to apply additional modifications to the sound, the two most notable that I tried were Sound field, which allows you to play with the width of the sound scene, and DRX10K Dynamic, which makes some sound effects, in this case, divided into three bands: treble, medium and bass.
If you think that some aspect of the sound needs some slight adjustment, you will almost certainly find a way to adapt it in one way or another.
In short, it is the most complete and versatile DAP that I have been able to try, a tuning that you will hardly find lacking, a natural sound loaded with power and details, as if that were not enough, sound customization options in multiple ways, someone from further??
The only real disadvantage, not too notable, compared to other competitors in the same category such as the DX320 and N7, is a certain lack of height and depth, but it more than makes up for it in many other aspects of sound and user experience, so R8 rises to the top of my list of recommendations, if someone asks me about the value of the device, I would say yes, its high price is justified and you will get an experience accordingly.
) . What a sound !!!
