HIBY R3 II Review

Package Content

The R3 II comes in a simple yet aesthetically pleasing box. The unboxing experience is seamless and pleasant. Upon opening the box, the player is immediately visible and easy to access. One notable feature is that the front and back glass protectors are pre-installed, which is a thoughtful addition as applying them yourself can be difficult. HIBY has also included two spare protectors for the front and back glasses, along with a USB-C charging cable and a clear case. Overall, the packaging is well-designed and adequate for the price.

Build Quality

The construction of the aluminium player is durable and the layout is simple. The power/USB charging button is located on the bottom, and the MicroSD card slot is on the left side. The bottom section has 4.4/3.5mm phone outs. All the buttons, including power, volume, pause/skip/previous, are located on the sides of the player.

The buttons are stiff and there is no wobbling, except for the volume wheel which feels a bit flimsy. While the click sound when you press it to open the player isn’t great, the screen looks good. However, if you care about sharpness, note that it’s not as high-end as some other models. Nonetheless, the overall build quality is nice, secure, and robust, except for the flimsy volume wheel.

User Experience

The HiBy R3 II runs on HiByOS, which has a similar layout and screens as the previous models but is simpler. Although not much has changed in the UI, the main screen has been optimized for the small screen, making it intuitive enough to use. 

Using the player is a fairly good experience, with a responsive but small screen. While the resolution of the screen is not the best by today’s market standards, it’s not a rival to those giant screen devices either. However, getting used to the small screen may take some time. 

Typing with an old-school T9 keyboard is less than ideal, but it’s an expected compromise for the screen size. Streaming is smooth without any issues. Moreover, the R3 II supports Tidal and Qobuz. Qobuz, in particular, wasn’t supported with the R3 models before the R3 Pro Saber (non-2022). If you use Qobuz, this feature is a great addition.

The device is fast enough for day-to-day operation, including booting time. I have not faced a bug or another problem with the UI or software yet, after upgrading it to the 1.1 version. But don’t expect a very snappy performance like the R6 and R5 models since they have faster processors. I also found the battery life to be quite good. However, when you use WiFi, it drains faster than expected.

The HIBY R3 II is also an excellent transport device. You can use it with your favourite DACs and that way you can have a formidable portable system. All you need to do is connect the player to your DAC via USB, and you’re good to go. It instantly recognizes the DAC and you can directly stream all the file formats without issues. Seasoned audiophiles would also know that the R3 models are perfect companions for Chord Mojo and Mojo 2 size-wise.

Page 1 – Intro, Design

Page 3 – Sound Quality

Page 4 – Technical Performance, Comparisons & Conclusion