Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 Review

Today we review the HiBy R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP. It is selling for $209.

 

Disclaimer: I received the HiBy R3 Pro Saber directly from HiBy Music. We don’t have any commercial relations with HiBy, and this review reflects my honest opinion.

HiBy Music

HiBy Music specializes in the research, development, and sales of high-quality portable audio products. They have a professional R&D staff and they also have quite a good history in the portable audio field. They’re also pretty famous when it comes to building software to playback music on your phone and dedicated portable audio players.

Nowadays it’s a well-established portable music player manufacturer, together with DACs and sometimes IEMs. We’ve reviewed many products from HiBy Music, and you can find them here. You can also see the first R3 Pro model’s review just below:

HiBy R3 Pro Saber 2022

The R3 Pro Saber 2022 is a super-compact DAP with good features just like the previous R3 iterations. We have the same UI and OS here with the streaming capability through Tidal and Qobuz once again, the same size and form factor, and the same design. It is not possible to distinguish the R3 Pro Saber from the R3 Pro (or the previous R3 Pro Saber) at first sight if they have the same colour. For indication, you need to check the brand logotype, which is now changed to the new uppercase letters. 

The pocket rocket upgraded.

However, the DAC chip is changed from Dual ES9218P to ES9219, which is the newer chip. The amplifying section had some overhaul as well. Now both the 3.5mm and 2.5mm have more power. To be exact, both outputs approximately have %20 more power, which is a nice improvement. 

Other specs are similar, including the battery, dimensions, operating system and connectivity.

Package Content

The R3 Pro Saber comes in a moderate-looking box. The unboxing experience is simply good. When you remove the cover, you face the player sitting on top. As for accessories, the new R3 variant comes out of the factory with front and back glass protectors installed. That is something to appreciate because it is not always easy to apply them yourself.

HiBy also did not forget to include two spare protectors for the front/back glasses. The surprising thing is, one of those protectors is a glass one. A very nice addition. A USB-C charging cable is included. There’s also a clear case. Overall a very nice packaging for the price.

Design

The R3 Pro Saber 2022 continues with the classy HiBy Music design that we’re all used to. This again is a boxy design with smoothed-out sides and edges. The screen bezels are small, the size is extremely compact and the side buttons are just where you want them to be.

HiBy Music now has a very consistent and cool design language from the R6 series to the R3 series. This is a very nice portfolio, appealing to different budget levels. There’s not much more to say about the design really, as it’s identical to the standard R3 models. This design goes back to the original R3, which came out in 2018. HiBy must have been thinking that the customers are perfectly happy with the design of the R3 line, so there’s no need to change. 

The form factor of course is the most significant advantage here, and the device is also lightweight so it’s convenient to grab it and take it outside with your favourite IEMs/headphones.

Page 2 – Build Quality, User Experience & Software
Page 3 – Sound Quality
Page 4 – Technical Performance, Comparisons & Conclusion
4/5 - (150 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

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