Today, we’re reviewing the new HiBy R6 III 2025 portable player, a refreshed R6 DAP variant. It costs $439 USD.
Disclaimer: HiBy Music provided us the R6III in exchange for our honest opinion.
HiBy Music
HiBy Music is a company that specializes in researching and developing portable audio equipment. It has been in the industry since 2011. HiBy has designed and developed various products, from DAPs to Bluetooth devices. It is a very innovative company with a huge R&D team of over 40 professionals. Its HiBy Music App has a user base of 2 million users in over 100 countries around the globe.
They have successfully launched many other DAPs and are now launching a new version of R6. We have reviewed several HiBy products, and you can reach them here.
HIBY R6 III 2025
The HiBy R6 III 2025 is the updated model of the HiBy R6 III. It features a new set of DAC chips, but the rest of the features are the same, such as 4 gigabytes of RAM, 64GB of storage, CPU and an amplification design. The back also received a slight design overhaul, now featuring a sleeker glass panel.
Specifications & Technical Data
- Android 12 with system-wide DTA Architecture
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC + 4GB RAM
- Quad CS43198 DAC + Two OPA1652 opamps
- Class A/AB Amplification Switch
- 5’’ IPS 720P Multi-touch Display with 293 PPI
- 64GB Internal Storage with 2TB Micro SD Support
- 2.4/5 GHz WiFi
- Aluminium Construction (250g)
- OTA Firmware Updates + Google Play Store
- 4500 mAh Battery with Fast Charging
- 4.4mm BAL LO + 3.5mm UNBAL LO on the left side
- 3.5mm UNBAL PO + 4.4mm BAL PO on the right side
Packaging & Accessories
The R6 III 2025 comes in a similar box to the R6 III, but now the box is more straightforward, dropping the book-style opening. When you remove the cover, you face the device right away. As for accessories, the R6 III 2025 comes out of the factory with front and back glass protectors installed. That is something to appreciate because it is always easy to apply them yourself.
HiBy also includes a spare protector for the front glass, just in case. The below compartment has a packed USB-C to USB-C cable to charge the device. The R6 III 2025 also comes with a jelly case, which I didn’t like. The RS6 and R6 2020 had more amicable and premium leather cases, and the R6 III’s case was reasonably good, but this one is a downgrade.
Design & Build
The R6 III 2025 shares the same language as the R6 2020 and the R6 III, as with the flagship RS8. The device weighs about 250 grams. It looks great in a cool silver colour (there is also a black version) and feels very rigid in the hand. All sockets and jacks feel firm and tight.
The aluminium construction feels durable, and the button layout is easy to remember. We have four buttons in total, from top to bottom. The design follows: the power button, previous track, play/pause, and next track. The buttons feel stiff, and there is no wobble at all. HiBy placed a colour-coded LED under the power button to inform you about the track’s sample rate you’re playing. The screen looks very, very vivid and sharp. It has a pixel density of 293 PPI, suitable for a Hi-Fi player.
The album covers and videos look great for a DAP. The screen-to-body ratio is good and looks aesthetic as a front-and-back glass device. You don’t have trouble carrying it around as it is not a big player. It fits right into a Pelican 1020 case with enough space to store your favourite earphones.
User Experience
The HiBy R6 III 2025 is based on Android 12. The device is relatively fast, including the booting time. I also found the battery life to be very, very good. You can quickly feel the maturity in design, software, and user experience of the R6 III 2025.
Sound-wise, there is the HiByOS. It’s a custom Android that was rebuilt and developed in-house by HiBy and optimized for bit-perfect audio. Thanks to its Direct Transport Audio Architecture, it completely bypasses Android’s limitations. Of course, any app you could go for would benefit from the integrated DACs to the full extent. Also, the Snapdragon 665 CPU has enough processing power.
HiBy combined the SD665 with 4 gigabytes of RAM, which is sufficient for a DAP in daily operation, but maybe they could’ve gone for a higher number there. I haven’t had any stutters or freezes during my time with it. It is very fluid and quick overall. Another cool thing is that you can see the sample rate on the right side of the notification bar, which always stays on top. The LED light just below the power button lights up in one particular colour, depending on the sample rate, accordingly. The streaming apps work like a charm with bit-perfect playback.
The review continues on the second page. Click here or use the links below.
Page 2 – Software, Connectivity, Battery, Sound Quality Pt.1
Page 3 – Technical Performance, Comparisons, Conclusion, Summary
