HiBy R6 Pro II Review

Today we’re reviewing the new HiBy R6 Pro II portable player, a totally new and refreshed R6 Pro DAP variant. It’s selling for $749 USD.

Disclaimer: HiBy sent us the new HiBy R6 Pro II for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and experiences with the product are naturally my own. 

HiBy

I don’t think HiBy needs an introduction anymore after having launched multiple successful portable players. But just in case; it is a company that specializes in the research & development of portable audio equipment, and has been in the industry since 2011. They designed and developed a wide range of products from DAPs to various Bluetooth devices.

HIBY successfully launched many other DAPs already and in the recent past, they launched their titanium R2R flagship: the HiBy RS8. We have reviewed it just last month, and I recommend you check that article to see what HIBY is capable of in today’s flagship market.

HIBY R6 Pro II

The HiBy R6 Pro II is the new model platform of the HiBy R6 series. It features a completely new exterior design, with new digital and analogue stages with new DACs from AKM. The rest of the features are similar to R6 III, such as 4 gigabytes of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The Android version is 12 just like the R6 III, along with new tweaks and optimizations, especially in the amplifier stage.

Overall, it’s a completely new device even though the features in terms of software and UI are the same. I’m personally glad to see HIBY refreshing the R6 design. It’s a good move to compete with premium brands in the portable audio field. 

Specifications & Technical Data

• Android 12 with system-wide DTA Architecture
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC + 4GB RAM
• Dual AK4499EX DAC in OCTA-DAC architecture
• AK4191EQ for the digital stage
• 2 OPA1652 and 8 NXP bipolar transistors
• Class A/AB Amplification Switch
• Native DSD1024 and 32-Bit PCM
• 5.9’’ 2K Multi-touch Display
• 64GB Internal Storage with 2TB Micro SD Support
• 2.4/5 GHz WiFi
• Aluminium Construction with glass backplate (248g)
• OTA Firmware Updates + Google Play Store
• 5000 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 new R6 Pro II comes in a premium box, which is the usual stuff from HIBY nowadays. HIBY has simplified the box though, with a tidier internal placement. The unboxing experience is simply good. You open the box you immediately see the player, which for me was a surprise, since I didn’t expect it to have a screen this big.

As for accessories, the R6 Pro II comes out of the factory with a screen protector installed, which is something to appreciate. HiBy also did not forget to include a spare protector just in case. The underside compartment has a packed USB-C to USB-C cable to charge the device.

The R6 Pro II also comes with a leather case, which is also a very impressive one. It fits the device like a glove and looks superb and slick. Using the device with the case actually feels even better, so the case is not a liability at all. 

Design & Build

The new R6 family member has a totally new look and design, which is quite different to the previous devices. After all of the R6 variants that we’ve seen, it’s not shocking to see HIBY renewing the lineup, but I guess no one expected this kind of drastic change in design.

If I start with the front, the new HIBY model has a gorgeous screen, with much smaller bezels around it. This is a fantastic addition to the new DAP, and I pretty much loved the experience from start to finish. Shanling started the trend with 2K screens in DAPs with the M9 model, and I’m sure a lot of people were sceptical about the power consumption and the actual need. However, it certainly improves the overall experience with the DAP in my opinion. 

The backside of the new HIBY player has been the most striking and most talked-about design element. It basically consists of three parts; a wavy aluminium part on the bottom, a triangle HIBY logo, and a carbon-fibre-looking top part. The latter two areas are finished with glass on top. It actually reminds me of the SP2000 design, which also has a glass top area for wireless range. I wonder if HIBY used the same method for better WiFi and Bluetooth reception. 

When I first saw the press pictures of the player, I wasn’t quite fond of it, but now I experience the device first-hand, and I would say it’s much better in real life. I can’t say I liked the purple option, which is the release colour. I asked for the black version from HIBY, which to me looks better, but to each their own. 

The device weighs about 248 grams. Of course, the new screen is almost 6 inches, so it’s a bigger device when compared to previous R6 models. However, it feels quite comfortable to hold and use, even with a single hand. The aluminium construction feels premium and the button layout is easy to memorize. Instead of having all the buttons on the right side, HIBY split them up this time around. We have the power and volume buttons on the right and play/pause, skip/previous track on the left. I’m surprised HIBY ditched the volume wheel, but I guess they wanted a simpler, more elegant design. 

The buttons however don’t feel very stiff and there is a certain wobble on all of them. That takes away from the premium feel a bit, so I think HIBY can look into that with the new models in the future. Like the previous models, HiBy placed a colour-coded LED on the right side, to let you know about the sample rate of the track that you’re playing.

The screen looks very very vivid and incredibly sharp. It has a very high pixel density, which is really high for a Hi-Fi player. The album covers and videos look great for a DAP. Screen to body ratio is brilliant and it looks very aesthetic. I don’t think you’re going to have trouble using the player at all. 

Page 2 – User Experience & Software

Page 3 – Sound Quality

Page 4 – Technical Performance, Comparisons & Conclusion

4/5 - (107 votes)

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