BEHIND THE BOX: HiBy R4
WATCH FULL UNBOXING HERE:
Heyo! I hope you guys are doing wonderful today. I would like to share my out-of-the-box impressions of Hiby’s latest DAP and a first in the series, the HiBy R4. There’s a lot to unpack in this $249 music player (quite literally) so let’s get started!
Here are its raw specs:
Processor: Snapdragon 665
OS: Android 12
DAC: ES9018C2M x 4
AMP: OPA 1652 x4 & OPA1612 x 2
WiFi Support: 2.4ghz - 5ghz
Bluetooth: BT 5.2
USB: USB 3.2 5Gbps
Screen: 4.7in IPS
Screen resolution: 720 x 1280
RAM: 3gb
ROM: 32gb
External Storage: Up to 2tb
Dimension: 129x6 x 68.3 x 18.5mm
Weight: 231g
Battery: 4500mAh/3.8v
Charging: 20w PD 2.0
Power Values
- 3.5mm: 2.3Vrms (165mW)
- 4.4mm: 4.1Vrms (525mW
So first and foremost, the thing that probably caught your eye was the design. This is unlike any DAP in the market in the sense that its design is very distinctly mech-like and I LOVE it. I know it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but it stands out in the market for being such a unique looking piece of tech in an otherwise bland market.
But despite its rugged nature, it feels quite lightweight. It weighs 231g which is in between the R5 II’s 220g and R6 III’s 250g. This contributes to it being quite wieldy in the hand and doesn’t sag your pants due to its weight.
Obviously, it’s no smartphone as the bezels are quite thick and the overall device is thick, but it’s understandable so for a DAP. This thing is running a lot of tech, so a thick stature is to be expected.
As for the button layouts, I have nothing to complain about as the layout feels very natural in the hands. The overall interface is just really nice and it feels quite ergonomic in the hand. I should mention the fact that this thing has a function button. Yep, just like the M300, the R4 also features a function button. So far, the only functions it has is to lock the button or flip the screen, so I’m really hoping they’d add more functions to the button.
As for the interface, if you’ve tried a HiBy DAP before, the experience is largely the same with a standard set-up that leads you to their open Android OS free from bloatware and only has the essential audio apps preinstalled. What’s different however is the fact that the R4 has custom icons! Whether you like this or not is up to you, and you can turn it off in the settings anyway.
What I really love about the R4 is that a lot of the features you can find on their midrange and even top-end DAPs are still found here, like the audio settings where you can change the anti-aliasing filters, gain switches, plugins, PEQ and other sound related settings. The only thing this doesn’t have is a switch for the amplifier so it’s just perpetually stuck in class-A mode. It’s a very easy to understand and use system and I’m so glad they put it in the R4
As for the sound, it’s a very neutral and well-balanced sound without any coloration which essentially makes this an ideal source if you don’t want to spice up the sound of your transducers. Speaking of transducers, this is capable of outputting 525mW on balanced! That’s crazy! For a $249 device, that’s solid power numbers. However, it does take a hit on battery and to be expected, if you push it to its limits, it will drain fast. But if you’re just using IEMs, the battery is more than adequate for most people.
The thing that really baffles me about the R4 is how jam-packed it is for how much it costs. I mean, unless you look in the second-hand market, you cannot find a DAC that provides what the R4 does. And while the aesthetics may not be for you, it’d be foolish to dismiss it just because of that. I’ll be spending more time with this and will continue to share my experiences with the R4 with you all!
FULL REVIEW AND EYNTK COMING SOON!
Thank you so much for reading my behind-the-box impressions of the HiBy R4. If you would like to order the product, it is still unfortunately not yet available as it will come out mid to late April. I will update the links in the future, so do stay tuned!
