Hiby FC6

This sound review will be based on the NOS setting activated, with HDR: ON. I have only used IEMs during evaluation.
(HDR: Off makes FC6 too susceptible to noise from the source (phone/laptop), introducing artifacts such as pops, crackling and a very loud noise floor. It is only really useable together with a VERY clean source.)

+ Rich, Velvety, Natural, Analogue, Liquid R2R NOS Timbre
When HIBY FC6 is run in NOS mode (No-Over-Sampling), it takes the signal as is and peddles it forward to your connected IEMs/headphones without tampering with it, without oversampling it.
What you receive in your ears is something your brain registers something untouched by processing. I hear how each note is de-flattened and expanded in every direction with a degree of richness that makes balanced armatures sound far closer to dynamic drivers in timbre than I thought was even possible.
This is a revelation. Transformative. It smoothes out any digital edges one might otherwise perceive with regular delta sigma DACs.
Something deeply, fundamentally correct is done to the music with this wonderful little dongle on NOS mode.

+ Sound Density
The HIBY FC6 infuses each note with a rich, dense sense of weight that also polishes the outer edge of the notes. I don't think I need to say more about it than that.

+ Tangible Notes
Because the density of each note is so satisfactorily high, the notes seem to take shape and really solidify in your ear-brain perception.

+ Depth Perception
What further aides the sense of tangibility is the sense of depth FC6 conveys. It even makes planar IEMs, which are notoriously flat-sounding spatially, sound adequately three-dimensional. Not only is the stage in which notes propagate deep, but the notes themselves expand in each direction and convey depth in such a way that I reckon very few if any chip-based dongles can emulate.

+ Polished Treble
Because the energy of each note originates in the middle of the note, the treble contouring is very smooth as the energy tapers off towards the edge of the note.

+ Expressive Micro-Dynamics
The FC6 has a knack for digging into each note and unearthing the very inner core of it for your enjoyment. It reminds me of the Questyle M15 in this sense, but the difference is that the M15 has an awful ESS-glare and a flat, squarely 2-dimensional, narrow presentation whereas the FC6 is deliciously natural & 3-dimensional; complete opposites.

+ Anti-Shout Effect
FC6 by virtue of its R2R arcitechture, I'm sure, is tuned in such a way that it seems to transform anything overly bright, glary, shouty, binary (where something binary is defined as the anti-thesis to dynamic) into just more musical enjoyment. It just seems to synergize well with balanced armatures and planar IEMs both of which do not possess an inherentely dynamic character like true dynamic drivers do, but provide heightened technical performance and resolution capacity over dynamic drivers.
FC6 pairs well with brighter dynamic sets but cannot showcase its full benefits with smoothly tuned sets, particularly smooth, inoffensive dynamic drivers where the richness becomes too much of a good thing, robbing the music of much needed bite and vitality.


+ Unprocessed
As alluded to before, the FC6 sounds wholly unprocessed. To understand what that might mean, let me try to describe what I identify in every chip-based DAC.
Chip-based DACs make the notes sound artificially contained, microdynamically veiled, spatially flat in terms of depth and each note seems to be operating on the entire canvas of the soundstage at all times, whereas NOS allows for true silence between notes - This technique delineates the position of the notes through the intervals of silence interspersed between them. This is one of the specials "ingredients" of what constitutes its natural sound.

+ Punchy, Powerful Tuning
The sheer density of the notes, because the origin of each note is spatially focused, packs a serious punch when expressed. All the energy of the note spews forth toward you from one single point, propelling the sound forward with great pressure. The result is a great mid-bass punch, hyper-saturated midrange (without the shout) and an exquisitely thick and rich treble.
- Somewhat Limited Stereo Separation
For those familiar with DACS that house a single chip as opposed to multiple chips, one of more for each channel, you may agree with me that single chip solutions can sound overly focused in the middle by comparison. They seem to invariably offer a sound that is closer to mono. I believe I sense this phenomenon with the HIBY Fc6 where technically, it the stereo separation is not quite up there with the best performers. Depending on who you ask, this may not even be a con because it does mean the sound is a little more cohesive even though the notes themselves are more firmly anchored to the middle of the stage.
- Somewhat Limited Macro-Dynamics
FC6 gives out roughly 100mW into 32Ohms which sounds decent, and it is, but when compared to more powerful dongles such as the xDuoo Link2Bal Max which musters 200mW into 32Ohms (single ended) you can definitely hear how the macro-dynamics scale up significantly. The Link2Bal Max manages to sound more grand, expanded and more controlled when pushing the volume. It cannot touch the Fc6 in terms of microdynamics however, sounding much less vibrant and expressive when rendering the smallest nuances.


Conclusion:
HIBY FC6 emerges as a remarkable piece of audio engineering, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the realm of high-fidelity sound reproduction. With its NOS mode, it delivers an authentic audio experience, untouched by the constraints of digital processing, allowing each note to bloom with richness and depth. The FC6's ability to infuse density into every note, coupled with its polished treble and expressive micro-dynamics, creates a truly immersive listening journey where music just sounds so self-evidently natural. While it may exhibit minor limitations in stereo separation and macro-dynamics compared to its peers, these are well and truly overshadowed by its ability to unveil the true essence of the music, making the HIBY FC6 a compelling choice for audiophiles seeking unparalleled sonic fidelity and musical enjoyment without going into mega-bucks territory. A must have piece of equipment.

Introduction:-


Hello guys, today I will be reviewing the Hiby FC6. This small dongle dac is a bit special, as it is a 24bit R2R dongle dac. R2R is an old technology where in rather tham typical sigma delta dac it uses a resistor ladder network.

Does this $300 R2R dac sound different from most other sigma delta dac out there? Well yes!

I have also shared a video version of the review at YouTube any support there in form of a view, A like or A subscribe is greatly appreciated. But if you so wish to read the written version you can read this.




I would like to thank Hiby for offering me a discount on this product. But rest be assured all the thoughts and opinions you are about to hear are my own.

You can buy the Hiby FC6 here (Unaffiliated Link) :- https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-fc6

This review will be a bit different and wont follow my usual format. And will be a bit chronological

So lets start with the review!

I will be as usual following my bullet style format for better readability for those who are dyslexic and in general find it hard to read long paragraphs. I follow this guide in general from the British Dyslexia Association.

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Review:-



1. It comes in a small box which has a fantastic leather box inside, Which in turn houses the fac, a c-c cable and a c-a cable for connecting to a computer. A small usb c to usb A dongle would have been nice rather than a long C-A cable. It also has a leather case in same colour of the dac


2. It is very small in size and I will list the dimensions form Hiby website on the screen


3. It supports in line mic controls but it doesn’t support inline mic. Also it only has 3.5mm


4. It has 31 volume steps


5. As of this review I am on the latest firmware version v1.07 it ships with v1.02


6. The latest firmware ads a darwin ultra filter. Talking about filters I didn’t find any difference between all the filters. But the darwin ultra filters does sound a bit loud at the same volume.


7. It has NOS and OS mode. NOS mode is no over sampling and OS mode is Over sampling, if the OS mode is on it oversamples the file when playing it but in NOS it doesn’t oversamples.


8. It also has a HDR mode for song, but again I didn’t find any difference over here.


9. In my test when played on a 5000mah battery smartphone it lasts around 15.5 hours on 30% volume playing the Penon Fan 2 which is a very easy to drive iem



10. It does get a bit warm when playing but not too hot


11. I didn’t have problem powering any iem and I hovered around 15-17/31 on my hardest to drive iems like the 7hz Timeless Ae and Tanchjim Kara


11. Talking about the sound it Is very warm, although I wouldn't notice it on a vaccum. But it is apparent when I am comparing it with other dac like the fiio btr5 or the muse hifi m4.


13. Iems like penon Fan 2 and the simgot ea 100 sounds so so good paired with this.


14. The FC6 smoothens the treble a bit, for example the treble is a bit smoothened and it takes away that treble edge it has. While giving it a boost in vocals and bass and improves the soundstage even more.


15. It does a similar thing in the Penon Fan 2 where in It gives a bump to the bass, widens the soundstage a lot.


16. The volume here is independent


17. It lacks a low/high gain switch


18. I never thought a small dongle dac would improve the sound so much of an iem. But the hiby Fc6 did that. It sounds very analogue and not digital like most dacs or the Muse HIFI M4 or the BTR5 I have.

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great day ahead! Bye!


If you have any questions please feel free to ask me and also if you have any issues regarding this format of review please do comment I will try to mend it. Also sorry to those who are used to reading long paragraphs of review in headfi. I hope my review was upto the mark, I appreciate any feedback.

Again a big thanks to Hiby for offering me a discount.

Have a great day ahead