HiBy WH3
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This review has been a long time coming. I originally purchased the WH3 from MusicTeck, with my own funds, back in April and have been using it on and off over the three months since. Considering there has been no new development for the WH3 in my entire demo period, I have chosen to remove a star from the rating. At this point, I think it's safe to assume there will be no further updates for this product.
The TWS market is saturated, perhaps beyond any reasonable measure. It seems that everybody and their mother came out with a set of True Wireless buds. Some might be hoping to capitalize on their existing name and pedigree. Others are looking to become the name in True Wireless Audio. And while some have come close, I don't think anybody has managed to meet the cut of "best all-around EDC true wireless bud." Either the interface is non-existent or poorly implemented, the buds themselves are tonally off, or they sound incredible but might be plagued with stability/connectivity issues.
Enter the WH3 (featured with the Azla Crystal TWS tips). Coming in at $159 as of the time of this review, the WH3 is HiBy's hybrid TWS featuring 1 dynamic driver and 1 Knowles-branded balanced armature driver with an in-app adjustable crossover (more on that later). Supported codecs are SBC, AAC, aptX (no LL, HD, or Adaptive) and it does conform to the TWS+ standard meaning, should your host device support, each bud will receive independent left and right audio streams from your source device.
The WH3's case is surprisingly practical, though it tests the limits of what I would consider "pocketable" due to its overall thickness. It's similar in form factor to the Noble Falcon 2/Pro, though just a little wider and taller. You do feel that in your pocket walking around. HiBy might have been able to shave the size down a bit, but it would have most likely come at the expense of losing wireless charging, which works flawlessly every time. From completely empty to fully charged, it usually takes me about 2 hours of charging time on a ZeroLemon-branded wireless pad.
While HiBy could have chosen any form factor for the buds themselves, they settled on a stemmed solution for folks looking to cut the wire. Even if you're stem-averse, I recommend giving the WH3 a shot as I found them surprisingly ergonomic with Azla's Crystal tips. The stock tips, while perfectly serviceable, didn't work very well with my ears and were constantly slipping out or breaking seal. Tip-rolling is strongly recommended with these from just a comfort/fit perspective alone and the majority of my TWS-specific tips worked in the HiBy case without needing to be removed from the earbuds (major plus). Foams, unfortunately, continue to be a problem and there's only a small handful of TWS cases that I think comfortably fit foam tips without needing to be removed. I would not consider that a major negative.
Pairing the WH3 is painless; simply remove the buds from the case and they will automatically enter pairing mode. After the first pairing, the WH3 seems to automatically reconnect to the last paired device. If no such devices are around, it re-enters pairing mode.
Perfect.
This is the exact sequence of operation I prefer as dealing with reset buttons and combos is less than ideal (it usually doesn't work nearly as well as intended anyway). Each bud received an individual pairing on my OnePlus 8T and I can use each earbud independently of the other.
This is an example of HiBy's interface via the HiBy Blue app. While it's not the fanciest UI out there, it's plenty serviceable and gets you all your necessary adjustments at a glance. Included is a 10-band GEQ and settings to adjust what double and triple taps on the touch surface (through which all commands are input to the TWS) actually do.
Perhaps the most exciting feature, though, is the Digital Crossover. In a sense, it's a good thing I took so long to write this review as, for the longest time, there were no other products that I knew of that took advantage of such a concept. To my knowledge, the only other product that features user-adjustable electronic crossovers is the Qudelix QX-Over, which requires the 5K and its accompanying app. Unlike HiBy's offering, the QX-Over uses a pair of dynamic drivers and comes in at about 30 USD. While I do not currently have the QX-Over, I do have it in the plans to get a set once shipping isn't 20 USD from Korea direct.
Within the HiBy Blue app (and only for the WH3 as of right now, though one variant of the WH2 will also have this capability), users have the ability to adjust the point at which the BA and DD hand off duties to each other. If selecting a random crossover frequency is too cumbersome for you, HiBy has also provided 3 presets to get you started:
After spending about a month or so fiddling with this crossover (as well as giving the dynamic driver as much time to "loosen up" as possible), I settled on a crossover point of 2875Hz. Amazingly enough, one can go granular down to 1 Hz increments on selecting a setpoint, meaning one could easily adjust for pinna gain. In my experience, a setpoint of 2875Hz manages to put the crossover point right where my ears would normally pick up a peak, showcasing the strengths of both drivers. It also does a decent enough job of hiding some of the shortfalls and provides a dynamic representation that's enjoyable across many genres. The WH3 can produce booty-shaking bass, but that's not typically my flavor and it very quickly overwhelms just about every track I tried it with.
3 months later, how does it sound? Pretty darn good, to be honest. While it certainly won't win any awards in technicalities, I believe the WH3 manages to provide a well-balanced sound signature that at least rewards in tonality, even if timbre leaves a little to be desired. The fundamentals are properly represented, but I get very few of the overtones. When you're talking about genres like synthwave, you really need those overtones to sound right. The end result is an overall bland representation that I've seen sound a lot better that competitors in the price range seem to better easily, even on single-driver offerings. TWS sets like the Ultimate Ears FITS serve up a more balanced tonality, which should help with longer-term listening.
I did most of my listening using playlists I made myself from Spotify, Amazon Music HD, or Qobuz. An example can be found here:
The good news is, thanks to that crossover setpoint of 2875 Hz, everything in the playlist was pretty well-balanced. Unlike the Campfire Honeydew (which will be reviewed separately), I didn't leave my listening session feeling like my skull got hit repeatedly and I think that shouldn't be overlooked. Bass, mids, and treble all seem to have room to shine here, but the overall stage width is relatively narrow which leads to instruments sounding like they're right on top of each other (if not drowned out entirely). None of the axes stretches out very far and, though some tracks did manage to portray a stage that went ear to ear, the ability to do so was wildly inconsistent. I don't think this isn't a question of mastering quality; something about the WH3's audio processing just leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps, with sufficient time spent on EQ, you could wring out more definition than these buds seem capable of presenting.
Left: EPro TW00, Right: Final TWS. The bore length for both tips were too long for the WH3 and result in too much smearing of the upper frequencies. I recommend the Azla tips instead.
Swapping out stock tips for the Azla Crystals also helps the WH3 sonically. I attribute this to a much shorter distance between the mesh grille and the end of the nozzle bore; less reflections around the tip nozzle cleans the upper midrange and treble frequencies to my ear, making them a must-have to enjoy the WH3. As mentioned earlier, the stock tips work but showcase a few midrange spikes that led to early fatigue. I get none of that with the Azla Crystal and have the added bonus of a tip that manages to stay practically glued in my ear once I've put them in position.
As mentioned earlier, the WH3 claims to support HiBy's own UAT Hi-Res codec. For the life of me, I could not get UAT to activate, no matter what device I used. I believe this compatibility issue is one of the reasons HiBy included LDAC support for the newer WH2 models. Perhaps HiBy just couldn't figure out how to fix UAT and has just left it as another vaporware codec that will never make it to primetime. If you are buying the WH3 to utilize UAT, I wish you the best, but don't think you'll have much luck.
And here's where things get supremely frustrating: I have been stuck on the same firmware version since receiving my WH3. Considering HiBy's update cycle for their DAPs, I would have hoped to see quite a few more updates here. Cambridge Audio, for example, have been making minor tweaks to the overall sound signature of their Melomania Touch after a regular string of updates; I would have liked to see that same approach with the WH3. If all of the promised features worked (UAT, I'm looking at you), perhaps this wouldn't be necessary. I hope I'm wrong, but the lack of updates would suggest to me that HiBy considered the WH3 as a proof of concept rather than a market product. Instead of continuing WH3 development, it seems HiBy is only focusing on the WH2. If this is a sticking point to you, I would suggest looking elsewhere. Long-term support does not look like one of the WH3's strengths.
Call quality, on the other hand, is plenty respectable. Truth be told, the WH3 is my preferred pair to pick up for VoIP calls (WebEx, Skype, etc). There's something about its ability to render voices that sounds more natural and less bloated than most of its competitors (even Jabra, to a certain extent). There's also a significant advantage in the pickup microphones for both buds being at the end of the stem, meaning they're closer to your mouth and less likely to pick up ambient noise. Callers across the board preferred when I used the WH3 over just about every other pair of TWS in the stable (and I've got a decent amount). In the age of work-from-home, this shouldn't be understated.
While I didn't spend much time talking about battery life, I do want to mention that the WH3 claims 5 hours of use followed by another 24 hours of charge in the case. In all my testing time, I don't think I ever ran into an issue where the battery died on me mid-listen. Marathon listeners should look elsewhere, but folks who only listen for a couple hours at a time should be more than happy here.
So who is the WH3 for? In a nutshell, I'd recommend this set of TWS if you meet the following criteria:
The TWS market is saturated, perhaps beyond any reasonable measure. It seems that everybody and their mother came out with a set of True Wireless buds. Some might be hoping to capitalize on their existing name and pedigree. Others are looking to become the name in True Wireless Audio. And while some have come close, I don't think anybody has managed to meet the cut of "best all-around EDC true wireless bud." Either the interface is non-existent or poorly implemented, the buds themselves are tonally off, or they sound incredible but might be plagued with stability/connectivity issues.
Enter the WH3 (featured with the Azla Crystal TWS tips). Coming in at $159 as of the time of this review, the WH3 is HiBy's hybrid TWS featuring 1 dynamic driver and 1 Knowles-branded balanced armature driver with an in-app adjustable crossover (more on that later). Supported codecs are SBC, AAC, aptX (no LL, HD, or Adaptive) and it does conform to the TWS+ standard meaning, should your host device support, each bud will receive independent left and right audio streams from your source device.
The WH3's case is surprisingly practical, though it tests the limits of what I would consider "pocketable" due to its overall thickness. It's similar in form factor to the Noble Falcon 2/Pro, though just a little wider and taller. You do feel that in your pocket walking around. HiBy might have been able to shave the size down a bit, but it would have most likely come at the expense of losing wireless charging, which works flawlessly every time. From completely empty to fully charged, it usually takes me about 2 hours of charging time on a ZeroLemon-branded wireless pad.
While HiBy could have chosen any form factor for the buds themselves, they settled on a stemmed solution for folks looking to cut the wire. Even if you're stem-averse, I recommend giving the WH3 a shot as I found them surprisingly ergonomic with Azla's Crystal tips. The stock tips, while perfectly serviceable, didn't work very well with my ears and were constantly slipping out or breaking seal. Tip-rolling is strongly recommended with these from just a comfort/fit perspective alone and the majority of my TWS-specific tips worked in the HiBy case without needing to be removed from the earbuds (major plus). Foams, unfortunately, continue to be a problem and there's only a small handful of TWS cases that I think comfortably fit foam tips without needing to be removed. I would not consider that a major negative.
Pairing the WH3 is painless; simply remove the buds from the case and they will automatically enter pairing mode. After the first pairing, the WH3 seems to automatically reconnect to the last paired device. If no such devices are around, it re-enters pairing mode.
Perfect.
This is the exact sequence of operation I prefer as dealing with reset buttons and combos is less than ideal (it usually doesn't work nearly as well as intended anyway). Each bud received an individual pairing on my OnePlus 8T and I can use each earbud independently of the other.
This is an example of HiBy's interface via the HiBy Blue app. While it's not the fanciest UI out there, it's plenty serviceable and gets you all your necessary adjustments at a glance. Included is a 10-band GEQ and settings to adjust what double and triple taps on the touch surface (through which all commands are input to the TWS) actually do.
Perhaps the most exciting feature, though, is the Digital Crossover. In a sense, it's a good thing I took so long to write this review as, for the longest time, there were no other products that I knew of that took advantage of such a concept. To my knowledge, the only other product that features user-adjustable electronic crossovers is the Qudelix QX-Over, which requires the 5K and its accompanying app. Unlike HiBy's offering, the QX-Over uses a pair of dynamic drivers and comes in at about 30 USD. While I do not currently have the QX-Over, I do have it in the plans to get a set once shipping isn't 20 USD from Korea direct.
Within the HiBy Blue app (and only for the WH3 as of right now, though one variant of the WH2 will also have this capability), users have the ability to adjust the point at which the BA and DD hand off duties to each other. If selecting a random crossover frequency is too cumbersome for you, HiBy has also provided 3 presets to get you started:
- Dynamic (18000 Hz) - Favors the dynamic driver
- Hybrid (10 KHz) - Uses the DD and BA in equal amounts
- Balanced (2.7 KHz) - Favors the balanced armature
After spending about a month or so fiddling with this crossover (as well as giving the dynamic driver as much time to "loosen up" as possible), I settled on a crossover point of 2875Hz. Amazingly enough, one can go granular down to 1 Hz increments on selecting a setpoint, meaning one could easily adjust for pinna gain. In my experience, a setpoint of 2875Hz manages to put the crossover point right where my ears would normally pick up a peak, showcasing the strengths of both drivers. It also does a decent enough job of hiding some of the shortfalls and provides a dynamic representation that's enjoyable across many genres. The WH3 can produce booty-shaking bass, but that's not typically my flavor and it very quickly overwhelms just about every track I tried it with.
3 months later, how does it sound? Pretty darn good, to be honest. While it certainly won't win any awards in technicalities, I believe the WH3 manages to provide a well-balanced sound signature that at least rewards in tonality, even if timbre leaves a little to be desired. The fundamentals are properly represented, but I get very few of the overtones. When you're talking about genres like synthwave, you really need those overtones to sound right. The end result is an overall bland representation that I've seen sound a lot better that competitors in the price range seem to better easily, even on single-driver offerings. TWS sets like the Ultimate Ears FITS serve up a more balanced tonality, which should help with longer-term listening.
I did most of my listening using playlists I made myself from Spotify, Amazon Music HD, or Qobuz. An example can be found here:
The good news is, thanks to that crossover setpoint of 2875 Hz, everything in the playlist was pretty well-balanced. Unlike the Campfire Honeydew (which will be reviewed separately), I didn't leave my listening session feeling like my skull got hit repeatedly and I think that shouldn't be overlooked. Bass, mids, and treble all seem to have room to shine here, but the overall stage width is relatively narrow which leads to instruments sounding like they're right on top of each other (if not drowned out entirely). None of the axes stretches out very far and, though some tracks did manage to portray a stage that went ear to ear, the ability to do so was wildly inconsistent. I don't think this isn't a question of mastering quality; something about the WH3's audio processing just leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps, with sufficient time spent on EQ, you could wring out more definition than these buds seem capable of presenting.
Left: EPro TW00, Right: Final TWS. The bore length for both tips were too long for the WH3 and result in too much smearing of the upper frequencies. I recommend the Azla tips instead.
Swapping out stock tips for the Azla Crystals also helps the WH3 sonically. I attribute this to a much shorter distance between the mesh grille and the end of the nozzle bore; less reflections around the tip nozzle cleans the upper midrange and treble frequencies to my ear, making them a must-have to enjoy the WH3. As mentioned earlier, the stock tips work but showcase a few midrange spikes that led to early fatigue. I get none of that with the Azla Crystal and have the added bonus of a tip that manages to stay practically glued in my ear once I've put them in position.
As mentioned earlier, the WH3 claims to support HiBy's own UAT Hi-Res codec. For the life of me, I could not get UAT to activate, no matter what device I used. I believe this compatibility issue is one of the reasons HiBy included LDAC support for the newer WH2 models. Perhaps HiBy just couldn't figure out how to fix UAT and has just left it as another vaporware codec that will never make it to primetime. If you are buying the WH3 to utilize UAT, I wish you the best, but don't think you'll have much luck.
And here's where things get supremely frustrating: I have been stuck on the same firmware version since receiving my WH3. Considering HiBy's update cycle for their DAPs, I would have hoped to see quite a few more updates here. Cambridge Audio, for example, have been making minor tweaks to the overall sound signature of their Melomania Touch after a regular string of updates; I would have liked to see that same approach with the WH3. If all of the promised features worked (UAT, I'm looking at you), perhaps this wouldn't be necessary. I hope I'm wrong, but the lack of updates would suggest to me that HiBy considered the WH3 as a proof of concept rather than a market product. Instead of continuing WH3 development, it seems HiBy is only focusing on the WH2. If this is a sticking point to you, I would suggest looking elsewhere. Long-term support does not look like one of the WH3's strengths.
Call quality, on the other hand, is plenty respectable. Truth be told, the WH3 is my preferred pair to pick up for VoIP calls (WebEx, Skype, etc). There's something about its ability to render voices that sounds more natural and less bloated than most of its competitors (even Jabra, to a certain extent). There's also a significant advantage in the pickup microphones for both buds being at the end of the stem, meaning they're closer to your mouth and less likely to pick up ambient noise. Callers across the board preferred when I used the WH3 over just about every other pair of TWS in the stable (and I've got a decent amount). In the age of work-from-home, this shouldn't be understated.
While I didn't spend much time talking about battery life, I do want to mention that the WH3 claims 5 hours of use followed by another 24 hours of charge in the case. In all my testing time, I don't think I ever ran into an issue where the battery died on me mid-listen. Marathon listeners should look elsewhere, but folks who only listen for a couple hours at a time should be more than happy here.
So who is the WH3 for? In a nutshell, I'd recommend this set of TWS if you meet the following criteria:
- You need UAT and are willing to fiddle around with a HiBy DAP to make it work (will not work on smartphones yet)
- You want a hybrid TWS with the ability to adjust crossover settings based on genre
- You want a VoIP-friendly set of TWS that handles conference calls, but also renders music well
Attachments
aptquark
I dont have the 10 band eq and the upgrade option either. I tried using spin-fits and they stuck out of my ears like 2 feet (you know what I mean). So I purchase some inexpensive tips from amazon and the largest I could find (silicone) and they work great. My ear canals are HUGE...HUGE no exaggeration.
miserybeforethemusic
Weird. Wonder if there's a minimum OS version required to run the full suite for HiBy Blue or whether it's a TWS+ thing (which my phone supports). Would assume you'd have the EQ at a minimum.
Yep, Spinfits are a no-go on the WH3 for me as well. Halfway tempted to go a size down with the Crystals, even.
Yep, Spinfits are a no-go on the WH3 for me as well. Halfway tempted to go a size down with the Crystals, even.
Hiby WH3 TWS IEMs - Better Than The Airpods
Hiby WH3 or Hibi Wee Hee Three is pretty much a dream come true for those who want an airpod alternative that actually sounds good with everything, including Android Based sources. This being said I won't spend time to pair them with multiple sources, as they will sound pretty much the same across all sources. I will take the time to compare the WH3 to the Master & Dynamic MW07Plus, HIFIMAN TWS600, and RHA TrueConnect, all close to their price tag of 170 USD.
Introduction
Hiby is a nicely, nice, nice company with tons of DAPs under their belt, but sometimes they dip their toes in creating IEMs and TWS ones. Wee Hee Three is one such a product, made as a competitor to Apple's Airpods, which I did review before. The whole point of WH3 is that the Airpods are not great value, not great comfort, and do not work great at all with Android, so Hiby wanted to strap in some BT 5.0, Qi Wireless Charging, Adjustable Digital Crossover, and a Hybrid Design with a Dynamic Driver and a BA Driver.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Hiby, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Hiby for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Hiby WH3 find their next music companion.
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
I actually never truly liked the package of the Airpods. It is smart, but basically trash to throw away after you unbox it. They have a limited amount of accessories, and are a pseudo-premium that made me like it at first, but in retrospective found to be bland.
WH3, for a TWS, has a nice accessory setup. Much closer to what us Audiophiles are used to getting. Fresh. Good set of default tips. That charging case is really cool actually.
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
The first thing that actually surprised me is that Hiby manages to get Hi-Res files delivered to WH3. In fact, everything about those TWS IEMs is top-audio grade, and it is much better than what I ever touched in terms of TWS technically. We get 125mW of power delivered to each piece at maximum, UAT, aptX, AAC, SBC, TWS+ and they're all powered by the QCC 5121 Chipset.
Basically, WH3 is a killer IEM, with both a Dynamic Driver, and a Balanced Armature, you can select the crossover and configure it via Hiby's App for them, and you can use a multitude of codecs. TWS+ means that the BT signal is sent at the same time to both IEMs, so the latency is minimal. In practice, if your source is good, this is almost good enough to casually watch videos or play games, except maybe for shooters, where you need aptX LL if you really want lower latency. For me, it was ok at most, as I'm sensitive to small delays between video and audio.
The playtime is not great, and this is because they run so much power in each IEM. Each piece gets up to 5 hours, which is about 4 hours in reality at louder volumes, and the case holds almost 5 additional charges, which is kinda cool. The case charges fairly fast, and so do the IEMs while inside the case.
The crossover options basically dictate whether the dynamic driver or the BA driver has more authority over the sound. I prefer the Dynamic Authority one or the balanced one, as the BA-Authority crossover option sounds a bit brittle and dry.
WH3 has a touch-based control which I typically dislike, but it is slightly better than typical for them, and I enjoy it as they are able to reject mistouches better than most competitors. I still prefer goold old fashioned button controls on my TWS IEMs and Headphones.
I have pretty much excellent comfort from WH3, although I prefer Fostex TMA-2 and Master&Dynamic MW07GO for workouts. WH3 is good for walking and casual activities and generally a great little TWS IEM for a casual life. It also offers good passive noise isolation and doesn't change sonically depending on the source, unless your source changes the protocol (from aptX to AAC for example).
Youtube Video
Sound Quality
The sound of WH3 is an interesting piece. It is a really impactful, bold, and deep sound with a stronger treble, and a dip around 5.5kHz - 6.5kHz. That makes it vivid and engaging.
The bass is deep, with excellent impact, and it has a ton of power. It is a bit large, and it gives a bit of warmth and thickness to the midrange, but it doesn't shadow them, and it doesn't impose itself too much. The best part about the bass is the overall resolution, which is far better than the original Airpods Pro, which I also reviewed.
The midrange is sweet, vivid, punchy and detailed. Voices sound natural tonally, and have a natural texture, while background information is there, with a good holographic presentation. I enjoy both rock and metal with WH3, although it is not exactly ideal if you want a very vocal-forward presentation.
Even the treble is sparkly and engaging, with a peak around 8-10 kHz. This gives an excellent resolution to cymbals, violins, pianos and even to accordions. I absolutely enjoy the way the stage is presented for orchestral music, and found WH3, to be excellent for it, despite the portable and TWS design.
Overall, the detail levels are excellent, and the only situation in which you may not like WH3 is if you didn't like a V-Shaped sound. Otherwise, they are a perfect TWS with a really loud maximum volume, good detail and energetic presentation.
Comparisons
The price of WH3 is about 170 USD, so I picked competitors close to it. RHA TrueConnect, Master & Dynamic MW07Plus, and HIFIMAN TWS600 are all good competition for WH3 and should reveal nicely where they stand in the market.
They actually make strong competition for Hiby's own Seeds II IEMs, and also for other IEMs in the market like Audiosense AQ3.
Hiby WH3 vs Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus (170 USD vs 300 USD) - The Plus of the Mw07 series is their culmination, and it feels a bit better while being worn than WH3, staying a bit better in my ears. The clarity is excellent for both, but WH3 has a thinner, more snappy sound with a quicker bass. Compared, Mw07Plus is thicker, more grand, a bit like Atlas, and it presents music with more focus on the lows, and with a more colorful midrange. WH3 can be a bit more detailed, especially with rock and metal, and the overall impact is better. Battery life is better on MW07Plus.
Hiby WH3 vs RHA TrueConnect (170 USD vs 300 USD) - The detail of the TrueConnect is not quite as good as WH3. WH3 is considerably more detailed, has a wider soundstage, with better overall separation and layering. The sound is more V-Shaped, more engaging, with more resolution and refinement. TrueConnect is laid-back, thick, and made for those who want a thicker sound, like a Beats or Skullcandy product, but which sounds a bit better. WH3 is a proper audiophile-grade TWS IEM with excellent resolution, detail, impact and a nice V-Shaped sound. Battery life is better on WH3.
Hiby WH3 vs HIFIMAN TWS600 (170 USD vs 300 USD) - The sound of WH3 is much more natural, with more bass, more impact, and a deeper presentation. The bass is more rounded, has much better overall clarity, and the whole sound bears more detail, and is easier to listen to for many hours in a row. TWS600 is considerably more forward, especially in the midrange and upper midrange, where WH3 is a natural, typical TWS IEM. Both can be EQ'd, but WH3 can be driven much louder while staying. Battery life is better on WH3.
Value and Conclusion
I actually started writing this review thinking that it won't end so good, but the sound performance of WH3 is actually excellent. They have a nice overall tuning, plus a nice build quality for both the IEMs and the Case as their overall value is excellent. The value is excellent and a 10/10 for the WH3.
The package includes the nice carrying case, and the IEMs, which have excellent build quality. They are excellent for taking phone calls too, which adds to the value. The sonic tuning is energetic, vivid, punchy and dynamic.
At the end of today's review if you're looking for one of the best TWS IEMs there are, the WH3 or Wee Hee Three from Hiby are absolutely amazing and fully recommended!
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality are all revealed by those songs. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music!
Youtube Playlist
[embedyt]
Tidal Playlist
https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b
Hiby WH3 or Hibi Wee Hee Three is pretty much a dream come true for those who want an airpod alternative that actually sounds good with everything, including Android Based sources. This being said I won't spend time to pair them with multiple sources, as they will sound pretty much the same across all sources. I will take the time to compare the WH3 to the Master & Dynamic MW07Plus, HIFIMAN TWS600, and RHA TrueConnect, all close to their price tag of 170 USD.
Introduction
Hiby is a nicely, nice, nice company with tons of DAPs under their belt, but sometimes they dip their toes in creating IEMs and TWS ones. Wee Hee Three is one such a product, made as a competitor to Apple's Airpods, which I did review before. The whole point of WH3 is that the Airpods are not great value, not great comfort, and do not work great at all with Android, so Hiby wanted to strap in some BT 5.0, Qi Wireless Charging, Adjustable Digital Crossover, and a Hybrid Design with a Dynamic Driver and a BA Driver.
It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Hiby, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Hiby for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Hiby WH3 find their next music companion.
Packaging
First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:
I actually never truly liked the package of the Airpods. It is smart, but basically trash to throw away after you unbox it. They have a limited amount of accessories, and are a pseudo-premium that made me like it at first, but in retrospective found to be bland.
WH3, for a TWS, has a nice accessory setup. Much closer to what us Audiophiles are used to getting. Fresh. Good set of default tips. That charging case is really cool actually.
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
The first thing that actually surprised me is that Hiby manages to get Hi-Res files delivered to WH3. In fact, everything about those TWS IEMs is top-audio grade, and it is much better than what I ever touched in terms of TWS technically. We get 125mW of power delivered to each piece at maximum, UAT, aptX, AAC, SBC, TWS+ and they're all powered by the QCC 5121 Chipset.
Basically, WH3 is a killer IEM, with both a Dynamic Driver, and a Balanced Armature, you can select the crossover and configure it via Hiby's App for them, and you can use a multitude of codecs. TWS+ means that the BT signal is sent at the same time to both IEMs, so the latency is minimal. In practice, if your source is good, this is almost good enough to casually watch videos or play games, except maybe for shooters, where you need aptX LL if you really want lower latency. For me, it was ok at most, as I'm sensitive to small delays between video and audio.
The playtime is not great, and this is because they run so much power in each IEM. Each piece gets up to 5 hours, which is about 4 hours in reality at louder volumes, and the case holds almost 5 additional charges, which is kinda cool. The case charges fairly fast, and so do the IEMs while inside the case.
The crossover options basically dictate whether the dynamic driver or the BA driver has more authority over the sound. I prefer the Dynamic Authority one or the balanced one, as the BA-Authority crossover option sounds a bit brittle and dry.
WH3 has a touch-based control which I typically dislike, but it is slightly better than typical for them, and I enjoy it as they are able to reject mistouches better than most competitors. I still prefer goold old fashioned button controls on my TWS IEMs and Headphones.
I have pretty much excellent comfort from WH3, although I prefer Fostex TMA-2 and Master&Dynamic MW07GO for workouts. WH3 is good for walking and casual activities and generally a great little TWS IEM for a casual life. It also offers good passive noise isolation and doesn't change sonically depending on the source, unless your source changes the protocol (from aptX to AAC for example).
Youtube Video
Sound Quality
The sound of WH3 is an interesting piece. It is a really impactful, bold, and deep sound with a stronger treble, and a dip around 5.5kHz - 6.5kHz. That makes it vivid and engaging.
The bass is deep, with excellent impact, and it has a ton of power. It is a bit large, and it gives a bit of warmth and thickness to the midrange, but it doesn't shadow them, and it doesn't impose itself too much. The best part about the bass is the overall resolution, which is far better than the original Airpods Pro, which I also reviewed.
The midrange is sweet, vivid, punchy and detailed. Voices sound natural tonally, and have a natural texture, while background information is there, with a good holographic presentation. I enjoy both rock and metal with WH3, although it is not exactly ideal if you want a very vocal-forward presentation.
Even the treble is sparkly and engaging, with a peak around 8-10 kHz. This gives an excellent resolution to cymbals, violins, pianos and even to accordions. I absolutely enjoy the way the stage is presented for orchestral music, and found WH3, to be excellent for it, despite the portable and TWS design.
Overall, the detail levels are excellent, and the only situation in which you may not like WH3 is if you didn't like a V-Shaped sound. Otherwise, they are a perfect TWS with a really loud maximum volume, good detail and energetic presentation.
Comparisons
The price of WH3 is about 170 USD, so I picked competitors close to it. RHA TrueConnect, Master & Dynamic MW07Plus, and HIFIMAN TWS600 are all good competition for WH3 and should reveal nicely where they stand in the market.
They actually make strong competition for Hiby's own Seeds II IEMs, and also for other IEMs in the market like Audiosense AQ3.
Hiby WH3 vs Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus (170 USD vs 300 USD) - The Plus of the Mw07 series is their culmination, and it feels a bit better while being worn than WH3, staying a bit better in my ears. The clarity is excellent for both, but WH3 has a thinner, more snappy sound with a quicker bass. Compared, Mw07Plus is thicker, more grand, a bit like Atlas, and it presents music with more focus on the lows, and with a more colorful midrange. WH3 can be a bit more detailed, especially with rock and metal, and the overall impact is better. Battery life is better on MW07Plus.
Hiby WH3 vs RHA TrueConnect (170 USD vs 300 USD) - The detail of the TrueConnect is not quite as good as WH3. WH3 is considerably more detailed, has a wider soundstage, with better overall separation and layering. The sound is more V-Shaped, more engaging, with more resolution and refinement. TrueConnect is laid-back, thick, and made for those who want a thicker sound, like a Beats or Skullcandy product, but which sounds a bit better. WH3 is a proper audiophile-grade TWS IEM with excellent resolution, detail, impact and a nice V-Shaped sound. Battery life is better on WH3.
Hiby WH3 vs HIFIMAN TWS600 (170 USD vs 300 USD) - The sound of WH3 is much more natural, with more bass, more impact, and a deeper presentation. The bass is more rounded, has much better overall clarity, and the whole sound bears more detail, and is easier to listen to for many hours in a row. TWS600 is considerably more forward, especially in the midrange and upper midrange, where WH3 is a natural, typical TWS IEM. Both can be EQ'd, but WH3 can be driven much louder while staying. Battery life is better on WH3.
Value and Conclusion
I actually started writing this review thinking that it won't end so good, but the sound performance of WH3 is actually excellent. They have a nice overall tuning, plus a nice build quality for both the IEMs and the Case as their overall value is excellent. The value is excellent and a 10/10 for the WH3.
The package includes the nice carrying case, and the IEMs, which have excellent build quality. They are excellent for taking phone calls too, which adds to the value. The sonic tuning is energetic, vivid, punchy and dynamic.
At the end of today's review if you're looking for one of the best TWS IEMs there are, the WH3 or Wee Hee Three from Hiby are absolutely amazing and fully recommended!
--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---
Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality are all revealed by those songs. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music!
Youtube Playlist
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Tidal Playlist
https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b
And, yeah, those stock tips leave a lot to be desired, but it's where I see about 99% of these folks reign in costs. Best stock TWS tips I've come across so far are the ones that come with the Technics AZ70W and ADV M5-TWS (2nd Gen). Both were clearly purpose-built for the device and trying to swap them out with anything else seems to cause some really funky changes to FR overall.