[MrNaturalAZ]

Just wanted to check one more time if anyone with the new R3 Pro Sabre is having any wifi problems? I'm standing right next to my router/modem and when I'm in Tidal, it's taking 20-30 seconds between commands (Ffwd/Rwd, play, back). Neither my R5 nor any other device in my home is struggling to near this degree on wifi.

I can't compare exactly, because I have the original R3Pro, and use Qobuz instead of Tidal, but I find sometimes it takes a while to skip around within the same song, especially backwards. Occasionally it even hangs and I have to press and hold power to shut it down and then restart. But selecting a different song on the playlist, or playing through an album or playlist, the transition is as expected, with <1 second gap (unfortunately, R3Pro doesn't support gapless on Qobuz streaming).

 

[JerryHead]

I can't compare exactly, because I have the original R3Pro, an use Qobuz instead of Tidal, but I find sometimes it takes a while to skip around within the same song, especially backwards. Occasionally it even hangs and I have to press and hold power to shut it down and then restart. But selecting a different song on the playlist, or playing through an album or playlist, the transition is as expected, with <1 second gap (unfortunately, R3Pro doesn't support gapless on Qobuz streaming).

okay, thanks, yeh, I think something's wrong with mine.

 

[equalspeace]

MSEB works so well on this DAP. it also pairs well w the Fiio Q1 Mk2, very gd synergy

 

[abitdeef]

I wasn't thinking in terms of implementation and tuning as I know very well that tuning can very quite a bit having been involved with audio gear for decades . The computer geek in me was simply interested in why the 9218P is such a popular choice and I decided to post my findings. But the choice of DAC and Amp or in this case DAC/Amp chip and cost of the chip is as much a factor as tuning in the design of a DAP at a given price point. I was curious to see for my own edification if cost of the chip was a factor in Hiby choosing to release the Sabre version. When I am not in a position to demo a product I like to research other aspects of the products I am considering to help in my decision making. Sometimes researching components plays a factor in choice of audio products I buy, what's under the hood so to speak can be important and can help to determine if product is over priced for the quality of components you are getting

Yeah I got ya. I from personal experience have listened to stuff many times and have not heard what the reviewer is hearing or my experience was 180° from the user impressions when I listened to said dap.

And specs well they look nice and make you feel good- it's got 130db snr and 0000.7% thd+ noise Wow! Well a lot of times as you know those numbers are presented without a load, and the specs can widely vary under a load (headphones).

And of course those numbers give you no indication of the actual sound output. The Sony wm1z tested pretty bad (comparatively) to other daps on specs but it sounds amazing.

I think the slight price difference between the regular pro and the sabre pro is it's new and hiby probably won't sell as many since the r3p has been out a bit and wants to get a bit of a premium on the 'new' one.
Just a guess.

 

[abitdeef]

Ok, your comment convinced me. I just bought a R3Pro Saber from the Hiby page. My last dap was an ibasso dx120, it didn't last me more than 8 months because the battery swelled up, stay away from Ibasso please. And I didn't have a dap several months ago, I was just using the dunu dk2001 with the dragonfly red connected to the laptop.

The balanced out is really excellent. It's leaner than what I'm used to but I'm getting used to the sound and it's exceptional clear and very precise sounding. I was listening to Ozric Tentacles 'Technicians of the Sacred' and this album has songs that have a lot going on, many layers of sound. This dap keeps up with the insane pace and no matter how fast and complicated things get I can hear 'everything' going on.

This little thing is a detail . The 3.5 sounds ok but doesn't (to me) sound near as dynamic and revealing.

 

[purplesun]

The balanced out is really excellent. It's leaner than what I'm used to but I'm getting used to the sound and it's exceptional clear and very precise sounding....
This little thing is a detail . The 3.5 sounds ok but doesn't (to me) sound near as dynamic and revealing.

Yeah, no one should be a doofus like me, who used the 3.5mm for 6 months before trying out the 2.5mm balanced out. Big mistakes!

 

[fish1050]

The balanced out is really excellent. It's leaner than what I'm used to but I'm getting used to the sound and it's exceptional clear and very precise sounding. I was listening to Ozric Tentacles 'Technicians of the Sacred' and this album has songs that have a lot going on, many layers of sound. This dap keeps up with the insane pace and no matter how fast and complicated things get I can hear 'everything' going on.

This little thing is a detail . The 3.5 sounds ok but doesn't (to me) sound near as dynamic and revealing.

Yeah that concerns me a little as I don't have balanced output headphones. It doesn't make sense to me to buy a DAP optimized for a balanced output when I don't have balanced headphones. I currently have two sets of NAD Viso HP50's (one pair as a backup) which are very efficient and don't need alot of power to sound good. I won't be investing in new headphones for a very long time and these headphones sound amazing with my M9 especially for less than $100 CDN. I almost didn't get the M9 because of the balanced output for fear I would not be getting the best sound out of it for the price paid and would not have paid full price for the M9 for this reason. Probably time to pass on the R3 Pro Sabre and stick to SE only DAP's to get the best bang for my buck. To be bad Hiby didn't release one cheaper without the balanced output. Very few people that I know buy balanced output headphones or spend extra on cabling to convert to balanced to use with a DAP.

 

[abitdeef]

Yeah that concerns me a little as I don't have balanced output headphones. It doesn't make sense to me to buy a DAP optimized for a balanced output when I don't have balanced headphones. I currently have two sets of NAD Viso HP50's (one pair as a backup) which are very efficient and don't need alot of power to sound good. I won't be investing in new headphones for a very long time and these headphones sound amazing with my M9 especially for less than $100 CDN. I almost didn't get the M9 because of the balanced output for fear I would not be getting the best sound out of it for the price paid and would not have paid full price for the M9 for this reason. Probably time to pass on the R3 Pro Sabre and stick to SE only DAP's to get the best bang for my buck. To be bad Hiby didn't release one cheaper without the balanced output. Very few people that I know buy balanced output headphones or spend extra on cabling to convert to balanced to use with a DAP.

Most iems now adays have removable cables and balanced cables are cheap and readily available. You could buy a small Sony or just stick with your m9 because I doubt any of the cheaper 3.5 daps are going to be better

Just sayin it's pretty cheap to get into if you ever want to take the plunge.

 

[fish1050]

Most iems now adays have removable cables and balanced cables are cheap and readily available. You could buy a small Sony or just stick with your m9 because I doubt any of the cheaper 3.5 daps are going to be better

Just sayin it's pretty cheap to get into if you ever want to take the plunge.

I can't stand using iem's so not an option for me and investing in balanced cables for a transit DAP not really practical. I have used balanced headphones with home gear and the balanced cables can get in the way sometimes. I just read Twister 6's review of the Q1 (last year) and his comparison to the R3 Pro original. He confirmed your point about the balanced output sounding much better on the R3 Pro and by extension the Sabre I assume. He also felt the Q1 sounded better with wider soundstage and better separation than the R3 Pro via 3.5 mm. I will stick with my M9 for now and keep my eye out for a good deal on a Q1. Might import using ebay.ca which adds some buyer protection over ordering direct from China. With Canada moving to phase 2 reopening by the end of the month hopefully importing products will become easier and cheaper with fewer delays in a few months. I emailed musicteck to find out why they are charging $50 on their site to ship to Canada, still waiting for a response.

Enjoy your R3 Pro Saber, once the dealer re-opens I might try to demo the R3 Pro Saber. They actually have the original R3 Pro on sale for $275 so $75 less than the Sabre version right now.

 

[GodEmperor]

Just sayin it's pretty cheap to get into if you ever want to take the plunge.

DO NOT TAKE THE PLUNGE
this "hobby" is too addictive

 

[Wladimir]

Hey guys, any new opinions / quick reviews on Pro's vs Saber's DAC's? Or could someone suggest, which one would suit me better, listening to trance / psychedelic / techno styles, while pairing with Meze 99 Classics, using balanced output?
I'm going to make a final decision soon, any help appreciated

 

[abitdeef]

Hey guys, any new opinions / quick reviews on Pro's vs Saber's DAC's? Or could someone suggest, which one would suit me better, listening to trance / psychedelic / techno styles, while pairing with Meze 99 Classics, using balanced output?
I'm going to make a final decision soon, any help appreciated

I've got the meze 99's and they sound great with both. For those genres I'd go with the saber pro. I listen to techno and psychedelic a lot and the saber model handles them exceptionally. Not into trance myself

 

[Photoman]

So are you saying R&B ,Jazz, POP, is not good for the Saber @abitdeef

 

[abitdeef]

So are you saying R&B ,Jazz, POP, is not good for the Saber @abitdeef

Nope absolutely not. Everything is good on both. The normal pro to me sounded a little thicker and mids weren't as clear. The saber bass is leaner and mids maybe more foward but with less warmth and more air.

So for the techno and delic wich can be quite busy and fast I think the saber has the edge in those particular genres.
Especially if you want to hear every part in great detail. But I listen to mostly prog and classic rock zeppelin, rush, yes, genesis, king crimson, elo, queen, dream theater, spocks beard, rolling stones - you get the idea. And the saber sounds great, and the pro sounds great.

Also I like smooth jazz and that sounds excellent. I guess it boils down to one sounding a bit fuller and warmer and one being a bit more sharper and towards neutral with more air. Not huge differences, but as I'm going through my usual stuff I'm noticing the speed and seperation of notes on that real busy stuff.

I can see people liking the regular pro more for it's richer, warmer sound. It might even be better for rock and blues and acoustic stuff. Idk, It all depends I guess on personal taste. The saber/sabre definitely sounds 'faster' to my ears.

Oh and sorry so long winded. And I don't do much pop or r&b so not much help there. But I can't see them sounding bad, the saber isn't dry or analytical sounding or thin sounding. And classical sounds pretty good on it too, very nice presentation.

 

[Sonic-Debris]

Hey guys,
Ive been using my Fiio M11 with the FH7 Iem for about a year now,
love the setup, but I've found myself getting over lugging around the player, as it is quite big and heavy.
Its fantastic to have stunning sound and 2 SD slots, but came here as I'm thinking something like the Hiby R3 Pro Saber might be a better, more portable option?

I've looked at the specs, and I understand the R3 Pro saber may have a little less power, but wanting to know what people think about the transition.
I listen to lots of music from rock, acoustic, hip-hop.

The 1 SD card slot isn't a deal breaker either, but from what I understand there is also a song limit of 20,000 tracks?

I also find myself using the Hiby player app on the M11, so I'm familiar with it, and think its great, just unsure that if I do decide to sell the M11 would I be disappointed in the R3 pro saber ?