Clean the plug with 91% alcohol.
HiBy R5 Gen 2 - Class A headamp, Dual ES9219C, 35h playtime, MQA 16x, open Android
- Thread starter gLer
- Start date
What do you suggest to get up in there? A q tip maybe? I just find it odd that I had no issues with that port until after the most recent firmware update
Not the port, clean the plug.
Ohhh. I tried another cable that was brand new and fresh out of the plastic wrap and got the same result. So I don’t think it’s a dirty plug. I’ll try it regardless tho
It's always good practice to clean any new plugs before inserting into your devices.
I've cleaned off new plugs thatstill had residual machining oil on them.
I never knew that but it makes sense. Thanks!
Well I tried it and also tried a 3rd cable just to be sure. No luck. Think my 2.5mm port is screwed. Now to decide whether to deal with warranty exchange or just switch over to a 4.4mm cable..
I guess it's probably the port if you've tried that many cables.
Could try cleaning the plug with 91% alcohol then while its still wet slowly roll the plug while connected to try cleaning off the contact points.
Just make sure the device is off and dont turn on for 10 mins or until you're sure the alcohol has dried.
HiBy R5 Gen 2: First Impressions, first on Head-Fi
Hi guys,
I've been burning in the R52 for the past few days, and am ready to share some very early impressions with you. This is by no means a comprehensive analysis, so please keep that in mind. It's really just a few things I've noticed from unboxing to early listening, and as with any source, things tend to change over time. Also, while I have two other DAPs with me (RS6 and WM1Z), I'll only be comparing the R52 to the RS6. I don't have something closer in price to compare it to (and I can see above that @Animagus has it covered anyway), so I think it'll be a good test to see how the newer - but more budget-conscious and 'hardware limited' R52 - fares against its faster, beefier, pricier sibling.
But first, let me take a selfie...
The R52 is HiBy's refresh of its midrange (or rather lower-midrange) DAP, the R5, except it changes so many things it could possibly have been called something else entirely. That's just how HiBy rolls, offering better value at a lower price point than most competitors. At $449 (or $399 early bird pricing) the R5 Gen 2 (it's official name) is not meant to be challenging the tech packed into $1500 DAPs like the RS6. Except in some respects, it is. In fact, it's my opinion that unless you're using really high-end IEMs to 'dig deep' into the finer details the more expensive components in more expensive DAPs are able to deliver, you're probably better off pairing mainstream IEMs (in a similar $400-$500 bracket or below) with a feature-packed modern midrange DAP like the R52. I'll touch more on this in the main review.
Since I currently only have Sony's Z1R IEM to test the new DAP and compare it to the RS6 (which has really excellent synergy with the Z1R), some of my early impressions may be skewed in favour of the RS6. The reason I wrote what I did above about differently tiered IEMs is that these differences may well shrink - or even swing in the R52's favour - with less expensive or more mainstream IEMs, especially if they pair better in terms of synergy with the R5's delta-sigma DAC and its somewhat characteristic ESS Sabre sound.
Since this is a first impressions overview and not a full review, I won't go into any great detail about the build, functionality and software, but I'll cover off some points I noticed while setting up the R52 and then compare it with similar functions on the RS6. If you're not familiar with the specs, the R52 uses a lower-tiered SoC (Snapdragon 425 vs Snapdragon 660), less RAM (2GB vs 4GB), and an older version of Android under the HiBy OS skin (8.1 vs 9.0) compared to the RS6 (which currently sports the fastest hardware platform along with flagships from the likes of Cayin and Shanling).
The results are as expected, if you go looking for them. For instance, I don't feel the R52 is laggy at all, in fact I was pleasantly surprised at how snappy and responsive it felt on first use. Measured side-by-side, however, the R52 takes 23.5s to boot up, compared to 16s for the RS6. App loading is relatively quick on both - and neither DAP can challenge modern flagship smartphones for raw speed - but the RS6 does feel snappier and more fluid when navigating around the UI and opening and closing apps compared the R52. Scrolling through my album art in UAPP, for instance, was noticeably smoother on the RS6, with thumbnails appearing almost instantly compared to the slight refresh delay with the R52. It also helps that the RS6 screen is sharper and more vivid, but also more responsive to touch. Still, when I didn't have the DAPs side-by-side, all these small differences virtually disappeared, and I didn't feel like the R52 UX was holding me back in any show-stopping way.
Other 'corner-cutting' measures you can expect from a mid-tier DAP like the R52 are, as I've already hinted, the screen (4.7" 720P on the RS5 vs 5.0" 1080P 443PPI on the RS6), and I/O (USB 2.0 vs USB 3.1). You'll also have to live without useful UX features like tap-to-wake on the R52, although you should be able to find third-party apps that could, possibly, support that feature if the hardware allows it.
But HiBy being HiBy, you're not going to be left short-changed for long. The R52 one-ups the RS6 in more than one category. Battery life, for example, is significantly better on the R52 than it is on the RS6. Using the 'normal' amplification circuit built into the twin ESS 9219C DACs, battery life reportedly extends up to 35 hours playing normal-res files (I haven't tested this yet, but will do so). I can confirm the battery only dropped 20% (from 77% to 57%) after 6 hours' burn-in earlier today, so the quoted figures are probably very close to the mark.
The 'ace up the sleeve' of the R52, however, is its discrete Class A amplification circuit - separate from the normal DAC-based amplification I mentioned above - that gives the player an edge over just about any other DAP in its price range and, in early testing, seems to give it some real horsepower compared to the supposedly (on paper) more powerful amp in the RS6. While volume level isn't really an accurate indicator of driving power, I did have to dial in 10 more volume steps on the RS6 than I did with the R52 in Class A mode with the Z1R (55 low gain on the RS6 vs 45 low gain on the R52).
Looking over the spec sheet, the R52 continues HiBy's tradition of upping the ante on the parts it uses, even in its so-called 'lower end' players. For example, the R52 uses 163 high-precision resistors, 19 Panasonic tantalum POSCAPs, and 4 ELNA electrolytic capacitors, not something you'd normally expect to see at this price point. And while it doesn't have a dedicated balanced line out port, the R52 does offer both 2.5mm and 4.4mm balanced headphone ports, making it versatile with a larger number of IEMs and cables. Lastly, I actually much prefer the R52's button-based volume controls, although I can't say I'm a fan of having the volume buttons on the opposite side of the player to the play/pause buttons. That said, most button-based DAPs are set up this way, but I guess I've been spoiled recently by the best-in-class ergonomics of the Sony WM1Z.
Before I get to some initial sound quality impressions, a few more things I've noticed, mostly good. The R52 comes with two pre-applied protectors for both the screen and backplate. They look and feel like tempered glass protectors, which is a bonus compared to the film protectors some far more expensive DAPs still ship with today. I also quite like the PU leather case that comes standard in the box. The blue colour matches the blue theme of the DAP's default wallpaper, which is a nice touch. What I don't like is how the case partly obscures the lettering on the I/O ports at the bottom of the DAP. Surely someone could have thought to place the text below the ports so they wouldn't be covered by the case? Minor gripes aside, the R52 feels sturdy to the touch, well built, and is small and light enough to easily carry around in the smallest of pockets. It's definitely more pocketable than the RS6, for example, and significantly more portable than larger flagship DAPs.
Last but not least, some sound impressions. These are going to be fairly brief, because I've only just started listening today, and the player still needs more burn-in in my opinion, especially the discrete amps. But off the bat, I'm hearing a very balanced tonality typical of ESS Sabre 'neutrality'. Compared to the RS6, which tends to lift the bass, and smoothen the mids and treble, R5S seems to be more even-keeled, giving me a very balanced bass-mids-treble response with an emphasis on clarity. There's no bass bleeding into any of the tracks on Lana Del Rey's Lust For Life, and while I find the bass richer and slightly more impactful with the RS6, the R5S flips the script with mids that are slightly more forward and more clearly articulated, if not quite boasting the resolution of the higher-specced (and significantly higher-priced) sibling.
Treble is an area I'm going to pay closer attention to in the coming days. My personal preference is a more laid-back, natural treble response, which is exactly what I get from the RS6's luscious R-2R DAC. Early impressions are that the R52's Sabre DACs follow form, with a slightly brighter, more revealing, more etched treble that picks out finer details more easily, but also tends to emphasise any issues with poorer recordings, like glare or hiss. Not that anything I've heard so far trends in that direction, but I do hear a lighter vocal harmonic response in modern music from Lorde and Missincat, which I attribute to the R52's treble tuning as much as I do its midrange delivery.
What I don't hear is too much of is the infamous 'Sabre glare' that's often plagued ESS-based DACs and DAPs in the past, so it seems HiBy's implementation of this newer Sabre iteration has been deftly done. While the R52 doesn't come across quite as smooth or warm-tilted as the RS6, it still, to my ears, has that distinct HiBy house sound that injects some musicality and verve compared to brighter-neutral or 'reference' tunings from some other manufacturers.
Closing thoughts
It's too early to come up with any definitive conclusions about this player, other than to be impressed by some of its standout features (discrete Class A amplification and extended battery life being the two highlights for me). Sound-wise, I'm not hearing any obvious issues that I need to start finding solutions for, but if any do show up, I'll be sure to mention them in the full review. Build quality, UX and UI speed, inputs and outputs, and supplied accessories all seem very good value and well-specced for a sub-$500 (currently sub-$400) player that's both ultra-portable and powerful enough to provide an assured step up in features, functions, power and sound quality compared to single-function dongles.
I haven't even talked about the fact that you're getting a full Android software platform with battery life that shames most non-Android DAPs, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (both transmission and reception using every modern standard, including AptX Adaptive, LDAC and HWA). Yes, you're making compromises at this price point, but one thing you won't have to compromise on is versatility. Anything you can do with the latest, most powerful multi-kilobuck flagship DAPs, you can do with the R52, even if it takes a few seconds longer to get those things done.
Much more to follow soon, and feel free to PM me with any questions you have and would like me to elaborate on, either directly or in my full review. Signing off with one last look at the HiBy siblings before I plug in the IEMs and go again...
Was the sound impression through Class-A amp, or in normal setting?
Did you try the MSEB of Hiby to see if the low end can be boosted a bit?
Yes, most of the impressions were taken using Class A, but I spent time comparing Class A to eco, and mention this in the review. As for MSEB, I generally don't like EQ, even MSEB (which I much prefer to traditional EQ), but in testing on the R52, MSEB works as it does in other DAPs, clean bass boost included.
Never knew there was already a Hiby Lasya review published! I must say I freaking love them. Gonna post my review this month.
So, went through your review in detail, and there are some points where I agree with you, and some points where I strongly disagree.
Firstly, thank you a lot for the curve. The curve that Hiby provided showed such a strong bass shelf which was not matching with the actual sound at all! However, your graph fits perfectly.
That said, I do agree on most points with you, except the peaky or sibilant upper mids that you mentioned. Lasya is one of the most refined iems in this range where the notes are crisp yet the peaks are controlled in such a way that they never ever become uncomfortable or sibilant. This is smooth notes done right. Never once did I feel female vocals or male vocals becoming strident or piercing.
Where I feel even more befuddled is that you have mentioned KATO to have a more dynamic low end and less harsh in mids, where my experience is completely polar opposite. Lasya low end is significantly more dynamic and powerful than KATO, which was quite lanky and reserved. Also, I found KATO to be considerably harsh and dry in the upper mid-lower treble region, whereas in that region Lasya is incredibly musical and smooth.
May be we hear differently, because apart from that I really cannot find any possible explanation to this.
Oh and that 8khz peak never once felt piercing or harsh, despite how it looks in the graph, rather it adds sparkle and energy to the lower treble in my ears.
You can refer to my signature for the sources I used.
StivVid
100+ Head-Fier
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This. I think that's exactly right. We all hear differently. I think it's important to keep that in mind when reading audio reviews and it seems even more important in headphone and iem reviews specifically. The anatomy of your ear has thousands of variations from the anatomy of mine. That's why it's important to find a reviewer that tends to hear things the same way that you do... Or close to it.
Lasya may sound spectacular to one listener, and to another... Meh. That's ok! It's part of what makes this hobby so interesting and fulfilling.
JeanPaul Petrosyan
Head-Fier
So, been trying these two combinations against each other for last couple week and for pure sound quality the Kadas Tea/iPhone 13mini combination wins it comparing via 3.5mm.
Usabilty and battery life to the Hiby.
The Khadas Tea isn't ideal for my SE846's as some backgroud hiss while as good as none with the Hiby. Perfect with my K10U and FD7 (in photo).
If you have a iPhone with MagSafe its worth considering.
PS, thats the Fiio cable not the white one that comes with the Khadas Tea.
My BTR5 wired to iPhone sounds fab too.
Amazon Music HD upscales in app to 192 on both Android and IOS platforms.
I still think Tidal MQA tracks sound best of the streaming apps, both do MQA unfold.
Could you, by any chance, tell us a bit more about how BTR5 in wired mode compares sonically to this DAP? I've swapped my BTR5 for a Shanling M3X for better convenience and "usability" some time ago, but sonically it prooved to be a downgrade (subjective, at least) for me. I'm somewhat disappointed by what the mid-range DAPs seem to offer in terms of sound, going by the M3X, and quite a bit hesitant to give them another chance as a result. M3X is the only DAP I've listened to, so obviously it's not like my sample pool is very representative of what this form-factor may be able to provide. Can't afford to make another mistake in times like theese, though.
Thank you in advance.
psikey
Headphoneus Supremus
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On pure Sound Quality your not going to hear a big difference IMO, just a variation in tunning.
Hiby has a wider sound stage I'd say. I still consider my BTR5 one of the best value devices for Sound Quality for the money, especially as I got mine for £69. With the BTR5 its balanced is noticeably better than its 3.5mm IMO.
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