[PunchLine]

usb out better than coax output?
someone please, shed the light on this situation!

There's a convertion involve, not plain USB vs coax.

R6 USB -> Eitr -> SPDIF -> active monitors
vs
R6 SPDIF -> Active monitors

To my ears, the spdif signal from the Etir is fantastic. The native R6? So so.

 

[KevP]

@KevP thats very odd behavior. I’d open a claim with them and see if you can get a replacement. For all the little bugs mentioned, your issues seem to be complete software malfunction. I’ve had an issue with the SD card and tidal off-line, but nothing else like you’ve described. Furthermore I was able to isolate my Sd card issued to a bug and avoid the triggers that resulted in weird outcomes.

What other apps did you install? Also did you disable any apps? Or are you using an app freezer like greenify? I tried to disable Hiby app and that was no bueno. Need that app to run in background for proper functioning of 3rd party audio apps.

Thanks buonassi for your post. No other apps installed except Tidal. I may try to get a replacement from the UK supplier I bought it from - Advanced MP3 Players. I have emailed Hiby support to get their view which will add weight to my claim with the retailer if they think it’s faulty.

The thing that annoys me most is the fanboy stuff that goes on about certain manufacturers, when the reality couldn’t be more different. Audeze is another. Their quality control sucks, even on headphones costing thousands.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Thanks buonassi for your post. No other apps installed except Tidal. I may try to get a replacement from the UK supplier I bought it from - Advanced MP3 Players. I have emailed Hiby support to get their view which will add weight to my claim with the retailer if they think it’s faulty.

The thing that annoys me most is the fanboy stuff that goes on about certain manufacturers, when the reality couldn’t be more different. Audeze is another. Their quality control sucks, even on headphones costing thousands.

Could be something wrong with the 1.28 update, I've read another customer chiming in with reports of TIDAL being broken after this update.

 

[buonassi]

To my ears, the spdif signal from the Etir is fantastic. The native R6? So so.

As expected. The Eitr is a genuine transport while the spdif out on R6 is a convenience feature that isn't its main purpose. I think this is a case of expectations being out of line for a DAP.

Could be something wrong with the 1.28 update, I've read another customer chiming in with reports of TIDAL being broken after this update.

Man, don't tell me that. So far I haven't had any issues with 1.28 and been on it for 2 days now. Plenty of tidal listening. No issues.

The thing that annoys me most is the fanboy stuff that goes on about certain manufacturers, when the reality couldn’t be more different. Audeze is another. Their quality control sucks, even on headphones costing thousands.

Well Hiby are new in the hardware realm. The key to their success is for them to own up to the QC issues, make good on warranty claims, and enact stricter manufacturing across their hardware lines going forward. They are showing promise - and while not all unicorns and rainbows, most people have a fairly stable DAP that looks, feels, and sounds pretty darn good. But in your case, I'd be most disappointed as well. You should be.

After you get your replacement unit, please report back. Would be curious to know what you think of the unit after actually being able to effectively use it -

 

[KevP]

As expected. The Eitr is a genuine transport while the spdif out on R6 is a convenience feature that isn't its main purpose. I think this is a case of expectations being out of line for a DAP.


Man, don't tell me that. So far I haven't had any issues with 1.28 and been on it for 2 days now. Plenty of tidal listening. No issues.



Well Hiby are new in the hardware realm. The key to their success is for them to own up to the QC issues, make good on warranty claims, and enact stricter manufacturing across their hardware lines going forward. They are showing promise - and while not all unicorns and rainbows, most people have a fairly stable DAP that looks, feels, and sounds pretty darn good. But in your case, I'd be most disappointed as well. You should be.

After you get your replacement unit, please report back. Would be curious to know what you think of the unit after actually being able to effectively use it -

Well, interestingly Hiby, which has come back to me very quickly on a couple of other less difficult questions, has gone completely silent on this issue. I am really very unimpressed. I want them either to fix the problem very quickly from a software perspective or confirm they think the unit is faulty so that, when I try to return it as faulty to the UK retailer, I have the manufacturer’s confirmation behind me.

 

[PunchLine]

As expected. The Eitr is a genuine transport while the spdif out on R6 is a convenience feature that isn't its main purpose. I think this is a case of expectations being out of line for a DAP.


Man, don't tell me that. So far I haven't had any issues with 1.28 and been on it for 2 days now. Plenty of tidal listening. No issues.



Well Hiby are new in the hardware realm. The key to their success is for them to own up to the QC issues, make good on warranty claims, and enact stricter manufacturing across their hardware lines going forward. They are showing promise - and while not all unicorns and rainbows, most people have a fairly stable DAP that looks, feels, and sounds pretty darn good. But in your case, I'd be most disappointed as well. You should be.

After you get your replacement unit, please report back. Would be curious to know what you think of the unit after actually being able to effectively use it -

“The Eitr is a genuine transport”


I’m being a stickler: the Eitr is converter. But agree one shouldn't expect a lot of the coax signal given the device's nature.



I’ll use this opportunity to share my impression of the R6.


Sound:

* 3.5mm head phone = disappointing with my 64Audio A12t, which has linear impedance technology. A tad boomy bottom, narrow soundstage and some sibilance at the top. My A&K sp1000 blows the R6 away, and even my iPod Shuffle does a better job.


* Line Out = pretty much like the headphone when connected to my active monitors. To be expected: the only difference is the amplification.


* Coax = jitter, jitter, jitter


As a media center:

Excellent. Every Android service is ready and willing (a big plus for streaming). Good local file management. Ability to upload files via WiFi.


Transport

Given the competent media services, it’s a fine solution if one is willing to re-clock either the USB or coax/ spdif signals.


Misc:

Good build quality. Responsive. The open Android environment is a boon.


It works for my specific application; I only wish it were $200 cheaper given its limited use for me.

 

[buonassi]

Well, interestingly Hiby, which has come back to me very quickly on a couple of other less difficult questions, has gone completely silent on this issue. I am really very unimpressed. I want them either to fix the problem very quickly from a software perspective or confirm they think the unit is faulty so that, when I try to return it as faulty to the UK retailer, I have the manufacturer’s confirmation behind me.

Have you tried the good ole factory reset method? Sure it's a pain to download all your offline files again, but could work - never know?

 

[KevP]

Have you tried the good ole factory reset method? Sure it's a pain to download all your offline files again, but could work - never know?

Might give the factory reset a try. I’ve had to re-download all my Tidal offline tracks (over 6,000 of them) about 10 times already because of crashes etc. Do one more won’t make much difference. I’m thoroughly fed up with this heap of junk!

 

[milesjunkie]

Might give the factory reset a try. I’ve had to re-download all my Tidal offline tracks (over 6,000 of them) about 10 times already because of crashes etc. Do one more won’t make much difference. I’m thoroughly fed up with this heap of junk!

I’m sorry you’ve had such a difficult time with the R6. I’m no blind fanboy but having owned it since February with minimal problems and enjoying the sound immensely, it sounds like you’re unlucky enough to have a dud unit. Keep pressing the firm in private and in public, I’m sure you’ll have your problems resolved. Best of luck, I hope you will get to the point where you no longer see the R6 as a heap of junk.

 

[hernandoco]

I’m sorry you’ve had such a difficult time with the R6. I’m no blind fanboy but having owned it since February with minimal problems and enjoying the sound immensely, it sounds like you’re unlucky enough to have a dud unit. Keep pressing the firm in private and in public, I’m sure you’ll have your problems resolved. Best of luck, I hope you will get to the point where you no longer see the R6 as a heap of junk.

+1. The only issue I had was the output impedance with my UE Triple Fi 10s but then I got the iEMatch, problem solved. The wifi isn't really too big of an issue for me like others here. The signal is weaker but transfer speed doesn't seem to be an issue streaming Spotify and Amazon music and other streaming services. I don't use Tidal so no experience there. Using 5ghz wifi was a big help in terms of signal.

@KevP i hope you get things resolved. It is a pretty awesome player for the price. For those of us who haven't ran into any issues, it definitely isn't a piece of junk. However, if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. Nothing wrong with moving on to something that works better for you. Goodluck!

 

[HiByMusic]

I've had the R6 for about a week. I have absolutely no idea why people are raving about this DAP. I thought it would be a major improvement on my Pioneer XDP 300R. How wrong I was. It's a heap of junk and that's being kind.

I updated to 1.28G of the system software yesterday. Since then there are terrible problems with Tidal. Keeps crashing; audio just suddenly stops; tracks run on very fast randomly, with no sound. It’s a mess. Also, generally very poor responsiveness on touch screen (especially on Tidal). When I re-boot I now sometimes get the Recovery Mode screen?!?!?! Software needs a complete overhaul and especially compatibility with Tidal very quickly. People need to know, the R6 is nowhere near as good as some of the early reviews were saying. In fact it’s a very poor user experience.

Which version of Tidal on your R6? We tested 3 different versions of Tidal and could not reproduce the problem. Could you please offer any specific or detailed steps on how you use Tidal on R6 and then it keeps crashing? We will get troubleshooting as soon as possible.

 

[KevP]

Tidal version 2.7.8.837.3.

1. Tidal freezes often when in the middle of a simple operation like selecting a track from an album and message come up that it’s not responding and I have to close Tidal down and start again. Also happens when searching in Tidal. Probably happens one in every three times I use the player

2. When downloading tracks to save offline, sometimes it freezes. Also touch sensitivity is very poor. I have to touch “downloading” several times to take me to the list of tracks still to download.

3. Already downloaded Tidal tracks take a very long time to load - as if they are being streamed. They should load almost instantly. They did with my previous Pioneer XDP 300R.

 

[KevP]

Also Microsd issues. On two occasions the player has stopped recognising the Microsd card, wiped all the downloaded Tidal tracks and I have had to download 6,000 tracks all over again. This had happened at least five times in the last two weeks.

 

[jmills8]

Hello, this article, https://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/review-hiby-r6-digital-audio-player-reviewed-smooth-operator , said that the bass from the R6 is lean ?

 

[hernandoco]

Anyone here use Amazon Music? If you do, can you try using the search function to see if it works for you? It keeps saying "Sorry we're experiencing some difficulties...." I thought it was just the app but when I use my other devices, it works fine. I'm only running into this problem with the R6..