[Simon Patten]

I have both. I was delighted with the Gen III but the Pro II is definitely an upgrade. In addition to what the others have said, my feeling was that the Gen III is a warmer, more fun listen, while the Pro II is much more detailed and neutral. I preferred the volume control on the Gen III, it's smaller, easier to use and the battery lasts a couple of hours longer. The Pro II is bigger, has awful button placement, and gets warmer but sounds so much better and you can actually hear a difference between class A and class AB modes. In some ways I miss the Gen III as it made me smile more but I haven't touched it since getting the Pro II.

 

[German Expat in Vietnam]

Did any of you just happen to compare the pure sound of the R6 Pro II with the Shanling H7? The sound differences would be interesting since both are in the same price range and have the same AKMs implemented.

 

[myromeo]

I have both. I was delighted with the Gen III but the Pro II is definitely an upgrade. In addition to what the others have said, my feeling was that the Gen III is a warmer, more fun listen, while the Pro II is much more detailed and neutral. I preferred the volume control on the Gen III, it's smaller, easier to use and the battery lasts a couple of hours longer. The Pro II is bigger, has awful button placement, and gets warmer but sounds so much better and you can actually hear a difference between class A and class AB modes. In some ways I miss the Gen III as it made me smile more but I haven't touched it since getting the Pro II.

That’s a really interesting comparison. Most reviews I’ve seen have had the pro II as warmer than the iii so it’s curious to read your thoughts. Also interesting what you say about button placement.

How did the iii make you smile more? Is the pro overly analytical? Whilst an accurate sound is important ultimately this hobby for me is about enjoyment so this comment has me curious.

 

[bk123]

Just wondering if there is any good comparison available between ProII and AK SR35. Just curious about sound comparisons, don't care about other features like streaming and so on....

 

[antikryst]

That’s a really interesting comparison. Most reviews I’ve seen have had the pro II as warmer than the iii so it’s curious to read your thoughts. Also interesting what you say about button placement.

How did the iii make you smile more? Is the pro overly analytical? Whilst an accurate sound is important ultimately this hobby for me is about enjoyment so this comment has me curious.

i too found the iii a touch warmer. maybe it presented that way since the pro II had more detail retrieval and had better openness. i was actually comparing the 2 side by side and i though that for the money saved, the volume wheel, better form factor in terms of portability, better battery life... i actually chose the iii. Then factor in that the iii had a useable case... plus it came in blue (which I love).

but when it was time to pay.. the iii was not in stock so I ended up leaving the store with the pro II. LOL.

pro II is better. but even with a side by side AB comparison the iii is good value and you dont lose much unless you really AB and nitpick. then if you compare the difference in price the difference makes both a compelling buy.

 

[myromeo]

i too found the iii a touch warmer. maybe it presented that way since the pro II had more detail retrieval and had better openness. i was actually comparing the 2 side by side and i though that for the money saved, the volume wheel, better form factor in terms of portability, better battery life... i actually chose the iii. Then factor in that the iii had a useable case... plus it came in blue (which I love).

but when it was time to pay.. the iii was not in stock so I ended up leaving the store with the pro II. LOL.

pro II is better. but even with a side by side AB comparison the iii is good value and you dont lose much unless you really AB and nitpick. then if you compare the difference in price the difference makes both a compelling buy.

Thanks for a really objective view on both. This is the conclusion I’m reaching too, sure, the pro is ‘better’ but it’s at least to me a lot more expensive and forfeits a number of the things the iii has going in its favour. Both would be a big upgrade to my A105 for sure.

 

[Simon Patten]

Sorry for the slow reply.

That’s a really interesting comparison. Most reviews I’ve seen have had the pro II as warmer than the iii so it’s curious to read your thoughts. Also interesting what you say about button placement.

I definitely found it warmer and, as I said, more fun, I'm not sure how else to describe it. Maybe the mid range was more forward, full, less detailed and more rounded? I'm going from memory so can't be more specific I'm afraid, it's just how I felt.

As to the buttons on the Pro II, they're completely in the wrong place, particularly the volume and power buttons. In addition, when you put the leather case on it's hard to adjust the volume without changing track as they are opposite each-other and you have to be careful not to press one without pressing the other, it's a huge design flaw. Having said that, it sounds so lovely that it's worth putting up with it and a gel-type case from AliExpress fixes the problem and shows off the purple if you chose that option.

How did the iii make you smile more? Is the pro overly analytical? Whilst an accurate sound is important ultimately this hobby for me is about enjoyment so this comment has me curious.

Not 'overly', just very clear, clean and more neutral which makes me want to listen to the music rather than just relax and enjoy it, although of course I can do that too. Just my opinion though.

At the end of the day it's basically down to your budget. You pay more, you get more, but you won't be disappointed with either, both are great players at their price point.

 

[jsmiller58]

Sorry for the slow reply.

I definitely found it warmer and, as I said, more fun, I'm not sure how else to describe it. Maybe the mid range was more forward, full, less detailed and more rounded? I'm going from memory so can't be more specific I'm afraid, it's just how I felt.

As to the buttons on the Pro II, they're completely in the wrong place, particularly the volume and power buttons. In addition, when you put the leather case on it's hard to adjust the volume without changing track as they are opposite each-other and you have to be careful not to press one without pressing the other, it's a huge design flaw. Having said that, it sounds so lovely that it's worth putting up with it and a gel-type case from AliExpress fixes the problem and shows off the purple if you chose that option.

Not 'overly', just very clear, clean and more neutral which makes me want to listen to the music rather than just relax and enjoy it, although of course I can do that too. Just my opinion though.

At the end of the day it's basically down to your budget. You pay more, you get more, but you won't be disappointed with either, both are great players at their price point.

I won’t comment about the sound differences between the R6 Pro II and R6 III as I only have the R6 Pro II. I would ask if you are able to use the system wide MSEB to get either one tonally close to what you might want…

As to the included leatherette case, yeah it accentuates the awkward unintended button pushes. However way back in this thread there are instructions for removing little plastic tabs in the case that will significantly reduce the occurrence. And yes, those clear plastic covers (I got mine on Amazon) help to prevent the unintended button pushes. And despite the fact I have the black version of the DAP, I think it looks better than the included case… But to each their own and it’s great people have options (there’s also a very premium looking, though more expensive case from Dignis),

 

[Simon Patten]

I won’t comment about the sound differences between the R6 Pro II and R6 III as I only have the R6 Pro II. I would ask if you are able to use the system wide MSEB to get either one tonally close to what you might want…

No, my hearing is pretty bad so I need full PEQ. I've just heard some good news though, Hiby are working on converting the PEQ to system-wide. Yay!

As to the included leatherette case, yeah it accentuates the awkward unintended button pushes. However way back in this thread there are instructions for removing little plastic tabs in the case that will significantly reduce the occurrence. And yes, those clear plastic covers (I got mine on Amazon) help to prevent the unintended button pushes. And despite the fact I have the black version of the DAP, I think it looks better than the included case… But to each their own and it’s great people have options (there’s also a very premium looking, though more expensive case from Dignis),

The buttons were driving me mad but the gel case saved it from being returned and made it much more usable. I think it looks and feels better too.

 

[antikryst]

yes. the stock pro ii case looks good. but has terrible ergonomics. buttons get pressed accidentally.

solved this by getting the Dignis case. LOL. a 100 USD fix.

 

[Bosk]

I've just released a Review of Hiby's incredible R6 Pro II DAP which you're invited to read!

REVIEW SPOILER: I'm planning on buying one.

 

[Simon Patten]

Nice review, fair and accurate apart from double-tap to wake, which the Pro II does have.

 

[leylandi]

New R8

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r8-ii-hi-end-android-digital-audio-player

 

[bk123]

New R8

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r8-ii-hi-end-android-digital-audio-player

Product is removed from the website. It looks like they have not done any formal annoucement yet.

 

[leylandi]

Product is removed from the website. It looks like they have not done any formal annoucement yet.

Monday