[Hoggy]

 

[kesobie]

MAILCALL​

Hiby Crystal 6 II + Hiby R6 Pro II​

Unboxing and Impressions soon!

 

[kesobie]

Hiby R6 Pro II First Impressions:​

First Impressions:​

• Clean, straight-forward unboxing
• Generous inclusions
• Sleek design with not-so-ideal control positions
• Solid external storage support, disappointing internal storage support
• A little sluggish, but understandable for the SoC
• Straight forward set-up
• Quick transfers
• Warmer sound
• Gets pretty warm after longer listening sessions
• Power output is adequate but might be lacking for cans

You can watch my unboxing here

The Hiby R6 Pro II runs on Android 12 with a Snapdragon 665 SoC, 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM, 2TB External Storage, 1 AK419EQ + Dual AK4499EX and 4 analog outputs.

The R6 Pro II greets you with a clean but very straight-forward unboxing experience that is a treat as I never found myself fussing over the unboxing process. It comes with basically everything you need minus a power brick. The DAP itself is absolutely sleek and very sturdy to the hand. However, I do have to say that the control positions are a little bit awkward as from picking up the DAP itself, I accidentally turned it on due to the controls being placed where I usually hold phones. It is also not the most compact despite its 5.9” size due to the thickness. It also has a considerable bezel that, even with the case gives the R6 Pro II a rather distinct chin.

Setting up the R6 Pro II was also a breeze and getting into the play store to download applications were quite intuitive. However, the boot times were a little bit slow and the OS feeling a little sluggish, but understandable once you understand that the chip used for this is about 3-4 years old now. Regardless, this is a potential cause of concern for those who want a snappy experience as I found that, when using Hiby’s native app, there will be a slight delay in the playback of your first song that will cause the song to play 1 second after the input. Changing volumes through the screen is also not the most responsive which, again, may cause for concerns those who want a snappy input.

On the applications side, I’m yet to take a more thorough look into app support. But since this is Android 12, you should expect most modern apps to work. Unfortunately, scrobbling seems to not work on the R6 Pro II which was quite disappointing, but understandable considering that the scrobball app is currently optimized for android 11.

As for ports, the R6 Pro II comes with all the ports you need. 1 4.4mm BAL LO, 1 3.5mm LO, 1 3.5mm PO and 1 4.4mm BAL PO. The lack of a 2.5 jack is quite disappointing but also understandable considering how compact the R6 Pro II already is (and the arguable fact that 4.4mm is superior). You also have the Type C placed right beside all of that. Although I’d definitely say that the top being as barren as it means that other ports or segregating the ports maybe have been a possibility.

Its power output is also quite decent, but I feel like these are not meant to drive low sensitivity or high impedance headphones and are most fitting with in-ears as I found myself boosting the volume of the likes of the Hiby Zeta with an impedance of 9 ohms and sensitivity of 100db on the balanced output with low gain all the way to 90 out of 100.

And lastly, as for the sound, the playback is rather warm and gives leaner IEMs a very nice sense of body and richness that I found absent in other sources that I have on hand and from memory. Bass sounds a little bit thicker and more textured while the high-end is much smoother and, especially for sets with a lot of treble, tames the overall region without skimping on details.

However, it should be noted that the R6 Pro II gets a little bit toasty after a few hours of listening. I’ll be thoroughly testing this if this was due to the balanced output but regardless, it was quite toasty.

My first few hours of experience with the R6 Pro II have seriously just been fantastic. I’ve been testing out all my favorite IEMs and my favorite tracks and I’m just absolutely stoked! I’ll be doing further testing on the R6 Pro II along with the convolver suggested by @Joe Bloggs . But overall, amazing DAP!

Stay tuned for my full review!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review. If you would like to see more of my content, please consider following my Facebook page and my other social media accounts:

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If you would like to avail the product review today, check the non-affiliate link below!
https://store.hiby.com/products/r6-pro-ii-gen-2

 

[kesobie]

Hiby Crystal 6 II Unboxing!​

 

[kesobie]

Hiby Crystal 6 II First Impressions​

• Not a lot of inclusions for the price
• Unvented but very comfortable with no driver flex
• Thin but sturdy 4-core modular cable
• “Interesting” bright sound signature
• Warm, smooth and relatively decent bass
• Thin, hollow and recessed midrange
• Crisp, clear but very thin and harsh treble
• Good technicalities barred by its tonality

The Hiby Crystal 6 II is the second iteration of the Crystal 6 that features 6 BAs on each side.

I think the Crystal 6 II deserves a different kind of impression to my others due to its peculiar tuning that, initially I really disliked due to how harsh the treble was, but I eventually found the niche that it excels in. Low volume, instrumental tracks with a lot of percussive and nuance.

I straight up dismissed the Crystal 6 II on the first listen as my first instinct was to go to my usual listening volume in which the Crystal 6 II caused physical discomfort. This is no small task as I have a rather high tolerance for treble. And then I took a break from it for some time and came back to it and thought “What if I just lowered the volume and listened to songs without much vocals”. Lo and behold, the Crystal 6 II’s strength came alive as percussive instruments in the higher frequencies never sounded more crisp, articulate, and lively. Techs are also surprisingly good, particularly separation and staging. I’m definitely going to be spending more time with these now with the intended low-volume listening experience (or I assume for it to be)

But I’m saying it right now, if you like a lot of treble, clarity, and nuance and you’re also a low-volume listener, the Crystal 6 II is the niche IEM for you. I know if a year ago I had listened to this, I would be bawling at how crisp this sounds. But I beg you, don’t listen to these at high volumes.

Stay tuned for the full review!

 

[Hoggy]

Hiby Crystal 6 II First Impressions​

• Not a lot of inclusions for the price
• Unvented but very comfortable with no driver flex
• Thin but sturdy 4-core modular cable
• “Interesting” bright sound signature
• Warm, smooth and relatively decent bass
• Thin, hollow and recessed midrange
• Crisp, clear but very thin and harsh treble
• Good technicalities barred by its tonality

The Hiby Crystal 6 II is the second iteration of the Crystal 6 that features 6 BAs on each side.

I think the Crystal 6 II deserves a different kind of impression to my others due to its peculiar tuning that, initially I really disliked due to how harsh the treble was, but I eventually found the niche that it excels in. Low volume, instrumental tracks with a lot of percussive and nuance.

I straight up dismissed the Crystal 6 II on the first listen as my first instinct was to go to my usual listening volume in which the Crystal 6 II caused physical discomfort. This is no small task as I have a rather high tolerance for treble. And then I took a break from it for some time and came back to it and thought “What if I just lowered the volume and listened to songs without much vocals”. Lo and behold, the Crystal 6 II’s strength came alive as percussive instruments in the higher frequencies never sounded more crisp, articulate, and lively. Techs are also surprisingly good, particularly separation and staging. I’m definitely going to be spending more time with these now with the intended low-volume listening experience (or I assume for it to be)

But I’m saying it right now, if you like a lot of treble, clarity, and nuance and you’re also a low-volume listener, the Crystal 6 II is the niche IEM for you. I know if a year ago I had listened to this, I would be bawling at how crisp this sounds. But I beg you, don’t listen to these at high volumes.

Stay tuned for the full review!

I found they excel with classical music or with tunes that have loads of top end and low end sound.

 

[kesobie]

I found they excel with classical music or with tunes that have loads of top end and low end sound.

Agreed! Personally, I found jazz ala Miles Davis to have a really nice playback on the Crystal 6 II

 

[e-dub]

R6 Pro II impressions!

Firstly, thanks to @Joe Bloggs for offering another player for tour and I appreciate you letting me (a noob) in on the tour. Now, on to the particulars:

First Impressions:​

• Top tier unboxing experience
• She's a looker!
• I'm having trouble with the buttons
• Very simple setup

Here are some unboxing photos:

So this is the first time I've heard the top-of-the-range AK4499EX. Initial impression versus the 4 x AK4493SEQ in the Shanling M6 Ultra: the '99 is more resolving. Speaking of the comparing versus the M6 Ultra...

This screen is BIG (for a DAP). And that big screen brings plenty of pixels with it. No beef with the display at all. This player doesn't feel as snappy as the M6 Ultra to me, but to be honest, I haven't thought about that in a bit since the thought first crossed my mind.

Power is adequate. It drives my dear Ultrasone Signature DJ at high gain from the single ended jack. More SE power would have been nice, but that's just not the day and time we live in for DAPs and that's fine. It also effortlessly drives my Fiio FH9, pictured here from the SE jack.

Sound temperature-wise, this is between the previously mentioned M6 Ultra and my Fiio M17. The same can be said for size, lol.

I'll be back in a couple days after some extended listening sessions, but I'll say that straight away, I do find the sound of the R6 Pro II more compelling (to my ears) than that of the big Fiio.

In the interim, feel free to ask me any questions you may have if you'd like!

 

[jjxaker]

I'll be back in a couple days after some extended listening sessions, but I'll say that straight away, I do find the sound of the R6 Pro II more compelling (to my ears) than that of the big Fiio.

I'm not even surprised. HiBy has very serious components responsible for the sound, if you close your eyes to the output power and the operating time, then this is a masterpiece for such a cost. I haven't listened to it yet, but I will also use it in conjunction with FH9. I don't see any point in paying attention to the FiiO M17 and M15S especially if you use it only with IEMs.

UPD.
This DAP holds very little charge because the new dacs from AK4499EX require a lot of power. they are not very suitable for portable... but I would still choose them, not ES9039PRO despite the fact that with it ESS, the DAP would hold a charge for +3 hours more. but still, all these converters are not for portable, they have no place here, they are used for marketing, it is technically impossible to realize the potential of these DACs in portable devices. but we don't have to choose, it's a pity that manufacturers do this, it's better to make the device cheaper or invest money in an amplifier, to make it not more powerful but to give it a higher potential...
In general, the device consumes a lot of energy, the device will be hotter, but there is nothing better for this money. it can be bought for 700$, everything up to 1200$ has a class below.

 

[Hoggy]

I'm not even surprised. HiBy has very serious components responsible for the sound, if you close your eyes to the output power and the operating time, then this is a masterpiece for such a cost. I haven't listened to it yet, but I will also use it in conjunction with FH9. I don't see any point in paying attention to the FiiO M17 and M15S especially if you use it only with IEMs.

UPD.
This DAP holds very little charge because the new dacs from AK4499EX require a lot of power. they are not very suitable for portable... but I would still choose them, not ES9039PRO despite the fact that with it ESS, the DAP would hold a charge for +3 hours more. but still, all these converters are not for portable, they have no place here, they are used for marketing, it is technically impossible to realize the potential of these DACs in portable devices. but we don't have to choose, it's a pity that manufacturers do this, it's better to make the device cheaper or invest money in an amplifier, to make it not more powerful but to give it a higher potential...
In general, the device consumes a lot of energy, the device will be hotter, but there is nothing better for this money. it can be bought for 700$, everything up to 1200$ has a class below.

I found the r6 II with the crystals 6 great for most music types just don't ask it to thump out the bass, this may change after a few hours burn-in. IEMs really are the way foward with DAPs like this.

 

[Mike Foley]

I found that it sounded excellent with a number of my headphones, but with regards to battery life I agree that IEMs are the way to go; my Empire Ears ESR sounded the best of I’ve ever heard when using the R6 II Pro, so much so that I was almost tempted to buy one. I ended up getting an R6 III, because I couldn’t justify spending around £600.00 on more audio gear at the moment, particularly on something I don’t actually need, as opposed to want. It’s still a fantastic DAP though!

 

[SynaestheticA]

My impressions on the Crystal 6 II below.

The TLDR is I was amazed by how well they pair with the RS6. I mention it a lot but the technical performance with the Hiby DAP vs with a phone turn them into a completely different iem. There are of course things that could be improved but the sheer size of the soundstage had me floored when I finally switched over to the RS6. I also love the mids as they manage to tickle my mind with their soundwaves.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hiby-crystal6-ii.26435/reviews#review-30728

 

[e-dub]

R6 Pro II impressions!

Firstly, thanks to @Joe Bloggs for offering another player for tour and I appreciate you letting me (a noob) in on the tour. Now, on to the particulars:

First Impressions:​

• Top tier unboxing experience
• She's a looker!
• I'm having trouble with the buttons
• Very simple setup

Here are some unboxing photos:









So this is the first time I've heard the top-of-the-range AK4499EX. Initial impression versus the 4 x AK4493SEQ in the Shanling M6 Ultra: the '99 is more resolving. Speaking of the comparing versus the M6 Ultra...





This screen is BIG (for a DAP). And that big screen brings plenty of pixels with it. No beef with the display at all. This player doesn't feel as snappy as the M6 Ultra to me, but to be honest, I haven't thought about that in a bit since the thought first crossed my mind.

Power is adequate. It drives my dear Ultrasone Signature DJ at high gain from the single ended jack. More SE power would have been nice, but that's just not the day and time we live in for DAPs and that's fine. It also effortlessly drives my Fiio FH9, pictured here from the SE jack.



Sound temperature-wise, this is between the previously mentioned M6 Ultra and my Fiio M17. The same can be said for size, lol.





I'll be back in a couple days after some extended listening sessions, but I'll say that straight away, I do find the sound of the R6 Pro II more compelling (to my ears) than that of the big Fiio.

In the interim, feel free to ask me any questions you may have if you'd like!

ALL RIGHT.

Thoughts after listening to this player non stop for the past few days. All music played was stored locally on a MicroSD card, the overwhelming majority of that music is flacs. Those flac files have been dance music, about 80% drum n bass. The rest have been Electro, Techno and House in roughly that order.

This review will focus mainly on the sound I get and what it's like to live with the thing - what the player is like as a device.

Sound of the R6 Pro II

So what jumped out at first away regarding the sound of this player is the mids. They were nice, more forward than I'm used to with the other players I have experience with. Very smooth and not at all exhausting, which is a plus. I also noticed the highs, which came off kind of ESS-ish, in a way, but smoother than the Fiio M17 I have plenty of experience with. They were ESS-ish in the way they kind of shimmered, but again: smoother than the M17. Much smoother, in fact. One disappointment to me was the bass, though. This player came off as pretty "polite" in the bass department, which bummed me out. I noticed this while listening with my Fiio FH9 IEM, which I can't call bass-shy. I switched those out for the Sony IER Z1R and that helped... but it wasn't quite what I prefer.

Regarding the amps - Class A vs Class AB: I didn't get a ton of difference between the two. Where I did get a difference, though, was (again) in the mids. This is 100% a theme with this player. If the performance in the mids is what separates DAP A from DAP B for you, do yourself the favor of getting your eardrums on this DAP. I did notice more of a battery hit with Class A, but it didn't seem huge to me? Bass was a little more full in this mode, too, but only by a little.

The R6 Pro II as a device

This is a pretty big device, I think. I carry a Pixel 6 Pro as my phone, so I'm not opposed to large devices, but the screen size of the R6 Pro II did make it a little unwieldy, imo. Thankfully it wasn't super heavy and the weight distribution is good, it didn't seem top- or bottom-heavy. Oh, before I forget: the case. The case on this thing is SUPER well thought out. It doesn't add a ton of bulk, seems to provide great protection (I didn't drop it so can't substantiate that thought, lol) and it was very much custom made to fit the shape of the player to a T. It even has a flap with a magnet to account for one of the "cuts" in the shape of the player. Big plus on the case and it even comes in the box. That's a coup for the end user!

Now, the buttons. UGH, the buttons. I didn't get on with them at all. I couldn't touch the sides of the device with out a button press registering. And that's with the case on or off. My Fiio M17 is like that, but not to this degree. Big device + heavy device + easily actuated buttons = a recipe for frustration. On top of that, I wasn't a fan of the button layout, either, particularly on the music control side of the device. Having rewind as a separate button above play/pause and forward sharing a single elongated button is... a choice. I think I would have rather had play/pause on the one button by itself and rev/fwd below it sharing the long (think volume rocker) button. I can't tell you how many times I didn't get through a full tune because I wanted to move or pick up the device. Sucks, but it's something any prospective owner needs to be aware of with the player.

Compare this to my Shanling M6 Ultra. Three distinct buttons for rev, play/pause, and fwd. The buttons aren't very raised, but have sharp enough edges to make it super easy to discern which button is which without having to look. In addition to that, the buttons require some force to press and give you a nice loud "CLACK" when you do. I can't ask for more than that. Also, volume buttons have never been my favorite (as opposed to a wheel). But I did like UI element that puts the volume control on the screen to let you further adjust it using the digitizer.

Comparison to the Fiio M17 and Shanling M6 Ultra

I compared the form factors in the previous section, so here I'll talk about the overall sound. In terms of preference I rank them thusly:

1. Shanling
2. Hiby
3. Fiio

Now, this is in terms of enjoyment of the sound. If we're talking accuracy, I'd probably reverse the order (I do love me some colored sound, I'll never deny that). The Shanling was a little more smoothed out in the highs, a little more relaxed in the mids and more forceful in the bass. The highs of the Shanling are very much there, just more smoothed out and I love it. In addition to the bass.

When compared with the M17, the Hiby wins out in the highs, ekes out the mids by a little tiny bit and serves up a bit less bass than the big chungus Fiio. I use the Fiio to drive over ear headphones and it does a great job at that. Neither the Hiby or the Shanling can dole out the brute force M17 can but that's 100% okay.

Value and final thoughts

As a value proposition, the Hiby offers a LOT. This level of hardware, software and sound for the asking price is very hard to beat. If you primarily use IEMs, you need to seriously consider the R6 Pro II. I prefer not to use EQ, so I'm thinking if I would have used the MSEB feature of the Hiby, I could have dialed in the sound more to what I'm into. If you can manage the buttons better than I could you'll more than likely love the R6 Pro II. Full stop.

Again, thank you to @Joe Bloggs for getting this player out to someone with no previous history and I'll getting tis badboy out to the next participant in the passaround in the coming days!

 

[SynaestheticA]

Impressions of the Zeta up on the review section

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hiby-zeta.26356/reviews#review-30830

Much in the way people talk about Campfire Audio or IMR iems and their character, the HiBy Zeta has one of its own. Not just a proficient conveyor of sound, but a unit that gives you something special.

 

[RemedyMusic]

Hiby R6 Pro II Initial Impressions:

The R6 Pro II arrived at my doorstep approximately two nights ago. Due to my daily gigs as a musician, I didn't have much time to listen to it continuously. However, I have noted some key observations which I'll present in a bullet-style list:

- The driving power of the R6 Pro II is sufficient for all my IEMs. It delivers more punch compared to my RS2 and Questyle QP2R. I typically set the volume level around 40-50% on the balanced output and 50-60% on the single-ended, depending on the track.

- The level of detail is impressively clean, crisp, and transparent.

- The build quality exudes a premium feel, although the size is a bit large for my small Asian hands. I'm a small guy, standing at around 5'4". LOL

- The user interface and touchscreen are snappy and responsive, although not as fast as our smartphones. There were a few instances where I had to tap the screen twice as it didn't respond on the first tap.

- I personally miss having a volume wheel on the device.

- The leather sleeve included with the R6 Pro II is a nice addition and adds to the overall appeal.

- After approximately 30 minutes of use, the device tends to get warm. But then again, this is a common occurrence with most DAPs.

- The 4.4mm balanced output showcases a noticeable difference compared to the single-ended output. There is more headroom, and the soundstage is more discernable.

- Unfortunately, I couldn't discern a significant difference between Class A and AB amplification. This might not necessarily be a fault of the R6 Pro II, but rather a result of my own auditory limitations. Having been exposed to loudness for quite some time, I may have a mild hearing loss. Kudos to those with golden ears!

- The trebles have that extra grit and texture, especially when paired with my Kinera Idun, which is a bright-sounding set. The added sparkle and sheen are noticeable.

- The mids are the star of the show, being forward and emphasized. They are not exaggerated but rather presented in moderation while still being discernable.

- The lows are transparent, punchy, and neutral, which aligns perfectly with my personal preference.

- The technical capabilities and micro-detailing of the R6 Pro II are incredibly impressive.

- Changing gain modes and adjusting amplification are easy and convenient, requiring just a few swipes.

- During these impressions, I used the Hiby music app and Apple Music, which I downloaded from the Play Store. I did encounter occasional crashes when logging into my account on the Play Store, but fortunately, I managed to log in successfully.

That's all for now. Cheers!