HiBy RS8 flagship Darwin R2R Android DAP -- Class A -- news and impressions thread

[FooFighter]

Did some searching, and didn't find anything definitive!

When I use Roon on my RS8, all music is mixed to 48kbps. Is there another client I can use, or perhaps some sort of setting to preserve bit perfect roon streaming?

That's normal for any Android DAP without Roon support.
Best bet for you is to connect it to a supported Roon Endpoint like IPhone or IPad in DAC mode and it'll work

 

[MusicalDoc8]

Hey there! I recently experienced some frustrating issues with my Rs8. Despite keeping my firmware up-to-date, it kept crashing while playing songs from an external SD card. I'm curious if anyone else has encountered similar problems. If you have, please let me know how you were able to resolve the issue. Thanks in advance!

no and i user a 1tb A2 micro sd. what player do you use? what kind of format? what microsd?

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Did some searching, and didn't find anything definitive!

When I use Roon on my RS8, all music is mixed to 48kbps. Is there another client I can use, or perhaps some sort of setting to preserve bit perfect roon streaming?

I had offered to help Roon with making their app see and use the full sampling capabilities of HiBy devices and been effectively silenced. I.e. I offered the help in their forums, they said they'd contact me in private, marked the threads done and dusted (locked) and did NOT contact me in private.

Apparently the only thing they want people to do is pay them to make devices into Roon endpoints. I think that's a silly thing to do with a DAP, because you're taking a DAP with full command and control capabilities (browsing, choosing and playing) and turning it into a dumb endpoint, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Newsee]

I had offered to help Roon with making their app see and use the full sampling capabilities of HiBy devices and been effectively silenced. I.e. I offered the help in their forums, they said they'd contact me in private, marked the threads done and dusted (locked) and did NOT contact me in private.

Apparently the only thing they want people to do is pay them to make devices into Roon endpoints. I think that's a silly thing to do with a DAP, because you're taking a DAP with full command and control capabilities (browsing, choosing and playing) and turning it into a dumb endpoint, but maybe that's just me.

The RS8 is big and heavy. I carry it in the pocket and prefer not to take it out for any control action (change of track, check what is playing, change volume). I prefer to do that on a lighter device which goes easier in and out of a pocket, or can be left on a table while I move around. iPad on the table is my favourite now (not really pocketable either, but has a huge screen). I am using HiByCast at the moment for remote control. Disadvantage is that screen has to be left turned on on the RS8.

I would prefer Roon due to the number of options on music browsing comfort, but I hear too much quality loss with downsampling/resampling, so it is not an option now.

I really would like to have DAPs as Roon endpoint. All of them. Or at least the RS8 and the N30LE.

 

[MusicalDoc8]

I had offered to help Roon with making their app see and use the full sampling capabilities of HiBy devices and been effectively silenced. I.e. I offered the help in their forums, they said they'd contact me in private, marked the threads done and dusted (locked) and did NOT contact me in private.

Apparently the only thing they want people to do is pay them to make devices into Roon endpoints. I think that's a silly thing to do with a DAP, because you're taking a DAP with full command and control capabilities (browsing, choosing and playing) and turning it into a dumb endpoint, but maybe that's just me.

literally refusing help for compatibility.... a dap made into a glorified Bluetooth reciever is beyond insane

 

[rickles]

I had offered to help Roon with making their app see and use the full sampling capabilities of HiBy devices and been effectively silenced. I.e. I offered the help in their forums, they said they'd contact me in private, marked the threads done and dusted (locked) and did NOT contact me in private.

Apparently the only thing they want people to do is pay them to make devices into Roon endpoints. I think that's a silly thing to do with a DAP, because you're taking a DAP with full command and control capabilities (browsing, choosing and playing) and turning it into a dumb endpoint, but maybe that's just me.

Thank you for your replies, and engagement Joe! From what I am reading, the SP3000 has bitperfect Roon compatibility. Is it a heavy lift to do that? Did AK pay Roon, and just wait?

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Thank you for your replies, and engagement Joe! From what I am reading, the SP3000 has bitperfect Roon compatibility. Is it a heavy lift to do that? Did AK pay Roon, and just wait?

We had also submitted samples of our devices to Roon for certification (the regular certification that other people do), I've been told that they have been testing our devices since as early as August last year. They said work was in progress as of then and we did not hear of any difficulties with the process that they wanted us to help with.

 

[1oad3r]

Hi all, happy RS6 owner here looking to upgrade. Have really enjoyed the RS6 experience so naturally considering the RS8 given how well its reviewed performance aligns with my preferences. However, have now read a lot of this thread and suspect I’d be mad to spend £3k on a unit given all the reported issues. What’s not clear to me and would welcome views - do reported issues concern just early batches / units or are problems more widespread? It seems the latter given the amount / spread they have come up on this thread, but welcome views.

Is there an RS8ii on the horizon I wonder…?

 

[audionewbi]

Hi all, happy RS6 owner here looking to upgrade. Have really enjoyed the RS6 experience so naturally considering the RS8 given how well its reviewed performance aligns with my preferences. However, have now read a lot of this thread and suspect I’d be mad to spend £3k on a unit given all the reported issues. What’s not clear to me and would welcome views - do reported issues concern just early batches / units or are problems more widespread? It seems the latter given the amount / spread they have come up on this thread, but welcome views.

Is there an RS8ii on the horizon I wonder…?

So far, it appears to be early batch with leather blue case and leather collection bag.
If I was to assume, with early unit, it has to do with resistor overheating and dislodging from the main board.

It is either to do with bad resistor, bad solder point or thermals.
My feeling is the last one and fix is rather simple.
I'm going to soon buy some Grizly thermal pad and stick it on all the resistors on rs8.
But the annoying thing is, some resistor need to be at a certain temperature to sound it's best.

 

[1oad3r]

So far, it appears to be early batch with leather blue case and leather collection bag.
If I was to assume, with early unit, it has to do with resistor overheating and dislodging from the main board.

It is either to do with bad resistor, bad solder point or thermals.
My feeling is the last one and fix is rather simple.
I'm going to soon buy some Grizly thermal pad and stick it on all the resistors on rs8.
But the annoying thing is, some resistor need to be at a certain temperature to sound it's best.

Really good to know, thank you

 

[MusicalDoc8]

Hi all, happy RS6 owner here looking to upgrade. Have really enjoyed the RS6 experience so naturally considering the RS8 given how well its reviewed performance aligns with my preferences. However, have now read a lot of this thread and suspect I’d be mad to spend £3k on a unit given all the reported issues. What’s not clear to me and would welcome views - do reported issues concern just early batches / units or are problems more widespread? It seems the latter given the amount / spread they have come up on this thread, but welcome views.

Is there an RS8ii on the horizon I wonder…?

thermals? Never saw once them go past 50 celsius....the m17 from fiio was a oocket nuke at 80-90 and my m15 woukd go almkst to 70. Thry killed the battery in their case. In this, i think its far more likely a defective unit (unlucky soldering) than any thermal issue

 

[Newsee]

Hi all, happy RS6 owner here looking to upgrade. Have really enjoyed the RS6 experience so naturally considering the RS8 given how well its reviewed performance aligns with my preferences. However, have now read a lot of this thread and suspect I’d be mad to spend £3k on a unit given all the reported issues. What’s not clear to me and would welcome views - do reported issues concern just early batches / units or are problems more widespread? It seems the latter given the amount / spread they have come up on this thread, but welcome views.

Is there an RS8ii on the horizon I wonder…?

R8ii is on the horizon, it has even arrived.
I could even try it shortly thanks to Tom at Audioessence.ch.

It is very good. But I think I am very well covered with the RS8 and the N30LE.

Maybe you can ask Tom if he can deliver you an RS8 with two years warranty. Then you are on the safer side.

 

[audionewbi]

My RS8 arrived, it now sounds the same as the one I heard in the local retailer. Yes, RS8 is 100% a keeper in my collection and I have to admit, the fee they charged me is not too outrageous.

Last night after my late night music session, i forgot to turn off my RS8. I simply paused the music, left the device on standby and went to bed. I wokeup in the morning, went to turn off the RS8, upon picking up, the DAP was warm to touch and its battery was down to 16 % (from 66%).
I didn't think much about it, plugged it for charging and went to work. Came home now, trying to listen to music, there is loud popping noise each time a new track is played, music paused.
The device gives off this smoking smell. Back to repair I guess, that didn't last long!

Bought the R8ii, but returning it tomorrow, I sadly lost faith in Hiby.

 

[MusicalDoc8]

Last night after my late night music session, i forgot to turn off my RS8. I simply paused the music, left the device on standby and went to bed. I wokeup in the morning, went to turn off the RS8, upon picking up, the DAP was warm to touch and its battery was down to 16 % (from 66%).
I didn't think much about it, plugged it for charging and went to work. Came home now, trying to listen to music, there is loud popping noise each time a new track is played, music paused.
The device gives off this smoking smell. Back to repair I guess, that didn't last long!

Bought the R8ii, but returning it tomorrow, I sadly lost faith in Hiby.

I think you need to put on a shrine and call an exorcist

 

[fullbass]

As far as I understand the brand new Darwin 2 filters are already implemented in the official Hiby R8 ii firmware. I don't want to sound paranoid, but it looks like this is to make R8 ii more attractive at the start of sales, because obviously Hiby RS8 with Darwin 2 also reaches a new level of sound, but reviewers compare RS8 with Darwin v1 and R8 ii with Darwin v2.

Nice trick, but I wish Darwin 2 was added to the official firmware of the flagship. Otherwise it looks like Apple is doing, artificially aging previous models.