HIFIMAN Releases New Flagship DAP "R2R2000"

[ExpiredLabel]

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[ExpiredLabel]

Some more info here regarding changes for the official release. Website-https://m.weibo.cn/status/4205548565791762
太子播放器日前完成了正式投产前的试生产和测试。产品在外观设计上进行了改动: CNC金属外壳的表面处理改为磨砂哑光黑；micro SD卡采用了类似手机的托盘结构，用Type C插座取代了micro USB，并把位置挪到了底部，方便连接手机的OTG输出进行USB DAC解码。试产样品信噪比大于110dB（A计权），动态范围大于110dB （A计权）。年后投产的正式发售版本将采用严格的双单声道设计，预期指标会进一步拉高。

Prince recently completed the official launch of the pilot production and testing. Product design changes: CNC metal shell surface to matte matte black; micro SD card uses a mobile phone tray structure, with Type C socket replaced micro USB, and moved to the bottom of the location for easy OTG output connected to the phone USB DAC decoding. Sample-to-sample SNR greater than 110dB (A weighted), dynamic range greater than 110dB (A weighted). Put into operation after the official release version will be used rigorous dual-mono design, the index will be further pulled up.

From the previous site we know with the type c it should be able to charge to full in one hour with a 2amp charger. Now here we see a dual mono design. True balanced implementation and snr, dynamic range greater than 110. Which already is slightly better than 901s at 108.

 

[ExpiredLabel]

Better break down of charging time depending on charger a page per Hifiman comment on weibo site
有很多小伙伴关心R2R2000的充电时间~在500mA的情况下（比如电脑USB供电），约3.5小时；1A的情况下约1小时40分钟；1.5A的情况下约1小时10分钟；2A的情况下不到1小时就能充满电

There are a lot of small partners care about R2R2000 charging time ~ 500mA in the case (such as computer USB power supply), about 3.5 hours; 1A, about 1 hour and 40 minutes; 1.5A case about 1 hour and 10 minutes; 2A situation Less than 1 hour can be fully charged

 

[Pictograms]

Here are some more impressions, looks like it might be from the same meet or a similar one

I still had to listen well today because there were only two on site, so I listened for ten minutes or so, listening recently to the RE800.
As the new flagship HIFIMAN player, the R2R2000 is the highest-quality, best-performing product in HIFIMAN players today with a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 110dB (A-weighted) and a dynamic range greater than 110dB (A-weighted) The tuning on the patent is applying. R2R2000 from the beginning of the DAC chip on the use of dual-mono design, the left and right channels completely separate, bringing the sense of hearing is the high degree of separation, the sound field is very large. Unfortunately, the time is limited mainly by listening to two pieces: the flamenco of Pepe Romero and the classic California guest house.
Listening to Romeo's flamenco, the guitar and tap dance sounds really hearty, especially the tap dance voice, the floor of the footsteps of the voice of the priorities, to a very intensive step-stop sound, sense of air , Full sense of positioning. Moreover, you can clearly hear the footsteps on the stage around the move. I also bought this CD before, but also very much like, but today to take a R2R2000, really better reborn!
To talk about the classic track auditions, the eagles of the California guest house and Jay Aunt can be the same as the first. After all, with a familiar track to audition a new device, but also can hear the characteristics of equipment. With R2R2000 pre-production machine to listen to the live version of California Guest House, the overall sound field is very large, the applause of the scene, applause obviously can feel from all directions, bring better enjoyment.
At the scene just hugo2, due to limited time, did not carefully audition, but only from a simple audition can also be heard R2R2000 overall quality is higher than the hugo2.
R2R2000 HI-FI mode and energy-saving mode in the sound settings, in energy saving mode allows life from 8 hours to 30 hours, suitable for aircraft, trains, coaches and other travel use, I also tried the energy-saving mode , Although there is still a certain sound quality, but compared with the HI-FI mode, the music details and the sound field does have a great gap.
For now, many enthusiasts demanding music quality go out to be bundled with many devices, the emergence of R2R2000 bundling party can no longer need to bundle a lot of bricks, direct R2R2000 can solve the problem, the event also released R2R2000 and a few Comparison of the volume of high-end portable devices, we can see R2R2000 volume is definitely a great advantage.

-http://www.headphoneclub.com/thread-696740-1-1.html

 

[Pictograms]

Event site rice also revealed that mass production machine is in full swing preparations, is expected to be listed as soon as mid-March, and from next week HM-801 users will start redemption activities, the specific pre-sale policy next week

From the same post

 

[musicday]

R2R2000 better then Hugo 2? Not possible. Different sound i agree but not better. Check the THD on both amoung other things.

 

[Mython]

Here are some more impressions, looks like it might be from the same meet or a similar one

• "signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 110dB (A-weighted) and a dynamic range greater than 110dB (A-weighted)"

• "At the scene just hugo2, due to limited time, did not carefully audition, but only from a simple audition can also be heard R2R2000 overall quality is higher than the hugo."

-http://www.headphoneclub.com/thread-696740-1-1.html

Spoiler: (original Chinese text)

在现场正好也有hugo2，由于时间有限，没有仔细的进行试听，但是仅从简单的试听下也能听出来R2R2000的整体素质是要高于hugo2的。

Credit: www.headphoneclub.com/thread-696740-1-1.html

If a reviewer prefers the 'flavour' of sound from the R2R2000 over that of Hugo 2, then it is 100% fine to say that. Not everyone is explicitly seeking as much accuracy as possible; some people enjoy a romanticised or 'tuned' sound to their music playback, and that's absolutely fine. More power to them, and I wish them well. It is also quite legitimate for a manufacturer to create hardware aimed at satisfying fans of a romanticised or 'tuned' sound. R2R DACs may serve that purpose well, even though, from a technical standpoint, they may have shortcomings, in terms of accuracy of reconstruction of the analogue signal *
That's not a sly dig at HiFiMan (or at other makers of R2R DACs) - it's simply honestly calling a spade a spade and not pretending a spade is a rocketship. Some valve amps create a romanticised presentation, and so do many IEMs/CIEMs/headphones. It's all good, if there is something available to suit everyone's tastes, as long as we don't kid ourselves that liking something more necessarily indicates that it is of higher quality (although sometimes a prefered piece of equipment may actually be of higher quality). Hugo 2 isn't perfect, either, but one of it's core aims is to reconstruct the analogue signal as accurately as possible, rather than to favour a romanticised presentation of music (I concede that switchable digital filter options are permitted).

Therefore, if the R2R2000 sounds nice and functions well, then it deserves some success (price notwithstanding), but user-impressions that claim "overall quality is higher than the hugo" (and whilst admitting that they did not even carefully audition Hugo 2) do not help HiFiMan at all, because they can be proven to be unsubstantiated. Implausible claims may therefore tend to smack of fanboyism and may undermine HiFiMan's cause. I'm not saying this to defend Hugo 2 - it doesn't need defending, here. I'm simply saying this to call-out statements that may be counter-productive to HiFiMan and misleading to the audio community (including potential customers).

However, I concede that some semantic subtleties may have got lost in translation from Chinese to English, so the impressions that @Pictogram quoted for us, from that other website, might, perhaps, be more plausible than they currently appear, in which circumstances, my above comments may not be entirely applicable, and I'll gladly revise them, if that proves to be the case.

In any case, if I see an R2R2000 at a tradeshow, or Canjam, I'll be interested to hear it, and I may, perhaps, find myself enjoying it, subjectively, but I don't have unrealistic expectations of its technical capabilities, and nor will I do HiFiMan the disservice of making unrealistic claims about it.

Hopefully, a few Head-Fiers will get one, and share some sensible / plausible impressions with the rest of us, in due course. Maybe we'll even see some technical measurements.


I do like the form-factor of the R2R2000, as it's pleasantly compact for on-the-go use. Actually, it's amazing how much more compact it is than HiFiMan's previous flagship. I also like that it's not Android-based, but I know others like to have apps on everything including their alarm clock and egg-timer

 

[Pictograms]

I do think that I would have to agree with @Mython that saying “from a simple audition” it would mean more flavour... but this is a problem of short impressions especially that are from another language and translated by google.

 

[twister6]

Prince Edward?!? Is that a code name for R2R2k?

Though Jude didn't mention it in his CanJam NYC video, I really hope HFM will have it at their table this weekend to check it out. It's hard to go by translated impressions, would be good to hear it first hand, or first ear

SNR 110dB is rather low, just going by other DAPs I have tested where anything between 110-115dB doesn't have as expanded dynamics, giving sound a more "compressed" feeling when compared to other DAPs in 120-125dB SNR range. But again, these are just "numbers" which lead you only to speculations, nothing more or less. Gotta hear it first.

 

[Pictograms]

Doesn’t the yggdrasil get rated at 117 SNR? Is there a difference in testing or would the manufacturer post the lowest?
Ie 110 may actually be closer to 115 realworld results

 

[Deftone]

Potentially someone with better first-hand knowledge of Chinese can give us a better break down than Google. I'm very interested in this review and Google translate just doesn't do it for me

I agree it’s very hard to read, mostly about fruit.

 

[jasonho]

First of all, most replies on that review thread were full of doubts (about the review) as well :

1) reviewer doesn't own or use Hugo2 extensively enough to make good claims. I guess he doesn't even know if there's even a filter feature in Hugo2.
2) comparing a portable source to a dac-amp is somehow like comparing apple to orangle. Not sure why he did that though
3) lots of contradicting comments (regarding sound signature) within the review

Hifiman is making a very unusual launch offer this time as they mostly target at existing hifiman owners and pricing point is not well positioned.

 

[Pictograms]

Apparently the pre ordering starts on the 18th in China and it’s very strange I have still not seen any real specs posted. Weird

 

[ExpiredLabel]

We'll see if they take up my offer for a review as I'm currently sitting in the 901s. I'm all for honesty and a fair evaluation, let's see if the oblige.

 

[audionewbi]

My friend from mainland china tells me with each iteration the sound improves but the UI is simply inspired by Supermini. I personally dont think I'm ready for another primitive UI. Using apple and various music app made me want to buy Poly, and while I really dont like how Mojo sounds I'm willing to trade the inferior sound with the superior UI experience.

If now Hifiman finds a way to merry up the sound of R2R2000 with the apple UI......