[abitdeef]

Yes battery charging system has a voltage regulator and the problem is bad cells. Fiio had this problem with original x3. I had the battery swell up after 2 years and fiio was kind enough to send me a new battery and my x3 was right as rain after that.

 

[originalsnuffy]

Sorry that your R3 battery is an issue. Like some others have stated, it is worth finding out what the factory charge is for repair.

Every warranty in the US is like yours; the warranty begins from the time you place the original unit in service and is not extended when you end up with a replacement unit.

I think the R3 is a bit slow in terms of its computing, but the sound is quite good and I like the relatively small size.

The Cayin unit that Abitdeef mentioned looks good on paper. But it is not Android so if you want full Android then that unit is not a good choice.

But I have had issues with my Cayin as noted above so that vendor isn't perfect either. At least the R3 does what it is supposed to do whereas my Cayin N5II unit (which runs Android) never did half of what it was supposed to do. The firmware updates stopped before all the promised features went in.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Please note that the out of warranty price for replacement of the R5 battery is $35USD.

 

[JerryHead]

Please note that the out of warranty price for replacement of the R5 battery is $35USD.

Two questions for you Joe: Can you reply with instructions for anyone who experiences such issues out of warranty? Who and how to contact to request repair?
Also, if purchased from HiBy through a vendor like Ali Express, would the manufacturer's warranty still be valid? Thank you.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Two questions for you Joe: Can you reply with instructions for anyone who experiences such issues out of warranty? Who and how to contact to request repair?
Also, if purchased from HiBy through a vendor like Ali Express, would the manufacturer's warranty still be valid? Thank you.

1. Email service@hiby.com . This is our best channel. All other channels (e.g. facebook) are potentially affected by access problems on our end.
2. We are on AliExpress officially as hiby.aliexpress.com , so you'd obviously have no problem with warranty from there. At other vendors, the warranty is still valid, but may require that you send any defective unit to your seller, for the seller to forward to us. Again, email service@hiby.com and name / link to the particular seller used. They will make everything clear for each individual case.

 

[MargusL]

Joe, does Hiby R5 Saber has improved or different battery then R5?

 

[Rafinnnnnn15]

1. Email service@hiby.com . This is our best channel. All other channels (e.g. facebook) are potentially affected by access problems on our end.
2. We are on AliExpress officially as hiby.aliexpress.com , so you'd obviously have no problem with warranty from there. At other vendors, the warranty is still valid, but may require that you send any defective unit to your seller, for the seller to forward to us. Again, email service@hiby.com and name / link to the particular seller used. They will make everything clear for each individual case.

Hi friend Joe, I'm interested in buying a Hiby R5 but I can't find it anywhere either on aliexpress or on their official Hiby website, I'm from Mexico and I know they have the Hiby R5 Saber but I don't like that version, and I don't know if they have any normal R5 for sale?

 

[JerryHead]

For long-term battery health, probably best to charge a unit overnight once you first receive it and open it, huh? Without even using it initially?

 

[abitdeef]

Sorry that your R3 battery is an issue. Like some others have stated, it is worth finding out what the factory charge is for repair.

Every warranty in the US is like yours; the warranty begins from the time you place the original unit in service and is not extended when you end up with a replacement unit.

I think the R3 is a bit slow in terms of its computing, but the sound is quite good and I like the relatively small size.

The Cayin unit that Abitdeef mentioned looks good on paper. But it is not Android so if you want full Android then that unit is not a good choice.

But I have had issues with my Cayin as noted above so that vendor isn't perfect either. At least the R3 does what it is supposed to do whereas my Cayin N5II unit (which runs Android) never did half of what it was supposed to do. The firmware updates stopped before all the promised features went in.

Yes the n3 pro is not a full android dap and you lose some resolution and the battery life is less. It just has that phat tube sound. And please don't get me wrong you would notice a difference in resolution with the hiby r5 saber model if you have resolving iems/cans.

I just was thinking of 2 models that sounded quite different than r5. They both have drawbacks like anything else, like ibasso dx160 can be spotty on wifi and Bluetooth and it is a little 'sharp' in it's delivery.

I still think for full Android dap that has a smaller footprint hiby r5 takes the crown. It's got a great price and is just so well rounded. Of course these are just my personal musings

Soubdwise I haven't heard a 'bad' sounding dap for a long time. Eveything is pretty clean and relatively powerful these days. Say compared to old ipod or older Sony, which could be pretty hissy with sensitive iems, like a mini waterfall lol. So power is better and noise is lower.

Also I don't mind using EQ , sometimes it's necessary for me and I Love that hiby now has Master EQ and MSEB. That is I mean it's system wide so you can use it on say Tidal if you wish. Good stuff.

 

[abitdeef]

For long-term battery health, probably best to charge units overnight once you first receive it, huh? Without even using it initially?

They say with newer batteries like lion poly it doesn't matter- they have less memory effect. But I think it takes a couple of cycles for the battery meter to be properly calibrated and accurate. Sony has a setting that only charges battery to 90% and that's supposed to prolong battery life.

35 dollars installed is pretty cheap, myself I would just have them send me a battery or buy and equivalent cell and install myself. I do miss screw on backs though. But if battery swells it will probably push the back off for you ha ha, and then you just have to glue it back on.

 

[JerryHead]

They say with newer batteries like lion poly it doesn't matter- they have less memory effect. But I think it takes a couple of cycles for the battery meter to be properly calibrated and accurate. Sony has a setting that only charges battery to 90% and that's supposed to prolong battery life.

35 dollars installed is pretty cheap, myself I would just have them send me a battery or buy and equivalent cell and install myself. I do miss screw on backs though. But if battery swells it will probably push the back off for you ha ha, and then you just have to glue it back on.

Thanks. I was just wondering if this was my issue with the brand new R3 I received a few weeks ago. It was losing 5% of battery life every few minutes and that was from the factory settings. I reset the entire device, and same issue. I wondered if I should've just let it charge overnight before using it, if that would've prevented the problem. But I don't think so.

 

[Vincent.P]

In fairness, this is a normal warranty offer and Hiby did offer to repair for a fee. Perhaps you should enquire what that fee might be, it could be quite affordable?
It's a shame that the BMS seems to have failed some customers though (or perhaps it's faulty cells, who knows), I can't help but think Hiby should make their devices safe to charge from any (typical) USB-C source, or supply a specific charger as part of the package.
Of course, if it's bad cells then I don't know what Hiby could do differently, apart from offering a warranty (which they already do), or an affordable post-warranty repair service (which they may do?)

FYI.
It cost me $20 to send it to China today.
Hiby says $15 for the international return freight and $20 for battery replacement. (Actual repair costs will be provided after receiving and inspecting your device.)
I think this is very reasonable but It's not the cost it's the principal.
This is the second R5 I've had since my original purchase in September 2019.
The first died within 5 months and so I sent it off to China. Hiby sent a new replacement which got stuck in Hong Kong for 2 months due to the Covid lock down.
I eventually got my replacement R5 in April last year. So after 9 months use the battery has blown so much that its pushed the back off.
After spending $399 I expect an electrical item to last years not months.

 

[originalsnuffy]

I feel bad for those having battery issues. It really is a shame when a great device has issues. But fortunately the cost of getting things squared away from the factory seem really reasonable.

If you own enough toys, some will surely break. The way I look at it, its just the cost of entry. Fortunately these prices are chump change compared to house or car repairs.

At some point I will send in my Cayin for repair. They told me there is a two week period in Feb. when China is on holiday so I should wait until after that. By the way, that unit has firmware from HiBy; but its early stuff compared to the R5. I wish I could talk Cayin / HiBy to updating that unit but the odds of that happening are lower than a US politician telling the truth.

 

[JelStIy]

Yes the n3 pro is not a full android dap and you lose some resolution and the battery life is less. It just has that phat tube sound. And please don't get me wrong you would notice a difference in resolution with the hiby r5 saber model if you have resolving iems/cans.

I just was thinking of 2 models that sounded quite different than r5. They both have drawbacks like anything else, like ibasso dx160 can be spotty on wifi and Bluetooth and it is a little 'sharp' in it's delivery.

I still think for full Android dap that has a smaller footprint hiby r5 takes the crown. It's got a great price and is just so well rounded. Of course these are just my personal musings

Soubdwise I haven't heard a 'bad' sounding dap for a long time. Eveything is pretty clean and relatively powerful these days. Say compared to old ipod or older Sony, which could be pretty hissy with sensitive iems, like a mini waterfall lol. So power is better and noise is lower.

Also I don't mind using EQ , sometimes it's necessary for me and I Love that hiby now has Master EQ and MSEB. That is I mean it's system wide so you can use it on say Tidal if you wish. Good stuff.

Does Hiby have Master EQ? I thought only MSEB was system-wide.

 

[MundoHiFiOz]

Any idea of why does R5 produce a "click" sound when jumping to the next songs?