[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Just grabbed the old RE-400 off Amazon for $20. I owned it once before but happy to have again. Means business at $20 in this market I think.

Bought them a few years ago for about $25.00, and sold them. No bass and the stage is small. My RE00 smash them in pretty much all ways, so I kept those, and dumped the RE400

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Sneak peek from the “studio” today. I have never owned a DAP like HiBy R8II. You can use this one as a self-defence weapon. The only chunkier DAP I have ever seen is the FiiO M17.

Yes, it sounds wonderful. Yes, the difference between R3II and R8II is easily detected even with ultra sensitive IEMs like those two on the table. Yes, I think it sounds better than my DX300. More vibrant with more refined transient response in class AB amp mode, and more expansive imaging in class A mode.

I cry at the AUD$3600 price tag. But at the same time, it is cheaper than A&K SP3000 and the build quality is pretty close. The R8II is essentially a chunk of stainless steel wrapped in alcantera. If I have such disposable income, I would consider this DAP, but only if HiBy guarantees that they can replace the battery in the future. If I pay for this chunk of steel, I want to use it for desktop, portable, transportable, everywhere, for years.

Will do battery measurement as suggested by a few members here and upload the full review in a few weeks. Now I just need to find some time to cut and edit.

Thanks @Joe Bloggs for arranging the R8II sample. This unit is not mine and it would be send to the next reviewer within a few weeks.

Hiby guaranteeing their battery?! I got so many chuckles from this comment, it was if you had just played me a George Carlin video.

 

[Ichos]

I wanted to like the Nova so much but it just didn't work for me. I was in love with the look and the matching cable but man that cable SUCKS! Biggest disappointment of 2023 for me after hearing all the positive impressions from CanJam.

Honestly I was also expecting a little more. Not bad for what it is but it could be better.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

Haven't tried R3 II but let's say I enjoyed the R6 III more than R3 Saber 2022.
And then liked the R6 Pro II more than R6 III.

And now the R8 II even more than R6 Pro II, and this time I find it the hardest to go back to previous one. Words coming to mind is that R6P2 sounds less dynamic and more digital sounding, R8 II is on the neutral side but sound more pleasing and vibrant than the previous ones.

And yes price is a big step up, is it worth it? Yes for me, will be fun to see what I think after some months time. Had a session 1 week ago against N7 and DX320 max, and preffered the R8II.

$3,000+?! I hope it gives you surprise reach arounds too? I guess if you are rich or like piling on your credit card bills, to each his own, but $3,000 for a DAP? for me....PASS.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I have been listening to these two tracks on the CCA Trio. Check out the bass drum on the Steinar Lund piece and the soundstage and layering in the Deuter track. Excellent! Switch setting 0000.

Layering on these things is SICK! Can peel like an onion.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I can relate to this observation. This IEM can pull out some unexpected details in the mix sometimes, even though in resolution it is slightly behind another IEM I am reviewing, the Yvain.

Just for fun, I run trio from R8ii with all bells and whistles on. It’s interesting to see how far it can be pushed, and how it ultimately bottlenecks the chain. Still, an impressive $30-$40 IEM. Highly recommend (the exact unit, exact batch, not sure about future batches)

During my NiceHCK DB2 review I stumbled upon using the SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 cable with the HiBy R3 II, and it was truly amazing. So amazing that I keep coming back to it (every day) and keep trying different songs, just to verify the truth. I mean sure I knew instantly that it was good, but not really this good. Most of the time I have ideas as to why synergy has taken place, but not here.............in no fashion should playback be this good? The question is, it’s an $23.00 to $27.99 IEM, and a $179.00 DAP plus a $62.99 cable? No way should this rock the way it does, and almost never to these things ever sound quite this good apart?

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

I remarked last year that if any IEM “hype” would be carried over into 2024 it would be the Kiwi ears Quintet! That one will not soon be forgotten! Cheers!

The Quintet hardly gets mentioned, and several have commented newer stuff surpass it, so I'm not sure one dude mentioning it in passing qualifies it for a sustained hype train,. but I get your sentiment. I do. You love it.

 

[Vonbuddy]

Is the Hype 4 close enough to the Hype 10 to save money? And is the Hype 10 close enough to the Monarch 3 to save a little money?

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv2]

During my NiceHCK DB2 review I stumbled upon using the SIMGOT AUDIO LC7 cable with the HiBy R3 II, and it was truly amazing. So amazing that I keep coming back to it (every day) and keep trying different songs, just to verify the truth. I mean sure I knew instantly that it was good, but not really this good. Most of the time I have ideas as to why synergy has taken place, but not here.............in no fashion should be this good. The question is, it’s an $23.00 to $27.99 IEM, and a $179.00 DAP plus an under $62.99 cable? No way should this rock the way it does, and almost never to these things ever sound quite this good apart?

I've been using the NiceHCK Black Cat with the Trio on the suggestion of @o0genesis0o and they are friends. They enjoy each other's company. Simpatico.

 

[nkanak]

I own all 3. My experience is that Hype4 is the best in terms of price to performance in the current Thieaudio IEM line.

 

[Leonarfd]

$3,000+?! I hope it gives you surprise reach arounds too? I guess if you are rich or like piling on your credit card bills, to each his own, but $3,000 for a DAP? for me....PASS.

Not that much, its priced at $1999 ( my guess is he talked about AUD).
I also have a discount for writing a review on it, still a good chunk of money. I have had a big clean-up, and sold stuff too thin out my collection.
Then for some reason had to use up the money to buy some new stuff like the R8 II and Kinera Verdandi.

Been using a few different HIBY DAPs the last years without any problems, not the same can be said for the Cayin N7 I had....

Been working on the review today, tested the line out together with my desktop amps. Also had much comparing with R6P2, must admit its a lot more time consuming and hard to write DAP reviews than for IEMs.

 

[Redcarmoose]

The Quintet hardly gets mentioned, and several have commented newer stuff surpass it, so I'm not sure one dude mentioning it in passing qualifies it for a sustained hype train,. but I get your sentiment. I do. You love it.

You do have a point there. Well, maybe it’s a Hype Bicycle at this point?

 

[o0genesis0o]

$3,000+?! I hope it gives you surprise reach arounds too? I guess if you are rich or like piling on your credit card bills, to each his own, but $3,000 for a DAP? for me....PASS.

I have a hunch that you can get the same if not better sound from a good desktop stack that is $1000 or less. After all, squeezing things into a small box and preventing it from exploding is kinda expensive.

As I sometimes mentioned, don’t buy DAP with expectation of improving the gear that you currently have. The expectations you build up due to the price tag and the flowery image that others (myself included) describes would never be met by the actual performance, no matter how good that performance is. Highend DAP also has the worst price/performance because they don’t have economy of scale, and they tend to have lots of R&D costs, which you bear. I guess what delights me is “really? My same IEM can sound even better than how it usually sounds?” That difference that is so rare to see at the level of gear I have (not the most TOTL, for sure) that it is kinda mindblowing.

I can’t understand some folks in the other thread who borrow money (credit card, mortgage, whatever) to buy audio gear. To me, save up and buy what I can without debt. But if I have a chunk of money, I want this giant brick of a DAP.

 

[Enther]

Please any opinions of Ziigaat Doscinco?

 

[Leonarfd]

I have a hunch that you can get the same if not better sound from a good desktop stack that is $1000 or less. After all, squeezing things into a small box and preventing it from exploding is kinda expensive.

I can’t understand some folks in the other thread who borrow money (credit card, mortgage, whatever) to buy audio gear. To me, save up and buy what I can without debt. But if I have a chunk of money, I want this giant brick of a DAP.

So true, my desktop rig (around 1000usd) been my goto for critical listening, and most DAPs dont have the same quality. Specially when you use harder to drive stuff like earbuds or headphones, but for me being able to get the same quality sound with R8 II make it worth it. Could have wished for a little more power for headphones, but I dont see any reason to use my 600ohm Beyerdynamic on the go. And when the R8 II can drive my 300ohm earbud without loosing its dynamics I'm more than happy.

What is worth something is also very different from person to person, very understandable people dont want to use a lot of money on a DAP when you can get seriously good sound from a cheap dongle.

I am also one who would never take up depth to buy, I usually save up or sell something beforehand.