I'm a bit late for party, but anyway, here is my review of R3
Thank you, great review. I am new here, but have actually watched many of your online reviews over the past few years!
As you say, this is a fantastic looking & compact DAP with a superb form factor.
My criticism of the R3 from a design point of view is the physical buttons.
I wish they had kept to the same button style as on the R6 (individual circular buttons). The smaller the device, the easier it gets to use spaced out round buttons (as per 2nd gen Shanling DAPS).
And even then, it is a shame that HiBy changed these buttons from the original kickstarter design. Originally the reverse-skip / play / forward skip buttons were 3 separate buttons - compared to the final retail production that merged the 2 reverse-skip/play buttons into a (cheaper) rocker button.
Also, all the buttons are way too shallow. From a tactile experience, with its rounded corners and recessed button profile, it makes the R3 too sleek that it easily slips out of the hand. I find it it easier to grip and gently hold onto when its in the plastic case ..... which unfortunately makes the depressing of the buttons even more difficult to identify and use.
It may sound harsh, but the overall design and size is so good - its the only thing [software issues aside] that stops it getting a perfect '10'