Thank you Mark, as always detailed and straight forward review. Same processor/old Android is a big deal breaker... Stream apps gonna get heavy as they can, and a reasonable clock is a future proof characteristic. If I could buy that charming R5 gen 1 I would definitely consider it, or Shanling M3X. I hope that a "R3 Gen 2" (It is around the corner) comes in that form factor of R5 Gen 1.
Awesome review! would like to see you review the iBasso DX170. Im seriously considering this Hiby or the iBasso DX170 but there arent a whole lot of in depth reviews on the iBasso yet. Cheers
Esthetically and visually iBasso is better. But some people say that it is slow. In sound quality I am also curious and didnt get much info about comparison. If you have got, share please
I have had the player for 4 months and I'm pretty happy with it use the A /amp setting and balanced cable with my Sennheiser 660 S . Owned I Basso and Cayin Players before but as technology is moving so fast It was time to move on without spending too much money. For me, it is a great value . I see below many questions about how it will compare with other players which in my opinion is a personal preference as each DAP player has its own sonic signature. Therefore it is essential to listen to it with Music you know very well before you make a decision.
A personal "quality of life" question re: how I use my DAP: the Fiio stock lets me access the most recent 100 tunes loaded on to the SD card. I use this A LOT, as I'm a deejay and buy a decent number of tunes. Once I download them and prep them in my deejay software, I then load them on the SD card/DAP to be able to listen to them and learn them. This has become an absolute lifesaver and has made me a better deejay since I've picked up my M17. Does something like this exist in the Hiby stock software? Thank you!
Hi. Does Hiby R5 gen 2 has this oldschool DAP feature of playing music from the level of raw browsing folders? Like I'm making a folder with various music on PC, naming it "1", copying into HD card - and then could I listen to this music in the way I've put it?
Thanks for the review Mark…❗️… just little comment about my experience with class A amp , I jusr recieved Tri tk2 DAC/Amp which has a class A and when I go over 60% volume it kicks in…. and the change is so noticeable, suddenly it’s much richer and the space is more mature… it’s beautiful…. love this new amp with Blessing 2 so much… ✌️❤️😎
Thank U for this detailed review and for mentioning Poweramp. I was worried about it performance and you made me decided. I'm very happy with this player, but have one question: is this normal that class A amp ad mseb settings does not work with my bluetooth buds? They work only with wired denon headphones. Is there some setting that I don't know of?
Not sure about MESB, but I'm not surprised if that doesn't work over Bluetooth. Poweramp EQ should, I expect. And the amps are not used when you use Bluetooth, so enabling Class A or Class B makes no difference.
@@SuperReview As usual nobody seems to be offering a device with the ideal feature set. It’s almost as if there is an an unwritten rule against it. At least this one has a decent knob.
I have the r5 saber and tried using poweramp on it but for some reason I get super low volume out of the 3.5mm jack. Doesn't matter if I use phone out or line out it gets significantly quieter. Switching to the stock hiby app or Rocket Player gives me the normal output. Does this happen to you, too? Also, how did you get dark mode on your r5 saber?
@@machodrilo No. Poweramp is made that way to allow you to use the equalizer to your hearts content, without overloading the gain. That's why it is quieter than the rest.
Just an observation...related to Blessing2...I found out I am very sensitive to frequency response, and because B2 has an amazing frequency response and S tonality I find them so extremely wonderful 👍🙋♂️
@@SuperReview That's a shame, I think you would like it. At least from the usability and battery longetivity standpoints. It would have been interesting to hear your opinion on it's sound, though. Some folks say it's warm neutral, but others (including me) would say that it's definitely flavoured and maybe a bit too much at that. Knowing about your preferences somewhat, I think you might not be a fan of such flavour. Interestingly enough, there was a limited edition of M3X which purportedly was tuned specifically to compliment signature ("Harman-ish") sound of Moondrop and Tanchjim IEMs. AFAIK, it sounds even "warmer" than regular version. I shudder at the mere thought, as the regular version already makes Blessing 2 and Variations sound way too dull (and two other pairs of head-/earphones I tried with it), robbing them of some of their strong points and diminishing their appeal significantly. To my ears that is.
@@SuperReview Thanks, I may try it back to back with the new Sony ZX707 and see which I like better. Looks like Android 12 on the Sony and some good battery life.
i am still trying to think about buying a DAP because i know i will use Bluetooth to make it into a Bluetooth dac and the only reason i would use one like this is because i can keep an SD card of storage (since you know... phones are getting rid of SD cards too)... but would it be worth getting a smaller DAP instead of say the BTR5 just to play an offline library... or use a BTR5 for everything and have one item for streaming, music, games, and photos just not allowed to listen to stuff not on tidal or qobuz or spotify
Have you noticed buggy software with this unit? I am noticing quite a few bugs. Bluetooth headphone controls not working with some apps. But the most annoying bug is the physical buttons opening and playing totally different apps instead of playing/pausing the one Im currently on and using. Soundcloud and plexamp do not really behave well with this unit.
I've had issues like you're describing with most Android DAPs unfortunately. I've gotten in the habit of force-closing music apps when switching from one to another, which helps. On this R5G2 specifically, maybe once a month I have another issue where no music app will play music. I've been rebooting it to resolve the issue, but just this morning found and force-restarted the MusicFX app that runs as an Android service. It brought back playback without rebooting the device, TBD if it's repeatable.
@@SuperReview thanks, for this hyperfast reaction!! Yes, these are my thoughts too. Strange... it all comes from original cds, every song is available and every tracklist is displayed correctly... but within the albums it often plays in random mode .
So embarassing ...it was originally in random play mode...🤣🙈😇😇😇 Just didn' t understand the symbols ad hoc.... it was YOUR review that brought me to this device, and after one week I have A BLAST!!! THANK YOU!!! 🍻🍻🤘🤘
The m3x is far superior. This hiby cut costs too much and as a result is a dud lemon. This is something this reviewer doesn't mention. The sound is soulless and sterile without any energy or musicality. This turkey never mentions the areas of sound quality that really matters.
@@SuperReview in my research daps that are around $500 less are not that good. My iPhone doesn’t sound no where as good as my pc with questyle m12i dongle dac. I was thinking maybe getting a cheap dap and using a dongle dac that has a man amazing sound stage depth and holographic imaging
@@denislemieux7294 If you have your music files on the device (MP3, FLAC), there's no need for a network connection. If you use a streaming service, you'll need to use it in an offline mode or hotspot to your phone.
I am actually really annoyed by dap screens getting bigger. For watching videos I got my smartphone, please don't make me carry a smartphone + a second smartphone that sounds better but can't call people.
You can listen to albums individually in their original order. If you want to listen to all albums by a particular artist, it mixes up all the albums together, organizing the songs alphabetically.
@Super* Review ooooh got it! One last question if you don't mind. I'm just now digging into these new daps, is there any device close to a Zune as far as ui, function and perhaps design?
Bought this Hiby R5G2 last week, before i saw your review. All you say about it is the sad reality for this one, unfortunately! I can get much better acoustic performance out of a combo ( Hiby R3 Pro Saber + Cayin RU6 dongle ). Way better performance. To me, the new R5G2 is a total flop! I'm sending it back to the store next week, and get my money back to invest on something else, but for sure, not a " placebo gadget " like this "thing"...
@@SuperReview , it wasn't the case dear friend. I'm with the audio and also acoustics for more than 40 years, not with the portable, once i've stoped it back in the 80's, and kept with the high-end home systems. In this new entry in this universe of the new generation daps and portables, i went only for the in-ear headphones, once to me, portable audio is to go outdoors and try the best approach to what our home systems ( those phisical ones, with large loudspeakers ) provide to our earing. So, i got some daps and only two IEM's from the old school Sony knowledge. XBA-N3 ( already balanced ) and the IER-Z1R. I like full range acoustic signature, and an overall presentation, concerning music. Never go specífic with audio. To pair the Z1R, i got the Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, wihich to my personal appreciation was an absolute perfect match. The R5 gen2, was supose to come to replace the RU6 and to be used with the XBA-N3. But this was a no go for me, after only three days use. Super boring acoustic signature, and worst of all, the lack of depth with the soundstage, has determined my decision, although i consider this new R5, for it's asked price, very good indeed. Not for me though.
Nah, no one cares about storage built into these things, the assumption is you're plugging in a Micro SD card to get as much storage as you want for cheap.
I just realized the problem is the snapdragon processor. it's not capable of the newer Bluetooth standards I don't think. so it not only puts a damper on performance but is not even up to industry standards for Bluetooth. I think that's a huge bummer actually. when it comes to wired connections I have no doubt it sounds really good, but usually when I'm listening to wired headphones I'm sitting at my desk hooked into my bifrost jotunheim stack. when I'm on the go my Samsung phone is more than capable handling my music with 5.2 Bluetooth and the fiio utsw5 which has built in dacs plus I can swap out my iems. I guess I have a hard time justifying a purchase like this.
The stock app is not laggy for me, and the android UI is also fine. Sometimes the Apple Music app does take a long time to load a song, but all the built-in stuff works great.
Audience Q&A is here: th-cam.com/video/tuyXOM8F5tg/w-d-xo.html
one-handable! learning new words everyday😄
Thank you Mark, as always detailed and straight forward review.
Same processor/old Android is a big deal breaker...
Stream apps gonna get heavy as they can, and a reasonable clock is a future proof characteristic.
If I could buy that charming R5 gen 1 I would definitely consider it, or Shanling M3X.
I hope that a "R3 Gen 2" (It is around the corner) comes in that form factor of R5 Gen 1.
For the size the R5 is killin it!
Awesome review! would like to see you review the iBasso DX170. Im seriously considering this Hiby or the iBasso DX170 but there arent a whole lot of in depth reviews on the iBasso yet.
Cheers
I reached out to iBasso about a review but haven't heard back :(
Esthetically and visually iBasso is better. But some people say that it is slow. In sound quality I am also curious and didnt get much info about comparison. If you have got, share please
I have had the player for 4 months and I'm pretty happy with it use the A /amp setting and balanced cable with my Sennheiser 660 S . Owned I Basso and Cayin Players before but as technology is moving so fast It was time to move on without spending too much money. For me, it is a great value . I see below many questions about how it will compare with other players which in my opinion is a personal preference as each DAP player has its own sonic signature. Therefore it is essential to listen to it with Music you know very well before you make a decision.
z
Apart from streaming do you think is still worthwhile to get in 2024. Does it still run smooth or having hiccups.
Nice Review. downside Android 8.1 , Bluetooth 4.2 , RAM: 2GB
A personal "quality of life" question re: how I use my DAP: the Fiio stock lets me access the most recent 100 tunes loaded on to the SD card. I use this A LOT, as I'm a deejay and buy a decent number of tunes. Once I download them and prep them in my deejay software, I then load them on the SD card/DAP to be able to listen to them and learn them. This has become an absolute lifesaver and has made me a better deejay since I've picked up my M17.
Does something like this exist in the Hiby stock software? Thank you!
Hi. Does Hiby R5 gen 2 has this oldschool DAP feature of playing music from the level of raw browsing folders? Like I'm making a folder with various music on PC, naming it "1", copying into HD card - and then could I listen to this music in the way I've put it?
Yes, you can browse by Folder instead of by Artist/Album tags.
Thanks for the review Mark…❗️… just little comment about my experience with class A amp , I jusr recieved Tri tk2 DAC/Amp which has a class A and when I go over 60% volume it kicks in…. and the change is so noticeable, suddenly it’s much richer and the space is more mature… it’s beautiful…. love this new amp with Blessing 2 so much… ✌️❤️😎
Interesting that it engages at a certain volume level.
Well it’s intended this way… it’s exciting you hear this slight ssss sound and it transfers to A class mode… 👍🙋♂️
how is the Fiio M11 plus compared to the Hiby R5 Gen 2?
Great review
Thank U for this detailed review and for mentioning Poweramp. I was worried about it performance and you made me decided. I'm very happy with this player, but have one question: is this normal that class A amp ad mseb settings does not work with my bluetooth buds? They work only with wired denon headphones. Is there some setting that I don't know of?
Not sure about MESB, but I'm not surprised if that doesn't work over Bluetooth. Poweramp EQ should, I expect.
And the amps are not used when you use Bluetooth, so enabling Class A or Class B makes no difference.
@@SuperReview Thank you for your answer!
Not sure if you have seen yet Mr. Ryan but the HiBy R6 GEN III is released later this week. I’m going to give this one a try.
Looks like I'm getting a review unit 👍 Nice upgrade in processor + OS over the R5G2. But doesn't carry forward the same incredible batter :\
@@SuperReview As usual nobody seems to be offering a device with the ideal feature set. It’s almost as if there is an an unwritten rule against it. At least this one has a decent knob.
@@GadZookz If a bad knob is a knobomination, what’s a great knob?
@@SuperReview Don’t want to boast but the volume knob on my Naim Uniti Atom is called Knobzilla. I know of of none bigger.
@@GadZookz Does it go to 11?
Hello, Can you edit/add album art on the player itself or does it have to be done on the computer and then transferred to the player ? Cheers !
I have the r5 saber and tried using poweramp on it but for some reason I get super low volume out of the 3.5mm jack. Doesn't matter if I use phone out or line out it gets significantly quieter. Switching to the stock hiby app or Rocket Player gives me the normal output. Does this happen to you, too?
Also, how did you get dark mode on your r5 saber?
Poweramp plays quieter for me too, but the Hiby has plenty of power to make up for it. Not using any dark mode, just Niagara launcher.
You have to deactivate DVC or something like that
@@machodrilo No. Poweramp is made that way to allow you to use the equalizer to your hearts content, without overloading the gain. That's why it is quieter than the rest.
Nice review as usual, I suggest to give Neutron player a try, I found it the most customizable Audio player ever made.
I want less customization!
Will this output a digital signal via USB when using the bluetooth input? Will this function as Bluetooth DAC with LDAC or APTX?
Just an observation...related to Blessing2...I found out I am very sensitive to frequency response, and because B2 has an amazing frequency response and S tonality I find them so extremely wonderful 👍🙋♂️
It's my favorite tuning so far 🤙
Just got this thing, man that battery life
So good.
Great video, as usual. Would have been wonderfull to see a Shanling M3X review from you and maybe even a comparison with this this one.
I've not been able to get hold of an M3X unfortunately.
@@SuperReview That's a shame, I think you would like it. At least from the usability and battery longetivity standpoints. It would have been interesting to hear your opinion on it's sound, though. Some folks say it's warm neutral, but others (including me) would say that it's definitely flavoured and maybe a bit too much at that.
Knowing about your preferences somewhat, I think you might not be a fan of such flavour. Interestingly enough, there was a limited edition of M3X which purportedly was tuned specifically to compliment signature ("Harman-ish") sound of Moondrop and Tanchjim IEMs. AFAIK, it sounds even "warmer" than regular version.
I shudder at the mere thought, as the regular version already makes Blessing 2 and Variations sound way too dull (and two other pairs of head-/earphones I tried with it), robbing them of some of their strong points and diminishing their appeal significantly. To my ears that is.
What DAP do you like around $1000?
I prefer this Hiby to any $1,000 DAPs I've used.
@@SuperReview Thanks, I may try it back to back with the new Sony ZX707 and see which I like better. Looks like Android 12 on the Sony and some good battery life.
i am still trying to think about buying a DAP because i know i will use Bluetooth to make it into a Bluetooth dac and the only reason i would use one like this is because i can keep an SD card of storage (since you know... phones are getting rid of SD cards too)... but would it be worth getting a smaller DAP instead of say the BTR5 just to play an offline library... or use a BTR5 for everything and have one item for streaming, music, games, and photos just not allowed to listen to stuff not on tidal or qobuz or spotify
Do the controls work for any app or just the stock app? Also, do the equalizer settings work for all apps or just the stock app?
Same answer as before -- yes buttons work across apps, I think there's a system-wide EQ that's kinda limited (MESB).
@@SuperReview Thanks.
which charger did u use ? 18watt one ? or lower ?
MageSound 8-ball (MSEB):
1 -- Overall Temperature is tilt of whole line to treble(cool) or bass(warm)
2 -- Bass extension 70Hz and below
3 -- Bass texture 100Hz (medium)
4 -- Note thickness 200Hz (wide)
5 -- Vocals 650Hz (very wide)
6 -- Female overtones 3kHz (tight)
7 -- Sibilance LF 5.8kHz (medium)
8 -- Sibilance HF 9.2kHz (medium)
9 -- Impulse response 7.5kHz (very wide)
10 - Air 10kHz sloped all the way to 20kHz
Literally nobody cares
@@jgbelmontEspecially on this jackass Utuber's channel. He gives out homosexual vibes.
Have you noticed buggy software with this unit? I am noticing quite a few bugs. Bluetooth headphone controls not working with some apps. But the most annoying bug is the physical buttons opening and playing totally different apps instead of playing/pausing the one Im currently on and using. Soundcloud and plexamp do not really behave well with this unit.
I've had issues like you're describing with most Android DAPs unfortunately. I've gotten in the habit of force-closing music apps when switching from one to another, which helps. On this R5G2 specifically, maybe once a month I have another issue where no music app will play music. I've been rebooting it to resolve the issue, but just this morning found and force-restarted the MusicFX app that runs as an Android service. It brought back playback without rebooting the device, TBD if it's repeatable.
Absolutely great sounding machine... BUT: I have the problem that sometimes it doesn't follow the real albumtracklists... Do I something wrong? 🤔
Probably something to do with competing ID3 tagging standards, but hard to say.
@@SuperReview thanks, for this hyperfast reaction!! Yes, these are my thoughts too. Strange... it all comes from original cds, every song is available and every tracklist is displayed correctly... but within the albums it often plays in random mode .
So embarassing ...it was originally in random play mode...🤣🙈😇😇😇
Just didn' t understand the symbols ad hoc.... it was YOUR review that brought me to this device, and after one week I have A BLAST!!! THANK YOU!!! 🍻🍻🤘🤘
this dap is awesome
MageSound 8-ball (MSEB):
1 -- Overall Temperature is tilt of whole line to treble(cool) or bass(warm)
2 -- Bass extension 70Hz and below
3 -- Bass texture 100Hz (medium)
4 -- Note thickness 200Hz (wide)
5 -- Vocals 650Hz (very wide)
6 -- Female overtones 3kHz (tight)
7 -- Sibilance LF 5.8kHz (medium)
8 -- Sibilance HF 9.2kHz (medium)
9 -- Impulse response 7.5kHz (very wide)
10 - Air 10kHz sloped all the way to 20kHz
I wonder is this better or iBasso DX 170?
Mine after the latest update
The wifi and bluetooth weakened
I hope hiby will do something about it
When did you update?
@@SuperReview
A month ago , there was a noticeable change in wifi and bluetooth connectivity , its almost useless
Hello,
Hello, I like the wallpaper what is it ?
Thanks
It's a screenshot of the MacOS screensaver called Drift. Example: imgur.com/a/f95UnyF
M3X or R5 gen 2 - where best sound?
The m3x is far superior. This hiby cut costs too much and as a result is a dud lemon. This is something this reviewer doesn't mention. The sound is soulless and sterile without any energy or musicality. This turkey never mentions the areas of sound quality that really matters.
does it make sense buying a cheap dap and use a dongle dac with it?
I can't imagine why that would be useful, why?
@@SuperReview in my research daps that are around $500 less are not that good. My iPhone doesn’t sound no where as good as my pc with questyle m12i dongle dac. I was thinking maybe getting a cheap dap and using a dongle dac that has a man amazing sound stage depth and holographic imaging
Mark, you’ve invented a new way to describe minor complaints with FR: *squibbles.* Squig quibbles.
"Really wish the pinna peak was at 2.5kHz instead of 3kHz, but really that's just me squibbling."
I'm super new with DAPs. I'm an Apple Music subscriber and have been using an iPod. Can DAPs play and download Apple Music files?
It's Android, it can do whatever an Android device can do. It can run the Apple Music app.
Have you or anyone else used the Hiby R3 pro saber?
If yes, how is it?
Any opinion would be great as I plan to purchase it.
I have not.
I have that device. it's a really nice device. my personal opinion is to get that one instead of the r5.
Did I listened well? Class A amplifier does not mean anything? No truly a significant difference? Even with hd600?
He hasn't got a clue
@Text me on telegram Super Review are you mentally deranged?
How do they work out an about? You don’t WI-FI or a cellular connection?
It has wifi, no cellular.
@@SuperReview So they’re not portable if you’re out on a run or walk?
@@denislemieux7294 If you have your music files on the device (MP3, FLAC), there's no need for a network connection. If you use a streaming service, you'll need to use it in an offline mode or hotspot to your phone.
@@SuperReview I see. Thanks Mark.
I hear a huge difference in my headphones I never use the economy mode
Does this player show multiple album art in one mp3 song? Like cowon x9
Don't think I've ever encountered that.
what is the white line on top on screen? battery life?
Yeah, I have an app called Overlay Battery Bar or something that renders the battery life like that.
@@SuperReview thanks
I am actually really annoyed by dap screens getting bigger. For watching videos I got my smartphone, please don't make me carry a smartphone + a second smartphone that sounds better but can't call people.
Yeah I like smol too.
If you have a R5 gen 1, is it worth upgrading to gen 2?
Hiby R5 Gen 2 or Shanling M3X?
@Text me on telegram Super Review This for real?
Wait, you can't listen to an album? It has to be alphabetical order???
You can listen to albums individually in their original order. If you want to listen to all albums by a particular artist, it mixes up all the albums together, organizing the songs alphabetically.
@Super* Review ooooh got it! One last question if you don't mind. I'm just now digging into these new daps, is there any device close to a Zune as far as ui, function and perhaps design?
Man I miss the size of the old R5.
If it had the same battery life as the new one, I'd use the old small one 🤫
Yep smaller always equals less battery life.
Bought this Hiby R5G2 last week, before i saw your review. All you say about it is the sad reality for this one, unfortunately! I can get much better acoustic performance out of a combo ( Hiby R3 Pro Saber + Cayin RU6 dongle ). Way better performance. To me, the new R5G2 is a total flop! I'm sending it back to the store next week, and get my money back to invest on something else, but for sure, not a " placebo gadget " like this "thing"...
I think you're just comparing a neutral source to a source with coloration. It's fine to prefer one to the other.
@@SuperReview , it wasn't the case dear friend. I'm with the audio and also acoustics for more than 40 years, not with the portable, once i've stoped it back in the 80's, and kept with the high-end home systems. In this new entry in this universe of the new generation daps and portables, i went only for the in-ear headphones, once to me, portable audio is to go outdoors and try the best approach to what our home systems ( those phisical ones, with large loudspeakers ) provide to our earing. So, i got some daps and only two IEM's from the old school Sony knowledge. XBA-N3 ( already balanced ) and the IER-Z1R. I like full range acoustic signature, and an overall presentation, concerning music. Never go specífic with audio. To pair the Z1R, i got the Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, wihich to my personal appreciation was an absolute perfect match. The R5 gen2, was supose to come to replace the RU6 and to be used with the XBA-N3. But this was a no go for me, after only three days use. Super boring acoustic signature, and worst of all, the lack of depth with the soundstage, has determined my decision, although i consider this new R5, for it's asked price, very good indeed. Not for me though.
Are you going to review the new sony WH-1000XM5?
I am counting on you to make that purchase decision for me lmfao.
Sorry, but no -- if that tells you anything :P
@@SuperReview LOL, understood.
Lets admit that 16 gb memory for 450 usd unit in 2022 is a real shame...
Nah, no one cares about storage built into these things, the assumption is you're plugging in a Micro SD card to get as much storage as you want for cheap.
@@SuperReview not truth! If I pay money I care about its memory. Why the hell I must not care, I pay my money, you have a wrong logic man.
@@Ulka.suleymanli I think we're both confused.
yeah but Bluetooth 4.2...
Does it matter?
It does a little bit.
What does having a higher Bluetooth version number mean for you?
Better range, speed, power consumption
I just realized the problem is the snapdragon processor. it's not capable of the newer Bluetooth standards I don't think. so it not only puts a damper on performance but is not even up to industry standards for Bluetooth. I think that's a huge bummer actually. when it comes to wired connections I have no doubt it sounds really good, but usually when I'm listening to wired headphones I'm sitting at my desk hooked into my bifrost jotunheim stack. when I'm on the go my Samsung phone is more than capable handling my music with 5.2 Bluetooth and the fiio utsw5 which has built in dacs plus I can swap out my iems. I guess I have a hard time justifying a purchase like this.
Ui is sooo laggy 😟
Spotify yeah, stock app nah.
@@SuperReview my zenfone 8 is faster
The stock app is not laggy for me, and the android UI is also fine. Sometimes the Apple Music app does take a long time to load a song, but all the built-in stuff works great.