Thank god someone on the internet still objectively go through all the product features instead of giving their useless biased take and can't even understand any features.
Definitely one of the better reviews I've seen this for this. Really appreciate noting the shortcomings. I don't listen to music for more than a few hours at a time, so the battery life doesn't concern me too much. That being said, I'm still going to acquire this and run my S12 2024 out of the 4.4 output. The last DAP I bought was the Fiio X3ii. Yeah, it's way past time for a new one. New subscriber because of this review.
I use it now since about 1 Month and with the newest Software the Temps are not as warm as before. Still warm but way more conftable then before. Soundwise its impressive what you get for 250 Bucks. Its not so expensive to take it everywhere and the Power is enough to Drive most of all Headsets you have at Home. For me its a really good DAP.
I have the R4 and I enjoy using it. I do not use the EQ and have played with the MSEB a bit but find that the basic sound works for most everything I like to listen to. It works well with my Focal Clear MG headphones.
My biggest concern with the player getting toasty is the same as with laptops getting hot under load - the heat transfers to the battery, at least partially. That affects battery lifetime and may cause fire in theory. I have observed a battery turn into a "spicy pillow" (bloated) due to heat on other devices.
I agree. I have a Fiio M11 Ltd which runs hot and it's already made the round trip back home to Shenzhen China to have a bloated battery replaced. Luckily Fiio has great service and it cost me about $30 and under 3 weeks time.
@@portugasanwa I have R5 II and it does not get hot in class A mode. Also, on accident I let R4 battery completely discharge, then charged it, and now it's not getting as hot as previously. Albeit still hot enough that it is concerning. Maybe a couple more discharge cycles should fix it.
Thank you for this review. I've been binging different review videos while waiting for mine to come. I intend to use this player at home exclusively. I have iPods for portable listening.
I use the Hibi R5.3 for Edition XS, I appreciate the extra power. The thing sips power only when class A is off. Battery life for me is not an issue because I’m charging my phone anyway and I have TWS. I don’t carry the thing all the time. But it does serve as my main stereo at this point. I also hear a rich difference with the class a amplifier, but I could probably make more of a difference with EQ.
Probably the most honest review I saw but in the end we all have different needs and value different aspects, for me battery life isn’t important since I use it 2-3 times in a week for a couple hours and the fact I don’t need to put my glasses with a bigger screen makes me choose the R4 over the M300, that and the fact the M300 looks cheap despite being cheap 😅, nice review 👍
I just ordered the new Hobby R4 X Evangelion edition. On this one they decided to make some changes to the class A amplifier to make it about 40% more effiecient which has lead to a slight change in the sound profile, according to Hiby. Do you know if you, or any other reviewers might be sent this version to try out? I am curious to see how the sound profile compares to the standard r4. It seems like it might have a slightly brighter presentation from how they described it, but I am guessing that can mostly be countered by the system wide EQ settings that Hiby offers.
Yeah it's like... vaguely weeb, teen techno / gamer aesthetic that I'd expect to see on a Trapper Keeper binder if Trapper Keeper still is a thing in 2024.
the R4 is going after the cyberpunk and Anime future-fi portable computer aesthetic..its dead-point, spot-on the thing theyre going for if you watch movies and tv shows of the genres.
'MSEB (Mage Sound 8-ball Tuning) based on parametric equalizer (PEQ) and sound filed adjustment'... As a proud owner of a HiBy R3 Pro Saber, I really enjoyed your critique of the HiBy R4... HiBy's price-to-performance ratio is usually top-notch - in my opinion...!!!
I've had my R4 for about a month and the battery hasn't bothered me once. I agree with the screen criticism, but otherwise I don't have any complaints. I also happen to love the overall look of it.
It's crazy how i bought hibi r6 gen 3 and then like a few months later this thing comes out which is literally pretty much the same but like around half the price
Is the r6 iii worth it for £369 down from £469 on Amazon($470 from $600)? The r4 is just under £200($250) on hifigo & £249($318) on Amazon(and prob about that much after import taxes etc from hiby’s website).
I put a tiny spot of super glue on the power button (on the case!) and it gave me enough texture to find it. However, I HATE the positioning of the transport buttons. I've restarted the track about a thousand times when I mean to turn the screen off. Otherwise, it's pretty great.
I love your reviews. Honest and thoughtful. But, for the R4, the iBasso, and others, I think you place to much emphasis on battery life. I bought the R4, and, as a noob, I love the audiophile features that let me mess about and learn about sound. And, I think most people use a DAP for a few hours or a day and don't mind if they need to charge it every day rather than every other day.
I would love it if that switch on the top of the device could be used to toggle on and off all plugins. And use the LED light to indicate whether or not the plugins are enabled.
Fellow R6 iii user here, Sound Field plug-in makes IEMs with 'good' soundstage sound so incredibly wide as long as you can EQ them to not peak too much. I agree, Hiby has great Plug-ins, as well as MSEB and occasional custom UI.
Yeah, your user configurable switch idea seems like such a sensible option I hope they implement it into the next generation of these models (and the R6 line)
@@SuperReview most of my music is just through Spotify so android, system wide eq, 3.5mm and usb c output, affordable, and honestly I just love the level of tweaking you can do with this DAP. You know the DAP game much more than most other reviewers so I know you’d nail it. Honestly take this player, make it a bit more compact and not overheat and it would be an instant buy.
@@SuperReview 2.5mm out, bigger battery, lower-power amp (not everything needs to power hungry headphones), dual-DAC, 20-band PEQ with local saving and importing of profiles. Basically combine the Q5K with the BTR15 and make it a DAP.
oh that switch is so cool! so in you hang it from your neck with the lanyard its more ergonomic. I dont know if I'd do that myself but those into Techwear would love it and Poweramp hell yeh \m/
I bought the M300 after seeing a couple of reviews, including yours, and I love it. If I want PEQ, I just pair it with the Qudelix 5k, and then I have the primary advantage of the R4 but with better battery life and no heating effects.
8:00 that's reason why I chose the R5II over the R4, R5II has a class A mode but it comes with a toggle to turn it off and switch to economy mode, for longer battery life and less heat.
Thanks best review I seen so far. FYI: The purpose for the switch to turn off the buttons is so it won't accidentally press buttons when you put it in your pocket.
glass back is more thermally conductive than plastic, in fact your screen is also designed to vent away some of the heat. Having a glass back actually helps in cooling which would be a reason why very premium phones with powerful SoC's tend to go for glass back (in addition to the premium feel). Hiby can get away with a plastic back because it's got a fairly low power SoC.
Yeah another interesting review from you thank you what does a newbie I would appreciate you explaining why you disagree that 4.4 is not worthwhile why is balanced not better than unbalanced
There is not much to say about why balanced headphone outs don't sound better than normal single-ended outs: They don't sound better, there is no reason they would. If anything, sometimes they sound worse, for two reasons: (1) Often balanced outs have more hiss because they're using double amplifiers, and (2) because the output levels per volume stage are louder on balanced, you get less fine-grained control of volume with sensitive headphones like IEMs.
Hello, thanks for the informative videos. I had Questyle M15 dongle rn. Is it worth to buy this? Or should I just look for higher end spectrum products?
I still use 100$ LG V30 as my audio player. Using it with 50$ Simgot EA500 IEM. Every music listening session is pure enjoyment. It has beautiful 1440p AMOLED screen, premium design and materials. For IEMs it is plenty enough. I have 150$ Fiio ka17 portable amp. Compared them and did not see any worth of a difference. I think the difference will be only for power hungry over the ear headphones. Today, you can experience quality Hi-Fi sound for 150$
I'm new into DAPs and like the idea of having a music specific device and something I can plug headphones into, and I like entry level audiophile equipment (headphones, iems, speakers, etc). Do you think the m300 sounds noticeably better than my plugging my headphones into my iPhone with the dongle?
No, I don't think it sounds significantly different vs. an iPhone dongle except for (1) it'll get louder, and (2) you have more steps of volume for better volume control with a DAP.
Hi Mark. You said this dap has audible hiss levels at least with sensitive iems. Is this related to being a Class A amp? Does this happen with ALL class A daps? Or just with this ?
It is not limited to class A amps, TBH most DAPs have an audible hiss with Campfire Aras, and typically it's not enough to be be audible outside of quiet/silent parts of songs, or silence in between songs.
Yeah probably, though I really like Hiby's interface compared to most other PEQ apps, and the convolution filters thing I'm not sure there's a Play Store alternative.
Very good review I have a R4 also, my question is how did you get yours to have the android skin on yours. I like the look and the simplicity of it. Thank you for your help.
@@melweinberg6178 if you haven't applied the new launcher yet (or if you have, go to its "change launcher app" setting and choose "Quickstep" for the default home app), then press the home screen until a popup shows up. Select "Home Settings" and find the "App Icon Style" option. Select "Original" and that will return the icons to the original ones :)
What budget DAP should I get for best line-out functionality? I'm coming from a FiiO X1 2 gen which has switchable output settings & 1,7 Vrms (10 KΩ/1 kHz). It doesn't seem like DAP manufacturers advertise if their DAP's have this functionality but the output power for headphones get beefier the higher the price. Does the M300 have switchable output (to line-out) & what Vrms does it put out in that mode?
“DAP” and “budget” do not belong in the same sentence. If you’re buying a phone whose only functionality is playing music, you’re already past the line where cost is an issue.
All modern Android DAPs purportedly bypass Android system mixer to avoid resampling, AFAIK. The caveat is that you can't easily verify such claims by manufacturers and I don't even think anyone tried doing that.
Your album discography playback issue can be solved by just adding the album to your que, then whatever album you want up next to que, then the next and so on and so forth.
Im looking to get an upgrade from my Pioneer xdp300 the battery life on it. It always sucked bad. The price of the R4 is very good. I really love the look of it. The battery life is a concern(YET THE PRICE) the heating is a concern as well (THE PRICE) this is cheaper than the Pioneer 300 I bought years ago this is definitely on my list of one to get the M300 also looks good ... decisions decisions 🤔
Super review. I just received the hiby r4 evangelion today and it's unresponsive to the touch screen. I've did a hard reset and everything. How do I get the touch screen to work from a touch?
I always enjoy your in-depth dap reviews 😊 It's a shame that the hiby R4 generates noise floor and static when you browse Spotify. I'm guessing it would do the same with Apple Music
Just to reiterate, but the noise that comes from that is really only audible on very sensitive IEMs. You're unlikely to hear it unless you're (like me) trying to.
Hope I am not out of line - but can you point me to assistance with Poweramp - as Android 13 will not allow legacy scanning of music library on DD card in M300
i'm really interested in getting this. i do not have really high end headphones. just a few pairs of 3.5mm's and IEMs, as well as TWS buds and some bluetooth over ears. i want this for the versatility rather than listening to flacs with expensive headphones. (and i dig the design) i have a question about the the playing getting warm. does it only happen when listening to flacs with high end headphones or does it also happen with cheaper 3.5mm headphones/bluetooth? i'll probably just use it for 320kbps mp3 edit: also how is the battery life with 3.5mm/bluetooth? i'm a little concerned
Does Poweramp over sampling as default? Many years ago I discovered that so I chose Hiby app instead. If my memory is correct Poweramp didn’t adjust quality to the source , I had to choose a specific sample frequency. Am I correct?
Also, I agree with the WiFi interference. I thought it was the audible noise floor, but it popped up whenever I scrolled on Apple Music or whenever I used my phone close to it. It was rather prominent in the right channel, enough to make me pause the track. BUT $250 is still too nice a price point 😅
I’m new to DAPs and new to android so you’re reviews on this new world are really awesome. Answering a lot of my questions I didn’t know I had. But this one may sound a bit simple, how to you run power amp in full screen mode ? And what is the mod you use for the battery bar at the top?
Poweramp has a setting to hide the status bar. I also use an Android feature called "app pinning" that makes it feel more like a dedicated player. The battery bar indicator is an app called Overlay Battery Bar. I'll do a video about how I customize my DAPs.
On my R4 i have the Problem when in bluetooth receiver mode, aac works fine but ldac (using a s23 ultra and a s9+ tablet) drops out /clicks /pops. Has anyone else this problem? R4 ldac to headphone works perfectly... Newest firmware, all factory resettet multiple times Edit: temporary fix was to disable UWB device search on my S23
I'm looking to get my 1st dap. I've been using an iPod 6 classic since 2008. I had to replace its headphone jack and lcd, but it's still a daily user. I want to retire it bc it's stuck on Mac, and I don't use Mac anymore. I have dozens of cds that aren't on it. Idk what to get. I buy cds and rip them onto my computer in lossless format (wav). I don't use streaming apps.
If you don't use streaming, IMO get the Hiby R5 Gen2. It's an older player at this point with a slower processor, but still runs Poweramp very well and the battery life is exceptional. It's what I daily.
Great review. Seems like I'll just keep using an old phone with the power amp eq on it that has twice the storage 4 GB of RAM and an SD card. The R4 just won't do. Also, does it get operating system and security updates and for how long?
IMO the main reason to get a DAP is having physical buttons. Second reason (for me) is iOS sucks for storing a music library, but I still want an iPhone as my phone. Hiby is surprisingly decent with firmware updates, but they seem more focused on feature adds than security patches. I would assume there is not much security patching going on.
@@SuperReview It seems the M300 is the better value. While smaller, it is cheaper, has the same hardware, more recent version of Android and battery life is considerably better. What will it run? HD600? How many ohms can it push without sound quality loss? Also, thanks for recommending the Tin HiFi C2. 😁👍
The option for only class A seems ridiculous. I have an r6iii and never use class a. Awful battery life and massive temp increases are not worth it. It's supposed to be portable!
R6G3 is a fun example because as far as I can tell there's literally zero audible difference when engaging it, no blip, no volume change, nuthin', and so it's harder to imagine there's a difference.
i have a question when i try to download the TH-cam app but it going straight to a Chinese webpage anybody know how i switch to English also some of the option are locked how can i unlocked them
I would choose R4 than M300 due to fast charger PD2.0, fast transfer rate USB3.2 Gen 1, Bit Perfect System Wide (No Android Sampling), 4.4 Balanced as most of my rigs runs on 4.4mm and custom made Android 12 by Hiby (continuous support update from Hiby in future). It has aluminum chassis to disperse heat quickly.
Thank god someone on the internet still objectively go through all the product features instead of giving their useless biased take and can't even understand any features.
👍
👍
there's no such thing as an objective review dude
Your presentation where the gadget in the center and reviewer is in the right corner is excellent ! 👍
Definitely one of the better reviews I've seen this for this. Really appreciate noting the shortcomings. I don't listen to music for more than a few hours at a time, so the battery life doesn't concern me too much. That being said, I'm still going to acquire this and run my S12 2024 out of the 4.4 output. The last DAP I bought was the Fiio X3ii. Yeah, it's way past time for a new one. New subscriber because of this review.
I bought a used Hiby R5 Pro original used a couple of years ago. About the same price I believe. Built like a beast. Love it.
I personally love the aesthetics of this DAP, the look is really cool.
I use it now since about 1 Month and with the newest Software the Temps are not as warm as before. Still warm but way more conftable then before. Soundwise its impressive what you get for 250 Bucks. Its not so expensive to take it everywhere and the Power is enough to Drive most of all Headsets you have at Home. For me its a really good DAP.
I have the R4 and I enjoy using it. I do not use the EQ and have played with the MSEB a bit but find that the basic sound works for most everything I like to listen to. It works well with my Focal Clear MG headphones.
Now that I think about it, the m300 is insane for $179 I can’t tell the difference between bit perfect and up-sampling, so you were right.
It's somehow even cheaper on AliExpress at the moment.
The black one looks nicer than my silver/green one, coming from the r3, my main love is downloading files off the internet straight to it
My biggest concern with the player getting toasty is the same as with laptops getting hot under load - the heat transfers to the battery, at least partially. That affects battery lifetime and may cause fire in theory. I have observed a battery turn into a "spicy pillow" (bloated) due to heat on other devices.
Yeah it's a reasonable concern. I don't know enough about battery chemistry confidently share that concern, but it sounds loosely right.
I agree. I have a Fiio M11 Ltd which runs hot and it's already made the round trip back home to Shenzhen China to have a bloated battery replaced. Luckily Fiio has great service and it cost me about $30 and under 3 weeks time.
It got amplification class A thats why it comes hot
@@portugasanwa I have R5 II and it does not get hot in class A mode. Also, on accident I let R4 battery completely discharge, then charged it, and now it's not getting as hot as previously. Albeit still hot enough that it is concerning. Maybe a couple more discharge cycles should fix it.
The battery life on a DAP is one of my main reasons for having a DAP. This is unfortunate considering that I really liked how this looks.
Thank you for this review. I've been binging different review videos while waiting for mine to come. I intend to use this player at home exclusively. I have iPods for portable listening.
Convolution plugin is a GAME CHANGER.. You can easily model and reproduce the response of many audio devices and audio chains.
It's really pretty cool, wish it was easier to toggle on and off... Maybe if the hold switch could do that...
Great review. Thank you for such a straight up discussion of it. Really appreciate your work.
Thank you for always keeping it real, Mark! Always enjoy your reviews, especially the DAPs. Keep em long 😂
Thanks for another great review. After that I will keep my R6/III, no reasons to change it, so far.
Yeah, it's nice Hiby updated the R6G3 with their system-wide PEQ features.
Make sure to grab the new firmware that dropped. seemed to add a lot of new stuff that was well needed
Thanks for the review 👍
Cheers for this informative review.
I use the Hibi R5.3 for Edition XS, I appreciate the extra power. The thing sips power only when class A is off.
Battery life for me is not an issue because I’m charging my phone anyway and I have TWS. I don’t carry the thing all the time. But it does serve as my main stereo at this point.
I also hear a rich difference with the class a amplifier, but I could probably make more of a difference with EQ.
Probably the most honest review I saw but in the end we all have different needs and value different aspects, for me battery life isn’t important since I use it 2-3 times in a week for a couple hours and the fact I don’t need to put my glasses with a bigger screen makes me choose the R4 over the M300, that and the fact the M300 looks cheap despite being cheap 😅, nice review 👍
I'm considering buying this and you make some good points. Thank you.
Love my R4 Eva version 😊
I just ordered the new Hobby R4 X Evangelion edition. On this one they decided to make some changes to the class A amplifier to make it about 40% more effiecient which has lead to a slight change in the sound profile, according to Hiby. Do you know if you, or any other reviewers might be sent this version to try out? I am curious to see how the sound profile compares to the standard r4. It seems like it might have a slightly brighter presentation from how they described it, but I am guessing that can mostly be countered by the system wide EQ settings that Hiby offers.
Anime aesthetic is definitely an accurate descriptor - there is an Evangelion design collaboration for this DAP.
Yeah it's like... vaguely weeb, teen techno / gamer aesthetic that I'd expect to see on a Trapper Keeper binder if Trapper Keeper still is a thing in 2024.
It's Cyberpunk inspired@@SuperReview
I wanna get one.
the R4 is going after the cyberpunk and Anime future-fi portable computer aesthetic..its dead-point, spot-on the thing theyre going for if you watch movies and tv shows of the genres.
Excellent review. You've sold me on the M300 for my needs over Hiby R4!
what a great detailed review
this is a solid review of a really dope device/
'MSEB (Mage Sound 8-ball Tuning) based on parametric equalizer (PEQ) and sound filed adjustment'... As a proud owner of a HiBy R3 Pro Saber, I really enjoyed your critique of the HiBy R4... HiBy's price-to-performance ratio is usually top-notch - in my opinion...!!!
I've had my R4 for about a month and the battery hasn't bothered me once. I agree with the screen criticism, but otherwise I don't have any complaints. I also happen to love the overall look of it.
It's crazy how i bought hibi r6 gen 3 and then like a few months later this thing comes out which is literally pretty much the same but like around half the price
Is the r6 iii worth it for £369 down from £469 on Amazon($470 from $600)? The r4 is just under £200($250) on hifigo & £249($318) on Amazon(and prob about that much after import taxes etc from hiby’s website).
The r6iii sounds richer and more natural and has more soundstage depth than the R4.
Do you have issues with Poweramp not working properly with the pause/back/next buttons as well as audio cracking when pausing?
I put a tiny spot of super glue on the power button (on the case!) and it gave me enough texture to find it. However, I HATE the positioning of the transport buttons. I've restarted the track about a thousand times when I mean to turn the screen off. Otherwise, it's pretty great.
Clever.
I love your reviews. Honest and thoughtful. But, for the R4, the iBasso, and others, I think you place to much emphasis on battery life. I bought the R4, and, as a noob, I love the audiophile features that let me mess about and learn about sound. And, I think most people use a DAP for a few hours or a day and don't mind if they need to charge it every day rather than every other day.
4.4mm volume around 65% at all time medium gain my battery lasts at least 8 hours of play get warm ish but not toasty
Thanks for the report 👍
The audio enhancement through the various plug-in options is very useful, (Hiby R6 iii user)
I would love it if that switch on the top of the device could be used to toggle on and off all plugins. And use the LED light to indicate whether or not the plugins are enabled.
Fellow R6 iii user here, Sound Field plug-in makes IEMs with 'good' soundstage sound so incredibly wide as long as you can EQ them to not peak too much. I agree, Hiby has great Plug-ins, as well as MSEB and occasional custom UI.
Yeah, your user configurable switch idea seems like such a sensible option I hope they implement it into the next generation of these models (and the R6 line)
I love the look and features of this player. But this review just makes me want a M300. I REALLY would love to see a Super Review DAP.
M300 + Poweramp is pretty sick. What would you wanna see in a Super* DAP?
@@SuperReview most of my music is just through Spotify so android, system wide eq, 3.5mm and usb c output, affordable, and honestly I just love the level of tweaking you can do with this DAP. You know the DAP game much more than most other reviewers so I know you’d nail it. Honestly take this player, make it a bit more compact and not overheat and it would be an instant buy.
@@SuperReviewM300 + poweramp means connecting M300 to external amp❓😊
@@SuperReview 2.5mm out, bigger battery, lower-power amp (not everything needs to power hungry headphones), dual-DAC, 20-band PEQ with local saving and importing of profiles. Basically combine the Q5K with the BTR15 and make it a DAP.
So does buying this Hiby unit include a membership to Hiby music for free??
oh that switch is so cool! so in you hang it from your neck with the lanyard its more ergonomic. I dont know if I'd do that myself but those into Techwear would love it
and Poweramp hell yeh \m/
I bought the M300 after seeing a couple of reviews, including yours, and I love it. If I want PEQ, I just pair it with the Qudelix 5k, and then I have the primary advantage of the R4 but with better battery life and no heating effects.
Poweramp also offers a PEQ extension though I don't love the interface.
8:00 that's reason why I chose the R5II over the R4, R5II has a class A mode but it comes with a toggle to turn it off and switch to economy mode, for longer battery life and less heat.
R5G2 battery is goated.
The best midrange android 😮
Thanks best review I seen so far.
FYI: The purpose for the switch to turn off the buttons is so it won't accidentally press buttons when you put it in your pocket.
Yeah, there's a toggle in the settings that lets you customize it. I want to customize it to turn on/off EQ or audio filters.
On a Mac it is necessary to also install Android File Transfer to enable MTP file transfer.
Yeah it's never worked for me, Googling around seems like a common issue with Mac + Android.
@@SuperReview You are right.
glass back is more thermally conductive than plastic, in fact your screen is also designed to vent away some of the heat. Having a glass back actually helps in cooling which would be a reason why very premium phones with powerful SoC's tend to go for glass back (in addition to the premium feel).
Hiby can get away with a plastic back because it's got a fairly low power SoC.
Interesting.
Yeah another interesting review from you thank you what does a newbie I would appreciate you explaining why you disagree that 4.4 is not worthwhile why is balanced not better than unbalanced
There is not much to say about why balanced headphone outs don't sound better than normal single-ended outs: They don't sound better, there is no reason they would. If anything, sometimes they sound worse, for two reasons: (1) Often balanced outs have more hiss because they're using double amplifiers, and (2) because the output levels per volume stage are louder on balanced, you get less fine-grained control of volume with sensitive headphones like IEMs.
@SuperReview well I guess I will take your word for it what you have said sounds logical so thank you and happy new year
Hello, thanks for the informative videos. I had Questyle M15 dongle rn. Is it worth to buy this? Or should I just look for higher end spectrum products?
Can you post a list of the apps you add to the DAP's you review that make them work smoothly like Niagara Launcher. Love your work.
I still use 100$ LG V30 as my audio player. Using it with 50$ Simgot EA500 IEM. Every music listening session is pure enjoyment. It has beautiful 1440p AMOLED screen, premium design and materials. For IEMs it is plenty enough. I have 150$ Fiio ka17 portable amp. Compared them and did not see any worth of a difference. I think the difference will be only for power hungry over the ear headphones. Today, you can experience quality Hi-Fi sound for 150$
Can you pair the Hiby R4 with a car stereo? Im coming from a Hiby FC5 as my new car doesnt have an Aux port.
Not sure, that's not something I've done and I'm not really familiar with what features you'd need to work to make it happen.
@SuperReview Ahh ok. Thank you for replying.
Its super rich in features. I still prefer non android daps. Would be awesome if they can make one with PEQ.
I'm new into DAPs and like the idea of having a music specific device and something I can plug headphones into, and I like entry level audiophile equipment (headphones, iems, speakers, etc). Do you think the m300 sounds noticeably better than my plugging my headphones into my iPhone with the dongle?
No, I don't think it sounds significantly different vs. an iPhone dongle except for (1) it'll get louder, and (2) you have more steps of volume for better volume control with a DAP.
@@SuperReview gasp…. wow the truth hurts, I was hoping for a reason to buy hahah
Hi Mark. You said this dap has audible hiss levels at least with sensitive iems. Is this related to being a Class A amp? Does this happen with ALL class A daps? Or just with this ?
It is not limited to class A amps, TBH most DAPs have an audible hiss with Campfire Aras, and typically it's not enough to be be audible outside of quiet/silent parts of songs, or silence in between songs.
Was the system wide parametric eq available on the m300?
Nope.
Couldn't an Android EQ App be used for system wide equalisation on the M300?
Try power amp eq app. I installed it and seem to do system wide
Yeah probably, though I really like Hiby's interface compared to most other PEQ apps, and the convolution filters thing I'm not sure there's a Play Store alternative.
Android eq apps just use androids crappy eq that ruins audio.
I'm so interested in what you think of the fiio jm21. Will you review that device soon? Thx. I'm curious between the r4 and jm21 on your opinion
Yes, planned to have that review this week but I got sick. Next week.
get well brother, bless you
This comment might be a bit late but what convolution filter are you using with the R4?
I might need to do a video about it, it's fairly... convoluted to set up.
@@SuperReview Haha, so it seems like, been looking on filters online and it's hard to find one. If you ever make a video on it it'd be awesome
After so longggg .... Finally
cool beans...I like mine 🎵
Very good review I have a R4 also, my question is how did you get yours to have the android skin on yours. I like the look and the simplicity of it. Thank you for your help.
I installed the Niagara launcher.
Thank you. One more question please, how did you remove the R4 skin?
@@melweinberg6178 if you haven't applied the new launcher yet (or if you have, go to its "change launcher app" setting and choose "Quickstep" for the default home app), then press the home screen until a popup shows up. Select "Home Settings" and find the "App Icon Style" option. Select "Original" and that will return the icons to the original ones :)
What budget DAP should I get for best line-out functionality? I'm coming from a FiiO X1 2 gen which has switchable output settings & 1,7 Vrms (10 KΩ/1 kHz). It doesn't seem like DAP manufacturers advertise if their DAP's have this functionality but the output power for headphones get beefier the higher the price.
Does the M300 have switchable output (to line-out) & what Vrms does it put out in that mode?
“DAP” and “budget” do not belong in the same sentence. If you’re buying a phone whose only functionality is playing music, you’re already past the line where cost is an issue.
Nice review as always thank you very much. By the way what is your recommendation for Bit Perfect android DAP? thanks
I pay zero attention to "bit perfect" anything, sorry.
@@SuperReview Is that because you EQ anyways or you just don't care at all?
All modern Android DAPs purportedly bypass Android system mixer to avoid resampling, AFAIK. The caveat is that you can't easily verify such claims by manufacturers and I don't even think anyone tried doing that.
@@juanblanco7898easy to check plug a dongle in, and see the actual colour of the light on different files
Your album discography playback issue can be solved by just adding the album to your que, then whatever album you want up next to que, then the next and so on and so forth.
Or just use Poweramp.
This device is sexy as hell. Lol. Love it.
It can be connected to a DAC via USB-C to COAX cable - The USB-C LO support SPDIF.
Thank you
Im looking to get an upgrade from my Pioneer xdp300 the battery life on it. It always sucked bad.
The price of the R4 is very good. I really love the look of it.
The battery life is a concern(YET THE PRICE) the heating is a concern as well (THE PRICE) this is cheaper than the Pioneer 300 I bought years ago this is definitely on my list of one to get the M300 also looks good ...
decisions decisions 🤔
M300 IMO, it's like $160 on AliExpress at the moment.
Awesome video! Probably a stupid question, but is the Hiby R4 able to play mp4 files?
I assume there are Android apps that will play MP4 files.
Super review. I just received the hiby r4 evangelion today and it's unresponsive to the touch screen. I've did a hard reset and everything. How do I get the touch screen to work from a touch?
There's a switch on the side of the device, try changing its position. I think the switch can be configured to disable inputs, might be like that.
About the noise, according to another reviewer, you can get a totally dark background by tweaking a certain setting.
Which one would you buy between R4 and M300 for listening to Spotify with Sennheiser HD6XX?
Does a USB to Ethernet adapter work on the R4 or do you have to use WiFi for internet connectivity?
Sorry no idea, I can't imagine connecting an ethernet cable to a handheld Android device but maybe Android supports it.
I always enjoy your in-depth dap reviews 😊 It's a shame that the hiby R4 generates noise floor and static when you browse Spotify. I'm guessing it would do the same with Apple Music
Just to reiterate, but the noise that comes from that is really only audible on very sensitive IEMs. You're unlikely to hear it unless you're (like me) trying to.
Shanling M1 plus is coming out pretty soon. Hope you can review it. Should be cheaper than the Hiby R4.
hi,
i have to choose between hiby m300 and hiby 4. Which one i should select? if any one have them both please reply.
Hope I am not out of line - but can you point me to assistance with Poweramp - as Android 13 will not allow legacy scanning of music library on DD card in M300
I haven't run into that issue, not sure what "legacy scanning" is. Maybe to do with card formatting?
Would be nice to see the M300 with balanced output as opposed to this. I feel this is too big for something I'd actually want to carry around.
i'm really interested in getting this. i do not have really high end headphones. just a few pairs of 3.5mm's and IEMs, as well as TWS buds and some bluetooth over ears. i want this for the versatility rather than listening to flacs with expensive headphones. (and i dig the design)
i have a question about the the playing getting warm. does it only happen when listening to flacs with high end headphones or does it also happen with cheaper 3.5mm headphones/bluetooth? i'll probably just use it for 320kbps mp3
edit: also how is the battery life with 3.5mm/bluetooth? i'm a little concerned
Does Poweramp over sampling as default? Many years ago I discovered that so I chose Hiby app instead. If my memory is correct Poweramp didn’t adjust quality to the source , I had to choose a specific sample frequency. Am I correct?
Yes, it does. Makes no difference to me.
R4 GANNGG! 🔥🤧
Also, I agree with the WiFi interference. I thought it was the audible noise floor, but it popped up whenever I scrolled on Apple Music or whenever I used my phone close to it.
It was rather prominent in the right channel, enough to make me pause the track. BUT $250 is still too nice a price point 😅
18:02 i have the hiby m300, and i also couldn't figure out how it was organizing the songs
Install Poweramp IMO :D
Hey there! What’s the exact battery overlay app you use? Love the idea!
It's called Overlay Battery Bar.
@ I appreciate it!!
I’m new to DAPs and new to android so you’re reviews on this new world are really awesome. Answering a lot of my questions I didn’t know I had.
But this one may sound a bit simple, how to you run power amp in full screen mode ? And what is the mod you use for the battery bar at the top?
Poweramp has a setting to hide the status bar. I also use an Android feature called "app pinning" that makes it feel more like a dedicated player. The battery bar indicator is an app called Overlay Battery Bar. I'll do a video about how I customize my DAPs.
@@SuperReviewthank you for the quick reply. That would be awesome I like that your setup doesn’t give you “cell phone vibes”
so i am stuck between this and a pixel 4a($100 mint used)+FiiO KA17(for eq) which one should i get :)
Is there a dap that uses a sim card. Please d9nt say lg v60.
I think Hiby made one, but not sure. Moondrop made the Miad phone, which sadly doesn't have playback buttons.
@SuperReview thanks for responding also i'll look up both. ✌🏾
The LG appreciation post 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. LG didn't listen to it's audiophile customers 😢😢😢
Is the hiss on all three gain settings for your campfire iems?
I only tried it on low gain, so probably all.
On my R4 i have the Problem when in bluetooth receiver mode, aac works fine but ldac (using a s23 ultra and a s9+ tablet) drops out /clicks /pops. Has anyone else this problem? R4 ldac to headphone works perfectly... Newest firmware, all factory resettet multiple times
Edit: temporary fix was to disable UWB device search on my S23
Does it have open Android system? I can. It run apple music streaming?
Yes...
I'm looking to get my 1st dap.
I've been using an iPod 6 classic since 2008. I had to replace its headphone jack and lcd, but it's still a daily user. I want to retire it bc it's stuck on Mac, and I don't use Mac anymore. I have dozens of cds that aren't on it.
Idk what to get. I buy cds and rip them onto my computer in lossless format (wav). I don't use streaming apps.
If you don't use streaming, IMO get the Hiby R5 Gen2. It's an older player at this point with a slower processor, but still runs Poweramp very well and the battery life is exceptional. It's what I daily.
better than LG v50 dac or sounds?
Great detailed review, still wondering what's the need of a DAP being a Spotify user.
It's nice to have buttons and no notifications.
well it’s nice that u don’t have to drain ur phone’s battery just to listen to music 🤷🏼♂️
I would get one of these if it weren't for the styling.
Great review. Seems like I'll just keep using an old phone with the power amp eq on it that has twice the storage 4 GB of RAM and an SD card. The R4 just won't do.
Also, does it get operating system and security updates and for how long?
IMO the main reason to get a DAP is having physical buttons. Second reason (for me) is iOS sucks for storing a music library, but I still want an iPhone as my phone.
Hiby is surprisingly decent with firmware updates, but they seem more focused on feature adds than security patches. I would assume there is not much security patching going on.
@@SuperReview It seems the M300 is the better value. While smaller, it is cheaper, has the same hardware, more recent version of Android and battery life is considerably better.
What will it run? HD600? How many ohms can it push without sound quality loss?
Also, thanks for recommending the Tin HiFi C2. 😁👍
I'm happy to listen to HD 600 on the M300. Though if you use EQ filters, you'll probably run into power limits.
The option for only class A seems ridiculous. I have an r6iii and never use class a. Awful battery life and massive temp increases are not worth it. It's supposed to be portable!
R6G3 is a fun example because as far as I can tell there's literally zero audible difference when engaging it, no blip, no volume change, nuthin', and so it's harder to imagine there's a difference.
@@SuperReview Agreed. Very odd feature to force on consumers.
You mentioned you have this set-up so that Drivesync updates your Poweramp. Is there any chance you might do a tutorial on how to set that up?
I made this video a few years ago, the Drivesync setup is pretty much the same as what I do now: th-cam.com/video/XTe1A4pRoEM/w-d-xo.html#t=3m6s
@@SuperReview thank you!
How many hours do you use a digital player? It can't be the battery a deal breaker unless you are in the wild for 6 hours.
Each day, probably 8-10 hours on a DAP.
im gonna get one....
i have a question when i try to download the TH-cam app but it going straight to a Chinese webpage anybody know how i switch to English also some of the option are locked how can i unlocked them
When you first initiate the device, it asks you for language -- I just set English and then went to Google Play store .
@SuperReview I did that but it not getting on the english page
@@goudie71 Strange, which region are you in? Using a VPN?
I have a question. This vs N3Ultra? Tubes worth it?
Tubes are fun, but for me not worth the battery & heat tradeoff.
I would choose R4 than M300 due to fast charger PD2.0, fast transfer rate USB3.2 Gen 1, Bit Perfect System Wide (No Android Sampling), 4.4 Balanced as most of my rigs runs on 4.4mm and custom made Android 12 by Hiby (continuous support update from Hiby in future). It has aluminum chassis to disperse heat quickly.
How do you connect this to speakers
😊
When dongles are $100+ nowadays, this dap looks like a much better value.