[Joe Bloggs]

Btw, I checked Hiby's website and this is out of stock. Is this proprietary or can I just buy an off-the-shelf alternative that should work similarly?

There should be compatible cables from other vendors

 

[orklykid]

Just leaving this here for anyone want to try to squeeze a little bit (or a whole lot) extra soundstage out of the R4 or any HiBy R Android device:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t6aq...1.0.docx?rlkey=avz3mhfio04sm6bzkohquzobt&dl=0

@o0genesis0o can attest that it may completely erase any concern any has about the soundstage of the R4 and more besides?

I don't totally understand the steps, but I'll try to. However if Hiby agrees these settings are good, would you consider baking them into a firmware upgrade? Or is there already an easy way to apply these settings from the device itself? I'm unfamiliar with DAPs, but I just bought an R4.

Thanks.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I don't totally understand the steps, but I'll try to. However if Hiby agrees these settings are good, would you consider baking them into a firmware upgrade? Or is there already an easy way to apply these settings from the device itself? I'm unfamiliar with DAPs, but I just bought an R4.

Thanks.

Hi, that's a really good idea and we should be discussing this at headquarters, however, the Convolver is meant to be a general purpose plugin that can load any sound file for use. I just uploaded some (hopefully good ones) for it.

 

[fish1050]

I don't totally understand the steps, but I'll try to. However if Hiby agrees these settings are good, would you consider baking them into a firmware upgrade? Or is there already an easy way to apply these settings from the device itself? I'm unfamiliar with DAPs, but I just bought an R4.

Thanks.

Count me in for adding to a future firmware update. Anything to simplify the process would be appreciated.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Hi, that's a really good idea and we should be discussing this at headquarters, however, the Convolver is meant to be a general purpose plugin that can load any sound file for use. I just uploaded some (hopefully good ones) for it.

One more vote to integrate these filters into the OS somehow.

The second filter is really good, btw. The third one is a bit too uncanny for my ears

 

[fish1050]

One more vote to integrate these filters into the OS somehow.

The second filter is really good, btw. The third one is a bit too uncanny for my ears

Is it just me or is Hiby becoming the Chinese Sony with all these new DSP's and plugins? I don't use any of Sony's plugins as I find them of little use but it seems like Hiby's will have some real benefits. Looking forward to trying them at some point.

 

[dxanex]

Howdy folks, R4 review is finally done. You can find the review on Head-Fi and my blog.

Spoiler: tl;dr:

As USB DAC/amp dongles continue to become more potent at a lower price point, they gradually push DAPs out of the affordable end of the market. Yet, some on a budget still prefer to use a dedicated device rather than their phones for daily music listening. Until now, unless they have an extensive collection of FLAC files, they don’t have an affordable option because budget DAPs don’t have Android and only a rudimentary ability to stream music. HiBy R4 arrives just in time to provide a much-needed option. What impresses me about R4 is how much HiBy actually tries with this device. They could have gotten away with a generic design but opted for a careful and elaborated design instead. They could have used only one signal path for both PCM and DSD but opted for separate signal paths to provide the most suitable filter design. Yes, I have some complaints about the overall sonic presentation of R4. Still, most of these can be addressed by the built-in system-wide EQs and DSP plugins because the foundation of R4 is solid. In fact, with R4, tweaking EQs and DSP plugins becomes a part of the experience.

A love letter from geeks to geeks. That’s the R4. I’m an audio geek. Therefore, I like the R4.

What I like about this device:

• Unique design
• Structural integrity of the device
• System-wide EQs
• DSP plugin systems
• Android 12 with system-wide bit-perfect output
• Good amplification
• Price

What could be improved:

• Soundstage is rather flat with PCM content
• Rather noisy with hyper-sensitive IEMs
• Screen is quite dim when using outdoor

Absolute Sonic Quality Rating: 4/5 - Great

Bias Score: 4/5 - I like this device.

Updated: May 4, 2024

This is the best explanation of a 2D soundstage I've ever read here or anywhere. You should be getting paid to do this review.

 

[Smirk 24]

Just leaving this here for anyone want to try to squeeze a little bit (or a whole lot) extra soundstage out of the R4 or any HiBy R Android device:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t6aq...1.0.docx?rlkey=avz3mhfio04sm6bzkohquzobt&dl=0

@o0genesis0o can attest that it may completely erase any concern any has about the soundstage of the R4 and more besides?

Can someone who has already received their R4 confirm whether or not these files fix the flat staging issue with PCM files?

My R4 is still in transit.

 

[orklykid]

I hope you'll excuse the rudimentary question, but when you all say PCM files, you mean WAV or DSD, I suppose?

If I have my WAV files transcoded to FLAC am I listening through different circuitry and avoiding the "issues" reported? I can't say I ever considered loading WAV files onto a DAP rather than encoding to a lossless format like FLAC and save a ton of space.

 

[gLer]

I hope you'll excuse the rudimentary question, but when you all say PCM files, you mean WAV or DSD, I suppose?

If I have my WAV files transcoded to FLAC am I listening through different circuitry and avoiding the "issues" reported? I can't say I ever considered loading WAV files onto a DAP rather than encoding to a lossless format like FLAC and save a ton of space.

WAV is PCM, so is FLAC. DSD is its own format, and R4 has separate audio circuits for playing WAV/FLAC/MP3 (all PCM) and DSD. In my experience the DSD circuit sounds more 'analogue' (warmer, slightly rolled off transients) and the PCM circuit more 'digital' (sharper, cooler, with a hint of treble glare). That's not a value judgement - some may prefer the more clean sounding PCM circuit, while others will favour DSD. Hopefully HiBy does us all a favour and let us select which circuit to use for playback regardless of file format.

 

[o0genesis0o]

Can someone who has already received their R4 confirm whether or not these files fix the flat staging issue with PCM files?

My R4 is still in transit.

The second filter + MSEB to bring the 500Hz (note weight) up addresses the flat stage problem for me. Tested with Anni 2023.

 

[dxanex]

I pre-ordered the Moondrop Dusk 2 that comes with the DSP cable. I'm trying to figure out if the DSP cable, which is usb-c will work on the R4? Looking at the specs it looks like the usb-c port on the R4 is just for transferring data. Does anyone know if the DSP cable would work?

I know DSP is just built-in EQ, but I want to use it for ease and the Moondrop DSP cable seems to be higher quality than the 3.5mm one.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I pre-ordered the Moondrop Dusk 2 that comes with the DSP cable. I'm trying to figure out if the DSP cable, which is usb-c will work on the R4? Looking at the specs it looks like the usb-c port on the R4 is just for transferring data. Does anyone know if the DSP cable would work?

I know DSP is just built-in EQ, but I want to use it for ease and the Moondrop DSP cable seems to be higher quality than the 3.5mm one.

The USB-C port may output USB audio. But I'll be damned if DSP and DAC and amplification built into a cable is going to be more HiFi and "3D" than a whole DAP for the same purpose. Its DSP would be more plug-and-play, I guess.

 

[Mightygrey]

Can anyone confirm how long the boot-up from a complete "off" > playing music is on the R4?