Took the R4 to CanJam London today and after the FatFreq crew logging me into the trade Canjam wifi as it could detect the Park Plazaâs one 
it didnât miss a beatâŠlots of fast scrolling, 5 hours of use streaming and driving up to 600 ohm sets in a noisy environment still 60% battery leftâŠjob done 
HibyâŠIf you ever need a cheapish DAP that does it all then look no further 
well spent and it was my own 
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I am using the LO mostly. The DAC implementation is very good
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New Firmware for the R4 v1.20
Seemed to update fine.
Wish there was a little more information about what bugs they fixed?
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The DAP became more stable with the APPs
And USB DAC mode is pretty good.
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For sure I can now access Amazon HD directly from the home screen where as before I and to go back into the menu and check last apps used which was a painâŠ
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I am pretty much in tune with what @WaveTheory discussed. I enjoy it more with IEMs and I found the same to be true too regarding the power output for full size headphones not being quite enough. Thatâs what inspired the purchase of my iBasso DAPS but as stated earlier, it is great for IEMs especially when using the balanced output. The R4 and a Aful Explorer or Letshuoer S08 as an example could provide a great portable setup for under $500.
I think there is something to be said for the R4 when it is being compared with DAPs at 2x the price.
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Not being an HP guyâŠare there any dongles at the R4âs price point that can drive 
HPâs and whatâs the battery drain like?
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Not really even those are getting up into the $500 range. Granted I have not bought any personally but I look at things like the DC07 and Ify go bar - but then youâre tethered to a phone or again too.
I suppose itâs all going to really center around your specific use case and what headphones you are wanting to drive.
So the R4 still has a lot of appeal and value for features it provides. I donât really think that Hiby meant for us nerds to try running full size headphones to be honest. IEMs and Porta-pros yes and some easier to drive full size but not the likes of say an Arya or HEK stealth etc.
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Fiio dongles/BTRâs
Out of interest what HPâs can they drive to there full potential?
BTR7 - DCA E3, lots of headroom on HD600âs, SJY stuff.
if you want to know how it works with high ohm loads I have a 300ohm impedance adapter I could throw on stuff
their KA17 that can be externally powered to run in a âdesktop modeâ for more output power than the BTR7 (havenât tried it yet personally but reviews outside of the software are good)
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hd600+300ohm adapter, listenable maxed at low gain, louder than Iâd listen maxed high gain (also only SE not BAL)
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I am new to the HiBy set of devices. I own the R4 and I really like it.
I would like know to what the PEQ settings inside the âHiBy Music R4 Professional Edition Appâ apply.
Do these PEQ settings apply to the 3.5mm output when I use the YouTube Music streaming app?
Do these PEQ settings apply to the bluetooth output when I use the YouTube Music streaming app?
Has anyone figured out what the âpure audioâ most is and how the âmode switchingâ works? In the latest firmware update?
Edit:
nvm: figured it out.
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Have you tried it yet, the R4 in Pure Audio Mode? I think I like it⊠Not sure If Iâm just susceptible to marketing, gullible or both. I mean it is not like Mango OS where the player is the operating system and Android is not running at all - but what ever Hiby is doing by holding Android back is making a difference to the positive for me.
Just curious if others notices a difference.
Hello Iron128 Welcome to Hifi Guides !
I honestly donât know because I donât use EQ. But Iâm confident that the PEQ applies to both the balanced and single ended outputs. Not sure about Bluetooth either as Iâm all wired.
If you find out let us know.
ONLY Line Out / DAC & Features - Impression (HAVENâT USED THE DAC SECTION)
Pros:
The DAC section is pretty strong
Software Seems to be smooth so far
Full of Extensions ( Plugins and MSEB )
Processor
Cons:
Battery Life
Temperature
Hiby R4 Impressions
This unit was provided by Audio Geeks India, no one asked me to write anything about this product let alone good or bad. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone and true to my findings.
My Void
I was diving into the realm of Digital Audio Players when I stumbled upon the Hiby R4. The price was super tempting, and I needed a device that could hook up to my amplifier while also acting as a streamer. As I explored the features of the Hiby R4, I found myself increasingly intrigued by its capabilities.
Introduction
The sleek design caught my eye immediately, with its modern aesthetic and user-friendly interface. I appreciated that it was compact enough to fit in my bag, yet robust enough to handle my daily commute.
In short, the Hiby R4 seemed to check all the boxes for what I was looking for in a digital audio player. With my interest peaked and my excitement building, I knew I had to take the plunge and review this product.
Software Updates
I just want to say that before diving into my impressions, the software stability on this device has been getting better every day. Over my 14-day review, I noticed a ton of updates and improvements, especially with the 1237 update. There were so many cool additions that Iâll get into later, but itâs awesome to see Hiby rolling out updates like this frequently.
Line Out Only Review
I mostly used line-out mode, like 95% of the time. That said, it did power every IEM I tried with total control, like the DaVinci, DynaQuattro, Dynabird, and 61T.
(All of them are reviewed by me on Head-Fi).
I mainly used this DAP with a couple of headphones: the Sennheiser 490 Pro and the Sennheiser HD600, paired with two different amps: the Astell and Kern PA10 and the JDS ATOM 2.
The line-out gives you 2.3 Vrms from single-ended and 4.1 Vrms from balanced. In addition to that, with the Wi-Fi, the R4 turned into my go-to music setup for about two weeks.
DACs ( DAC X4 )
The Hiby R4 is packed with four ES9018C2M DAC chips, and I can definitely say it performs incredibly well. Iâm focusing my review solely on the Line Out port, so letâs consider this discussion centred around the DAC portion and their audio performance.
Sound Signature
The DAPâs LO really highlights the differences between the three main Frequency Amplitude Ranges in a clear way. Everything else in the sound feels just as impactful.
The bass was richer and obtained details. The amplitude was slightly elevated. Although very controlled but not very tight as per Se. The micro-contrasts though are very vivid throughout the frequency spectrum. And the whole low-end sound is rich through the LO port, with great note definition.
When you hit the midrange, the bass really enhances the lower mids in a natural way, making those lower mid frequencies feel fuller and more vibrant, while still keeping things clear and detailed with lots of contrasty nature.
When diving into the treble, it takes a more laid-back route and manages everything in a really natural way. Itâs not overly quick, but it delivers sound with plenty of detail, and the tonality stays smooth without any harshness. It also doesnât feel cramped or boxy, even with intricate tracks with very complex details.
The price range it falls into makes it a great deal for anyone looking to grab an R4 as a source. It easily beats dongle DACs that are priced at around $100 (in Q1 of 2024 ).
Software -
What Iâve mentioned in the review so far only covers about 50% of what this DAP can actually do. The other half of the story lies in its software.
And letâs start with
1) Plug-ins â Plug-ins are meticulously crafted algorithms that break the raw data and modify it. Which will surprise you in a lot of ways.
Suppose You have an IEM which have a bit of narrow dynamics, turn on the âDRX10K Dynamicsâ filter and you get a sound that is hugely improved in dynamics and as well as resolution. How? I donât know and I donât need to know as long as the DAP is making my legs tap.
The soundstage is still small? âSound-fieldâ is there.
Too much EQ is making the IEM sound a bit wonky in certain Albums due to not matching properly. Activate âBalancedâ
Need room-filling sound? Activate âConvolutionâ.
But remember, not every filter will go with each and every genre, so before getting a verdict on your end, I would like you to play with the plug-ins a bit beforehand.
2) R4 includes MSEB with all of its glory.
To be honest, I used this extensively and going again to vanilla form made me miss this feature a lot. The things you can change with the MSEB are
i) Overall Temperature ( Works like a FIR Filter )
ii) Bass Extension (Not affecting midrange if used within range)
iii) Bass Texture (One of my favourite implementations)
iv) Note thickness ( Lifesaver to Budget IEMs that are kinda bright )
v) Voice ( Not so useful to me, felt boxy sometimes )
vi) Female Overtones
vii) Sibilance HF
viii) Sibilance LF (Very helpful to not only reduce sibilance on certain albums)
ix) Impulse Response
x) Air (Which I always kept at 10)
They can collectively alter the sound so much that one might save his/her IEM from being outdated and most probably bored.
3) Modes
In the latest updates, HiBY has unveiled the modes available in the DAPS. One of these is the Pure Audio mode, where the DAC sends a low-level signal to the amplifier. The other mode is Bluetooth, transforming the DAC into a Bluetooth receiver, allowing it to function as an endpoint for your transducers.
These are just existing features (mostly) but packaged in a more appealing and more accessible way.
Suggestion to the users
The Plug-ins and MSEB are quite effective, and they allow you to adjust their effectiveness on a scale from 1 to 100. I recommend reducing the maximum deviation to 10 steps in either direction and experimenting within that range. While they can be beneficial, using them haphazardly may lead to more problems than solutions.
Conclusion
This could serve as a reliable source for my AMP, as well as for streaming and various other uses. My only concern is that the battery life isnât very impressive. It does get a bit warm, but thatâs to be expected given the metal chassis and CLASS A design.
Itâs important to highlight that this DAP is priced at just $250. It offers a complete Android experience with a solid processor. Plus, it comes loaded with robust software that receives regular updates to keep everything running smoothly.
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