I own Fiio M11 pro which come with the USB DAC feature, I can just plug my devices to the DAP and it will work like a USB audio dongle. Right now I am interested in the R4 and want to know if it have this feature. EDIT: If it's possible, I want to know if it also works with linux as well. Thanks!

4.5⭐️

• Sturdy build quality

• Compact

• Independent volume control

• Plenty of power for iems

• Warm/neutral and full bodied sound

• Light on features

• Hiby Music app not compatible with Amazon Music

Disclaimer:
This product was purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

Gear used:
● LG v30+
● Samsung Galaxy s22 Ultra
● Samsung dongle
● Various iems

Source:
● Listening was done through Amazon Music HD or Ultra HD.

Introduction:
● Hiby is widely known for their great DAPs. They also produce dongle DAC/amplifiers and even some iems. Their products range from budget entry level to TOTL. The Hiby FC4 is currently Hiby's second most expensive dongle DAC/amp and is available for $79 on Amazon at the time of this review.

Design and features:
● The FC4 features dual ES9219 chips. The retail box contains the unit itself along with a dual sided USB-C cable and a USB to USB-C cable for use with PC. The design is minimalistic and sleek. The rectangular body has a nice matte finish and an aluminum build that feels both light in the hand and premium to the touch. On one end of the device is a USB-C port for connection to your source of choice. The other end features both 3.5 and 4.4mm connections. There are + and - buttons on the side for volume control that is independent of the source's volume. It's very convenient to be able to adjust both the volume on the DAC/amp and the source separately for more incremental control. The FC4 also remains at the last set volume between uses which is handy. Just above the USB-C port is a small indicator light that displays the sampling rate. There's no way to apply filters or EQ without use of the Hiby Music app. Unfortunately the app only works with local files and Tidal streaming.

Power consumption:
● The FC4 boasts an output power of 110mW @ 32 ohms (single-ended) and 340mw @ 32ohms (balanced). To test the FC4's power consumption I ran a short trial. With my devices in airplane mode, I let my library play on a medium high volume while making sure to limit any unnecessary interaction with the screen. Here is the battery drain results after 1 hour:

20% on LGV30+ through 4.4 and 15% through 3.5.

14% on Galaxy S22 Ultra through 4.4 and 12% through 3.5.

Sample track breakdown:
●The following impressions were made using the Softears Volume, Simgot EW200, and Aful Magic One.

● "What was I made for" - Billie Eilish - When compared to the simple Samsung dongle, the FC4 adds a bit of weight note to the entire spectrum. I really enjoy that the amplification makes the piano sound more visceral and real. Any slight sibilant tinges in Billies breathy voice are smoothed over and the vocals are more enjoyable. The sub bass is extended a bit and there is more impact and rumble. The bass boost also helps tame the treble a bit and the sound is more balanced.

● "Dreams" - The Cranberries - Again the biggest impact I'm hearing is a bass that extends lower with more rumble and impact. Any slight peaks in the upper mids and treble have their edges smoothed over just slightly making them more enjoyable. Cymbal crashes in particular have less of a harsh sound. Vocals, while still present and enjoyable, have been pushed back ever so slightly. The combination of the smoother treble, more impactful bass, and very slightly recessed mids gives the entire frequency response a more balanced/warm presentation that is most welcome.

● "Adelaide" - Anberlin - Fist thing I noticed with this track is the bass sounds a bit "looser" with a slower decay. Each impact lingers a bit longer with the FC4 which helps to add a little warmth and fullness. Snares and cymbal crashes are still crisp but the edge is taken off a bit making them less detracting from the overall musicality.

● "Adore you" - Miley Cyrus - That bass rumble is so much more impactful and full right from the start! Miley's voice comes in and there is a slight musical quality that wasn't present before. The snares have more impact but simultaneously have a somewhat bluntness with the edge taken off a bit. The strings that come in at the chorus have much more presence and sound like we're in the same room.

● "Heartbreak Warfare" - John Mayer- The bass strumming in the intro has a bigger presence and fuller sound. There's also a more impactful and constant rumble from that bass throughout the song that was missing a bit before. John's vocals remain balanced and are not recessed even with the added bass heft. Guitar chords too have more presence and weight.

● "Mountains" - Hans Zimmer (Interstellar OST) - I don't often listen to OST's but this particular song has always been a good test track for me. Because the arrangement starts slow, the changes in the beginning are more subtle. A bigger bass rumble is noticeable though. At the 2:03 mark is where things take off. When the full orchestra comes in it feels like I'm sitting in the front row. The sound completely envelops me and I get goosebumps! The added weight of every note hits so much harder but is not harsh at all.

Final impressions:
● If you're in the market for a dongle DAC/amp that adds some weight and musicality to your music I think the FC4 is perfect. It boasts a neutral/warm sound that smooths any troublesome peaks just enough without detracting from the overall sound profile. The added note weight makes every track sound more organic, full, and overall more enjoyable for my taste. The FC4 doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but the overall value for $79 is great. I highly recommend it those in need of more power and a fuller, more musical sound.

Received an Email about the release of this new DAP. Why is the battery so bad?! Literally my only reason to not buy one, how is it so worse than the R1. 6.3h of music with 3.5mm output? Am I missing something?

Pros:

• Price

• Design and color choices (Reminds me of Evangelion Mechas)

• Lively and colorful sound

• Class A amplification

• Sound customization and enhancement options

Cons:

• Runs warm

Remember when Hiby released the M300 under a new brand, Hiby Digital? That one was in the same vein as later Sony A Series Walkmans and became quite popular. But that’s old news now. The new rage is the R4. Has Hiby finally lost it, releasing such a feature-packed product for only $249?

Disclaimers

Hiby R4, along with their Project Ace, was sent to me by Hiby as part of the Turkey Tour of the Audio Geek Review Group. I don’t get to keep these tour units, even at the end of the tour. As I always say, everyone is biased one way or another, so take everything you read with a grain of salt. Also, I will try to be more concise and to the point in my reviews from now on without worrying about the word count, etc. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments, and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities. Additionally, I will be copying some parts from my earlier Hiby R6 Pro II review, as they are pretty much valid for this review as well.

About Hiby

Hiby was founded in 2011, according to their website, and apparently, has even more experience in the audio field. They are mostly known for their Digital Audio Players, but they also make DAC/Amps and earphones. However, what sets Hiby apart from other manufacturers is their expertise in software. Their UIs, apps, and connection protocol, Hiby Link, are used even by other brands.

Design and Packaging of Hiby R4

With a cyberpunk theme, Hiby hits several birds with one stone. First, they made their target audience obvious, in this case, younger audiophiles. They also lowered the cost with relatively cheap construction and could get away with it. The device has sharp corners, and rubber is used here and there. The 04 number is apparent on the packaging and the device. There are four color choices: Orange, Silver, Green, and Black. The color I got is the most boring one, Silver. Honestly, this Evangelion vibe is what attracted me to the R4.

The Hiby R4 comes in a simple but stylish package. Inside, you are welcomed with the DAP, and at the back, you get a TPU case, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and spare screen protectors. Although it sounds modest, I don’t really need anything else. Higher-end DAPs come with more cables and stuff, but I rarely use them anyway.

Hardware of Hiby R4

So most people choose their DAPs and DACs based on the DAC chips inside. In the case of the R4, 4 ES9018C2M chips are used for digital-to-analog conversion. The amplification circuit consists of 4 OP1652 and 2 OP1612 operational amplifiers. The R4 only works in Class A amplification by default, which can be a downside if you don’t like your electronics running warm or want more battery life. The maximum power output of the device is 165 mW from single-ended and 525 mW from balanced.

Being a budget-oriented device, the Hiby R4 offers 3 GB of RAM memory and 32 GB of internal storage, but as usual, you can store up to 2 TB of music or data with an SD Card.

The 4.7” IPS 720p screen on the R4 isn’t exactly flagship-level, but it's more than enough for regular operation of a DAP.

The R4 supports the usual wireless and wired connectivity options, namely WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB, and Coaxial through USB-C output. Analog outputs include 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced. There are no separate line outputs. The device also supports DLNA, Airplay, and their own Hiby Link protocols, as well as Hiby Cast remote control. It can render X16 MQA too, if that’s important to you. I’m pretty sure there are others I forgot to mention.

So all of these yield virtually no distortion and noise. I didn’t really test the battery life, but Hiby promises 11 hours of runtime with 3.5 mm single-ended output. All I can say is that the battery has a longer life than my R6 Pro II, so through balanced, I can say 9-10 hours of playback is what you can expect.

Software and UI

The Hiby R4 uses an open Android 12.0, which means you can download any 3rd party apps you want, and it should receive app updates for quite a while. Hiby Music comes pre-installed as the default music player, and I didn’t need to use any other music app since I mostly stream my music.

The UI is customized by Hiby for the intended use case. It is not too different from the usual Android experience, but changing audio controls like adjusting gain and amplification type is especially very easy. Hiby also offers four different themes for you to choose from. All of them looked great in their own way, so I had a hard time choosing one. The UI is pretty fast. I only saw it stuttering when loading album art, that’s all.

Hiby’s own MSEB (Mage Sound 8-ball Tuning) is an EQ-based easy sound adjustment mechanism. If using EQ is intimidating for you, playing with MSEB can ease you into it. I think it’s a great feature. Here is the list that shows how each choice affects the sound:

1 -- Overall Temperature: a tilt of the whole line towards 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

Like other Hiby DAPs of late, R4 also has Parametric Equalizer. There are also plugins you can play with. Hiby sent me some samples to try, like soundstage enhancement and crossfeed. I know some of you like unaltered sound, but when it comes to software, you have got to respect Hiby.

Sound of Hiby R4

I have to be honest; for digital audio players, I value functionality more than sound, unless the device sounds straight up bad, and I’m happy to announce R4 doesn’t sound bad at all. It doesn’t have the sound of a flagship, of course, it doesn’t. But during my time testing it, I never felt like I’m missing something.

The Hiby R4 has a colorful and lively sound. You can say it’s slightly V-shaped. Bass is definitely emphasized, and by a big margin. Other than that, it doesn’t sound particularly harsh or glaring. Details and spaciousness aren’t top-notch, but more than enough unless you aren’t analyzing your music. Let’s move on to comparison for more context.

Comparisons

Hiby R4 vs. Hiby R6 Pro II

I know it’s not exactly fair, but the only comparable DAP I had in my hand at the time of the review was my R6 Pro II. Still, the R4 held its ground pretty well.

• Bass is more impactful on R4.

• R6 Pro II is more controlled and well-defined.

• R4 is more colorful and vivid, just like a contrast-maxed TV. R6 Pro II’s rendition is more natural and effortless. Timbre is also better on R6 Pro II.

• R6 Pro II has more air, feels more spacious, and separates better. R4 sounds a little blunted compared to that.

• R6 Pro II is more detailed, which is no surprise. It keeps its composure during complex passages while R4 tumbles a little.

Hiby R4 vs. Fiio KA5

I assume a lot of people will be looking to buy R4 as their first DAP, so coming from a decent dongle, they might be wondering what they will gain, so I compared R4 to my FiiO KA5.

• R4 has more body and note weight. KA5 sounds cleaner and has slightly better timbre.

• KA5 has more sub-bass extension.

• R4 has more energy and bite.

• KA5 is slightly more airy. Details and spaciousness also feel slightly better on KA5.

Conclusion

The Hiby R4 gets my first full 5 stars. Not because it sounds much better than anything else, but because it does everything I care for right. It has a lively sound that you will enjoy when you are out and about. It has a cool design (Yes, EVA bias). It has great power and amplification. It uses a good processing chip and has a fast UI. It has sound customization and enhancement options like PEQ, MSEB, and plug-ins. And most importantly, it does all of this for only $249. So the verdict? I’m planning to buy a unit for myself later!