I've been using the HiBy R3 Pro II for a few weeks now, and I wanted to share my thoughts on this DAP so far.

TL;DR: The HiBy R3 Pro II is a fantastic DAP with excellent build quality, outstanding audio performance, and comprehensive connectivity options. While the UI has room for improvement, it's a solid device overall.

I'll cover what I feel most important, however, if I skip something you're interested in, I'm more than happy to expand.

So let's get started then:

Build Quality

The R3 Pro II is exceptionally well-built. It feels solid in hand with a satisfying weight that conveys quality. The Ultrasuede back was the primary reason I chose the R3 Pro II over other HiBy OS DAPs—it feels absolutely wonderful to hold, provides excellent grip, and is a refreshing change from the usual textureless backs found on most devices.

The buttons have a nice tactile feel, though the layout takes some getting used to initially. The status light on the power button is a nice touch (though it can be disabled in settings if you prefer).

Audio Performance

Simply put, it's perfect. Out of the box, the R3 Pro II has a conservative volume limit, but you can adjust this through developer options. On high gain, it easily drives my HD650s without breaking a sweat, while low gain provides more than enough power for any IEM.

A standout feature is MSEB, a HiBy OS exclusive that lets you fine-tune the sound to your preferences. Unlike traditional EQ, you're adjusting the overall sound signature rather than specific frequency responses, which feels more natural and musical.

User Interface

This is where the R3 Pro II has the most room for improvement.

The overall UI is attractive, mostly responsive, and intuitive to navigate. Settings are easily accessible, and most functions work as expected.

However, the library views—where it matters most—are problematic. The "Artists" view lists featured artists and collaborators as separate entries (similar to the iPod Classic), which becomes annoying with larger libraries and could be a dealbreaker for some users. The "Album Artist" view is similarly clunky. While it lists artists cleanly, it doesn't allow browsing by albums, instead displaying all tracks in a single list, making it nearly useless for my needs.

If HiBy implemented the filtering and sorting options from the Artists view into the Album Artist view, it would dramatically improve the experience for users with extensive libraries.

Other library views work as expected without issues.

Wired Connectivity

The R3 Pro II offers excellent connectivity options with 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced, and USB-C connections.

The balanced 4.4mm output on high gain is impressively powerful—I could drive my HD650s comfortably at 60-70% volume, well above my usual listening levels.

The USB-C port is remarkably versatile, supporting both input and output DAC functionality. USB DAC mode worked flawlessly with my MacBook Pro, handling everything up to 32-bit/384kHz. I was even able to connect a USB-C dongle DAC (CB1200AU), which was detected and worked perfectly.

Wireless Connectivity

Bluetooth connections proved stable with excellent range, though there's noticeable latency (200ms-1s at worst in my testing).

I tested with TRN BT20 Pros and Sony WH-1000XM3s using both AAC and LDAC codecs—both worked flawlessly. While I don't have aptX devices to test, I expect they would perform equally well.

Connecting my iPhone 16 Pro Max via Bluetooth was seamless with rock-solid stability. The practical utility of this feature is debatable, but it works well when needed.

WiFi performance is solid despite only supporting 2.4GHz. The connection remained stable throughout testing, and I could stream Qobuz and Tidal up to MQA without issues. Both streaming service interfaces work well, allowing easy access to your library, playlists, new releases, and recommendations.

HiBy Link worked adequately—I could connect my phone to browse music and control the R3 Pro II remotely. However, it didn't perform as well as expected and only worked over WiFi in my testing, though it's supposed to work over Bluetooth as well. This isn't a concern for me since it's not a feature I'd use regularly.

The Import Music via WiFi feature worked well. The web interface is minimal but functional, allowing you to browse the SD card and upload/download files at reasonable speeds.

I didn't test the DLNA functionality.

Battery Life

Battery performance is excellent. I achieved around 15 hours of mixed use (Bluetooth and wired listening, frequent screen use, WiFi enabled, lots of tinkering). With more conservative usage, 20+ hours should be easily achievable. Standby time is outstanding—I never noticed battery drain when the device wasn't in use.

Conclusion

The HiBy R3 Pro II is an outstanding DAP that excels in build quality, audio performance, and connectivity options. While the user interface has some shortcomings, particularly in library management, the overall experience is very positive.

I had been keeping an eye on the HiBy R3Pro II for a few weeks before finally deciding to buy it. This is my first dedicated digital audio player, and overall, I’m pretty happy with it. I’m still fairly new to the world of IEMs and HiFi audio, so until now, I was using my old Galaxy A52 5G as a repurposed DAP. It’s not my main phone anymore since I’ve upgraded, but I kept the A52 specifically for music playback. It worked well enough, but I always had this feeling that I wasn’t getting the most out of my gear.

A while back, I bought a KZ ZSN Pro X, but I never got to use it with any proper HiFi setup before it broke. That was a couple of years ago. Recently, I got back into the hobby and picked up the Truthear Hexa. I liked it a lot, but I was still using my old phone to drive it. That’s when I started thinking seriously about getting a proper DAP. I felt like the Hexa had more to offer, and I wasn’t tapping into its full potential.

I debated for a while whether to stick with the A52 and maybe add a dongle DAC, or go all in with a dedicated player. I even posted online asking for advice. Eventually, I decided to go for it and ordered the R3Pro II. It arrived five days later. I already knew about some of the issues people had mentioned, like lag and freezing, but I really liked the compact size, the battery life, and especially the 4.4 millimeter balanced port, which I plan to try out soon.

Before the player even arrived, I had ordered a case for the R3Pro II just to get a feel for the size of the unit I was planning to buy. Once it showed up, I first inserted my SD card, since the case blocks the card slot once it’s on. After that, I put on the case, pulled out the Hexa, which had been sitting untouched in its pouch for about three weeks, and got ready to finally hear what it could really do.

Before diving in, I wanted to do a proper comparison. I plugged the Hexa into my old Galaxy A52, loaded up the exact same FLAC file of Fireflies by Owl City, and played it. The sound was familiar, bright treble, decent bass, nothing surprising. Then I switched everything over to the R3Pro II and played the same file again.

I wasn’t ready for what happened next.

I thought it might be placebo, but there was a real, noticeable difference. The treble felt like it was poking the walls of my ear canal, and the bass had this subtle rumble I could actually feel. It wasn’t just louder, it was more immersive. I felt closer to the instruments, like the music had more texture. Every song I played felt fresh and more alive. That moment felt like my proper welcome into HiFi.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Right after playing the intro of Fireflies, I tried updating the firmware to v1.2, and the player froze completely. I panicked. I had just gotten this thing, and it was already acting like it was bricked. I started Googling fixes within minutes of turning it on. Easily the worst first impression I’ve had with any product.

Eventually, I found a tip about reducing album art size to help with lag. Since the screen resolution is 720 by 480, I resized all my album covers to max out at 480 pixels using mp3tag. That actually helped a lot. It is still a bit janky, but way more usable now.

I also noticed some lag when turning on WiFi, which I only use for updates anyway. I was curious about the ebook feature and thought it might support PDFs or EPUBs, but it only supports TXT files. Reading on it feels like going through README files from sketchy software installs. Honestly, an FM radio would have been more useful.

Still, for what I was looking for, a pocketable player with decent power, long battery life, a 4.4 millimeter port, touch screen, non-Android operating system, and no volume knob, I am pretty satisfied. I just wish the user interface was smoother.