HiBy R6 III 2025 Review – Quad-DAC (CS43198) DAP – A Winner In The Competition.
HiBy has released an upgraded version of its classic “R6” series of portable Hi-Res digital audio players, introducing the HiBy R6 III 2025. The R6 III 2025 is the latest installment in HiBy’s mid-price Android music player segment. It is a successor to the R6 III that came out back in 2023. HiBy has revamped the audio circuitry of the R6 III 2025 bringing a new DAC setup, switchable Class A/AB amplification modes, etc.
At the heart of the R6 III 2025, we have a premium Quad-DAC architecture housing four CS43198 high-end 32-bit DAC chips from the house of Cirrus Logics. HiBy R6 III 2025 also has revamped looks. While the shape is identical to the previous iteration in the series, the new 2025 variant features a meticulously crafted diamond-cut patterned glass back panel.
The primary upgrade that HiBy has done on the R6 III 2025 from the previous generations is the all-new DAC configuration. The previous iteration had dual ESS Sabre DAC while the new R6 III 2025 packs an advanced Quad-DAC architecture. It houses four high-end CS43198 DAC chips. They work flawlessly providing crisp high-definition audio signal processing supporting up to 32bit/768kHz PCM and native DSD512 audio signals.
The R6 III 2025 also supports 16x MQA unfolding for true studio-like sound delivery. HiBy R6 III 2025 features a switchable Class A and Class AB dual-mode amplification section. It is carefully designed using dual OPA1652 OPAMPS along with 16 hand-matched transistors and four premium ELNA capacitors for a strong amp section. It is not only powerful but clean and accurate as well.
HiBy R6 III 2025 houses a 5” 720P display screen. It comes loaded with open Android 12 OS for smooth operation and a wide variety of application support. Using HiBy’s Direct Transport Architecture(DTA), the R6 III 2025 has systemwide bit-perfect audio signal support. You can use any application on the R6 III 2025 and the bit-perfect audio design will make sure you get true high-resolution audio signal processing for a perfect sonic experience.
With a Snapdragon 665 SoC chipset and 4 GB RAM, you can run different applications on the R6 III 2025. It has a 64GB internal storage as well. HiBy has also equipped the R6 III 2025 with dual independent crystal oscillators clocked at 45.158MHz and 49.152Mhz, they ensure low-jitter, clean processing for high-res audio signals.
The R6 III 2025 has independent headphone and line-out ports. It has both 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports for easy single-ended and balanced connections. HiBy R6 iii 2025 has classy build quality with its 5” 720P display screen, metallic chassis, and a glass back panel. The back panel has a geometrical design as well.
HiBy R6 III 2025 houses a 4500mAh large-capacity battery pack. It promises a battery life of up to 13 hours using single-ended connections and up to 11 hours when using Balanced connections. The R6 III 2025 also supports Hi-Res Bluetooth V5.0 connectivity. It supports two-way connectivity in Bluetooth connection.
HiBy R6 III 2025 is perfect for every scenario, whether you want something for casual listening or something that packs a punch. Its quad-DAC architecture, Class A and AB amplification modes, open Android 12 OS, etc. all features promise an amazing music listening experience.
HiBy R6 III 2025 is available in two color options, Silver and Black. It is officially launched for $439.
Features
- 4x CS43198 DACs
- Switchable Class A/AB Amplification
- Dedicated Audio Crystal Oscillators
- DSD512 And PCM768kHz/32bit Support
- 4500mAh Large Battery
- Bi-Directional Bluetooth 5.0
HiBy R6 III (2025) Portable Music Player Specifications
- Operating System Android 12
- CPU Model Snapdragon 665
- DAC 4x CS43198
- Supported Sample Formats/Rates DSD512 & PCM768kHz/32bit, MQA 16x
- Analog Audio Ports 3.5mm PO, 4.4mm BAL, 3.5mm LO, 4.4mm BAL.LO
- Digital Audio Ports USB Type-C, Coaxial digital (via USB adapter, sold separately)
- WiFi Supports 2.4GHz, 5GHz
- Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 (Bi-directional)
- High-Res Bluetooth Codecs UAT, LDAC, aptX (Transmit only), aptX HD (Transmit only), AAC, SBC
- Wireless Audio DLNA, HiByLink
- Display Size 5 inches diagonal
- Display Type IPS
- Resolution 1280 × 720
- Colors 16 million colors
- RAM 4GB
- Internal Storage 64GB
- USB Port Type-C (USB 2.0 & 3.2 Gen 1, up to 5Gbps)
- Micro SD Supports up to 2TB
- Color Choices Black, Silver
- Material Aluminium Alloy
- Dimensions 129.4 × 73.1 × 15.6 mm
- Weight 250g
- Charging Voltage 12V=1.5A or 5V=0.5A
- Battery Capacity 4500mAh
- Charge Time < 2h (0%–100%)
- Firmware Updates OTA Online Updates
- Font Size Adjustable
- Third-Party Apps Unlimited Installation
Unboxing
- 1x R6 III 2025
- 1x Clear Case
- 1x Type-C to Type-C USB Charging Cable
- 1x User Manual
- 3x Screen Protectors (2 Pre-Applied)
- 1x Warranty Card
- 1x QC Card
Class A vs AB
The HiBy R6 III 2025 has a setting to switch the amplifying mode between Class A & AB. Class AB preserves more battery, whilst the Class A mode gives maximum performance. The difference is hard to spot on first listen, and honestly, I couldn’t spot much difference between the two when I tested with IEMs.
However, full-size headphones benefit from Class A amplification. There’s better dynamic range, better attack and definition, and better pace. So I would say if you have hard-to-drive headphones, I think it would be better to use the device with full Class A amplification. In Class A mode the HiBy R6 III 2025 does not get hot, I know some users have some concerns about this, but no worries.
Sound
Probably the most interesting thing about HiBy R6 III 2025 is that it uses not one or two but 4 DAC chips to output a stereo signal. The chips in use are Cirrus Logic CS43198, but four of them are in a completely new design.
The HiBy R6 III 2025 essentially has a flat tonality. The bass goes deep into the sub-bass regions without any issue, giving the sub-bass an ethereal bass quality. The bass presentation is overall good. Bass is tight, easy to listen to and it shows up with plenty of authority when needed. Technically, bass also performs well with excellent speed, clarity, precision, and depth.
The R6 III 2025o reflects tracks as is, nothing more, nothing less. Mid-bass control is very good and I can’t hear any bleeding or congestion here. Mid-bass is very clear and textured while remaining controlled. Although the mid-bass is impactful enough, drum hits can end up being a touch dry due to a shorter amount of sustain in the note.
As for the midrange, the R6 III 2025 holds its line of being very clear but also adds articulacy to the equation. You get a natural and very musical presentation with plenty of airy and excellent precision, depth, layering, and separation. Detail retrieval is really good too. The mids sound dynamic, natural, and spacious
The vocal range also continues the drier character of the mid-bass, where there is an honest quality to the vocals, meaning it won’t be infused with euphony in any way. Midrange instruments tend to take a more neutral and honest timbral quality as well. The vocals and higher frequencies are always dynamic, vivid, and exciting.
The R6 III 2025 sounds quite balanced in this regard, as well. Instruments such as guitars, violas, and cellos sound reference to my ears.
As for the highs, nothing surprising, in a very good way. They follow the rest of the spectrum. Resolving highs. The extension is great. Treble instruments, such as cymbal crashes are controlled very well. Where there is a distinct and singular character to cymbal hits, however, there won’t be any additional splashiness or sparkle to embellish the treble frequencies which is always welcome in the name of the neurality.
Listening to classical recordings where there are gentler passages with violins followed by a sudden rush of a crescendo, it feels like the dynamic range between the two has about the same volume level. Although there can be a perceived volume difference, the difference is not as wide as I have come to expect.
When it comes to presenting wide and expansive spaces, the R6 III 2025 seems to have a wide soundstage up to a certain point. However, despite its ability to cast a respectably wide soundscape, there seems to be an invisible wall to the soundstage.
There is a marked improvement in soundstage layering when the R6 III 2025 is used in balanced mode. Gives a good amount of layering, utilizing a large chunk of the soundstage.
Creating a coherent and vivid center image is also one of the things that the R6 III 2025 does well. Image directionality is done well, while the images that are formed by the DAP are very tightly packed and chiseled.
Sum-Up
For me, the R6 III 2025 is the sweet spot for a DAP. What can I want more? Nothing. Everything is perfect for the asking price. Flagship-grade build quality, flagship-level raw performance, and truly near flagship-level sound performance (which honestly I wasn’t expecting to be as good) for under $500, which is my limit when it comes to buying a digital audio player. A solid choice in the competition, a winner in my opinion.