HIFI Diary: Hiby R6PROII Sound Quality Review

I. Introduction

Why the sudden review of the R6PROII? Primarily because of the currently popular DAC solution: AK4191 + AK4499EX * 2. This solution has been adopted by several ultra-flagship players priced above $1500, which piqued the blogger's curiosity. Let's talk about the AK4191 + AK4499EX chipset solution. It essentially splits the previous AK4499 into three parts, with almost identical basic specifications. From an electrical performance perspective, splitting one chip into three undoubtedly increases costs and design complexity. However, the benefits are also clear: AK4191 provides an ultra-high resolution solution of DSD1024 and PCM1536, which is typically achievable only with desktop devices. In practice, this chipset solution can also be paired with an AK4137EQ for upsampling, but the R6PRO2 likely omitted this due to product positioning.

II. Preparation for the Evaluation

The device being evaluated this time is the Hiby R6PROII portable player. The headphones used for testing are the blogger's personal flagship model, Nestsound ZERO. The audio files tested are 100% genuine CD rips or purchased legitimate audio. The comparison is naturally made with the blogger's highly favored LOTOO PAW GOLD TOUCH and the current most recommended LBZ-03 portable DAC. Additionally, several products recently reviewed by the blogger are also included in the comparison, namely the QLS MUB1 and Hiby R4. Returning to the Hiby R6PROII, the latest firmware (1.40_20240612-1312) was used during testing, with settings including airplane mode, pure audio mode, TF card (Samsung Blue Card), Class_A amplification mode, high gain, default player, MSEB and PEQ disabled, digital filter set to Short Delay Sharp Rolloff, and DSD gain at +6dB. The configuration options are truly extensive.

III. Evaluation Pieces/Scoring Method

The track selection is based on the BLOG owner's usual listening preferences, which are approximately 70% Japanese music and 30% large-scale orchestral works. Therefore, the selection will lean significantly towards Japanese music. The scoring criteria are derived from the simplified version of Liu Hansheng's "Twenty Essentials for Audio," with a maximum score of 10, though generally, the highest score given is 9. A score of 8 indicates a clear advantage in the scoring category, 7 signifies excellence in this category, 6 means it can be normally appreciated, 5 means it can be normally listened to, and scores below 5 are not commented on. For a more detailed evaluation plan, please refer to here.

IV. Test begins

项目	PAW GOLD TOUCH	R6PROII	LBZ-03	MUB1	R4
Integrity	8.5/10	6.5/10	7.5/10	6.5/10	6.5/10
High frequency	8/10	6.5/10	7/10	7/10	6/10
Medium frequency	8/10	6.5/10	7.5/10	6.5/10	6/10
Low frequency	7.5/10	6.5/10	7/10	6.5/10	6/10
Analysis, separation	8/10	7.5/10	7/10	7/10	6/10
Sound field, density	8/10	7.5/10	7/10	7/10	6/10
Drive, dynamic	8/10	7/10	7/10	7/10	6.5/10
Total score	8/10	6.9/10	7.1/10	6.9/10	6.2/10

1、Song：晨星寥宿 风祝神颂（The Guiding Stars' Solitude, Whispers of the Wind）, Album：-天水的源泉-（Wellspring of Heaven's Water）

Okay, so this first track is a big deal – seriously, it's the kind of CD every hardcore Touhou fan dreams of owning. "Dawn Stars, Quiet Night" is like the representative track. Considering when this song was made, the fact that it sounds so polished and well-recorded is just mind-blowing. Getting to the nitty-gritty of how it sounds on the R6PROII straight out of the box? Pretty solid. The sound is crisp, you can pick out all the different layers, and the detail is really good. The soundstage feels wide, and everything's nicely separated. You don't get any of that muddiness or muffled vocals you might hear on cheaper gear. The vocals sit at a good distance, and they fit perfectly within the overall sound – no feeling of things being cramped or messy. Now, the vocals on the R6PROII aren't all sunshine and rainbows. They have this consistently "chill" vibe. The control is actually top-notch, lots of detail, and it's not like they sound cold or robotic. But listen closely, and you'll be hard-pressed to find any real "warmth" or "emotion" in them. This super sharp vocal style kinda stops the R6PROII from truly nailing the feel of a ballad. Honestly, this way of handling vocals just doesn't sound that enjoyable or something you could listen to for hours on end.

2、Song：侠客下山Pt2（Swordsman Descends the Mountain）, Singers：张吉诃德（KnightZhang）, Album：异象聚合二周年（Heter Aggregate Two-Year Anniversary）

Sticking with the slightly underground Touhou tunes, this one's a bit of an oddball – a Chinese rap doujin track. But you know what? It kinda gets stuck in your head after a few spins. Switching gears from that emotional first track to this rap, I figured the R6PROII would be in its element. But the actual listening experience was a bit of a mixed bag. The good stuff? Solid detail, you can hear everything, even the guy's, like, mouth noises while he's rapping. But there are downsides too. First off, the bass doesn't go deep enough, and there's not enough of it. This means it can't create that proper atmosphere you want for rap. Actually, this bass thing is a big reason why the vocals on the R6PROII can sound a bit flat. After checking out these two tracks, it feels like maybe electronic music is the only genre this thing truly nails.

3、Song：天空の悲恋歌（Sky's Lament），Singers：TAMUSIC，Album：東方バイオリン1

Since we kicked things off with Touhou, let's keep the ball rolling. And after two vocal tracks, let's switch to this classic violin and piano piece. Figured it'd be a good test for how well it handles instruments. First up, the violin. The R6PROII's take on it is just okay. It doesn't have much sparkle, sounds a bit stiff, and those super high notes can be a little harsh. The piano, though, sounds much better – smooth, natural, with nice richness and punch. Overall, this track doesn't really make the R6PROII shine. Our ears are super sensitive to high frequencies, and the R6PROII's highs are just a tad grating.

V. Conclusion

Alright, so the R6PROII doesn't sound bad, not at all. For a mid-range player, it's got decent specs and the hardware is there. Yeah, the headphone amp isn't amazing, but it does the job. The fact that you can find these used for almost half the price of new ones on sites like Xianyu? There's a reason for that. Ignoring all the new stuff and upgrades that have dropped in the hi-fi world lately, the R6PROII's sound isn't offensive, but it's not exactly thrilling either. If you're thinking it's going for that super accurate, "scientific" sound, its handling of metal instruments is pretty weak. But if it's trying for that classic hi-fi vibe, the dry vocals just don't hit the spot for anyone. It's no wonder people are saying the tuning on this thing isn't even as good as the basic R4. On the plus side, the MSEB and PEQ they give you on the R6PROII are actually pretty easy to use and make sense. Most people could probably tweak the sound to something they're happy with, given enough time. But you gotta factor in the time you spend fiddling with it, and the fact that you're probably losing some sound quality in the process.

VI. Just Thinking Out Loud

Lately, I've been trying out a bunch of different players, and it feels like the way these Chinese companies are making them is turning into a smartphone game: focus on the specs, release new models constantly, build up the hype, and throw money at advertising. It's become a way to churn out "hifi hits." It doesn't seem like any of these factories are really willing to take their time and perfect their products. Even if you ignore the quality differences between the high-end and low-end stuff, the basic sound balance is often a complete mess. And I'm not just picking on Hiby here – this goes for a bunch of players I've tested recently, some I've written about, some I haven't. Almost none of them make me want to shout "buy this!" without hesitation. And it's not about being picky, it's just hard to swallow spending a ton of money and getting a listening experience that feels "off" or "incomplete." Hi-fi players are different from phones. Their only job is to play music perfectly. That pursuit of perfection is the whole point of hi-fi. To me, just focusing on the specs without caring about how it sounds, or just talking about tuning without having the hardware to back it up – that's just not taking the product seriously. So, I really believe that even if different brands have different ideas about what sounds good, and different ways of making money, if they lose that passion for getting the sound right, they're gonna get left behind.