A Casual's Review of the Hiby R1 Digital Audio Player

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Disclaimer: Please note that I am not an audiophile, and this review does not delve into the technical aspects of the IEMs. My impressions are based on my personal preferences, and others may have different experiences with this product. I also have a very limited experience with audio products so please take this review with a grain of salt.

The Hiby R1 was lent to me as part of a review tour in the Philippines.

Pros

  • Lightweight and very pocketable
  • Great screen
  • Multiple output options: 3.5mm, USB-C, Bluetooth 5.1
  • Multiple options to enhance and customize sound output via equalization or MESB

Cons

  • No 4.4mm balanced output
  • Build quality feels cheap
  • No previous button
  • Only has Tidal and Qobuz, no YT Music, Spotify, or Apple Music
  • Vocal-focused tuning, can be bright. Not for bassheads

Part 1: General Product Details

You can purchase the Hiby R1 via these links:

Package Inclusions

This is the Value set version so it has extras that the Standard set won’t have

  • The Hiby R1 Dap (in Blue, other colors available are Orange, Black, White, and Green)
  • A strap
  • USB C to A cable
  • A microfiber storage pouch with magnetic clasp (Value set only, Standard set gets a small drawstring pouch)
  • SD Card extraction pin
  • Hiby Yves Earphones (Value set only)
  • 3 pairs of eartips in S/M/L sizes (Value set only)
  • 32gb Micro SD Card (Value set only)
  • Documentation (Warranty cards and manual)
Specifications

  • OS: HiByOS (Linux-based)
  • SOC: X1600E
  • DAC Chip: CS43131
  • No internal memory (micro SD card up to 2TB is required)
  • 1150 mAh battery
  • 3” 800x480 IPS screen
  • Weight: ~70g

Notable Features

  • MSEB - short for MageSound Eight-Ball is a Hiby-exclusive functionality that lets users alter the sound output besides the regular 10-band equalizer. In MSEB there are a few parameters that you can alter in a scale, like the overall sound temperature, bass extension & texture, note thickness, and more. You can actually try this out on the HibyMusic app.
  • Wifi Music Transfer - Connect your PC and the R1 on the same network and transfer your music files wirelessly! I honestly was not able to use this since I already had a good library of flac in an SD card. I think there's some fiddling involved here but at least it's there if you need it.

Part 2: Subjective review


General Usage Impressions

  • It’s so TINY! Even smaller than my phone’s charging brick! It’s also super light because it’s made of mostly plastic. Being used to large handheld devices, it took me some time to get used to how small it was.
  • The screen is surprisingly good, clear and bright enough for glancing in direct sunlight.
  • Setting up the R1 gave me a jolt down memory lane when I was asked to type in the password, the input method was Multitap! I can still definitely type in Multitap fast! 🤣
  • I didn’t have an active Tidal or Qobuz account but I did have a microSD card with FLAC music ready to go.
  • Navigation wasn't that hard to figure out.
  • The Bluetooth 5.1 connection was stable during my tests with my Samsung Galaxy Buds FE.
  • USB-C output worked reliably with an external DAC. 
  • Battery life was decent for its size, lasting around 10-12 hours of moderate playback on FLAC files.

Sound Impressions

  • I tried using it with the Tanchjim Bunny which was already a vocal-forward set, and it sounded so bright on the R1 it made it sibilant. I also tried using my Moondrop May on the R1 and it also sounded too bright for me.
  • The sets that worked well with it for me was the ND Audio NX2, which is a more bass-focused set. The R1 enhanced the clarity of the NX2 without bringing it into a sibilant range. My newly acquired Letshuoer S08 also worked well with it, balancing out the brightness with the S08’s signature warm tuning.

Nitpicks

  • No Previous button similar to the Hiby R4 DAP. Seems like a common occurrence here.
  • The strap holes are not “guided” or do not lead to the other end, it’s a bit of a struggle to thread the straps in.
  • Resetting to Factory Default does not clear the song cache or some of the settings.
  • Loading of album art takes some time, and already loaded album art will need to be reloaded again when scrolling past the song.
  • When inserting the microSD card with the device is facing up, the microSD card is facing up as well, which was weird.

Final Thoughts

The Hiby R1 is impressive for its size and price. It's portable and lets you customize the sound with the MSEB feature, which is great for people who want convenience and versatility. For casual listeners or those new to high-fidelity audio, the Hiby R1 is a solid choice. No doubt it's the best bang for your buck DAP available as of January 2025.

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