Today, James reviews the HiBy R6Pro MAX, a dual ES9039MS Pro and Android 12 digital audio player with up to 697mW of balanced output power. It is priced at $999.
Disclaimer: This sample was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links. I thank HiBy for their support.
You can click here to read more about the HiBy products we have previously featured on our website.
This article follows our latest scoring guidelines which you can read in more detail here.
The HiBy R6Pro MAX is the latest extension of the R6 series digital audio player series that started back in 2017 and is priced at $999.
Specifically, the upgrade steps enhance the performance of the older R6 Pro II with flagship tier components, enhanced amping circuitry, packing in a huge battery, and some other new features.
Not only does the power get stronger, but the tuning also sounds richer and more organic compared to the R6 Pro II in our comparison section on page 2.
If you are looking for an all-rounder and an IEM-focused DAP performance, then this might be one of the better choices currently in the market.
Features
Labeled the “MAX” version, this latest rendition of R6 looks exactly like a thickened R6 Pro II, with the maximum power pumped up to 697mW for 32Ω loads.
The number may look a bit underwhelming for the size, however, HiBy believes that there is more than enough power to drive IEMs, which doesn’t require a lot of power from the start, and the circuitry is optimized for IEMs.
The higher power comes from a 4-way, discreet PSU that powers different parts of the circuitry This consists of a more elaborated amping section that incorporates an 8-way I/V conversion stage using OPA1612 extensively.
It has 4 ELNA Electrolytic caps around that are chosen for its warm, tube-like signature. The signal is then fed to OPA1622 for amplification.
The new design seems to consume more power as the playback time isn’t lengthened much with the new huge battery inside. However, it brings about audible changes in tone and performance which we will explain more in the sound impression section below.
The OS features are nearly identical to the predecessor, however, hardware features are quite different as it switches to Dual 8-Channel ESS ES9039MS Pro DAC chips instead of R6 Pro II’s AKM 4499EX for decoding, that is also probably why the Class A/AB switching option is gone.
The maximum decoding rate goes up to DSD1024, 32Bit/768kHz, with 16x MQA unfolding, which is excellent and normally only seen on flagship audio players.
Other hardware including the Snapdragon 665 Soc, and Femtosecond-grade oscillators are pretty much inherited from the R6 Pro II.
However, there is one nice enhancement, probably a result of user feedback for the predecessor, with a generous 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM inside, giving it a smoother software experience.
Design
The R6Pro MAX is available in black and blue, with contrasty metallic, carbon fiber elements embossed on its metallic framework.
The player comes with a 5.9”1080p screen topped with Gorilla glass. The size is the same as the R6 Pro II and has very high pixel density and brightness, so you can read clearly under the sun.
The size and button layout are just right for single-hand operation and the design language is very consistent with the R6 Pro II, including the Zen-garden-sand-like pattern at the back. Everything is machined smoothly to the touch and the grooves at the back add an artistic sense and better grip.
The player comes with a specially designed leather case with interweaving carbon patterns, and just like the R6 Pro II, the recessions at the back help the grip to be more ergonomic.
Even though it is quite hefty at 425 grams, it still feels rather friendly to be held on hand and brought around.
On another note, while the battery is much bigger, due to the higher output power the playback time isn’t much lengthened, on its balanced output I get around 8-9 hours, which is quite decent.
The device also supports fast charging so you can refuel the battery very promptly with your phone’s charger.
I/O
The connectivity resembles the R6 Pro II, with all its output and USB-C socket located at the bottom side. On the bottom panel, it has 4.4mm balanced LO, 3.5mm LO, 3.5mm PO, and 4.4mm balanced PO neatly placed.
As mentioned, USB-C fast charging is stepped up to PD3.0 from PD2.0 although the international version doesn’t come with a fast charger, so you will need to use a 3rd party option.
Over lunch hours I have the R6Pro MAX more than half charged, and it is fully charged in around 2.5 hours, which I consider a nice and practical feature to have.
And of course, there is also a memory card slot for expansion up to 2TB. This time there is 200% more ROM than the R6 Pro II.
At 128GB you can fill it up with plenty of lossless tracks and apps which I consider satisfactory, more so than the slightly lacking 64GB storage on the R6 Pro II.
Controls
The button layout follows the R6 Pro II and is intuitive to use and easy to reach unless your hand is very small. On the left side sits the playback controls, and volume adjustment is on the right.
Again, no physical volume knob is present but we have a well-stepped digital volume for finer volume control, which works well even with very sensitive IEMs.
I hope HiBy will consider making slightly bigger buttons like on the original R6, but it is also true that the smaller buttons won’t be mis-clicked easily. When you get used to the position of the buttons it will work just fine.
With considerably powerful hardware, smooth swiping action on the R6Pro MAX is reassured, and the customized UI is similar to normal phone operation so there is little to no learning curve required.
Packaging & Accessories
The front of the packaging shows the close-up of the player and also exemplifies the debossed MAX wordings at the back, which is quite an artistic move focusing on the details.
In the box HiBy packs in a thick USB cable, a leather case, a USB-C to USB-A adaptors, extra screen protectors, and user manuals. A set of screen protectors are installed on the front and backside.
Software
To provide a smooth UI experience, the R6Pro MAX uses the Snapdragon 665 SoC which is more powerful than the 660 MCU on the flagship RS8.
The SoC features BT5.0 receiving and transmitting functions and can run minigames with ease. With the 6GB RAM upgrade, the experience gets smoother when it comes to multitasking and fast scrolling.
Android 12
The OS on the R6Pro MAX is deeply customized to bypass SRC globally, enabling systemwide bit-perfect decoding. The visuals are nicely touched up over the stock Android environment, with added shortcuts for various audio features and plenty of audio-related settings.
The system is stable without noticeable glitches or force close issues, operating very smoothly during my testing. I have also tried to install various apps with the built-in Android App market and no glitch was experienced.
Some new releases in the market already come with open Android 13 OS, so I hope there will be an Android 13 update for the device.
Performance Numbers
Running the latest AnTuTu Benchmark v10.4.4, the R6Pro MAX scored 260383.
On the R6 Pro II there is only 4GB RAM so it scored quite a bit lower in that department, but on the R6Pro MAX it is upgraded to 6GB. With this area enhanced the performance gets quite a good boost for heavy multi-tasking.
Features
MSEB & Tuning Plugins
This is always something I would mention in a HiBy DAP review, although the DSP feature can’t mend all issues and turn subpar IEMs into a flagship, it has the potential to make the output much more euphonic and dynamic.
Simply follow the on-screen instructions in layman’s terms, drag the bars, then you will immediately hear the difference with little to no distortion introduced even when the adjustment is to a high extent.
There are also some experimental features such as Convolution, Fixed Sample Rate, and Sound Field We aren’t going deep on IR correction features but if you know, HiBy is the brand to go to for the most intuitive and comprehensive DSP features support on a DAP.
Media Management
The hardware on the R6Pro MAX is quite capable with the Snapdragon 665 MCU and sufficient RAM.
Generally, media scanning, swiping actions, and multi-tasking are all smooth and comparable to experience on phones.
Tag reading, playlist features, and other innovative features such as online retrieval of lyrics are supported in HiBy’s player app which is quite mature now. And of course, you can install other player apps and folder management apps you used to work with.
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0
The experience receiving and transmitting Bluetooth on the R6Pro MAX is consistent with the R6 Pro II, supporting multiple Codecs such as SBC, aptX-HD, and LDAC for high-quality audio transmission.
The intensity of the signal is similar as expected since the SoC used as well as the housing material is similar. You can stream over LDAC to home receivers and even when walking around with the player, within around 5m the connection remains intact.
WiFi
The R6Pro MAX supports 2.4/5G and inherits the features of the R6 Pro II, which means it supports Airplay, DLNA, HiByLink control, and HiByCast.
You can mirror-control the player with the HiBy Music App with the HiBy Cast feature, by remoting on your phone via WiFi connection. This is stable and allows hands to be freed especially when the player is hefty, which makes the feature even more practical.
Wired Connectivity
USB-DAC
The R6 PRO MAX can be connected to a PC as an external DAC. No driver is needed for quick connection and I would recommend giving it a try for media content and gaming on PC to boost the sound experience.
USB-OTG (Storage)
OTG on the R6Pro MAX allows connection to dongles and storage devices, so you can load photos or videos from your camera’s SD card via a card reader for viewing or temporarily freeing space, or copy contents from another card onto the local storage.
On default the USB volume is locked so do go to settings to toggle on USB volume control if you are trying to pair it with other external USB decoders.
Click on page 2 below for my sound impressions and selected comparisons.
