Synergy
The R1 is a good device but given its price point, it’s perhaps unsurprising that it has more limited Bluetooth functionality, an inability to act as a DAC for other devices, and single-ended only output.
Efficiency
The R1 has a very clean, noise-free output as heard when pairing it with Campfire Audio’s Andromeda 2020.
This earphone is very sensitive to noisy outputs, but even after dropping the volume as low as possible or listening intently during silent passages in a track, there isn’t a hiss, pop, or other oddity to be heard.
With less picky products, as expected, the R1’s output remains dead silent with a solid black background.
Power
From its lone single-ended 3.5mm output, the R1 provides between 70 and 101 mW of power. A high gain option is present in the Shortcut Menu to get you to that 101mW maximum.
The R1 has no issues with dropping the volume low enough to listen comfortably in silent locations. While it does get deafeningly loud, it takes a while for the R1’s volume to ramp up.
Out of the box, it is volume-limited, but as explained earlier you can get around that and I suspect most users will want to do this given the high volumes many seem to listen at. With sensitive earphones, you can reach comfortable listening volumes quickly.
With earphones and headphones with more average sensitivity and impedance ratings, you’re creeping up on 30-40% volume, and with difficult-to-drive gear, the R1 is easily beyond 50%+ territory. This is going to start draining the battery quickly.
Giving it something immeasurably more difficult to drive than most products, Astrotec’s Phoenix, the R1 is out of its league.
With this earphone, you can hit the R1’s maximum volume without it being unbearably loud, and it fails to push the electrostats or punishing dynamic properly, leaving the Phoenix sounding splashy and anemic.
The R1 is fine for pushing sensitive to average earphones and headphones, but for anything beyond that, you’ll want to introduce a dongle DAC to pick up the slack.
Select Comparisons
Shanling M1 Plus
Technical
The M1 Plus provides PCM decoding up to 32BIT/768kHz with DSD 512 support. The R1 provides PCM decoding up to 32BIT/384kHz with DSD 256 support. It uses an ESS ES9069Q DAC and dual SGM8262 op-amps. The R1 uses a Cirrus CS43131 DAC.
The M1 Plus utilizes an Ingenic X2000 processor whereas the R1 has a Lumissil Microsystems X1600E processor installed.
Through the single-ended output, the R1 provides a maximum output of 101mW to the M1 Plus’s 195mW. The R1 lacks a balanced output, unlike the M1 Plus which bumps its potential output to 660mW.
The M1 Plus has a larger 3.2-inch touchscreen vs. 3 inches of the R1. The R1 has a considerable resolution advantage of 800 x 480 vs. the M1 Plus’s 480 x 320.
The Shanling can drive your headphones to a considerably higher volume, especially from the balanced output. Maximum volume from the R1 is limited out of the box.
You can get around that by tapping the HiBy logo in the “About” section a few times to turn on “Developer Mode”, then returning to the “System” menu, going to “Developer Options”, and turning off the volume lock.
Design
The R1 is a much less expensive device, apparent in the choice of building materials. The M1 Plus has an aluminum shell with angular sides, a glass touch screen, and a frosted glass back.
Alternatively, the R1 is mostly plastic with beveled edges and a glass screen. Despite the use of plastic, the R1 still feels weighty and solidly built with excellent fit and finish, just not to the same extent as the M1 Plus.
The controls also support the M1 Plus’s more premium designation with three metal buttons and a metal control dial/button. The R1 is equipped with two plastic rocker switches and a plastic power button.
The visual appeal of both models is strong but for different reasons. The M1 Plus is the more serious-looking device aimed at audiophiles with it being a thick, hefty all-black slab with Hi-Res branding on the back.
The R1 is aimed at a more casual crowd with its smaller size, lower weight, rounded, soft edges, and colorful buttons and frame surrounding the screen.
Both have good ergonomics, though I find the M1 Plus has an advantage thanks to the buttons being on one side, easily controlled with your fingers, and the control dial on the other, controlled with your thumb.
All the R1’s physical controls are lined along the right side of the device, requiring some thumb gymnastics to reach the track skip rocker.
Performance
These DAPs offer a similar signature, which is neutral with a minor mid-bass bump adding warmth. The R1’s presentation is thicker in the lows and the M1 Plus’s improved components and specifications give it a technical advantage.
Like the M1 Plus, the R1 offers good upper-end extension allowing products to reach as high as possible without feeling stunted. Detail and clarity are good on both, but through the M1 Plus, these elements are more dynamic and layered with better control.
I also found that cymbals and other abrupt effects displayed a harshness through the R1 that was missing in the M1 Plus.
The mids out of the R1 are thicker and warmer with a reduction in overall clarity. I noticed the M1 Plus is less forgiving of sibilant tracks, a quality the R1 tends to smooth and take the edge from.
Both models have a natural timbre that does not skew the product you are listening through. They maintain an unbiased presentation without shifting to being overly bright or dark, bassy or anemic, unnaturally dry in the mids, etc. though the R1’s extra warmth somewhat colors female vocals.
Extension into sub-bass regions is better on the M1 Plus, with deep notes providing a more punchy, visceral response. The R1 is lighter and less flamboyant with reduced texturing, though not to the extent I found it lacking or hindering products that excel in these areas.
The M1 Plus’s sound stage is larger with the greatest difference heard in the mids, where vocals have a default positioning further from the ear. Its more prominent sub-bass region also helps widen the stage floor.
The R1 matches imaging accuracy, moving sounds from channel to channel just as smoothly and accurately as the M1 Plus. It falls behind when it comes to layering and instrument separation though.
Shanling M0
Technical
The Shanling M0 utilizes an ESS ES9218P DAC with PCM decoding up to 32BIT/384kHz with DSD 128 support. The R1 uses a Cirrus CS43131 DAC with a slightly better DSD256 decoding level but similar PCM decoding up to 32BIT/384kHz support.
Through the single-ended output, the R1 provides a maximum output of 101mW. Through its single-ended the M0 outputs a lower maximum output of 80mW.
The R1 can output at a higher volume, though the difference is minimal, and neither is ideal for driving demanding headphones or earphones. Getting the M0 up to volume takes less input.
HiBy’s R1 has a much larger 3-inch touchscreen vs. the 1.54 inches of the R1. The R1 also has a considerable resolution advantage of 800 x 480 vs. the M0’s 240 x 240.
The M0 offers more versatility with its Bluetooth and can act as both a transmitter and receiver. It can also act as a DAC for other devices, with pre-amp volume functionality, neither of which the R1 can do.
Design
Like the R1, the M0 is aimed at a more casual crowd thanks to a softer, more rounded design and use of bright colors. The R1 has a glass front and back panel with a polycarbonate shell, while the M0 has a more premium feel with a glass front panel set within a solid aluminum chassis.
At less than half the size of the R1, the M0 doesn’t have much room for physical controls resulting in compromised ergonomics.
As such, while the R1 features two easily accessed rockers and a power button down the right side to accommodate the touch screen, the M0’s tiny touchscreen is backed by a single multi-function scroll wheel.
The beveled aluminum scroll wheel works but is far inferior to the R1’s buttons. The scroll function is stiff leading to the wheel often being pressed and the screen turned on or off when simply trying to change the volume.
The M0 features Shanling’s earliest version of MTouch OS which does a great job of making such a small device packed with features quite usable.
The lack of screen real estate means you’ve got a lot more menus to cycle through than on the R1, but the layout is generally quite good, and everything is responsive.
Still, navigating through HiByOS is faster and more straightforward with a layout that is easier to wrap your head around since it displays considerably more options on screen at any time.
Performance
These DAPs produce a similar signature, which is balanced with a mid-bass bump adding warmth. This effect is more pronounced in the M0 giving its presentation a thicker bassline and midrange.
Both offer excellent upper-end extensions that do not limit or restrict the gear they are powering. The M0’s presentation is more natural though, with the R1 introducing minor hardness to its upper range.
Both models provide plenty of detail and clarity with the R1’s slightly leaner presentation giving it a small advantage. That said, you can sway this advantage in the M0’s favor if you apply the various filter options it provides, a feature missing in the R1.
The midrange of the R1 is thinner and less warm but with a similar level of clarity. The R1 does a better job handling sibilance too, with the harshness inherent to some tracks being less present compared to their reproduction from the M0.
Both models have a natural timbre that does not shift the presentation to being overly bright or dark, bassy or anemic, unnaturally dry in the mids, etc. Since both add warmth, they do add prominence and some mild coloration to female vocals.
Staging from the R1 is considerably larger with it setting the default vocal positioning further from the ear. This is extra apparent with products that already excel in this area, like the Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020.
Imaging accuracy when moving sounds from channel to channel is smooth and accurate through either product. I found the R1 to be a mild improvement over the M0 in instrument separation, and a larger improvement when layering tracks.
My Verdict
HiBy’s new R1 is a cheap and cheerful DAP with an attractive physical design, nice ergonomics, good build quality, fantastic battery life, and a great screen, all at a very affordable price point.
The HiByOS operating system is thoughtfully and logically laid out with some excellent features that can benefit more experienced listeners, like HiBy’s MSEB tuning sliders, while staying out of the way of those who want something more basic.
Native support for streaming services like Tidal and Qobuz is a nice addition, and the ability to update firmware and add music to the device over Wi-Fi works well and is convenient.
You can also use the R1 to read e-books, but the small screen will ensure this is a niche feature for most.
It would be nice if the R1 could act as a Bluetooth receiver as that is a feature I use quite often with my other DAPs. Using it as a DAC would also be a nice feature to have, but the R1’s limited volume output makes its absence forgivable.
Adding the ability to darken the background and dim the screen further would help reduce eye fatigue when using the R1 in dark areas.
It would be nice to have permanent access to the battery and volume icons too, as their absence limits the usefulness of the Now Playing screen where they are hidden unless adjusting the volume.
Overall, I found the R1 an easy device to get into and learn while offering some advanced features that made it more useful than initially anticipated. This would be an amazing first DAP for someone who wants to move away from their phone and onto a dedicated media player.
HiBy R1 Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: 83.5 x 51.1 x 12.4 mm
- Weight: 70 g
- DAC: CS43131
- SOC: X1600E
- OS: HiByOS (Linux-based)
- Screen: 3.0-inch 800 x 480 Touchscreen
- Memory: MicroSD card slot
- Hi-Res Support: PCM 32 bit / 384 kHz & DSD256
- Wi-Fi: 2.4G, supporting HiByLink, DLNA, Airplay and OTA Updates
- Bluetooth: 5.1 with support for LDAC, aptX, AAC, and SBC
- Connector: 3.5mm Single-Ended
- Battery: 1150mAh
- Battery life: Up to 15 hours, 400 hours of standby
- Max output voltage: 1.8v
- Max output power: 101mW
- Nominal output voltage:1.5v
- Nominal output power: 70mW
- Minimum distortion: 0.0001%
- Dynamic Range: 122dB
- Noise floor: 1.3uV
- SNR: 122.3dB(A)
- Channel Separation: 75dB(A)
- Frequency Response: 80kHz
