Conclusion
There’s not much more that needs to be said about the Hiby R6 Pro II except that I’m planning on buying one – which should tell you everything you need to know about how highly I rate it.
This is the first mid-range player that goes close enough to bridging the sonic gap between itself and its’ high-end counterparts that I feel completely comfortable choosing it without that nagging feeling of missing out on anything vital for critical listening.
Yes that last little bit of sonic refinement is absent, but even in A/B testing it wasn’t always easy to distinguish the R6P2 from its’ TOTL rivals which is a testament to the incredible performance the device delivers, something unprecedented at this price level.
Listening directly from the R6P2 is a satisfying experience, but adding a Mass Kobo 475 amplifier kicks things up a few notches, and the R6P2’s 4.4mm Line Out is of such high quality I’d unquestionably choose such a system over any standalone flagship DAP on the market – which is precisely my plan.
Congratulations and well done Hiby on terrific accomplishment.
Great review as always Nick and I agree with so much of what you said. Looking forward to hearing it with my Mass Kobo 475 when it arrives 👍
Thank you Armstrj2! I honestly don’t think anyone can go wrong with the R6P2 unless they absolute insist on owning a smaller player. Definitely the best sonic bang for the buck of any player I’ve tried and good enough to satisfy anyone accustomed to flagship-level sound.
Great review! I’ve been on the fence about getting one of these myself..this review may tip the scale. Appreciate it Nick.
Thank you jeremy, I was skeptical to believe the R6P2 hype myself but it is absolutely the real deal.
Hi, can you a little more about the R6 Pro II + Mass Kobo 475 combination? What exactly is improved and how much ? And how this combo compares, to let’s say, the SP3000 which would be about the same price considering the price of the combo ?
I have a R6 Pro II and I love it, so I’m strongly considering adding the 475 to my chain.
Fantastic review as always ! Thank you!
Marcelo the short answer is – pretty much everything.
Mass Kobo 475 has been my best audio purchase this year. It is simply the best sounding portable amp money can buy, of those I’ve heard anyway, but I’ve heard almost all the good ones.
It expands the stage in all directions, deepens bass, improves resolution significantly, and massively improves control during busy passages – that last benefit is HUGE if you love fast, complex music like I do.
I would take the R6P2 + 475 combo over the SP3000 in a heartbeat, absolutely no contest. Make sure you buy Tamiya Neochamp AA’s – they’re the best sounding brand of batteries we’ve found for the 475, yes there is a sonic difference believe it or not.
Nice, thank you for the answer. I think I will be grabbing one next year then.
Just one more question, how’s the hiss/background noise of the 475 on high sensitivity IEMs ? I have a SoundRhyme SR8 thats like 5 OHMs and the R6 Pro II is the only device I round that is able to handle it without ANY hiss. Did you tried high sensitivity IEMs with the 475 ? If so, is there too much hiss?
Marcelo the 475 on low-gain is almost dead silent, one of the quietest if not the quietest portable amps I’ve owned.
On high-gain the noise floor will go up but I find low-gain is perfectly adequate for IEMs, even those like Storm that are difficult to drive, and use mine in low-gain mode exclusively.