HiBy R6III SE launches in China with quad CS43198 DACs at ¥1,798 (about US$270)
The SE keeps the R6III (2025)'s class A/AB amp, Snapdragon 665 and microSD slot but drops to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage; no word on a global release.
HiBy has just launched a cheaper version of the R6III in China. The R6III SE costs ¥1,798 (about US$270) and keeps the parts that define the player: four Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, the switchable class A/AB headphone amp, and a Snapdragon 665 running Android 12.
The savings come from memory. RAM drops from 4GB to 3GB and internal storage from 64GB to 32GB, but the microSD slot still takes cards up to 2TB, so the smaller storage matters less if you keep your library on a card. Size, weight, the 4,500mAh battery and all four analogue outputs are unchanged from the R6III (2025).
That’s about US$130 less than the 2025 model, which HiBy’s global store sells for US$399 (down from US$439). The SE only has a Chinese price so far, though.
What carries over
The four DACs give eight independent output channels. IT Home’s launch report says the class A stage still uses OPA1652 op-amps, transistors and ELNA capacitors, and there are two dedicated audio oscillators, 45.158MHz and 49.152MHz, one for each sample-rate family. HiBy’s DTA still bypasses Android’s resampling for every app.
For headphones there are 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs, with the same pair again as line outputs, plus coaxial over USB-C. Bluetooth 5.0 works in both directions with UAT and LDAC; aptX and aptX HD are send-only.
Battery life is about 13 hours from the 3.5mm output in class AB, or 11 hours from 4.4mm. Class A cuts that to roughly 11 and 9 hours. It charges at 12V/1.5A in under two hours. The SE comes in black or navy blue, with an aluminium body and a glass back; the 2025 model comes in silver and black.
Specs
| R6III SE | R6III (2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| DAC | 4 × CS43198 | 4 × CS43198 |
| Op-amps | Not listed (IT Home names OPA1652) | OPA1612 + OPA1652 |
| Amp modes | Class A / class AB | Class A / class AB |
| SoC | Snapdragon 665 | Snapdragon 665 |
| OS | Android 12 | Android 12 |
| RAM | 3GB | 4GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 32GB | 64GB UFS |
| microSD | Up to 2TB | Up to 2TB |
| Formats | DSD512, PCM 32-bit/768kHz, MQA 16X | DSD512, PCM 32-bit/768kHz, MQA 16X |
| Screen | 5-inch 1280 × 720 IPS | 1280 × 720 LCD |
| Headphone outputs | 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced | 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced |
| Line outputs | 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced | 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced |
| Digital output | Coaxial via USB-C | Coaxial via USB-C |
| USB | USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4GHz/5GHz | 2.4GHz/5GHz |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, two-way | 5.0, two-way |
| Codecs | UAT, LDAC, AAC, SBC; aptX, aptX HD transmit-only | Transmit: UAT, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC; receive: UAT, LDAC, AAC, SBC |
| Battery | 4,500mAh | 4,500mAh |
| Size | 129.4 × 73.1 × 15.6mm | 129.4 × 73.1 × 15.6mm |
| Weight | 250g | 250g |
| Colours | Black, navy blue | Silver, black |
Marked rows are where the models differ.
SE figures are from the spec table published with IT Home’s report; R6III (2025) figures from HiBy’s WiKi and global store.
What isn’t known yet
- Release outside China. The SE isn’t on HiBy’s global store yet, and there’s no international price. Technetbook has the only English report so far.
- Output power and measurements. Neither IT Home nor the spec table gives power, SNR or distortion figures.
- Op-amps. Whether the 2025 model’s OPA1612 is still inside.
Sources
- 海贝推出 HiBy R6III SE 便携 Hi-Fi 播放器：4 颗 CS43198 DAC 芯片，1798 元
- HiBy R6 III (SE版) spec table: image published with IT Home's launch report
- 海贝推出HiBy R6III SE便携Hi-Fi播放器：4颗CS43198 DAC芯片，1798元 - 凤凰网 (IT之家 repost carrying the spec table and product photos)
- HiBy R6III(2025) Spec
- HiBy R6III(2025) 规格
- HiBy R6III(2025) User Manual
- HiBy WiKi audio player product list
- HiBy R6 III 2025 - Portable Music Player HiFi DAP
- HiBy R6III SE Launches with Quad CS43198 DACs and Dual Amp Modes
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