The HiBy FC6 Review is here. HiBy’s latest R2R Dongle along with their R2R “Darwin” Architecture DACS.

In the realm of portable audio, HiBy does not need any introduction. HiBy started as a Music App maker and transitioned to the audiophile scene in 2017. From IEMS, DAPS, and now dongles; HiBy has been producing great products. I would like to thank HiBy for making me a part of the Zeta and FC6 Tour. The HiBy FC6 costs $299.

Frankly, it is my first time reviewing a dedicated DAC dongle. I have tried a few dongles in the past from a friend, the Ibasso and Shanling dongles. They are good dongles in their price ranges.

IEMS used: HiBy Zeta, Final Audio E5000, Letshuoer DZ4, and NF Audio NE4

Files: DSD, 24bit, and 16bit FLAC files.

Specifications:

DAC: Darwin Architecture
Audio Format Support: PCM 768Khz/32bit and DSD 512
Output level: 1.8 VRMS
Display: 0.96 Inch LCD
Weight: 19g

HiBy Fc6 Unboxing Experience

The HiBy FC6 comes in a small plane brown box with a silver-like texture inside. For such an expensive dongle, I expected better packaging but it works well. The box is thick and the items inside are well protected.

Features

The FC6 is a feature-packed dongle. It has the ability to let the user choose between NOS/OS modes. NOS means “not oversampling” and OS means “oversampling”. HiBy also has options with the Darwin DAC to choose any filters like ESS DACs. You can choose from the following filters: Fast Normal, Fast Late, Slow Normal, Slow Late, and Minimum Phase. It has a volume control button for a user’s pleasure of adjusting volume and there’s a button to access the Filters and NOS/OS modes. Power-wise it is very good, it can power the power-hungry Final Audio e5000 to defeating levels. I am a little jaded with the lack of balanced output for this price range. However, the SE implementation is enough for most users.
The FC6 has RGB LED formats for different file types:
Magenta: MQA
Yellow: 48k and below bitrate
Cyan: 64-192K
Orange: 352.8-768K
White: DSD
Red: Paused

HiBy FC6 Packaging and Build Quality

I find the packaging of the FC6 no frills kind of packaging. Just a simple box with a leather case and stuff inside. Build quality is good. The FC6 is made out of aluminum alloy. Probably not gonna survive drops due to a screen but who drops a $299 dongle anyway?

Accessories

The HiBy FC6 review unit came with a fancy-looking green storage leather case, a Type C to Type C cable, a Type C to USB cable, and a small snug-fit leather case to protect the FC6 from scratches. I would have preferred they throw in a Lightning to Type C cable for Apple device users but the accessories bundled are generous enough.

HiBy FC6 Sound Quality

NOS/OS mode and Filters

The filters have some subtle differences as most implementations have but first, we’ll talk about the NOS/OS mode differences. NOS mode has a wider yet thicker presentation between the two. The OS mode has this forward and yet less thicker, especially in the bass region kind of sound. The FC6 has this analog, velvety, and smooth presentation. The filters have a mild difference between them as my favorite filter is the Fast Normal with a slightly larger stage and decent speed which works well with my IEMS.
The bass of the FC6 is slightly warm which is aligned with the HiBy House sound, yet it is clean and effortless. The sub-bass does not hit that hard compared to the HiBy R6 II Pro as it has a softer approach. I can say that it lacks a little bit of texture in its bass presentation compared to more expensive sources but it gets the job done. As always, HiBy goes for musicality. When it comes to the midrange, it is the highlight of the FC6, thick and velvety as I would describe them. Very detailed and forward in the presentation. Lastly, the treble region is smooth and fatigue-free. It might find detractors with the detail but it will work well with badly mastered albums or bright IEMS/headphones.

Synergy

As I mentioned, the HiBy has a velvety and smooth sound. My HiBy FC6 review unit pairs well with neutral, bright, and Harman-tuned headphones or IEMS. The NF Audio NE4 and Nm2+ pair well with the FC6. The FC6’s treble presentation works well with lessening upper mid peaks with the most bright IEMS. The Letshuoer DZ4 was also a surprisingly good pairing too, the thick lower mids presentation of the FC6 has given the DZ4 a big boost in making it more fun from neutral IEM. Lastly, warm IEMS might come as a little too thick and bassy when paired with the FC6. The HiBy Zeta paired well with the FC6 despite its bassy nature. It improved the lower mids as male vocals sounded thick with the FC6-Zeta combo.

Conclusion

The HiBy FC6 has its ambitions of a flagship dongle. Well built and with a generous amount of accessories. The sound has its quirks and strengths. Vocal lovers will likely love its presentation. The NOS/OS mode and filters were not a bunch of gimmicks because they work well. Detail could be improved with its slightly too-forward presentation and Hiby has a killer dongle on their hands. It has been a great experience with the Hiby FC6. Greatly recommended!