HiBy W3 II: Surprisingly Portable & Feature-packed at just $50!

May 04, 2024

Pros

Small and lightweight
Feature rich
Neutral sound signature
Physical buttons
Supports High-Res codecs
Stable Bluetooth connection
Decent battery life
Mic, NFC, shirt clip

Cons

No Type A to Type C adapter or Type C to Type C data cable
Just barely enough power for most IEMs
No balanced output
No independent volume control without the app
Find W3 II feature is underwhelming

Disclaimer

I won this from a giveaway directly from HiBy on a Twitter event. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and are not influenced in any way.

Price(MSRP)

$49.00

IEM(s) Used

Oriolus Isabellae
Binary x Gizaudio Chopin
Letshuoer EJ07M
Tangzu x HBB Heyday

Packaging

W3 II.

USB Type-A to Type-C Data Cable

I hope this is a Type-C to Type-C data cable instead, so I can use the dongle mode on my phone. Perhaps even including a Type-C to Type-A adapter would be fine too.

Once, I accidentally brought this cable out but realized it cannot be used on my phone after that. Luckily, there was enough juice on the W3 II for me to use it on Bluetooth Mode.

Design & Build Quality

Plasticky, a little cheap but there is at least
Has some heft to it but not heavy at all.
Has a nice graffiti art on the faceplate but is quite easy to attract fingerprints.

Battery Life

Battery life is quite decent for its size

I only need to charge about once every 3 days of use, with 3-4 hours of use per day.
I usually use LDAC with 60 to 70% volume

Even without Bluetooth, it can be used like a normal dac/amp dongle with a data cable, which is called dongle mode.

The W3 II will be charged at the same time while using in dongle mode.

Connectivity

Pairing

Pairing is easy and straightforward as long as you follow the instructions in the user guide.
Remember to plug in your audio device first for audio cues.

Latency

There is a very slightly noticeable delay for me, like most Bluetooth devices I used.

Not a problem for lighter tasks such as watching videos and listening to music
Can be a small issue for competitive gaming.

Sound & Drivability

Sound

Neutral-ish signature with a very slightly hint of warmth so it is not too sterile, nothing else is boosted to my ears.
Sounds very decent for the price, easy to pair with any IEMs or headphones, clean and open, with no audible noise floors to my ears.

Drivability

Not great, should be enough for most IEMs, but only barely enough for harder to drive IEMs such as AFUL MagicOne and Tangzu x HBB Heyday.
Definitely not for full sized open back headphones.

HiBy Blue

One of the main highlights of the W3 II to me, providing many useful features for the user.
Fairly easy to use, and it shows all the important information right as you tap into the app.

Battery life
Bluetooth connection strength
Bluetooth codec being used

Find W3 II

Only flashes the light of the W3 II in red and blue alternately in quick speed.

Not very useful but this is the the best that the W3 II can do due to its limitation of not having a sound output.
Adding a loud sound like a "BEEP" would be a lot more helpful.

Car Mode

I don't have a car so I didn't try this function.

Channel Balance

Good temporary solution if there are any channel imbalances in your IEMs or headphones, while waiting for your replacement units.

One of the main highlights for me, didn't expect this feature at all coming from a device in the price range, very impressed
5 bands, with 8 preset profiles and 1 custom profile.

Makes it very simple to use yet very effective.
Each band represents sub bass, mid bass, lower midrange, upper midrange and treble quite well.
I wish it could have more custom profiles, so I don't have to keep readjusting every time I use a different device.

Once saved and enabled, it can be used even without starting the app.
However, the app has to be used if you want to turn off the EQ after that.

Volume Fine Tune

Works like an independent volume control like other more premium dongles, but in a digital and software manner.
Use it very often to have more precise control on volume.
Really appreciate that HiBy implemented this so this very useful feature is more accessible on budget devices.

Volume Adjustment

Works like the physical volume up and down buttons.
Good temporary solution if your physical buttons are damaged or are not functioning.

Power Off

Provides an option to power the W3 II off through the app.
Also can adjust the time needed for the device to power off if inactive, from 5 minutes up to 240 minutes.

Other Features

NFC

Nice and convenient feature.
Personally, I don't use it often, but I tested and it works with my Samsung Galaxy S21.
Can see this being useful for a lot of people.

Microphone

Usable at most.
Sounds very soft in my case and is not very clear.

Shirt clip

Very nice to have, used a lot more often than I initially thought.

Conclusion

Overall, I think the HiBy W3 II is a truly impressive device by packing so many features and good qualities into such a portable form factor. Furthermore, it has an unbelievably affordable price tag for what it is capable of doing.

However, if you're looking for something to power your hard to drive devices, without the need of extra features and portability, then the W3 II might not be for you, and I suggest looking for something else.

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