HiBy
HiBy FC3 USB DAC
Bottom line: The HiBy FC3 USB DAC: ES9281AC Pro DAC decodes PCM up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD128 via DoP; main trade-off: MQA unfolding requires MQA-enabled apps such as HiBy Music or TIDAL.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ ES9281AC Pro DAC decodes PCM up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD128 via DoP
- ✓ 112mW+112mW @ 32 ohm output, strong for a USB headphone dongle
- ✓ OLED display shows sample rate and volume at a glance
- ✓ Full 16x MQA unfolding for HiBy Music and TIDAL listeners
- ✓ Plug and play sound card on Mac and Windows 10, no charging needed
Cons
- ✗ MQA unfolding requires MQA-enabled apps such as HiBy Music or TIDAL
- ✗ DSD support stops at DSD128 DoP; no higher DSD rates listed
- ✗ Bus-powered design draws from your phone or laptop battery
- ✗ 112mW may fall short for hard-to-drive high-impedance headphones
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored HiBy FC3 USB DAC using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the audio & midi category. HiBy's audio & midi lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for audio & midi of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Key Features
- The ES9281AC Pro DAC is behind the all-format HiFi decoding power of the FC3 USB DAC. Support for PCM up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD128 DoP.
- Headphone amp with OLED display, allows direct display of sample rate, volume etc. for a highly ergonomic user experience.
- MQA dongle, the full 16x unfolding of MQA audio performed by the FC3 brings you the full studio / concert experience. MQA-enabled software must be used on the smartphone (e.g. HiBy Music, TIDAL) to realize 8x unfolding of MQA
- 112mW+112mW@32Ω is a high output power for a USB headphone dongle, to power all sorts of HiFi headphones.
- Use as your computer’s sound card,Plug & Play on Macs and Windows 10. No charging required.
Full Specifications
| Brand | HiBy |
|---|---|
| Model | FC3 II-Black |
| Material | Metal |
| Interface | USB |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Part Number | FC3 II-Black |
| Connectivity | USB |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, Mac |
| Material Type | Metal |
| Interface Type | USB |
| Number of Pins | 7 |
| Audio Output Mode | Stereo |
| Compatible Devices | Computers, Smartphones, Tablets |
| Number of Channels | 2 |
| Full listing title | HiBy FC3 USB DAC with Display Hi-Res Audio 112mW Output Power Support PCM DSD MQA dongle for iPhone/MAC/Android/Windows(Black) |
Ready to buy?
HiBy FC3 USB DAC with Display Hi-Res Audio 112mW Output Power Support PCM DSD MQA dongle for iPhone/MAC/Android/Windows(Black) is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
Related Audio & MIDI
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Building a Budget Local-AI Box: Ryzen 7 5800X + RTX 3060 12GB
- Best Raspberry Pi for Local LLMs & Home Lab in 2026: Pi 4 8GB vs Pi Zero
- Inkling 975B: Thinking Machines' Open-Weight Speech Model, Explained
- How to Make Steam Deck Intros Last Longer (2026)
- DIY Handheld Tricorder Build Guide 2026
- The KVM That Runs a Pentium 4 Instead of a Raspberry Pi
- GLM-5.2 vs Qwen3 on a 12GB GPU: Best Open-Weights LLM for an RTX 3060
- Active Quake 3 and OpenArena Servers in 2026: How to Find, Join, and Host
- 007: First Light Is Great on Steam Deck
- Open WebUI on a Raspberry Pi 4: A Self-Hosted LLM Front-End That Sips Power
- CompactFlash as a Silent IDE Boot Drive in a Retro Windows 98 Gaming PC: Full 2026 Guide
- Best Gaming Headsets and Streaming Mics for Console + PC (2026)
- Best CPU for AI Inference Workstations in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026: AMD Parts Guide
- Best Game Controller for PC and Console in 2026
- Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Intel Core i7-14700K for DDR4 Gaming
- Windows XP Gaming Setup Guide: Hardware & Drivers (2025)
- Best Sim Racing Wheel for PC and Console in 2026
- Tencent Hy3 on an RTX 3060 12GB: Can a $300 GPU Run It?
- Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Core i7-14700K: DDR4's Last Big Fight
- The $5M Sega Bet That Saved Nvidia — and Still Shapes GPU Launches
- Ryzen AI Max Mini-ITX: Framework Desktop Specs Explained
- Play Retro Games in Your Browser: Best Emulators 2025
- Dual RTX 3090 Ti in 2026: Worth It vs. the Alternatives?
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090