HiBy FD5 multifunction headphone amplifier goes up for pre-order

Audiophiles looking for a new piece of hardware to add to their collection now have another tempting option coming from HiBy, namely the FD5 multifunction desktop-grade heavy-duty headphone amplifier. With quite a few functional highlights, this audio gadget also sports an attractive cyborg-inspired exterior design while supporting all desktop audio functions that almost any desktop PC user would ever need, all for the price of $429.

With both class A and class AB amplification (a switch allows the user to choose one or another), the HiBy FD5 uses a 4 x AKM4493 DAC array with dual femtosecond-grade crystal oscillators, separate balanced and SE line-level output, an isolated power supply, dual Hi-Res certification, and more—everything enclosed in an all-metal chassis. It has a 1.1-inch transparent OLED display, and the maximum power of 1523 mW allows the FD5 to easily drive virtually all headphones currently on the market.

Those who are looking for more audio-related numbers should keep in mind the maximum SNR of 125 dB, 127 dB dynamic range, 106 dBr crosstalk rejection, THD+N as low as 0.0004%, and a frequency response of 20 Hz–90 kHz. Shipments are scheduled to kick off next week, but those in a hurry can currently grab the affordable and less potent HiBy FD3 off Amazon for just $79 instead.