u/Quackquackgreenduck

I am waiting on customer service via ali express, but in the remote hope someone here has a solution that won't require an RMA to china:

The other day my r4 crashed. Second time that happened, just playing music and goes silent.

Subsequently it developed a hum, like a ground issue. This was not there before and isn't audible with multiple other devices playing through the same setup. It occurs in LO and PO, all gain settings and pretty much any scenario I can throw at it.

The only way it stops is when playing music, if I pause, I get perhaps two seconds without hum, and if I use it as a usb DAC there's no hum even when paused.

It seems to me as if there's a ground fault, and perhaps multiple circuits that it switches between when playing and when not? I would guess in dac mode the amp stays on, but in normal portable device mode it switches to a no amp circuit with said ground fault. I wonder if it's hardward, bad solder joint or whatever (and that this possibly also caused the crashes).

I can confirm that a full reset via recovery hasn't solved the issue. I also am certain it wasn't there before the crash, as I would regularly pause music if I needed to get something or speak to someone. I would have noticed before, as it is very obvious (especially when using as a streaming source into an amp).

Anyone had this and fixed it? Got it resolved?

Not had the device long and until the weekend was very happy with it...

Edit: they have 'authorised' a return. Guess I will be without it for a month. Annoying as I only had it for like three. Need to find out how/that they will pay for return postage as that won't be cheap even with their instructed '$20 value' and no express or whatever.

Unless they just send a replacement as soon as they have shipping proof, but I doubt it.

I have an R4 which has been great.

I routinely stream qobuz on it, as I can leave my phone elsewhere and reduce scroll time. I intend on starting to use it as a makeshift streamer in a hifi setup too, making use of the line level out (LO). I have noticed the in-app volume control on qobuz doesn't always work.

It is specific to the R4. I discovered this while trying out remote volume control from my phone via qobuz connect (the irony of using it as a phonesaway player until now isn't lost on me). I noted that when this occurs, I also cannot control it in app from the actual device either. The volume stays full regardless of where the slider is, even muted.

If I switch output to phone speakers it works, and I can control it remotely from the R4 or in the app from the phone. But switch back and it is still fixed on the r4. Yet then eventually I play another album and it works again.

Anyone experienced this and have a better fix than 'pick a different album'? Would be fantastic to be able to use it as a dual use device (and save from buying a streamer). The amp is a basic class D jobby with no remote volume control, hence I want to do it via the app.

Thanks.

This may be better as an android sub question, but want to try here first given the device and purpose.

I have a hiby r4 which is great. I awaiting some new speakers and am considering using the r4 as a streaming transport and preamp until I get a good deal on a 'proper' streamer.

I want other household members to be able to use it too. Qobuz connect (and hiby link) seem to work very well with my android phone. Has anyone successfully added multiple instances of qobuz (or tidal or whatever) for different accounts on their android streamer?

I want to keep this as simple as possible for the end user. We want to avoid messing each other suggestions, so don't want to just share the account (and obviously connect would require others to use the same account on their phone too).

Bonus points if it requires no additional apps or they are available on f-droid/generally FOSS if essential.

Bonus question whether anyone has experience using an Android DAP as a preamp/streaming transport into a class D amp like the douk a5, fosi za3 etc. If it works well, may remove the need for another device at least in the short term.

Thanks!