Short answer
Both are portable players, $999 against $949.
The iBasso DX260 reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here, the HiBy RS6 on 564.
| Specification | HiBy RS6 | iBasso DX260 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 180 mW | 262 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 38 mW | 56 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 19 mW | 28 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 9.6 mW | 14 mW |
| Output impedance | 0.4 Ω | 0.6 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Price | $999 | $949 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 564 | 566 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | HiBy RS6 | iBasso DX260 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | 4.4mm |
| Power into 32Ω | 690 mW | 1.0 W |
| Power into 300Ω | 74 mW derived | 108 mW derived |
| Output impedance | 0.8 Ω | 1.1 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 566 |
Through the balanced sockets the two are level on the same test: each reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | HiBy RS6 | iBasso DX260 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Only one of these two columns starts from a power rating. HiBy RS6 publishes one at 32 Ω; iBasso DX260 publishes none at any of these four loads, so its column is worked out from power it published at other loads. Both are arithmetic on a maker’s own figures rather than guesses, and the method used for the iBasso DX260 understates rather than flatters — but at 32 Ω is the only load here at which its maker can be held to a figure.
2 headphones reach 100 dB on the iBasso DX260 but not on the HiBy RS6 — Moondrop PARA, Symphonium Crimson.
564 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020: iBasso DX260 has +19 dB of headroom there against +11 dB. 8 dB is about 5.8 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for HiBy RS6 and iBasso DX260 because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | HiBy RS6 headroom | iBasso DX260 headroom | HiBy RS6 hiss | iBasso DX260 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +31 dB | +39 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +11 dB | +19 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +20 dB | +22 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +16 dB | +17 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +12 dB | +16 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +9 dB | +11 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +5 dB | +6 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +3 dB | +4 dB | not published | not published |
The HiBy RS6 costs $50 more than the iBasso DX260, and on these three axes the money buys nothing: among the 567 models here there is not one that the HiBy RS6 handles and the iBasso DX260 does not — not on power, not on the one-eighth rule, not on hiss. The traffic runs the other way: the cheaper iBasso DX260 drives 2 models to 100 dB that the HiBy RS6 does not.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: HiBy RS6 and iBasso DX260.