Fastest byte-to-hex function I could program

FastHex.java

// Marcos Vives Del Sol - 17/IX/2013
// License: WTFPL

import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;

public class FastHex {
	private static Constructor<String> STRING_CONSTRUCTOR = null;
	private static final char[] HEX_CHAR = new char[] { '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f' };
	public static final String hex(byte[] data) {
		// Cache to reduce field access
		char[] hexchars = HEX_CHAR;
		// Char array that can hold the double of the data length (two hex chars per byte)
		char[] chars = new char[data.length << 1];
		for (int i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
			chars[i << 1] = hexchars[(data[i] >> 4) & 0xF];
			chars[(i << 1) + 1] = hexchars[data[i] & 0xF];
		};
		Constructor<String> constructor = STRING_CONSTRUCTOR;
		if (constructor != null) {
			try {
				return constructor.newInstance(0, chars.length, chars);
			} catch (Exception e) { };
		};
		// Fallback to a version that copies the array
		return new String(chars);
	};
	static {
		try {
			// Attempt to get a handle to the string constructor which does not clone the array
			Constructor<String> constructor = String.class.getDeclaredConstructor(int.class, int.class, char[].class);
			constructor.setAccessible(true);
			STRING_CONSTRUCTOR = constructor;
		} catch (Exception e) { };
	}
};