You’d think wired headphones and earplugs would have gone the way of the dodo, along with the 3.5mm jack in smartphones. Of course, everyone still has a pair they swear by, or ones that no advanced or premium pair of earbuds have ever managed to outdo yet, but they can no longer be used with your smartphone. The HiBy W4 HiFi Amplifier, however, wants to change the game, and unlike the usual anonymous and uninspiring adapter, it comes in bright colors and with chunky controls that are only too happy to be seen in public.
Portable audio adapters conjure up images of black boxes or dongles that dangle from a phone’s USB port, functional but terribly inelegant. The W4 goes in the opposite direction with a geometric design that’s almost Bauhaus-inspired: a chunky square with a touch of color, and a ridged volume dial that’s just begging to be turned. It’s both retro and modern in a delightful way.
Designer: HiBy
The HiBy W4 is all about the tactile experience. The volume dial lets users easily control the volume without looking, a time-saver when the amplifier or your phone is tucked in the bag. The 2-inch touchscreen shows playback information and puts settings under your fingertips, literally, giving your thumb something to poke at other than your phone and its myriad distractions.
Of course, having a Hi-Fi amplifier, no matter how portable, means carrying yet another thing in your pocket or bag. With MagSafe being all the rage these days, it’s no surprise that HiBy offers an optional magnetic backplate to keep your MagSafe-compatible phone or case and the W4 cozy together. What is surprising, though, is that the plate doesn’t come standard with the package.
The HiBy W4 doesn’t magically make your wired headphones wireless, and a cable will still run from your favorite pair into the box. Bluetooth 5.4, however, takes care of the “last mile” between your phone and the amplifier, supporting both LDAC and other aptX formats your phone supports. Dual CS43198 DAC chips handle the conversion, all without you having to worry about such technical matters.
The W4 supports both the usual 3.5mm jack as well as an additional 4.4mm balanced output for headphones with two cables. Additionally, you can also use the W4 with a computer via USB-C, serving as a desktop DAC. Since the same port is used for charging, the W4 has a special “UnCharge” mode that prevents the connected device from charging the W4’s internal battery, saving your laptop or your phone from additional drainage.
That built-in battery is convenient, though it does mean you have another thing to remember to keep charged before you step out the door. The W4 is advertised to last up to 6.3 hours of continuous AAC playback on a full charge. That number is for the 3.5mm jack only, though, and the uptime goes down to 5 hours if you start using the 4.4mm output as well.
At $99, the HiBy W4 is admittedly a hard sell unless you’re a true-blooded audiophile. It doesn’t completely make headphone cables disappear, its optional magnetic phone attachment is sold separately, and it’s yet another gadget you have to remember to charge and take with you. It does, however, save your favorite headphones from being left out of innovation, and the bright, vibrant colors offer a choice of style to go along with it.
