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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Audio Technica ATH-ANC700BT — biggest strength: an all-in-one listening solution: over-ear comfort, QuietPoint active noise cancellation from a four-microphone multi-feedback system, and up to 25 hours of Bluetooth + ANC runtime on a charge.
• Audio Technica ATH-ANC700BT — biggest trade-off: it's a closed system. There's no app-style tuning, no balanced output, and no codec flexibility beyond Bluetooth 4.1 plus the included 3.5 mm wired cable.
• HiBy W4 — biggest strength: serious hi-res hardware in a tiny body — dual CS43198 DACs, dual SGM8262 amps, DSD512 / PCM 768kHz support, LDAC and aptX Lossless, plus both 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced outputs at up to 475mW.
• HiBy W4 — biggest trade-off: it makes no sound on its own. You must supply headphones, and getting the most out of it means understanding gain levels, filters, UAC modes and codecs.
• Buy the Audio Technica if you want one box, one charge, and instant quiet on a flight or commute.
• Buy the HiBy W4 if you already own good wired headphones or IEMs and want to feed them a cleaner, more powerful, higher-resolution signal — at home, on the move, or in the car.
The ATH-ANC700BT is a complete, finished product. The pitch is simple: 40 mm dynamic drivers, over-ear memory-foam cushions, a foldable frame, and QuietPoint active noise cancellation driven by a proprietary four-microphone multi-feedback system. That microphone array is the heart of the design — it samples noise from multiple points and feeds correction back into the drivers, which is the approach that tends to work best on steady low-frequency rumble like engine drone and air-conditioning hum rather than sudden sharp sounds.
Controls are built into the earcup as a touch surface: tap and swipe for play/pause, track skipping, volume, and answering or ending calls. That's a genuinely nice thing to have on a commute because you're not fishing for buttons through a jacket. Battery is rated at up to 25 hours of continuous Bluetooth plus ANC use, with up to 1,000 hours standby and a 25-hour charge time, and the whole thing weighs 250 g. Bluetooth is version 4.1 with a 10 m range — modest by modern standards, but honest for its generation. Crucially, Audio-Technica includes a 1.2 m cable with a 3.5 mm stereo mini-plug, so you can keep listening passively when the battery is flat or switch to wired for hi-res listening. A 30 cm USB charging cable and a protective pouch round out the box.
Who should buy it: travellers, commuters, open-plan-office workers, and anyone who wants noise cancelling without thinking about it. If you want to unbox, pair, and be done, this is the shape of product you want. The foldable design and pouch also make it a genuinely packable over-ear.
HiBy W4: Who It's For
The HiBy W4 is not a headphone. It's a Bluetooth headphone amplifier and USB DAC that sits between your source and your headphones, and it's built around premium parts: a QCC5181 Bluetooth chipset, AC7923B, dual CS43198 DACs, and dual SGM8262 amplifiers. It runs Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC, aptX Lossless, aptX HD and Snapdragon Sound, and it also works as a UAC USB DAC, switching seamlessly between the two. In practice that means the same little box serves your phone on a walk and your laptop at a desk.
The spec sheet is where it separates itself from a phone's headphone jack. It decodes up to DSD512 and PCM 768kHz/32-bit, supports both UAC 1.0 and UAC 2.0 for broad device compatibility, and offers a 3.5 mm single-ended output plus a 4.4 mm balanced output delivering up to 475mW. That's enough current to properly drive a wide range of headphones rather than just make them audible. A 2-inch touchscreen handles the interface, shows album artwork and track info during Bluetooth playback, and gives you 3 gain levels, adjustable channel balance, 4 digital filters and multiple EQ presets.
There are thoughtful details too. A physical charging lock switch toggles between battery-powered and host-powered operation, and Power Follow Mode lets it work as an in-car DAC. NFC handles one-touch pairing. cVc noise cancellation and external microphone input cover calls. For safety there's a volume lock and a default 15-level volume limit expandable to 30 levels in developer mode, plus a status light that shows the current sampling rate even with the screen off. An aluminum alloy rear clip attaches it to clothing or a backpack, with an optional magnetic backplate for other setups.
Who should buy it: anyone with a decent pair of wired headphones or IEMs who wants them to sound meaningfully better than they do straight out of a phone or laptop. Also a strong fit for car audio via Power Follow Mode, and for people who want one portable device for both Bluetooth and USB DAC duty.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants to press one button and hear music. You need headphones, you need to charge it or run it host-powered, and you need some patience for gain and filter settings. If you don't own wired headphones and don't plan to, this is the wrong purchase entirely.
• Best for plug-and-play listening → Audio Technica ATH-ANC700BT. Everything you need is in the box, including the headphones.
• Best for sound-quality ceiling → HiBy W4. DSD512, PCM 768kHz/32-bit, dual DACs and a 4.4 mm balanced output outclass what any Bluetooth-only headphone can accept.
• Best for active noise cancellation → Audio Technica ATH-ANC700BT. The four-microphone multi-feedback QuietPoint system is purpose-built to reduce environmental noise; the W4's cVc is for voice calls, not for silencing a plane cabin.
• Best for long wireless sessions on one charge → Audio Technica ATH-ANC700BT. Up to 25 hours of Bluetooth plus ANC, with up to 1,000 hours standby.
• Best for use with headphones you already own → HiBy W4. It upgrades existing gear instead of replacing it.
• Best for tinkering and fine-tuning → HiBy W4. 3 gain levels, 4 digital filters, channel balance, EQ presets and a touchscreen UI.
• Best for travel convenience → Audio Technica ATH-ANC700BT. Foldable frame, protective pouch, touch controls on the earcup, nothing extra to carry.
• Best for desk and car setups → HiBy W4. UAC USB DAC mode, charging lock switch and Power Follow Mode for in-car use.
In my opinion, most people asking this question should buy the Audio Technica ATH-ANC700BT. It's the complete product: put it on, pair it, get quiet, and listen for up to 25 hours. No accessories, no learning curve, no dependency on headphones you may not own. I'd only steer you to the HiBy W4 if you already have wired headphones or IEMs worth feeding properly, or you want a single portable device that doubles as a USB DAC, a balanced-output amp and an in-car DAC. In that specific situation, the W4 is the more capable and more interesting piece of hardware. For everyone else, the headphones win.
FAQ
Yes. Audio-Technica includes a 1.2 m cable with a 3.5 mm stereo mini-plug for exactly that situation, and it's also the path to hi-res listening when you want a wired connection. The W4, by contrast, always needs headphones plugged into it.
The HiBy W4, clearly. It decodes up to DSD512 and PCM 768kHz/32-bit and outputs through a 4.4 mm balanced connection at up to 475mW. The ATH-ANC700BT's hi-res path is a wired 3.5 mm connection to its 40 mm drivers — good, but a different league of flexibility.
Think about what you already own. If you have no headphones, the ATH-ANC700BT is the all-in-one answer. If you already own wired headphones you like, the W4 adds capability to gear you've already paid for. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever one fits, then compare that against what you'd otherwise spend on a second pair of headphones.
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