We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-07 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want one tiny adapter that lets you keep a wired headset plugged in while your phone charges — and you mostly care about clean voice pickup and power for zoom calls — choose CableCreation USB C; if you need a dedicated hi-res DAC/amp that actually decodes studio-grade audio for serious hi-res headphones, choose HiBy FC4. These two get compared a lot because both sit between your phone and a 3.5mm plug, but they solve completely different problems, and picking the wrong one for zoom calls is an easy mistake.
• CableCreation USB C — biggest strength: a true 2-in-1 design. You get a 3.5mm audio jack and PD charging up to 60W (20V/3A) at the same time, so a long call or movie session won't drain your phone.
• CableCreation USB C — biggest trade-off: it's a pass-through adapter with a modest built-in DAC (44.1/48/96 kHz sample rate, 16/24/32-bit), not a headphone amp. It also won't play nice with OMTP headsets, thick cases (over 2.8mm) or several specific devices.
• HiBy FC4 — biggest strength: dual CS43131 DACs, DSD512 and PCM 768kHz/32-bit decoding, MQA 8X unfolding and both 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced outputs. That's genuine hi-res headphone territory.
• HiBy FC4 — biggest trade-off: it's an audio-first device. No charging passthrough, no inline mic-and-remote support mentioned, and you pay for decoding power you may never use if all you do is talk on Zoom.
• Who each pick is for: CableCreation for commuters, call-heavy users and anyone who needs one dongle for a wired headset plus charging; HiBy FC4 for listeners with quality hi-res headphones who want the most out of lossless files and streaming.
Think of the CableCreation adapter as a bridge, not a hi-fi component. Its job is to give a Type-C phone, iPad, PC or laptop a working 3.5mm port again, and to keep power flowing while you use it. The no-cable, single-piece design (1.94 x 0.5 x 0.35 inches, Space Gray, glossy finish) plugs straight in, which makes it far less snag-prone than a dongle with a dangling wire. It even handles a car's 3.5mm AUX jack, so it doubles as a road-trip accessory.
Who should skip it? Anyone expecting to drive demanding hi-res headphones to their full potential, or anyone whose headset uses the OMTP standard — CTIA only here, and OMTP plugs can produce distortion, crosstalk and a dead microphone. Skip it if you use a case thicker than 2.8mm, if you need data transfer (it doesn't support it), or if you're on one of the listed exceptions like iPad Pro volume control, Galaxy S8/Note 9 calls or certain Mate/Nova models. Also note the quirk on Type-C phones without PD: audio and charging become alternatives, with charging taking priority. Pull it out when you're done, or it will quietly nibble at your battery.
HiBy FC4: Who It's For
The HiBy FC4 is the opposite philosophy: it exists to make music sound better, full stop. Inside are dual CS43131 DACs in a precision differential architecture, paired with two femtosecond-grade low-phase-noise oscillators at 45.1584 and 49.152 MHz. Translated out of spec-sheet language, that clock precision is about reducing jitter so the timing of the audio signal stays accurate. It decodes up to DSD512 and PCM 768kHz/32-bit, and handles MQA 8X unfolding for time-domain reconstruction of studio-grade material.
For hi-res headphones, the practical payoff is the outputs. You get a 3.5mm single-ended port and a 4.4mm balanced port, and both can serve as line-out to home or car audio. Balanced output is the one that matters most if your headphones support a 4.4mm cable — it's the configuration people buy this class of device for. Tuning is unusually deep too: eight preset EQs from the HiBy tuning team covering rock, classical, pop and more, plus professional-grade parametric EQ so you can dial in a curve for a specific headphone model.
The physical design leans into the "Cyborg" cyber-mechanical look — aluminum alloy plus translucent PC, 21 grams, with a 1.1-inch color OLED screen showing status in real time and a minimalist menu. Compatibility is broader than you'd expect from a music-first dongle: UAC 1.0/2.0 support means it works with PS4, PS5, Switch and major consoles, including older systems that need UAC 1.0.
Who should skip it? If your priority is charging while you listen, or if you rely on an inline headset mic for calls, this isn't the tool — the spec sheet centers on decoding and amplification, not on charging passthrough or call controls. It's also more device than you need if your "hi-res" listening is really just streaming pop through bundled earbuds.
• Best for zoom calls and voice work → CableCreation USB C. The smart chipset handles volume control and call answering, and the 3.5mm jack is built for a headset with a mic.
• Best for charging while you listen → CableCreation USB C. PD up to 60W means you can run a long call or a movie without watching the battery drop.
• Best for hi-res headphones and lossless files → HiBy FC4. DSD512, PCM 768kHz/32-bit and MQA 8X are the real thing.
• Best for balanced-headphone owners → HiBy FC4. The 4.4mm balanced output is the reason to pick it over a plain adapter.
• Best for sound tweaking → HiBy FC4. Eight preset EQs plus user-defined parametric EQ versus a fixed passthrough on the CableCreation.
• Best for travel size → CableCreation USB C. A 1.94-inch single piece that lives in a pocket and needs no menu.
• Best for gaming consoles → HiBy FC4. UAC 1.0/2.0 support covers PS4/5, Switch and legacy systems.
• Best for a car AUX jack → CableCreation USB C. It's explicitly built to feed a 3.5mm AUX input.
For the way most people actually use these — zoom calls, meetings, podcasts, a wired headset that needs a home — I'd buy the CableCreation USB C. It gives you audio and 60W PD charging in one small piece, it handles call answering, and it does the everyday job without a menu or a learning curve. I'd pick the HiBy FC4 only if hi-res headphones are the point: if you own a 4.4mm balanced cable, keep lossless files, and want DSD512/PCM 768 decoding with real EQ control, the FC4 is the more capable listen. Different tools, different buyers — and for calls, the adapter wins.
what is hi res headphones
Hi-res headphones are headphones designed to reproduce high-resolution audio — material mastered and delivered at higher sample rates and bit depths than standard CD quality. In this comparison, the HiBy FC4 is the component built to feed them, decoding up to PCM 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512.
what is hi res audio headphones
The phrase usually means the same thing: headphones paired with a source that can carry high-resolution audio. Your headphones are only half the chain — you also need a DAC that supports those formats, which is where the CableCreation's 44.1/48/96 kHz DAC and the HiBy FC4's dual CS43131 DACs differ sharply.
what are hi res headphones
They're headphones intended for lossless and high-resolution playback rather than compressed streaming, and they benefit most from a capable amp. If that describes your setup, the FC4's 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm balanced outputs are the relevant feature; the CableCreation is aimed at voice and charging instead.
which headphones support hi res lossless
More Comparisons
• JLab Go Air Pop+ vs Kelazola Headset comparison
• DECHOYECHO Headset V5.1 vs GOWENIC Headset
• Rehoria Invisible Sleep vs L LTGEM Headphone Case Compatible
• JAYINE Ear Plugs vs NVXMANIYK Sleep Earbuds: Sleep Earbuds
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.