One of the things about the iPhone, iPod and iPad as music devices is that they come with the worst, most uncomfortable headphones you could possibly get. Over the years I’ve tried numerous headsets from all price ranges and brands. From $19 Sony Ear Buds to $300 Bose’s over the ear noise cancelling headsets. Turns out the best headphones for your iDevices does not come from one of the name brand companies – Sony, Bose, Apple, or event Beats. No, the best headset available for all things “i” are from a small company called Phiaton. The Phiaton PS 300 are the best and most comfortable headphones that I’ve ever tested.
Audio is such a subjective thing to talk about but I found it to have a really nice balance between the Base and Treble levels. Unlike my $300 Bose over the headphones which is almost all treble. This set comes with noise cancellation. A can’t talk about the Noise Cancellation because I could never get it to work. There’s also a base boost function which only gives you muddled beats. While this would be a huge negative on other headsets, the default sound is clean enough that you don’t need these gimmicks.
The other unique feature about this headset is, it includes a microphone so it’s fully compatible with your iPhone or any other headset that uses a standard 3 millimeter jack. Granted you’ll look like an idiot walking around talking on your phone with these big headsets, but it’s nice to not have to constantly swap your high-end gear for the cheap white buds to talk on your phone.
I can never get the new style of in ear buds to work properly and the huge over the ear designs like Beats get uncomfortable and heavy after listening for a good ½ hour, so I appreciate the Phiaton’s they work well in most environments. The one place I haven’t tested them on is a plane – because for that environment, I generally prefer to take my test Bose headphones. It’s not a perfect set of headphones, but the small, lightweight, over the ear design is perfect. Unlike similar designs from Boise, these feel just right. They didn’t overwhelm my ear or feel heavy after a few minutes of use. They felt substantial but not lightweight. I loved the sturdiness and feel of the overall design. The packaging is classy and comes folded in a hard shell carrying case.
All of this goodness comes at a pretty steep price – $299 retail. After getting burned on numerous headsets, I’m leery of spending more than $40 on a pair of headphones. If you have the money to splurge, this is a pretty safe bet. It’s best headphones that I’ve ever tried and that’s saying something because I’ve tried a lot. It’s hard to find that perfect mix of comfort and audio quality. This set comes closest to that ideal. You can get the Phiaton PS 300 NC Premium Noise Cancelling Headphones With Studio Grade 40mm Titanium Drivers and Fold-N-Go Design Here.
Final Grade A-
EM Review by
Michelle Alexandria
Originally posted 12.20.2010