Shinnbone
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2011
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Amazon has the Phiaton PS-320s for $111.99. I've been in the market for portable headphones to use at work, and after some reading and searching, I decided to give them a try.
Caveat: I have tinnitus, so I may not be able to hear some frequencies that y'all can. Obviously, YMMV.
The packaging is very nice, and the included pouch is functional, although the material is kind of cheap.
Construction seems good enough. The cable is rather thin and do not look or feel sturdy, though. The cans feel tight and the ears hurt after a couple of hours, but that should get better in time.
Now the sound ... I think the 320s have a lot of clarity and details. Initially they sounded bottom light, but after a couple of hours, the low-end bloomed. It's been 3 days since I got them, but I haven't noticed much difference after the first 2 or 3 hours. Highs are abundant but not overpowering, and the timbre is nice. Mids are not particularly rich, but the tones of different guitars are presented well and clearly. (I play the guitar, so I tend to pay attention to guitar tones.) For small closed cans, the soundstage is respectable.
Comparing the 320 to other headphones I've been using may give a better idea of their sound.
With Samsung Fascinate, mostly 128K MP3s
320 vs. Sony MDR-V6:
The Sony sounds splashy in comparison. V6s lack focus -- it's almost distracting, because I find the splashy highs and high mids to interfere with the vocals and solo instruments. It's as if the songs have been dissected into different frequencies or instruments, and those parts are presented as separate entities rather than a whole. 320s' presentation is a lot more coherent and pleasant. 320s have a little less instrument separation because of this, but the different tonalities of instruments are easily detected. Over all, the 320s are a lot more enjoyable and a lot less fatiguing. 320s are more efficient, and requires less volume from the Fascinate. Isolation is better with the Phiaton.
320 vs. KOSS PortaPro:
PortaPros sound downright muddy compared to the 320s. I've been using the PortaPros at work for a couple of years, but now that I've heard the 320s, I can't use the PortaPros any longer. No contest here. 320s have a lot more details, much better defined mids and lows, and tons more clarity. I always EQ the low end down when using the PortaPros, and highs up a bit with some songs, but with the 320s, there is no need to mess with the EQ. Efficiencies are about the same. 320s have much better isolation.
With Sony CDP-XA3ES CD player > optical cable > Pioneer SX217 integrated home theater amp
320 vs. AKG K701: This is not a fair comparison. AKG is open, so there is a lot -- a LOT -- more air to the sound, as well as much better instrument separation, more details, and bigger soundstage. 320s' smaller cans give much less sense of space and air. But I've always found K701s' weakness to be the harder songs, where a bit more "oomph" would be welcome, and the 320s do a better job at this "oomph." Having said that, for home use I'll definitely stick to the K701s.
320 vs. Sony MDR-V6
V6s fare much better here than with the Fascinate. They still sound a bit splashy, but the overall signature is a lot more coherent. Once again, the smaller can of the 320s give a lot less sense of space and air. V6s have more emphasis on the higher frequencies, and the 320s have more lows. V6s sound clearer with better instrument separation, and the 320s sound less analytical. I could go with either depending on the song, but lean more towards the Sony.
This is not surprising considering the 320s are portables and they were probably designed to sound good with portable players.
As decently-priced small headphones with better-than-average isolation and nice sound quality -- great details and balance -- I think I will be very happy with the Phiaton PS-320s as my work cans.
Caveat: I have tinnitus, so I may not be able to hear some frequencies that y'all can. Obviously, YMMV.
The packaging is very nice, and the included pouch is functional, although the material is kind of cheap.
Construction seems good enough. The cable is rather thin and do not look or feel sturdy, though. The cans feel tight and the ears hurt after a couple of hours, but that should get better in time.
Now the sound ... I think the 320s have a lot of clarity and details. Initially they sounded bottom light, but after a couple of hours, the low-end bloomed. It's been 3 days since I got them, but I haven't noticed much difference after the first 2 or 3 hours. Highs are abundant but not overpowering, and the timbre is nice. Mids are not particularly rich, but the tones of different guitars are presented well and clearly. (I play the guitar, so I tend to pay attention to guitar tones.) For small closed cans, the soundstage is respectable.
Comparing the 320 to other headphones I've been using may give a better idea of their sound.
With Samsung Fascinate, mostly 128K MP3s
320 vs. Sony MDR-V6:
The Sony sounds splashy in comparison. V6s lack focus -- it's almost distracting, because I find the splashy highs and high mids to interfere with the vocals and solo instruments. It's as if the songs have been dissected into different frequencies or instruments, and those parts are presented as separate entities rather than a whole. 320s' presentation is a lot more coherent and pleasant. 320s have a little less instrument separation because of this, but the different tonalities of instruments are easily detected. Over all, the 320s are a lot more enjoyable and a lot less fatiguing. 320s are more efficient, and requires less volume from the Fascinate. Isolation is better with the Phiaton.
320 vs. KOSS PortaPro:
PortaPros sound downright muddy compared to the 320s. I've been using the PortaPros at work for a couple of years, but now that I've heard the 320s, I can't use the PortaPros any longer. No contest here. 320s have a lot more details, much better defined mids and lows, and tons more clarity. I always EQ the low end down when using the PortaPros, and highs up a bit with some songs, but with the 320s, there is no need to mess with the EQ. Efficiencies are about the same. 320s have much better isolation.
With Sony CDP-XA3ES CD player > optical cable > Pioneer SX217 integrated home theater amp
320 vs. AKG K701: This is not a fair comparison. AKG is open, so there is a lot -- a LOT -- more air to the sound, as well as much better instrument separation, more details, and bigger soundstage. 320s' smaller cans give much less sense of space and air. But I've always found K701s' weakness to be the harder songs, where a bit more "oomph" would be welcome, and the 320s do a better job at this "oomph." Having said that, for home use I'll definitely stick to the K701s.
320 vs. Sony MDR-V6
V6s fare much better here than with the Fascinate. They still sound a bit splashy, but the overall signature is a lot more coherent. Once again, the smaller can of the 320s give a lot less sense of space and air. V6s have more emphasis on the higher frequencies, and the 320s have more lows. V6s sound clearer with better instrument separation, and the 320s sound less analytical. I could go with either depending on the song, but lean more towards the Sony.
This is not surprising considering the 320s are portables and they were probably designed to sound good with portable players.
As decently-priced small headphones with better-than-average isolation and nice sound quality -- great details and balance -- I think I will be very happy with the Phiaton PS-320s as my work cans.
