Phiaton PS200 Earphones
Submitted by jwhitakr on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 15:19
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Phiaton, while still a relatively unknown audio brand in the U.S., has built a strong reputation for high-quality in-ear headphones in the Asian market with their manufacturer brand name of Cresyn. The entrance into the North American in-ear headphones market came a few years ago and is now highlighted by the product we have for review today – the Phiaton PS200 in-ear headphones.
The PS200 attempts to combine sleek design, comfortable fit and exceptional sound quality that rivals the top-tier in the earphones market. At a retail price of $249, let's find out if they've been successful.
Design
The "PS" of the PS200 model name stands for "Primal Series" and encompasses the top of the Phiaton lineup of products. With the release of the PS200 Phiaton has targeted the upscale earphones market – those people who are willing to spend north of $200.
A silver housing, accented by a black nozzle and a black "fan blade" back, gives the PS200 a unique look. The fan blade back has a look similar to a jet engine (although this visual cue has no real impact on the acoustics of the earphones). I rather like the design as it sets the earphones apart from generic looking earphones, without looking gaudy or ostentatious.
At the heart of the PS200 are dual balanced armature drivers and a passive crossover network. While technically quite different than 2-way loudspeaker enclosure, the idea behind this design is similar --- improved sound quality by utilizing multiple drivers and a crossover network to deliver the specific frequencies to the appropriate driver. Phiaton does not list specs of each driver, so it is not clear whether one driver is larger than the other.
Three sets of silicone eartips (S/M/L), an airplane adapter and an impressive looking hard cover carrying case are also included. The carrying case is one of the nicest included with any set of earphones we have reviewed, and it uses a nifty cable-wrapping feature that is much easier to use than other cable wrap tools. No inline volume control or microphone / phone controls are included.
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| Phiaton Box | Phiaton Box - Unwrapped |
Specifications
- Dual balanced armature drivers with passive crossover network
- Impedance: 39 Ohm
- Sensitivity: 95 dB
- Max input power: 30 mW
- Weight: .176 oz / 5 g without cord
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| Accessories | Carrying Case Unfolded |
Sound Quality Listening Impressions
The sound quality performance evaluation of the PS200 earphones was performed exclusively by listening to MP3s and FLAC music stored on my Sansa Fuze MP3 player. I listened to a number MP3s with bit rates of 128kbps and 320kbps, as well as lossless audio tracks in FLAC format. A wide selection of rock, alternative and hip-hop music was used in the evaluation.
My initial listening sessions with the PS200 revealed an incredibly detailed, and at the same time spacious, sound signature. I was extremely impressed by the soundstage produced – this is truly one of the first times I have listened to a set of IEMs and been reminded of listening to the same song on my 2-channel stereo speaker system. The PS200 are a very airy and wide sounding set of IEMs, especially when you move up to higher quality recordings in lossless or high bit rate MP3 format.
High frequencies are more forward sounding than most other earphones, perhaps a bit colored toward the high-end of the audio spectrum, and this suits my sound preferences quite nicely. Other users may find the highs too overbearing, but without any harshness or sibilance I find it hard to find fault with any cymbals or other high frequencies. Instrument separation and the speed of the PS200 were impressive, as well.
The mid-range and vocals were also a bit forward sounding, and not at all veiled. This tendency, along with the inclination toward forward sounding highs, gives the PS200 a temperate sound. They are not nearly as warm as many other earphones we have tested, and in this respect they sound similar to the Sennheiser HD428 headphones that I recently tested.
Where the PS200 falls short – way short – is in the bass department. Bass notes lacked thump and the low-end of the spectrum lacked texture. I am by no means a basshead, but I really noticed the lack of low frequencies in all types of music used in the testing. Double and triple checking the seal of the eartips in my ears produced no noticeable changes – the feeble bass response remained.
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| Back View | Front View |
Isloation
Isolation was quite good in comparison to other earphones and I was completely satisfied with how well the PS200 blocked out external noise. Using the small sized eartips produced a tight seal in my ears, and I did not need to crank up the volume level in order to keep noise from creeping in to disrupt my music listening.
Comfort
The straight nozzle design makes these earphones equally suited for wearing over-the-ear or under-the-ear. Wearing them straight down, they were some of the most comfortable earphones I have ever worn. The small-sized ear tips did not need to be inserted too deeply to achieve the optimal sound, which contributed to their high level of comfort. I literally kept them in for hours on end without suffering any discomfort. The extremely light weight of these 'phones undoubtedly contributed to their cozy, easy-to-wear fit.
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| Carrying Case | Nozzle |
Portability
The lightweight design makes these headphones easy to carry around with you, and the sturdy exterior materials make them nearly impossible to scratch. Carrying them to and from workouts in my gym bag, even without putting them in the travel pouch, was trouble free. The cord tends to get tangled if you do not use the travel pouch, however, so I would recommend utilizing the portable pouch.
Cable / Cord Noise
Cord noise was a minimal problem and this is one area where the earphones aren't particularly impressive. With the cord moving around, wearing them either straight down or over-the-ear resulted in a noticeable amount of noise. The included slider along the cable allows you to loosen or tighten the amount of slack, which helped to minimize cord noise.
Phiaton PS200 Earphones
Make no mistake about it - the PS200s are one of the best sounding set of earphones I have tested up to this point --- with the glaring exception of the bass. They really fit my preferred sound of a more detailed and responsive presentation – while still retaining an open and airy soundstage. They are as comfortable and lightweight as any other set of IEMs we have tested, and the sleek black-and-silver style puts a nice finishing touch on this sweet sounding set of earphones.
Without a kick down low in the bass department, though, they are tough to recommend. Plenty of other earphones can come close to the PS200 in terms of detail, and many don't command the same $200+ price. But if you can overlook the minimalistic low-end, then the combination of detail, openness and great comfort makes these earphones worth a listen.
Pros: Sleek jet-engine style; sweet sound with plenty of detail; very comfortable to wear; nifty carrying case.
Cons: Weak bass.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
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