Phiaton BT 460 Review - Review 2022

Ever pushing forward with innovative designs, Phiaton's latest entry in the Bluetooth headphone realm is the $199 BT 460. Bass lovers will appreciate the pair'south powerful depression-frequency response, which is balanced out in the highs with enough of sculpting. An innovative control pad allows for rails navigation, call management, and playback using a series of taps and swipes on the outer panels of the earcups. In that location are some quirks to this setup, but the BT 460'southward performance volition appeal to plenty of listeners seeking powerful low-frequency response.

Design
Bluetooth headphones have long suffered from a mutual problem: Playback and phone controls are essential, merely tin can ataxia up a blueprint and expect ugly. Throw in the fact that on-ear controls demand to be operated without actually seeing them, and you have a recipe for pattern disaster. The BT 460 ($125.99 at Amazon) attempts to address the ugliness factor by using a bear on-sensitive surface that replaces the need for about of the buttons typically found on a Bluetooth headset. The await of the circumaural (over-the-ear) BT 460, therefore, is spare and refined, with very few switches or buttons breaking up the uncomplicated continuity of the headphone frame and outer panels.

Aside from a ability push button on the side of the right earcup, all controls are operated with swipes and taps on the surface of the right ear's outer console. So how does the touch surface fare? Adjusting the volume is fairly seamless (the volume works independently of your mobile device's master volume levels), and skipping tracks likewise tin can be washed fairly easily—perhaps because both deportment involve swiping motions. Playing or pausing involves double tapping the surface, and I found the headphones to be far less responsive with these actions (the aforementioned gesture is required for answering or ending a phone call). Information technology's almost equally if Phiaton knows that tapping is unreliable, considering you can besides play/suspension or answer a call past briefly holding down the Power button.

Phiaton BT 460 inline Although the LED lights on the BT 460 wait cool, in that location are also many and they exercise likewise much. Once connected, you have a abiding reminder that you're paired past the blinking blue status LED on the right earcup. This is fairly standard, just the matte rubber surface of the right ear'due south outer panel (where the controls are) also has an blithe LED design that blinks every and then often while powered up—this looks absurd merely is mostly useless. The lights briefly show what the book level is when you lot are adjusting it, simply yous're unlikely to be looking at the headphones when this occurs.

Another feature I discover abrasive—but I suspect some users will dearest—is the BT 460's ability to automatically detect whether or not you are wearing the headphones. Accept them off and your audio pauses. Put them dorsum on and it starts upward again. In theory this sounds dandy, but in practice I realized that I frequently want to mind to something new when I put my headphones on again. But like the LEDs, this is a pocket-size annoyance.

Available in black/gray or white, the BT 460 has exceptionally costly earpads that offer a comfortable fit, though the headband could utilize a tad more cushioning on its underside. The headphones ship with a micro USB charging cable and a three.5mm sound cable, both of which connect to jacks underneath a snap-shut cover on the right earcup. The sound cable includes an inline remote control, so yous can field calls and control your device without using whatsoever bombardment life. There is also a zip-shut protective case that the headphones fold down into for easy packing.

Phiaton estimates the BT 460's battery life to exist about 20 hours, but your results will vary depending upon your volume levels.

Performance and Conclusions
On tracks with intense sub-bass presence, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the BT 460 deliver a serious amount of low-stop thump. At top, unwise listening levels, the headphones practice not misconstrue, and at moderate levels, the sense of deep bass is still quite stiff, simply fairly well-matched with some boosting in the higher frequencies.

Nib Callahan's "Drover," a track with less deep bass in the mix, definitely receives some notable boosting in the low frequencies. The drums don't take and then much bass that they sound completely unnatural, just along with Callahan's baritone vocals, they receive enough extra presence in the lows to sound noticeably altered. The good news is that the highs also receive plenty of boosting and sculpting. While the event may non be a natural, accurate audio, it is at least balanced, with both ends of the frequency range getting plenty of extra presence.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kicking drum loop gets plenty of high-mid border to go along its attack sharp, merely the real standout attribute of the mix is, once again, the powerful bass response. Sub-bass synth hits punctuate the beat and are delivered through the BT 460 with power, and the sustain of the drum loop also feels a flake more full in the lows and low-mids than usual.

Orchestral tracks, similar the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, get substantial low frequency boosting, merely the higher register strings, brass, and vocals however own the spotlight. The highs here are well-baked and bright, and the lows deep and resonant—again, not a natural audio, only a sculpted and somewhat balanced i, nonetheless. The BT 460 volition appeal to bass lovers who all the same want a sense of crispness and definition to the highs.

One interesting performance note: The BT 460 fades into higher volume levels when music is unpaused, and then your ears will slowly accommodate to the level rather than immediately be striking with the total volume. It's a feature that takes some getting used to, merely I appreciate that it protects you from immediate high volume blasts if the headphones are cranked as well loud—the fade up to the total level gives you time to accommodate it to a lower setting if desired.

For $200, the Phiaton BT 460 produces some serious thunder and has some hit-or-miss, simply nonetheless innovative, features. If you're looking for a pair of Bluetooth headphones in this toll range with a slightly less sculpted sound, we are fans of the Bose SoundLink On-Ear ($120.00 at Amazon) and the Sony MDR-ZX770BT ($149.95 at Amazon) . For less money, the Jabra Move Wireless ($49.99 at Amazon) and the Skullcandy Grind Wireless ($49.74 at Amazon) likewise deliver solid audio performance.