One of the most important qualities in a pair of Bluetooth headphones is portability. Being untethered from cables makes listening on the go much more comfortable, but there often seems to be an inverse relationship between portable, lightweight design and powerful sound. Headphone maker Phiaton is looking to solve that with its newest pair of on-ear Bluetooth headphones, the BT 390.
The main draw of the BT 390 is its collapsible design, folding down to a much smaller profile to easily slip into carrying cases, backpacks, or even desk drawers. This sets the BT 390 apart from Phiaton’s other on-ear model in the same series, the BT-460, which features a solid headband instead of a foldable one. While Phiaton is focusing on making the BT 390 portable, the company doesn’t seem to be skimping on engineering and quality.
The on-ear headphones feature 40mm drivers with an “optimized vibration system” for “high frequency clarity and an improved sound stage” and neodymium magnets, which Phiaton claims can “provide rich, commanding bass,” and passive sound isolation. The BT 390 are also equipped with Bluetooth 4.1 for wireless connection, and support connections with up to two simultaneous Bluetooth devices. They also sports an “Everplay-X” MicroUSB to 3.5mm cable for wired connections if your device doesn’t support Bluetooth or the battery runs out, though the 30 hours of continuous playback Phiaton is boasting would be hard to burn through by accident.
We’ve had some hands-on time with the BT390, and so far our impressions have been positive. We enjoy the foldable design of the headphones, which serves to enhance their already highly portable, lightweight nature (though, despite its lightweight design, we did notice some pressure on the ears during longer listening sessions).
We’ve also been impressed by the BT390’s sound, and find that Phiaton’s claims about the 40mm drivers’ strong bass output seem to hold up. We can also confirm the longevity of its battery life, having to charge it once in the few days we’ve been using it in the office and on the train to work — two locations where the passive noise isolation comes in handy.
We’re looking forward to further hands-on time with the BT 390. If you’re interested in the headphones, you can check out Phiaton’s official website for more info. However, if you’ve made up your mind and are ready to buy, the BT 390 are available now for $80 at Amazon. If you’re curious about what other Bluetooth headphone options are out there, check out our list of the Best Bluetooth headphones you can buy.
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Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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