Even when Bluetooth headphones were a buggy, bulky proposition, Phiaton was at the top of the game. And now that Bluetooth headphones are coming into their own with better battery life, stable connections, increased range, far less bulk, and improved sound quality, Phiaton is still leading the charge. The proof is in the company’s latest product, the BT 100 NC.
Built with an active lifestyle in mind, the BT 100 NC are designed to be worn around your neck, with earbuds run up to your ears on thin, lightweight cables. This way, you literally shoulder the weight of the included electronics hardware and battery, enabling the lightweight buds to rest comfortably in your ears with little to no strain. The entire unit is IPX4-rated for sweat and water resistance; so go ahead and take a jog in the rain if you want to, the headphones will be just fine.
Phiaton outfitted the BT 100 NC with Bluetooth 4.0 and AptX support for superior sound quality from most modern devices. The chip also allows multiple connections at once, so you can pair with your smartphone for calls and your PC or tablet for watching movies or videos. If a call comes in, simply tap a button to answer. Speaking of calls, the BT 100 NC features vibration notification to let you know when a call is coming in, just in case you pull the earbuds out to have a conversation or keep an ear out for an approaching bus.
Phiaton’s active noise cancelling technology works particularly well with these buds, as they achieve an excellent seal thanks to supple silicone tips. Based on our experience so far, we think the BT 100 NC will work very well as a traveler’s headphone, particularly for those who do a lot of flying.
Battery life is rated up to 12 hours with the noise cancelling off, and 7.5 hours with it turned on — though both of those figures will change based on volume level. If the battery does run dry while you’re away from a power source, an included headphone cable can be connected for continued listening.
With so much functionality, we expected a reasonably hefty price tag, but we were shocked to learn the BT 100 NC are expected to debut “soon” with a $120 MSRP. That’s just $20 more than Sol Republics similar Shadow headphones, but with slightly better sound quality and noise cancelling tossed in the mix.
If that’s not value, we don’t know what it is. Check out our video above for a closer look, and keep an eye out for BT 100 NC. Something tells us this is going to be a hot ticket for Phiaton this year.
