Skip to main content

Phiaton Fusion MS430 review

phiaton fusion ms430 review 430 fullview2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Phiaton Fusion MS430
MSRP $180.00
“You’ll have a hard time finding a better set of headphones in the $200 price range than Phiaton’s Fusion MS 430.”
Pros
  • Clear and bold treble
  • Open, detailed sound stage
  • Great balance
  • Chic and stylish design
  • Affordable
Cons
  • Lacks refined definition and dimension
  • Lower midrange not as rich as we’d like
  • Slightly uncomfortable after long periods

“Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.“

The Fusion MS 430 is the latest addition to Phiaton’s popular Moderna series. The new cans definitely live up to their namesake stylistically, boasting an attractive, ultra-modern design that’s lavished with sleek touch points like flashy carbon fiber and bands of brushed aluminum – especially impressive considering the Fusion’s manageable starting price of $180.

Recommended Videos

However, while we’ve been fans of Phiaton’s sound signature in the past, the last model we auditioned, the $300 Bridge MS 500, were a little too bright and “pop-ified” for our taste. With this latest effort, we held hope Phiaton would move back into our “favorites” column. After spending some long hours with the MS 430, here’s how things played out.

Out of the box

Opening the Fusion’s thick, magnetically-sealed cover revealed a collection of accessories in a slim black box. Inside the box was a black carry bag with red felt lining, as well as an anti-tangle, oxygen-free copper (OFC) cable in bright red.

…the [Fusion’s] headband offers absolutely no padding.

(Note: the original press release claims the headphones come with two cables, but we only found one in the package)

Digging beneath the top layer, we found the Fusion nestled in a bed of dense, glittered foam. As we removed them, we noted a chic and understated design with a contemporary burst of flare. The headband was smooth and light, carved into sexy curves. A svelte foam layer cloaked the topside, with a slotted pattern of holes that demurely revealed a stripe of metallic red underneath. The smooth, rounded ear cups flashed shimmering carbon fiber patterns at us behind clear windows cut into the sides, while silver bands of brushed metal encircled their borders.

Features and design

The Fusion’s sharp design brings an enticing combination of clean lines, soft, yet sturdy materials, and just enough elegance to keep their modern style from crossing over into gaudy territory.

The rubber sheathed arc at the top of the headband meets the band’s plastic adjustable arms at dual strips of brushed metal. The Fusion’s arms adjust for size along slim metal bars, which are painted with a yellow tape measure pattern so you can always find your desired size after the ‘phones have been tucked away. The arms meet the ear cup chassis at rotating hinges, which allow the cups to collapse inward for easy storage, and also spin a full 90 degrees on the horizontal access to lay flat while at rest.

The Fusion’s ear cups connect to circular chassis pieces via a two-point axis, allowing them to also move inward to adjust for fit against your ears. Lining the ear cups are thick circles of padding, cloaked in soft leather. Deeper inside are the MS 430’s 40mm dynamic drivers, which Phiaton claims employ “oversized neodymium magnets.” The single headphone cable can attach to either ear cup.

The cable bears a unique inline microphone which comes with a button for pause/play/skip at the top, and a sliding bar to adjust volume below. Once we got used to it, we really enjoyed the “volume bar” design, which allowed for faster, more efficient volume control. The cable is approximately four feet in length, and the ends are robustly terminated with glossy silver facets bearing gold plated jacks, one of which is angled at 90 degrees.

Comfort

The MS430’s ear cups were supremely comfortable thanks to their supple softness, yet firm fit. However, the headband offers absolutely no padding. While the comfy ear pads shoulder the majority of the work, our crown got a little sore after extended use.

Audio performance

We started our evaluation by auditioning the pop song “Starlight” from the Muse album Black Holes and Revelations. From the very start of the track, we were attracted to the headphones’ vividly clear and open sound signature, which provided a well-sanded balance across the frequency spectrum that we found extremely accessible. The ‘phones punched up percolating sawtooth patches with an enthusiastic fervor, especially notable when the song broke down to only the vocals and arpeggiated synths snaking along the sides. It was here, too, that we noticed the MS 430’s talent for carving space around instruments to reveal ambient reverb that floated from the sustain of each note, especially noticeable in the vocals.

…the Fusion exhibited a transparent and space-filled sound stage that provided a wealth of detail and accuracy.

Moving across a variety of genres, the Fusion exhibited a transparent and space-filled sound stage that provided a wealth of detail and accuracy. While we missed the textural definition and dimension you get from more elite over-ear models, the vivid clarity and detail went a long way in making up for the loss. Very occasionally lighter vocal lines, like those from Ryan Adam’s Heartbreaker, cut a little too sharply. But mostly, we just enjoyed the ride as the headphones spread out the instruments with a subtle touch, allowing for very little masking or smearing of the layers.

The MS 430’s bass response was firm and unyielding; hard as concrete in the lowest frequencies on many of the tracks we auditioned. While the headphones reached down deep enough to provide more than enough force for our taste, they probably won’t get heavy enough for listeners who really love the boom. The lighter color of the lower midrange also didn’t provide that buttery caramel flavor we tend to prefer in bass lines from classic rock and jazz.

That didn’t stop the Fusion from putting a big smile on our face when classics like “Martha My Dear” came up on shuffle, however. While Paul’s bass guitar in the song never got as rich as we wanted, it still had a pleasant little tone that was enjoyable. And when things really got cooking musically, the brass in the right side was displayed with a perfect balance of flash and saturation that made the horns glisten with Beatles brilliance. And the precisely delineated counter melody in the musical breakdown was shown with enough color and space to have us wondering: is that a trumpet or a cornet?

Phiaton-Fusion-430-fullview2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Finally, the Fusion provide an excellent level of passive noise isolation. You won’t be able to completely shut out your gabby co-workers without the assistance of music, but once the tunes get going, you are left to enjoy the privacy of your own little audio ecosystem, something we found came in handy on a few commutes.

Conclusion

You’ll have a hard time finding a better set of headphones in the $200 price range than Phiaton’s Fusion MS 430. They provided a brilliantly clear sound stage with excellent balance, detail, and solid passive noise isolation, all in a modern, classy package. Those looking to step into something with more refined definition and resolution would do well to consider the Sennheiser Momentum as an alternative – but you’ll have to pony up $50 more for that pleasure. If, however, you just want a travel-ready headphone that looks cool and sounds great under the $200 watermark, we think the Phiaton MS 430 might be just what you’ve been looking for.

Highs

  • Clear and bold treble
  • Open, detailed sound stage
  • Great balance
  • Chic and stylish design
  • Affordable

Lows

  • Lacks refined definition and dimension
  • Lower midrange not as rich as we’d like
  • Slightly uncomfortable after long periods
Ryan Waniata
Former Home Theater & Entertainment Editor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
Still shopping? Amazon Prime Day deals going strong into day 4
We're bringing you the best Prime Day deals throughout the sales period
Best Prime Day Gift Card Deals

It’s the fourth and final day of the longest ever Amazon Prime Day event, and if you thought the best deals were behind us, think again. Amazon’s stretching this year’s event across four full days (July 8 -11 ) which means price drops are still rolling in hot, with fresh discounts landing on everything from big-name tech to everyday essentials.

There have been stellar savings so far, with the AirPods Pro 2 heading down to $149 as the best saving we've seen.

Read more
Our ‘best TV’ is on sale for Prime Day — 65-inch Sony A95L QD-OLED at 17% off
Sony A95L QD-OLED Review

TVs are among the most popular products to buy during Amazon's Prime Day, and if you're planning to get one, make it the 65-inch Sony A95L QD-OLED 4K TV. From its original price of $3,500, it's 17% off to $2,898, which is just several dollars higher than its lowest price ever. Even with the savings of $602, it's still a pretty significant investment, but it's a purchase that you'll never regret if you want an upgrade to your home theater setup. You're going to have to be quick in completing your transaction though, as we're not sure if the offer will remain available until the final minutes of the shopping event.

Buy Now

Read more
The Beats Pill — our favorite Bluetooth speaker — at lowest price for Prime Day
The 2024 model of Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker on a table near a pool.

Are you planning to shop for Bluetooth speaker deals this Prime Day? You're should go for the Beats Pill, which is again available for its lowest-ever price of $98 from Amazon for the shopping event. The 35% discount on its original price of $150 will let you save $52, but you have to act fast. That's because we're pretty sure that stocks are already flying off the shelves for this amazing audio accessory, so before they're all gone, secure your own by pushing forward with your purchase immediately.

Buy Now

Read more