Skip to main content

Phiaton PS 320 Review

Phiaton PS 320
MSRP $199.00
“Phiaton’s PS 320 headphones offer good looks, great comfort and easy portability but fall a little short of their expected audio performance.”
Pros
  • Comfortable, lightweight compact
  • Closed back design minimizes outside noise
  • Sound better than earbuds
Cons
  • Weak bass response
  • Sound gets muddy at high volumes
  • No supplied adapters

“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.“

Phiaton PS 320 Headphones
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Introduction

On-ear headphones are a great alternative to the pedestrian earbuds that usually accompany portable music players. Not only are they vastly more comfortable, but they usually sound considerably better than their tiny, plastic brethren. With the PS 320, Phiaton aims to offer a smart looking, super comfy pair of headphones that look and sound a lot like more expensive brands – but at a fraction of the cost. However, while the PS320 look very handsome and sound fairly good, their spendy price tag, lack of bass and tendency to break up when the music gets busy lessens the overall appeal of this set of cans.

Recommended Videos

Out of the Box

The PS 320 headphones from Phiaton come in an appealing case, surrounded in clear, molded plastic to show off their refined look. Opening the case reveals that there is little more to the package than the headphones themselves. Along with the PS 320 is an equally attractive carrying case and a brief user guide with warranty information. No extension cord or adapters included.

Phiaton PS 320 Headphones
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Features and Design

The PS 320 look very comfortable, and they are. Their headband is well padded with a soft leather material on the exposed side and a breathable, sheer fabric on the portion that rests against the head. The inside of the earcups are well padded and covered with the same leather material found on the headband. The outside of the earcups is covered with Phiaton’s signature “Primal” leather material accented by a polished grey metal ring that gives off a dark, classy sheen. The earcups are mounted to the headband at two pivoting points to increase comfort.

Inside the earcups are a 40mm bass driver and 16mm high frequency driver connected by a passive crossover network.

The cord length is about 1 meter and is terminated to at the left earphone.

Phiaton PS 320 Headphones
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Performance

The PS 320 certainly look like high performance headphones and the specs would lead one to believe they are capable of delivering a satisfying listening experience. We found though that the PS 320’s didn’t quite sound as good as they look. While the sound that we experienced was certainly better than what most budget earbuds could ever hope to offer, there was an obvious lack of bass that came as a bit of a disappointment. Outside of the bass department, we felt the PS 320 had a lot of zeal and tended toward the brighter end of the spectrum. While they held together well at most volumes, we did notice that music featuring lots of brass or high string instruments seemed to tax the headphones in a way that compromised their performance. Somehow, the instruments muddled together instead of remaining separate and distinct.

Conclusion

For $199.00, Phiaton’s PS 320 headphones offer good looks, great comfort and easy portability but fall a little short of their expected audio performance. Their anemic bass response and lack of accessories seem to contradict their price and appearance, earning them a slightly lower mark in this review.

Highs:

  • Comfortable, lightweight compact
  • Closed back design minimizes outside noise
  • Sound better than earbuds

Lows:

  • Weak bass response
  • Sound gets muddy at high volumes
  • No supplied adapters
Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Meze debuts gorgeous new open-back planar headphones
Meze Audio Poet headphones.

Meze Audio's latest premium open-back wired headphones feature new custom-designed planar magnetic drivers -- technology that audiophiles have long revered for its clarity and ultra-low distortion. But it's the design of the new $2,000 Meze Poet that might woo would-be buyers.

A lot of planar headphones tend to be bulky affairs with designs that don't exactly offer as much for the eyes as they do the ears. The Meze Poet, are decidedly different, with copper-toned and finely patterned steel grilles, magnesium earcup chassis, a titanium alloy frame, and a suede leather headband.

Read more
Hands-on review with the Livv Pro: sports headphones guaranteed to turn heads
Livv Pro.

When Mark Clayton was building his career as a wide receiver with the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams, he probably didn’t imagine that life after the NFL would lead him to challenge massive audio brands like Beats, Bose, Sony, and Apple, but that’s exactly what he’s doing.

Clayton, now 42 years old, is about to launch the Livv Pro, a set of “luxury sports headphones,” that look like nothing else on the market. With their unique (and patented) zig-zag headband shape, triangular earcups, and metallic gold accents, the Livv Pro are designed to give a more secure fit than traditional wireless headphones without sacrificing the audio quality and versatility you’d expect from those other brands.

Read more
1More’s budget-friendly ANC headphones get hi-res audio and more battery life
1More SonoFlow SE HQ31.

1More has just released its latest ultra-affordable set of noise-canceling headphones and, as we've become accustomed to, it's managed to pack even more features for the same price. The SonoFlow SE HQ31 cost $60 -- the same price as the
Buy at Amazon
-- and add wired/wireless hi-res audio compatibility, spatial audio, a claimed up-to-90 hour battery life, better noise cancellation, and wired connection options. They comes in four different colors and you can buy them right now on Amazon.

Buy at Amazon

Read more