Phiaton MS 400 Carbon Fiber Headphones

by Phiaton

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 10 inches ; 6.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001EUE6AK
• Item model number: MS 400
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 27, 2008

Product Description

Color: red/black

From the Manufacturer

Recreating fine music detail for the ultimate listening experience no matter where you are

Honored with first prize at the International Design Awards and Digital Trends "Editor's Choice Award"

The name Phiaton signifies high quality sound technology combined with elegant design--a philosophy that's epitomized in the MS 400 Moderna Series of headphones. An attention-getting design is backed up by luxurious audio performance that stands apart. An oversized adjustable padded headband and richly-padded earcups that swivel up to 180 degrees set a new standard in listening comfort. The bold styling, opulent accents, and world-class sonic performance of the MS 400 captures every nuance of your favorite music, delivering it the way it was meant to be heard

Instantly feel the noise isolating performance as the ultra-soft pads seal around your ears

Experience deep rich bass, a full-bodied midrange, and sparkling high notes. View larger

Carbon Graphite Design for Deep, Rich Sound

Designed to tease out subtle sonic nuances, the Phiaton MS 400 is constructed with a carbon fiber enclosure. Carbon fiber combines the properties of extreme strength and remarkably light weight, making it the ideal material for the MS 400's design. This light, durable quality and modern aesthetic appeal explain why carbon fiber can be found in luxury automobiles, watches and other high-end products. Phiaton takes the concept a step further by encasing the carbon in a high-polymer enclosure. This advanced construction also provides an optimized airflow for the 40mm electrostatic drivers. Taken together, these qualities give the listener better resonance, rich bass, full-bodied midrange, and sparkling high notes.

An Eye-Catching Design, with Comfort and Convenience to Match

The Phiaton MS 400 sports an eye-catching design and luxurious high-end audio performance. It's an adrenaline rush of sleek, bold styling, and the opulent red accent color will make a statement anywhere you go. The MS 400's soft, comfortable pads can be worn for long periods of time without fatigue, making them ideal for commuting and air travel. You will instantly feel the noise isolating performance as the ultra-soft pads seal around your ear, wrapping you in your favorite music.

The lightweight MS 400 lets you enjoy your music wherever you are, no matter if it's at home, in the office, or on the go. Weighing just 6.5oz, these highly wearable "fold and go" headphones fit conveniently into the included carrying case for safe storage and easy travel.

What's in the Box

Phiaton MS 400 Moderna Series Headphones, 6.3mm stereo gold plated plug, compact carrying case, Owner's Guide (Including 1-year warranty), product registration card.

Technical Specifications

• Drivers: Studio Grade 40 mm Electrodynamic Drivers
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
• Frequency Range: 15 Hz ~ 22,000 Hz
• Sensitivity: 98 dB
• Max input power: 1000 mW
• Cord Length: 3.93 ft. / 1.2 m
• Weight: 6.5 oz. / 185 g without cord

Product Description

MS 400 Moderna Series headphones are engineered with a carbon fiber enclosure for accurate response, concert hall sound quality, and elimination of any sound leakage. MS 400's closed-ear design promotes greater noise reduction than traditional headphones. To ensure better resonance values, deep rich bass, a full-bodied midrange, and sparkling high notes, the carbon is encased in a high polymer enclosure. Hear the finer music details for the ultimate listening experience at home, in the office or on your travels. Flexible 'fold and go' headphones fit conveniently into a compact carrying case for travel. * Studio Grade 40mm Electrodynamic Drivers * Sensitivity : 98dB * Impedance : 32 ohm * Max input power : 1000 mW. * Weight : 6.5oz/185g * Accesories Includes : 6.3mm stereo gold plated plug, Compact carrying case, Owner's Guide, 1-year warranty

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stylish, durable, and they sound great., February 5, 2011

By 

Michael E. Salazar (PHX, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Phiaton MS 400 Carbon Fiber Headphones (Electronics)

These are undoubtedly some of the coolest looking cans out there. The pictures do not do these justice. They are sexy, futuristic, and the contrast between the red leather and the carbon fiber is striking. They are attention getters. They're the only headphones/IEMs I've worn where somebody interrupted my listening to ask me if they could look at them.

Now what about the sound? Audiophile flat? No. Not at all. The highs and the lows are definitely pushed forward with a slight recession in the mids. Not the cans you listen to your Chesky Records on. But, if you're hooked up to an iPod and are on the go you'd be hard pressed to find a better pair with which to enjoy your music. They sound great hooked up to the less-than-stellar amplifier on most portable devices but run through a Fiio E7 or similar portable amplifier they really shine. The difference is notable but if you only have enough room to carry your portable device then don't fret, at 32 Ohms they are easy to run. There is a slight burn in period needed but 60 hours or so should do. The highs smooth out, the mids come slightly forward, and the bass stays nice and tight. They're great rock, pop, rap, and metal cans covering everything from The Byrds "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" to "Prowler in the Yard" by Pig Destroyer to "Labor Days" by Aesop Rock and for some reason they really love Massive Attack's "Mezzanine".

The carrying case is fairly standard thick paper walled covered with nylon and it has a nifty little plate in the center that says Phiaton. Compared to most carrying cases it is definitely meant for on-the-go. In other words the cans, 6.3 mm plug, a little extension cord, and an iPod nano or mini will fit. But that's all one really needs, right?

The only downsides I see are the Y cord and the clamping force. The Y cord is a little short and a less thick than I care for. I just don't trust thin cords and the MS 400's cord is definitely thin and about six inches too short. The headphones are comfortable to wear for a bit but after 30 minutes or so my ears start to hurt a little. Granted, I have a head like a bowling ball. I wear between 7 5/8 and 7 3/4 in hat size if that explains anything. They have loosened up a bit since I first started using them so maybe it'll just take some time for them to become second skin.

I've listened to and owned a a large number of headphones and IEMs and I can honestly say that I will never get rid of these. While not my first choice for home listening they are my go-to cans for road trips, flights, and for listening to music at the book store/coffee shop.

Put down the Beats cans and get the MS 400s.

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product!!!!, February 10, 2009

By 

Paul J. Kim "audiophile" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Phiaton MS 400 Carbon Fiber Headphones (Electronics)

First of all, they are extremely comfortable, allowing me to wear them for hours without any discomfort whatsoever.

Also, the sound is amazing. The highs are crisp, and the bass is the best out of any of the headphones I own.

Overall, this is a great product. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product and great customer service, December 7, 2011

By 

Rokushou - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Phiaton MS 400 Carbon Fiber Headphones (Electronics)

I got these on a cyber Monday deal on amazon for only $125. For that price, they are amazing headphones, but at the list price of $250 there are probably better headphones for the price (Sennheiser comes to mind). My first pair was defective but I emailed amazon and they responded within a few hours. The next day, the new set arrived in the mail, and this was before I even dropped off the defective product at UPS to be sent back to amazon. Great customer service amazon! The new set works great and I will do a review. I have heard that these change very little after burn in, but I will edit if I happen to be wrong.

Looks: (product links so you can see the headphones I am talking about)

To be honest, I really bought these headphones for the looks. Once in a while I see someone with a pair of Beats by Dre and even though the audiophile part of me cringes at the thought of those overpriced, bass-heavy cans, the rest of me can't help but feel a tinge of jealousy for their looks. All of the other cans I own are for their sound quality and don't look very good. My Sony MDR-XB700 look ridiculous when worn outside the house and the Sennheiser HD555 just isn't very stylish. On the other hand, The Phiatons, with their carbon fiber ear cups and red accents, look plain badass. In my opinion they are much better looking than Beats and almost anything else in the price range (including V-MODA Crossfade LP).

Sound:

I am only an amateur audiophile and I do not have much grasp on the jargon, but I will try to describe the sound as best I can.

Bass- the bass is one of the defining characteristics of these cans, there is a lot of bass, but not so much that it is overpowering. The bass is tight and delivers a lot of impact (as in you can "feel" the bass) without being muddy, bloated, or all over the place (when the bass mixes into the mids and kinda muddles the entire sound up). The bass is great for my electronic and techno music.

Mids- mids are very strong and have a and forward feel. You can clearly hear them, even with the thumping bass, and it works great with my rock music.

Treble- this is definitely the weakest of the three. Treble is there, it is just not as prominent as the others. This is not a problem as the genres of music that I listen to usually are not heavy on treble. An added bonus to this is that this makes these cans pretty much sibilance-proof.

Overall- I find these headphones to deliver a fun, bassy, warm, but colored sound. They may not be good for picking apart studio recordings, but I have yet to find a song or genre that they don't sound good with. I love the sound signature, but as with many colored (as in the sound, not the actual color) headphones it is up to the listener to decide weather a sound signature is "good" or "bad".

Those were the two main reasons I bought these headphones, so I will only review those two points. Feel free to leave comments on anything else you want to know.

Edit: After proper burn in, I notice very little difference in the sound signature. The bass has become a bit tighter and more tame while retaining impact. I did not notice much change in the mids or treble, but the soundstage seems slightly wider for some reason. I also found the optimal position for me to wear them (they happen to be circumaural for me, but this may vary from person to person), so they are very comfortable even for long periods of time.

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