| | |  | Headphones and Speakers | Home » » » Phiaton MS 400 Carbon Fiber Headphones | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | 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 | | | Features: | |
• Carbon fiber enclosure for high quality audio
• Optimized airflow delivers concert hall sound quality
• Closed-ear design promotes greater noise reduction
• Flexible 'fold and go' design comes with Compact carrying case for easy travel
• 3.5mm standard gold plated & 6.3mm Stereo adaptor plug
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 9.0 inches | | Product Width:
| 6.0 inches | | Product Height:
| 10.0 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.41 pounds | | Package Length:
| 10.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 9.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 5.3 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.75 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 31 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 31 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 Stylish, durable, and they sound great.Feb 05, 2011
By Michael E. Salazar
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.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Great product and great customer serviceDec 08, 2011
By Rokushou
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.
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.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great for travel and office useNov 20, 2011
By G. Breault
While they seemed to take a long to time to break in once they did I was very happy with the sound. They have a stronger base sound than the Sennheiser 280's but they don't go to far. They take a small amount of power so no amp is needed. They also fold up small and have a short cord which makes them great for traveling. Isolation is okay but can not come close to a noise canceling headphone. I really like using them at work plugged into my laptop as the short cable doesn't get in the way.
The normal price seems to high versus a lot of the competition so I would wait for sales down in the $180 range.
12 of 17 found the following review helpful:
Great Product!!!!Feb 11, 2009
By Paul J. Kim
"audiophile"
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 found the following review helpful:
Very fair for the priceNov 17, 2011
By Seorobot
I bought these a bit before last Thanksgiving and have had them for a year now, and I don't regret my choice at all. I do a bit of amateur mixing/dj-ing but I bought and use these for casual listening and, to be frank, the sleek red leather. I currently and have previously owned Grados, Sennheisers, AKGs, Audio Technicas, and Ultrasones, but I'm extremely partial toward my MS-400s, especially if I wear them in public.
Highs: Out of the MS-300s, 400s, and 500s, the highs are probably the weakest for the 400s. This is likely because the lows and mids are strong and the highs just leave you wanting a bit more. Sometimes for
Mids: Clear, warm, probably the strong point of the phones. Nothing left to want here.
Lows: Very thumpy and strong. It's not as pinpoint as some would like it, and spills over a little though not enough to dilute clarity. I personally like the bass this way because it really contributes to the phone's warm sound.
Impedance: do not need an amp at all, and performance isn't really all that enhanced with an amp. The MS-300 sounds better amped.
Soundstage: like most closed headphones, the soundstage is very small, and combined with the warm sound of the MS-400s, very intimate. Depending on the type of music you listen to, this could be good or bad. I was very happy with how these work with pop, electronica, and beat heavy music, but they're not my favorites for jazz or classical where I want a concert hall-like sound stage. Still, very versatile and you can always tweak the equilibrilization.
Comfort: Nothing quite beat the comfort of my Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones, but I can't wear it in public since it's open-air and admittedly looks a bit ridiculous. Like any closed-air cans go, there's a minimum amount of clamping force the phones will have on your ears in order to create that leak-free seal. The earpads are very soft and comfortable, and sit just around your ear (my ears are average sized and don't get cramped, though they do get warm after an hour of wear). After an hour, you will probably get a bit of a jaw/clamp ache, but compared to some other phones like Ultrasones and Grados, Phiatons are very very comfortable. In general, it's one of the more comfortable closed-air phones I've tried, and it's very light, which is a plus.
Build: On first glance all the plastic could make these seem cheap, but after a while you'll realize these are of quality build. The leather pads and headband are soft and has shown no sign of deterioration after a year of use, and the earcup sides which are see-through and show the carbon microfiber are highly scratch resistant. My only concern is the 3.5mm jack, which are connected to very thin wires. These resemble how Apple iPod earbud jacks are, and those always peeled and got destroyed for me. I wrapped the end with rubber bands and it's never had damage. The cords are a bit thin and yes, I would have preferred a single to a double cord, but unless you're going to put it through really rough usage it shouldn't be a liability issue, and I find myself liking the symmetry and lightness of the thin cords more and more.
Portability: Folds awkwardly in the provided case which is just big enough, and the wires have to be twisted a bit weirdly to fit, but the case is sturdy and the phones are extremely portable (though not as much so as the MS-300s).
Bang for buck: I bought this before the price decrease to $200 (it was $240 previously) and even back then I thought the price was very fair for the quality of the product. I think now, it's an outstanding choice for the price.
Misc: The earpads are easily removable if you need to clean them or something. There's also plenty of space behind the earpad to stuff something like cotton balls if you want to dampen/adjust the sound (which I personally did and like the sound afterward more). As others have said, the red really screams "WEAR ME" and I have no hesitation wearing these in public because they look NICE. Though there's no electronic noise cancelling hardware, the nice seal and "carbon nanofiber" technology does a really nice job blocking out noise - I really have no need for high-end Bose noise cancelling, and these do just fine if I need a bit of quiet to study and I even wear these on planes and have had much better naps on international flights than before. I can crank my iPod to half the full volume bar and no one in a quiet library will hear a thing.
Overall: The MS-400s biggest selling point is their styling on top of high-performance. I've never liked Beats because of the sloppy bass sound and that I could buy much better sounding headphones at a much lower price, but most audiophile quality headphones aren't exactly lookers (how often would you want to wear air-traffic Grados in public?). The MS-400s are an outstanding compromise to both factors. Soundwise they're very competitive against similarly priced closed-air headphones from top brands like AT and Sennheiser, they're more portable, and they look great. It has a very warm though not militarily precise sound that I personally like, and now that they're $200 bucks, I think it's all the more reason to consider a pair.
See all 31 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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