The Phiaton BT 330 NC is the latest efforts of the company to create a pair of Bluetooth headphones with proper noise cancellation. Audio performance does provide good quality, but perhaps not as good when you take a look at its price tag. Furthermore, when it comes to its noise cancelling efforts, it’s just “so-so.” These being said, the headphone tries hard but maybe it’s trying a bit too much.
The Phiaton BT 330 NC Feels Overpriced
With its design, the Phiaton BT 330 NC has a futuristic look to it. There is a matte plastic headband that is black on the top and metallic to where it will attach to the black supra-aural (or on-ear) earcups. Said headband is adjustable, but only to a degree. Still, it is possible to achieve a precise fit by using the clicking points as a guide. Even though the earpads are comfortable, the underside of the headband lacks the plush padding. Hence, long wear times can exert too much pressure on the skull, which will eventually let you just take off the headphones for the time being.
On the right earcup on the BT 330 NC headphones, users will find various controls. These controls are for power, playback, track navigation, call management, and volume. The volume control is in the form of a rocker switch which can also be used for track navigation. Holding said button down will either play or pause tracks. Still on the volume controls, it works independently with your phone’s volume levels. Therefore, you can adjust the volume of your phone and for the headphones separately.
Since there are so many functions designed into a single button, it should come as to no surprise that users will accidentally press it for the wrong purpose. For instance, you may just want to adjust the volume but end up pausing the track.
It’s noise cancellation feature is good enough to eliminate a decent amount of ambient noise, such as lower whirs and rumbles. However, it will also add an audible “hiss” to the equation. Although this “hiss” is quite subtle, audiophiles with sensitive hearing can still find this a mighty annoyance. Therefore, this feature comes off as pretty cheap, especially with the device’s price class.
Looking at an audio standpoint, the Phiaton BT 330 NC is able to deliver good sounds, but not as good as you would expect from its price. Bass is pretty good and noise cancellation is quite decent, but audiophiles may be looking elsewhere for other headphones within this price class that have better performance and comfort.