Detailed Test Results
Design and features:
These headphones can be used wirelessly with Bluetooth devices or can be cord connected. When the cord is connected, the headphone has medium-high sensitivity, so it can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and even lower-powered portable audio devices. The BT460 has an integrated microphone and touch-sensitive Bluetooth volume, music player, and call connect/disconnect controls. Additional features include a non-defeatable Bluetooth auto-pause function that pauses music playback when the headset is removed from the head and resumes when the headset is placed back on the head. It also has the Phiaton ShareMe feature that allows two Phiaton BT460 wireless headsets to be linked together to receive audio from one Bluetooth source device. This model has earcups that fold for ease of carrying and storage, and comes with a detachable, 41-inch-long audio cable with a built-in volume control, and a mic and answer/player control button for iPhone/iPod/iPad and smartphone use (the cable has a 4-contact mini-plugs that works with most mobile devices but may not be compatible with some other audio equipment), a USB charging cable, and a carrying case.
Sound quality:
We found the BT460 in Bluetooth mode delivers sound quality that falls in the good range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound. The overall sound can best be summarized as full, but bassy. Bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is boomy and somewhat prominent. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even, but a slightly hazy, congested (think sonic traffic jam), and grainy and a bit overwhelmed by the bass. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended but is uneven - the lower treble is a bit sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) and the upper treble is somewhat subdued. While the sound has a good sense of liveliness it is somewhat closed-in -- sound-wise it is somewhat obvious that you have something covering your ears. The sound in wired mode is very similar to the sound in Bluetooth mode, except the bass is slightly reduced and the treble is slightly more prominent.
Comfort and Fit:
We found that these headphones produce a light sense of pressure around the ears. The over-the-ear fit of the ear pads may be cramped for those with bigger ears, and the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use. When wearing this model while walking, the vibrations from each foot step can be heard through the headphones. In Bluetooth mode, incidental contact with the touch controls on the right earcup can cause unintentional track pause, playback, skip, call disconnect, or volume-level changes. The smart play/pause feature, which automatically pauses playback from an audio app from a Bluetooth connected device when you remove the headphones from your ears and plays it when you put the headphones back on your ears, can't be turned off and causes audio playback on some Bluetooth connected devices, even when the music app has not been selected.
