# Drive Your Ears to the Higher End: New Over Ear Options for Discerning Listeners



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Last week we highlighted a few new headphone options for those of you on the go. This week we’re going to take a peek at two new over the ear high-end options from Phiaton, products meant for more enthusiasts looking for a more dynamic listening experience.

*Phiaton’s MS 530 and MS 430*

Phiaton is quickly becoming a company known for extremely stylish premium headphones. Just take a look at their product line-up and you’ll see their designs are just plain classy. It doesn’t hurt that they generally fetch exceptional professional reviews to boot. The Fusion MS 430 and Chord MS 530 are two new models offered in Phiaton’s M Series. The 530 is the more robust of the two, priced at $350 (MSRP), while the 430 is slightly less expensive – and understated – at $180 (MSRP)

*Chord MS 530*

The MS 530 is a wireless headset, which makes the use of the word “Chord” in it’s designation mildly amusing. Of course Phiaton is speaking in terms of musical chords and not physical cords, but I digress. It is important to point out, that while the MS 530 is billed as a cordless device, it does come supplied with a microphone cable that doubles as an audio cable for use with sources that aren’t wireless.








The 530 relies on Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology and boasts active noise canceling capabilities. Phiaton claims the headset’s wireless sound quality benefits from an audio codec called aptX, which is meant to improve digital streaming capabilities and, therefore, produce higher-clarity sound for the end-user. Speaking of sound, the 530‘s 40mm Titanium driver has a spec output of 15 Hz - 25 kHz, which certainly indicates you can expect robust sound reproduction. The headphone’s capabilities are further enhanced by the ability to be linked to two Bluetooth devices at once. Also, the 530’s rechargeable batteries have a spec life of 30 hours of talk/listening time (which drops to 18 hours when noise cancellation is engaged).

*Fusion MS 430*

The Fusion MS 430 sports a slightly smaller (and lighter) design as compared to its older brethren, but are no less eye catching. They are constructed of a durable carbon fiber with loads of intricate details and accents. Phiaton left comfort in the design by including plush padding for the head and ears. While corded, Phiaton has done its best to lighten the burden of its required cord. The cord is claimed to be “tangle free,” aided by the fact that the physical earphones have a left and right input jack (dubbed: Ambidextrous Inputs), allowing the user to decide which side is corded.








The 430 sports new proprietary 40mm drivers designed to emphasize higher frequencies and oversized magnets to enhance lower frequencies. Phiaton says the earphones operate from 15 Hz to 22 kHz.

The Chord MS 530 and Fusion MS 430 will be available from authorized retailers in early October 2013.

_Image Credit: Phiaton.com_


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