BT 220 NC

Update April 26, 2016: My previous update mentioned me trying to decide if I'd buy these again or not. I ended up "upgrading" to the Bose QuietComfort 20's.A little about the Bose's: They are wired, but there's a universal adapter to make them bluetooth nowadays. They boast some of the best noise canceling I've experienced to date with similar audio quality to the Phiaton's. Both the Phiaton and Bose have a type of "Aware" mode. The Phiaton version essentially mutes your audio and let's you hear your surroundings TEMPORARILY through them. The Bose version simply lets you hear your surroundings while still hearing whatever audio/music normally coming through. I find the Bose Aware mode very useful in my life but would not have known to think about the mode if it wasn't for Phiaton.This is my last update to this review but am definitely able to continue answering any questions!------Update April 21, 2016: Left Earbud No longer outputting sound. Noise canceling still works. The issue comes from the base where the wire ends up connecting to the unit with the clip. Lasted a little more than 16 months which translates to about $10/month. If our "standard" for portable devices (like phones) is $200/24-months, then getting around $8.33/month would've been the goal to reach. I used these almost every single day and took very good care of these. Now I'm stuck deciding if I'll get these again, a different bluetooth earbud, or go back to wired.-----Update October 13, 2015: Quick Command Reference GuideIt seems some people could use a quick button command guide, so I'm placing it here at the top of my review. This won't necessarily be all the commands.Power On/Off: Hold the Power/Phone buttonBattery Life: With one of the earbuds in, double press the Power/Phone buttonPairing mode: Hold the middle button (with the bump)Volume Up: Press the + buttonVolume Down: Press the - buttonPlay/Pause: Press the middle buttonNext Track: Hold the + buttonPrevious Track: Hold the - button- - - - - - - - - - Actual Review - - - - - - - - - -The Phiaton BT 220 NC Earphones are pretty much what I've been looking for in a pair of audio devices that go in my ear. I had some concerns with the previous model, so I've been waiting awhile!Pros:Fantastic Sound QualitySuperior Battery Life (14-16 hours of standby and off/on use)Limited Noise CancellationAbility to still hear thingsGreat MicrophoneWired capability when battery is deadComfortableCons:Auto shut-off occasionally when confused (multi-device connection issues)Wind is noisy when noise cancelling is on (THERE'S A TRICK TO FIX THIS!)No visual indicator to know how much battery is leftToo good of a microphone (Yes, a pro AND con)Bluetooth.Not really a pro or con, but still an issue to think about:Cable lengthNoise Cancelling SwitchMore Info:I've waited five months before actually writing this review. I've done testing on multiple devices and have even written down on and off times to ensure my battery life calculations are accurate. I typically wear these on a lanyard. Feel free to ask me questions in the comment section, if not simply in Amazon's Q/A section.Fantastic Sound Quality:I use these every day. The sound quality is very good on these. It has a balanced sound throughout all frequencies. THE ONE ISSUE THOUGH... is that this is a "speaker" AND "headset." When you pull up the Phiaton's on your computer, make sure that, if you have to select one, you select the "speaker" option to connect to. If you choose the "headset" option, you will have terrible quality audio come through.Superior Battery Life:I was able to get around 12 hours of use with noise cancelling mostly on. I was able to get a little over 16 hours with light (but on and connected) use, while getting 14 with medium to heavy use. The real killer is the noise cancelling, which is to be expected.Limited Noise Cancellation and ability to still hear things:Phiaton says active noise cancellation starts around 1 kHz and below, which is the same as 1000 Hz. If you look up what range of sounds fall in that range, you'll find it really covers a lot! I never wanted full noise cancellation. The ability to cancel out the ambient noises while traveling or working is all I wanted. Phiaton says it "is optimized for mechanical noises from airplanes, buses, and subway trains [...]," which explains why I'm still able to hear my wife even with them on (human voice ranges 85 Hz to 255 Hz).Wired Capability:One of the most awesome things about these earbuds is being able to connect the (really thin) micro usb to 3.5mm cable to it and use these like a regular set of earbuds! The microphone isn't active while in wired mode, but your devices know that! The cable it comes with is long enough to allow your devices to still be in your pocket while listening to music.Comfortable:I typically wear these in at least one ear for over 8 hours a day. The earbud is light enough that I don't even notice it. I do end up producing a little more earwax in that ear though, but that's to be expected from any earbud or ear canal headphone. My comfort preference is to use the medium size tips. Though the "perfect" fit would be with a large in my right ear and medium in the left (or use the Comply Foam Tips), I find I have some ear fatigue when I put the large one on.Occasional auto shut-off:Phiaton made it so that these earbuds can connect to more than one device at a time. I've had success with this, but it seems to work best if only one computer is connected and if the computer is connected last. This feature is still nice, but limited use without issues arising makes this feature a con.Wind is noisy:Just like the model before, wind is still an issue with noise cancelling. It makes sense though, considering they aren't noise cancelling all audible frequencies. However, THERE'S A TRICK!!! If you MUST be outside with noise cancelling on, simply place a piece of tape (preferably black electric tape) over the small slot in the black part of each earbud. You will still experience some noise cancellation but also dramatically reduced wind noise!No visual battery indicator:The lack of a screen of course limits you on what you can be notified about. With a long lasting device like this, it could really help to be able to check the percentage left on the battery. Phiaton, if you read my review, add a hold button command that will make the voice (that tells you "power on," "power off," etc.) read out the percentage of battery life remaining.Bluetooth:Bluetooth 4.0 is still Bluetooth. There are issues revolving around Bluetooth that cannot be helped by any one manufacturer. Bluetooth audio may come across at out of sync with actions taken on screen, whether in video games or movies. You may also have interference occur from simply moving your arm too close to the receiver of the earbuds or by going into another room. These aren't things Phiaton has done wrong. There's a price to pay for wireless audio, and Bluetooth is one such price.Microphone quality (Updated April 26, 2016):This has a phenomenal microphone. It picks up a good bit, which can also be a bad thing. You could possibly pick up ambient noise from wind and movement. This is one area I haven't done full testing on, but I believe it's better that you're able to be heard on the other side rather than barely at all.UPDATE: I've come to realize that you should only use these for phone calls if you're in a quiet area as it really just picks up too much. That being said, it still stands true that it's a pro and con as I've had headphone mics be as clear as mud before and didn't appreciate it one bit.Cable Length:As I said in the beginning, I wear these clipped to a lanyard. I have to wear a nametag for work, so a lanyard is not an extra accessory for me. With the earbuds clipped to my lanyard, I'm able to wear them any way I want. I typically wear them at work around the back of my neck with one plugged into my right ear. At home I either wear them both in, or around my neck with one of them in. If I wasn't wearing a lanyard, I can see how the cable length is in between being too short and too long.Noise Cancelling Switch:I have drained the battery multiple times because I forgot to turn off the noise cancelling. This is a human error, but I wish there was an auto-shutoff mode. I have found myself in the past use these while not connected to anything, just for the noise cancellation. That basically means there's a use-case for NOT having an auto-shutoff mode. Anyway, it's just a thought.Last Thoughts:No device I've ever owned has been perfect. However, if a device's pros outweigh any cons, it is a keeper. These wireless earbuds are a keeper for me. These fit perfectly in how I want to use a set of earbuds. One of the biggest surprises was when my wife and I were on a 6 hour road trip. She was watching a movie on a tablet while the audio was connected to the car's audio system. With the noise cancelling on, we could hear each other talk, as well as the audio from the movie, quite clearly!I hope I hit all the points of interests regarding the Phiaton BT 220 NC Wireless Earbuds. Again, if anyone has any questions you want answered, just let me know!Update: May 26, 2015 - Life with these are still just as described before, but I figured out something I thought I've tried before... Battery Indicator! If you turn on the headphones and then push the power button twice, you will hear a voice that says how much battery life is left in general terms like full, moderate, low.Update: June 10, 2015 - I have recently taken a sound quality test with these. The test was to see if you could hear the difference between 192Kbit, 320Kbit, and uncompressed audio clips. While some of the clips weren't ideal clips for the test, I was able to identify most of them. That basically tells me these Phiaton's have good sound quality when connected to Bluetooth 4.0.

UPDATE: I LOVE THESE HEADPHONES!!I've been using these pretty much all day every day for a month or two now. I have NEVER run out of battery during normal use... I usually charge them over night but there have been times that I did not charge them for a day they still didn't run out of battery. I say "normal use" because they did run out a few times when I forgot to turn off noise cancelling. I think It keeps running even if the headphones are off, so make sure the green light is off before leaving them... With that consideration, you can be confident that these will work all day and all night without having to recharge.BUY THESE!!!ORIGINAL REVIEW:Let me preface my review by saying that I WAS NOT paid to write such a glowing critique, I've just been going through so many headphones trying to find a good pair and was so excited when I finally got these that I felt compelled to review them.These are fantastic headphones. I've only been using them for a day (I'll update if anything changes) but I have to say, these are all around fantastic headphones. I've never heard of phiaton before but I was not disappointed.I was looking for a pair of headphones for work with the longest battery life I could find. I was excited to find these and see that not only did they have a ridiculously long battery life, they also have active noise cancelling! These claim 16 hrs without noise cancelling (12 with it on, still beats most if not all BT earbuds which hover around 6-8, a few 12hr ones with their share of other issues to make me hesitate to buy them) and though I haven't used them for 16 hrs straight through yet, they are still going strong around hour 10.Some things I like about these:Design- I think the small clip on dongle design is the best for Bluetooth earbuds. It allows for a larger battery and can be easily clipped somewhere out of the way, it also gives you room for more controls. I suppose some people might not like it but the fact of the matter is that you need to put the battery somewhere and you're either going to have large bulky earbuds (the actual earbuds you put in your ear) or a battery pack swinging awkwardly on the cable or this. There are a few with more streamlined designs but for that you sacrifice battery life, they only get 6hrs which goes by pretty quick if you use them all day at a job like I do. Some other reviews wished for a longer chord but I think it's fine. They show a guy clipping it to a jacket but if you're not wearing one, you'd have to clip it to your shirt collar and have all the extra chord claiming around, what I do is clip it to the BACK of my shirt behind my neck and bring the earbuds up over my shoulder. It's totally out of the way and keep the wires away from the front of my body where they could get caught on something (which is the whole reason I wanted wireless to begin with). The battery pack is very light and doesn't pull my shirt down at all. The tension clip is nice and snug, no problems!Sound quality:-These sound really good, like really good. Some other reviews said they wanted little more bass, and I would agree with that but let me make it clear that they are not lacking in bass at all, it just doesn't boom in your ears. The whole sound is very clear, sharp and we'll balanced I'm hearing some elements in my favorite songs I didn't notice before.Comfort:-I've had these in about 10 hours now and they don't hurt at all. I'm using the foam tips that came with it and though some said they make them sound worse, I don't agree with that at all. It sounds totally fine to me and stays nice and snug. The regular tips are very comfortable too.Quality:-The whole unit is solid. The chords are dense, not super thick, but sturdy, I don't feel like I'll accidentally rip them like I felt with some other brands. The battery pack is lightweight but feels well constructed. Nothing is loose and everything looks very precisely manufactured.Noise cancelling:-This seems to be the one thing that other reviewers don't like, I'm not sure what they have a problem with. Granted I haven't used any other ANC headphones before but this is pretty damn impressive. Theyre designed for cutting out airplane and road noise, more amibent whitenoise kind of sounds, and they did that very well when I tested it in the car, however I'm in a coffee shop right now writing this and they do a great job of cutting down on the noise of conversation as well. I can still hear a little but it is DRASTICALLY reduced. I'm very impressed. Perhaps other ANC headphones are even better, I don't mean to discount other reviewers opinions, but I think these do a fantastic job.Function/connectivity-I have yet to try the NFC pairing feature but they paired to my s7 edge immediately with no problems and haven't dropped out yet. I can go from my car to the headphones by pressing play on whichever one I want to play through and not have to disconnect anything. I did experience a small amount of interference walking through a parking lot but that's to be expected with any wireless headphone and it stopped after I moved a few feet, so no trouble there. I like that I can trigger Google voice commands with the phone button, something I've been wanting to be able to do for a while, these are the first headphones that allowed me that feature. I wish the pause button was a little bigger and more separated from the volume buttons so I don't accidentally hit them but that's not a big deal, I'll get used to it and I usually hit play/pause from my phone anyway.That's all I can think of, I haven't tried out the mic yet, but the other reviews said it was ”too good” so I'm sure it will be fine, however I will update if it sucks.All in all a fantastic product at a great price, best buy is retailing for 160 iirc so get them here while you can for 70 bucks!Oh, and they look pretty cool too!Hope this helps!

Sellers was good, fast delivery with item intact. ByThe product itself is disappointing to me. The noise canceller doesn't work outside, as soon as there is a little wind you gets a lot of static noise. I bought this for riding my motorcycle and when I fly but it's not efficient in planes (I fly in propeller planes, not jets). Also the range of the Bluetooth is extremely limited, I can't walk with my phone in my back pocket as my body interferes and I can't ride with it as the 2 feet between the phone and the receiver is too great. I was also disappointed with the fact that this headset does not come with a mic, it's my fault, I should have researched it better.On the good side, the battery is amazing on these, beats anything else I've seen so far.If you are looking for a noise cancelling, Bluetooth for your house to listen to music, this is your headset, if you want to do anything else you could be disappointed.

They set up easily and work and sound great.

Works good!

Loved these until they started falling apart.Had these for a little over a year, opted for these over the Bose QC20, as they were half the price and wireless.The sound quality was good.The noise cancellation was very good.The battery life was very good.The build quality was awful, as the plastic casing stated breaking and falling apart (see the photos).As with most other NC earphones, they suffer in windy conditions, which is to be expected.They come into their own, on the subway, around round noise, areas where there's construction noise etc.If they can make a newer version with a full metal body, and not plastic parts, I'd buy it.Luckily I bought the amazon extended warranty, and it saved me a fair amount of money.

Purchased as a universal travelling headphones for more than one device. Only used it on one two day trip and already noticed a chip out of the what I thought originally was a metal cover. Noise canceling works OK for aircraft engine noise but as it only works on Bluetooth no use at all in flight. I liked the idea of wired option but no noise cancellation when on wire. Foam ear plugs definitely give better sound blocking but not as good as my wired bose head phones.Not sure if these headphones are quite there yet. Noise cancelling as stated only works on low constant sounds. My bose headphones blocked most sounds and worked in the air while on a plane.I do like the design having the headphones and controller as a single unit. My suggestions world be :1. Better quality plastic or change front cover to a metal perhaps titanium. Or fibre glass.2. Noise canceling works while on wired connection.3. Noise canceling covers wider range of sounds.4. Sound quality is OK and I can live with that as it's for travelling and I don't expect perfection whilst traveling. It's worth noting the Bose headphones sound a lot better though.5. Battery life seems good enough.6. Loses bluetooth connection for no reason. This happen once and had to be reconnected. In an airport not easy when every person there is using bluetooth.Your on the right lines this could be a great product that I would happily pay more for if you get it right!!!!Thanks