Phiaton BT 150 NC Black Wireless Bluetooth Retractable Headphones – Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones with Touch Control Neckband and Wireless Headphone Mic

Avoid these headphones unless you have a very short neck and do not plan on using them anywhere but around the city.Original review was 4 stars, changed to 2 after living with them for a while.I cannot say these are bad headphones, but the design choices on this headset are completely baffling to me.The cord for the earpiece is annoyingly shorter than the LG HBS-900. It makes it much harder to wear under collars and jackets, pulling a lot at the device.The retraction mechanism is absolutely awful. Instead of a button, you need to pull on the cable to get it to retract. This not only takes more than one try 90% of the time, but it risks the cord getting damaged far more than it should by adding unnecessary stress.The power and play/pause buttons are right next to the volume and track controls. Since these are touch controls rather than buttons, its super easy to hit them accidentally. Very annoying if using pandora. The touch controls are easier to use than other headsets, but this isn't worth the potential mistakes.They will absolutely not stay on your neck in the gym. These are abysmal for exercising, they are super loose on the neck and slip off any time I change position. I don't even use them running as all neckband headphones are terrible when running.Customer service is actually quite good. My first unit had a problem with the ANC, I got a replacement very quickly. This is the only reason I'm giving these 2 stars rather than one.The ANC and audio pass through features are very nice, and they are the only reason I regret wanting to return these headphones. If Phiaton had put a little more thought into the design of these they would be perfect. As it stands, these headphones are just too annoying to live with. If you really need headphones for travel, get the Sony MDR1000X. These aren't worth it.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original review below for context----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I plan to update this review later on after I have used this product for a few weeks, but wanted to give some first impressions to potential buyers. Also, I will be comparing this product to the LG HBS-900 as those were what I was using previously.Build - These headphones are well built but less rigid than you would expect. The middle part that goes around the back of the neck is made from a rubber like material rather than hard plastic, so there is far more give than with most neckband headphones, definitely more than the LG. This doesn't seem like a bad thing, just worth noting. All buttons are finished in metal and have a nice tactile click. Feel solid but they are clearly just metal caps. Earphone cables are thicker than the LG, should make them more durable in the long run. Also, the device is just about as heavy as the HBS-900, I didn't notice any additional weight. Finally, the built in vibration motor is solid and can easily be felt through 2 shirts.Design - This needs to be broken out into pros and consPros: Noise cancellation can be easily toggled on and off with a switch. The placement of the microphones works well for the noise cancellation, they fit around your neck just as well as any neckband headphones, retractable cords means there's nothing scraping against your neck or collar, USB port on the outside of the headphones (it's on the inside of the LG) means you can use and charge these at the same time.Cons: Power and play/pause button are RIGHT next to the touch controls, making it easy to alter volume or skip a track when trying to press the buttons. (should get better with muscle memory) Cables must be pulled to be retracted rather than pressing a button like you could on the LG ones, this means more stress on the cables potentially making them break sooner. Noise cancellation switch easy to mistake for a power switch if you don't read the manual (not a big deal)Functionality - They sound just as good as most bluetooth headphones, no big change from the LG. They are good quality but nothing a serious audiophile would use. Volume is comparable to the LG, possibly slightly louder at max. Noise cancellation works great to my ear, though I haven't used NC headphones before. Wind still causes an issue and they do not isolate 100% of the sound from the outside so these can't match something like Bose QC-35. Touch controls work well, its actually easier to use them than the LG switches. Buds are also comfortable, however I do not like the eartips and will probably replace them with something softer. Finally, the audio pass through via the included micro usb to 3.5mm cable works as expected, however at reduced sound quality. Still quite a useful feature.Overall - I'm quite happy with these, but still need to try them in the gym and on a train / plane. I am hoping to replace a few of my curret headsets with these, so far they have made a good first impression. Not 100% sure they are worth 150 bucks, but I don't have a desire to return them yet.

Edit: Reduced rating from 4 stars to 2 stars because one of th buttons feel off and an earbud doesn’t want to retract properly without messing with it a lot.Quick introduction: I’m a technology junky and have had multiple Bluetooth headsets over the years, currently I own around 8. I’m also a bit of an audiophile always looking for that sweet spot. Both I had these I owned some Sony’s 900s and that’s the only other active noise canceling product I’ve had. I’ve had the headset for over a month at a local machine shops - a variety of loud noises - here is the likes and dislikes:Like:Good sound quality - definitely a bit bass heavy but bass heads will appreciate that.Fit and feel - fits around neck and is light weight. I also appreciate that the ear buds retract with use. I like these on airplanes vs over the ears because I want to lean against the window to sleep.Noise Reduction - The NC quite good except for high velocity wind noise are amplified and makes it kinda painful - I have to turn off the noise canceling in those situations.Battery life - It’s great around 11hrs of on time and charges pretty fast as well.Dislikes:Construction - It feels a bit fragile plastic and one ear bud won’t retract probably. I have to fiddle with it most times to get it to go back in. (That’s one of the biggest draw backs)Microphone - it’s not bad but not great, I have to restate myself in louder environments where as with my Plantronics headsets Imve been impressed about their ability to pick up the voice and ignore the rest.Unusual Earbud design - I believe they made a wider sound port that gives more bass but also isn’t available for use with Comply tips. I took a photo of them with a ruler (for measurement) and sent it to the company. They responded that nothing would fit.Also the largest tips that are included were a bit too small for me as I have larger ears.Conclusion: I got it $99 I use it at the shop and on flights and it works well. It doesn’t have the best noise canceling at times and currently the build is a little suspect because of the retracting earbud. I expect that feature to malfunction quicker than the rest. Hopefully that’s something they shore up.

Better sound than my previous one. But not the best. Bigger than I expected and shot wire. Occasionally pull my ears and noise cancelling is okay. Not easy to use touch button. Delivery is fast enough.Most of all, retractable earphone storage stop working! Now left wire always hanging around. Overall, 45/100