Audio Monarch, Able Planet was out in full force at this year’s past CES 2012. They set up a slick booth and stocked it full of various audio solutions. After all, was said and done, two solutions seemed to–ironically–speak loudest to attendees. One was their new Bluetooth headset, the BT400B. The other was their newest music-friendly on-ear set of headphones known as the PS400B.
The latter is the solution currently cupped around my monkey ears–and what a blissed-out set of auditory nerves I have now! While it’s far from being one of the best headphones, it’s one worth taking a look at.
Speaking of top headphones, you’ll want to read our other recommendations such as our Torque T103Z headphones review, V-Moda crossfade M-80 review, and our Urbanears Zinken Petrol headphone review.
Prosaic in the look and feel, the Able Planet PS400B set is not breaking new ground in aesthetics or visual allure. They come in a uniform black matte color with white lettering and minor silver highlights, which are mainly for the Able Planet logos. They feature a pair of seemingly familiar-looking ear cushions and connect via a single 3.5mm audio cable. Over this tether, the PS400B support iPod, iPhone, MP3 players, Smart Phones, and any other device with a 3.5mm audio-in port.
Plus it all packs away in a standard soft carry pouch. No-fuss. No muss! Right? The Able Plant PS400B is great, but there are plenty of other headphones that are much better, such as the V-MODA XS On-Ear headphone review.
Wrong. “Simple” is an oxymoronic concept when speaking about this unit’s performance. Its conventional look and ordinary aesthetics are far surpassed by how extraordinary these cans sound under the gun. Is it the “patented” LINX AUDIO technology? Possibly! But the set of ear cushions is no slouch either. Slip the PS400B set over your ears and the amount of ambient noise heard, is significantly reduced. The noise-canceling ability surpasses that of the Razer Tiamat gaming headset we reviewed.
A moderately noisy room–meaning below 85 dB–is rendered virtually silent. Give thanks to those mushy pillow-soft ear cushions. While effectively canceling the noise, these audio earmuffs make way for long hours of closed-ear jam sessions in complete comfort. All that’s left is to hit “Play” and let the world melt away as you enjoy your favorite playlists or movies.
But first, let’s give a slight tweak to the bass on your equalizer or audio settings. The audio quality reproduced, is nothing short of excellent in a $100 offer. These are stereo headphones to boot. Not multi-channel! Yet the sound is remarkably pure and rich. Crank the volume to the max and the clarity remains. No high-volume distortion or any other unwanted audio hiss!
Still, the bass is substantial, but suitable with minor adjustments to your device’s audio settings. Ultimately, this will prevent overbearing bass, when the volume is maxed. Now you can expect a sensation of fullness and canorous complexity, especially when enjoying music produced from a variety of instruments.
The Able Planet PS400B set also features in-wire volume control. It works well enough and functions by way of a dial. Dials are fabulous for more precise volume control. But they can also be easily jostled or accidentally bumped. So those who prefer +/- buttons for your volume control, may want to think twice. Moreover, for any issues with sound quality and static, you may want to learn how to fix your headphone jack, before replacing them completely.
Regardless of the in-wire vol. control is sans a mute button, which would have definitely been welcomed. The unit is, however, compatible with other InWire solutions, including those with embedded microphones. So options are on the table.
Again, substance trumps style, something often contended in Beats headphones, like the Beats Studio Wireless Over-Ear headphones review. It’s something we’ve seen time and again (*cough* SteelSeries *cough*). The Able Planet PS400B set belies its homely looks with big city voluminous sound and rock star performance at an honest price.
Editor Rating:
[Rating: 4.5/5]
Excellent
Bottom Line: Never judge a book by its plain black matte cover. Because once you put this book over your ears, all bets are off. Or something like that… Joking aside: this is an excellent product!
Pros
- Beyond stereo performance
- Amazing noise cancelling!
- Super comfortable
- In-line volume control
Cons
- Simple look
- Remember to check your bass levels
You can buy the Able Planet PS400B Stereo Headphones for $99.99.
