Phiaton PS200

Design

The AH-C351s look simple but sharp and professional. The PS200s, on the other hand, look a bit less plain. In terms of durability, both headphones are about the same level of average. This one is too close for us to call: they’re similar enough that it’d come down to personal preference, and whatever opinion you can muster just from looking at the two pictures below is more relevent than our own.

Phiaton PS200	Denon AH-C351

Frequency Response

The PS200s have a better overall frequency response in this comparison, by quite a large margin. They have a valley in about the same spot as the AH-C351s, but the AH-C351s’ valley is far deeper and steeper. The depth and angle of the slope indicate the severity of the shift. In the AH-C351s’ case, an instrument in this area would sound a bit muted and if the instrument straddles this area, it will sound like it fades in and out.

Phiaton PS200	Denon AH-C351

Distortion

Both headphones performed about the same on this test, with the AH-C351s narrowly edging out the PS200s. There isn’t enough difference between their distortion levels to influence anyone’s purchase, however.

Phiaton PS200	Denon AH-C351

Tracking

The Denon AH-C351s have a slightly better tracking overall. There is a bit of a bump towards the 1kHz mark, but the PS200s feature two bumps of about the same magnitude and are slightly more off-kilter.

Phiaton PS200	Denon AH-C351

Isolation

The PS200 was able to block out significantly more sound than the Denon AH-C351s.

Phiaton PS200	Denon AH-C351

Comfort

The Denon AH-C351s were more comfortable overall and popped out far, far less.

Wear
Phiaton PS200	Denon AH-C351

Verdict

If we took price out of the equation, the PS200s are probably the better set of headphones. The AH-C351s have better tracking and are definitely better headphones to take to the gym, but the PS200s have a better overall audio quality. If you’re not going to move around much, the PS200s clinch a clear victory. Once you account for price, however, the PS200s become a horrible value in comparison. Sure, they’re better headphones overall, but their price is scaled on an entirely different magnitude than the AH-C351s. If money is no object and you’re looking at only these two headphones, the PS200s are the better pick.