Foldable closed-back travel headphones

The Phonon 4400 is a closed-back on-ear headphone designed in Tokyo for DJs, sound engineers and audiophiles on the move. Its clear, powerful bass works in the club, and its natural, detailed midrange works for everyday listening. This new version is lighter and more durable than the original model.

Japanese headphones tuned by a mastering engineer

PHONON is a Tokyo brand founded and run by Isao Kumano, a renowned Japanese mastering engineer who is also known for his sound system designs. He tuned the sound of the 4400 himself. The bass is powerful and tight, with a slight lift in the upper bass, but this is not a bass-heavy headphone: its tuning stays close to that of a reference headphone. The midrange is natural and detailed, with good resolution and realistic instrument placement. The treble is smooth and clear, without harshness. This makes it suited to very different styles (jazz, electronic, rock...).

DJ headphones used in clubs

According to Resident Advisor, the Phonon 4400 is used and praised by DJs such as Jeff Mills, Dixon, Âme, Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig. It owes this reputation to clear, powerful bass without smearing, which stays easy to read in the booth. Passive isolation is good for an on-ear headphone, better than the SMB-02 (there is no active noise cancelling). The 1.8 m cable has 4 conductors, with separate left and right grounds. It ends in a gold-plated, threaded 3.5 mm plug, with a screw-on 6.35 mm adapter.

Foldable travel headphones

Described on its original packaging as a "Mobile Hi-Fi Phone", the 4400 was designed with feedback from studio engineers, DJs and mobile audiophiles, for travel, the city, the studio and the DJ booth. It is the most foldable and compact model in the Phonon range: a folding hinge, swivelling earcups and an adjustable headband with a metal arc let it fit in its pouch. The earcups are made of good-quality black plastic, with round metal plates. The ear pads and headband are covered in soft faux leather, and the headphones stay comfortable over long sessions.

Its place in the Phonon range

The 4400 came out in 2018, as an evolution of the Phonon 4000. Production stopped about two years later, and it was relaunched in 2023 through a Kickstarter campaign, in this slightly improved version. It uses the same 40 mm driver as the SMB-02 studio headphone, and is its travel version. It has more bass and depth, while the SMB-02 is more neutral and more studio-oriented. At the shop, the Phonon range also includes the SMB-03 (entry-level studio model, closed-back over-ear), the SMB-02G (closed-back on-ear studio headphone, successor to the SMB-02) and the SMB-01L, the brand's reference headphone.

Specifications

• Type: closed-back dynamic headphone, on-ear
• Drivers: 40 mm
• Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 22,000 Hz
• Maximum input power: 500 mW
• Impedance: 46 Ω
• Weight: 260 g (cable included)
• Construction: foldable, folding hinge, swivelling earcups, adjustable headband with metal arc
• Ear pads and headband: faux leather
• Cable: 1.8 m, 4 conductors, separate left and right grounds
• Plug: 3.5 mm, gold-plated, straight, threaded
• In the box: original carrying pouch, screw-on 6.35 mm adapter