110 MACWORLD APRIL 2020
PLAYLIST REVIEW: PHIATON BOLT BT 700during my time with the BT 700s.
That said, after only a week of wear I
started to notice the porous inner finish of
the earbuds was already starting to look a
bit messy. I don’t have particularly filthy
ears (I hope) and the earbud tips
themselves stayed clean. From the bluish-
gray look of the inner surface where my
hands handle the earbuds, I’d have
thought they spent several days rubbing
freely inside of a pair of jeans. I worry that
the white edition won’t hold up to
extended daily use.
I was regularly frustrated by the touch-
capacitive button on the main face of each
earbud. It turns out that I have trouble
finding an invisible, seamless, touch-
sensitive spot on the side of my head.
Toward the end of my week with the BTspeaker, which sounds terrible and
dramatically reduces portability.
DESIGN
By the standards of the miniature true
wireless earbud ecosystem, the BT 700s
are pretty hefty. Each earbud measures
24mm x 19mm x 16mm and weighs in at
6.5 grams. This is about twice as heavy as
Apple AirPods and about 25 percent
thicker than similar earbuds. The BT 700s
come in white and black options, and
they’re big enough that either option will
draw some attention.
All that extra surface area is used
attractively, with Phiaton’s swirling logo
showing prominently and a flat, shiny
dollop of color in my ears. They stood out
enough that I got a few positive comments
The flat fronts of the
BT 700s look bold and
attractive.