Philips ActionFit Phyton Review

Posted on May 28, 2015 in Equipment, Reviews, Running

When you are running long distances it can become quite lonely out there. The answer? Music! Philips was kind enough to send me a pair of the SQH4300 SportFit Phyton Headphones. These are a round the neck, super light, wired sports headset. Unfortunately the mail service was not so kind as to treat the shipping box nicely, so I could only take one proper photo of the box it comes in:

The earplugs were completely undamaged though. It came out of the box unharmed. In the box you’ll find the headset, a total of three earplugs to change size and a little protective pouch:

 

It took me a second before I figured out how to put them on, but after I got it, they were snug as a bug, running with them I found no issues, the set stayed right where I put it and the music just played. The support round your neck is a little in the way when you roll your head around, but, besides only doing this during warmups, it didn’t pop the headphones off. They stayed where I put them. The support band helps keep the plugs in your ears, but with a minimal sense of pressure. Overall, they are really comfortable.

I must admit I’m not much of an audiophile, but to me the sound quality to me was perfect. If you’re into numbers, the specifications are: 5-24000Hz and a max of 107dB. The Impedance comes at 16 Ohm and it can take a maximum input of 20mW. Basically, enough for the average Joe Sixpack. It, in my opinion, has a decent base, but will also allow outside sounds to come in. Which, when running is not unimportant. Safety first! You’ll never know when somebody else isn’t paying attention.

Some more detail photos:

Sports Headphones

Now, why are these ‘sports’ headphones? Well, besides the ActionFit name, when you pick the ‘Phyton’ up, you’ll immediately notice the SHQ4300 are extremely light. My little scale put them on 18 grams (0.63 ounce), which included the 120cm (about 47″) cable. That’s 3 grams more than an average CD. Incase you forgot what they look like and weigh, an average gel pack weighs somewhere around 40 grams. Without the cable, so what will actually sit on your head it weighs 11.4 grams (0.4 ounce!!). Furthermore they are IPX4 classified, which basically means you *could* take a shower with them. Another sign that it’s designed to be able to take a beating is that the audio cable is lined with kevlar. This is to prevent it from tearing when you get it stuck behind something.

While playing around with it, I noticed the ear buds themselves are mounted so that the can pivot, if you may. So if you decide to yank them of your head, either by accident or in a rush, the earbuds and the flexible band will cooperate.

As a nice touch the clip has a little reflective strip on it, however I feel this would have been more in place on the band round the neck. It’s just orange as most of the Philips Sports line is, but if you add some reflection for safety, that would be my pick.

Overall

If you’re looking for an affordable, staying on your head while moving a lot, head set, then you can’t go wrong with this set. If you don’t like the orange, they are also available in a grey/lime color scheme. If you go to the gym a lot and start lifting weights, they might get in your way (the neck band thing that is). But for running they are very nice.

If you like this review and would like to buy the headphones, please use this link as I get a small fee when you buy the set.

You can buy the Philips ActionFit Phyton for $30 on Amazon.