Headphones — Erzetich Audio Phobos

Erzetich Audio of Slovenia places the open-back planar Phobos directly below the Charybdis in the brand's range. It was launched at EUR 1,999, around USD 2,300 in North America, and shares the Charybdis approach to hand assembly, component selection and long-term serviceability.

Key specs that matter

Erzetich fits a proprietary planar magnetic driver of 100 mm diameter in each cup, set in a chassis about 105 mm across the diagonal, and the nominal impedance is 45 ohm. Sensitivity is about 99 dB for 1 mW, which places the Phobos within reach of a wider range of amplifiers than many planar designs. The total weight is 690 g. The octagonal earcups have an industrial look and are formed in matte black resin on current production, while the headband is carbon fibre. The earpads are deep and made of synthetic leather, and Erzetich states that no animal-derived materials are used anywhere in the build.

Engineering and use context

A removable lead plugs into each cup via locking 4-pin mini-XLR connectors with a standard pinout, so third-party leads can be used without modification. The stock cable ends in a 6.35 mm single-ended plug for common desktop amplifiers, and Erzetich sells a balanced lead as an extra for owners with balanced amplifiers. Earlier units had hand-carved cups of aged linden wood, 11.3 cm across the diagonal and 2.5 cm wide, mounted on a steel structure held together with nuts and bolts, with a metal gear used to adjust the headband, fixed with a simple locking action. Pads on those units were made of PU leather rather than animal hide. Each pair is assembled by hand in small runs. The package holds a certificate of authenticity, an owner's manual and a cloth pouch for storage. The Phobos is still a heavy headphone, so the fit of the headband matters for extended listening, and the thick, stiff stock cable can transmit handling noise when it rubs against clothing.

Pairing

With a moderate impedance and a single-ended lead in the box, the Phobos connects directly to any desktop amplifier with a standard headphone jack. Erzetich's Bacillus II, a Class AB design, and the Perfidus Class A amplifier are brand-matched choices, while owners who add the balanced cable can move to the fully balanced Scylla.

Alternatives

The Erzetich Charybdis is the higher-priced open-back planar magnetic model, with CNC-machined aluminium earcups and a weight of 740 g.