PHILIPSPH805 Active Noise Canceling (ANC) Over Ear Wireless Bluetooth Performance Headphones w/Hi-Res Audio, Comfort Fit and 30 Hours of Playtime (TAPH805BK)

I like to walk for exercise and either listen to music podcast or youtube or talk with a friend or ChatGPT. I had previously bought a headset at $50-60 price point and was really disappointed. Not only in the fragile physical durability but in battery life and constant blue tooth disconnection and interference.So I upgraded to this one and very noticeable improvements in comfort, feel of durability but also sound and connection. There is even an awareness mode so when walking it lets in a little outside sound so you can hear cars at intersections and people or bikes coming up behind you. So far this is the best cell phone bluetooth headset I have ever owned. Will update if anything changes that but this is a solid buy.

Highs:- Excellent noise canceling performance- Really nice fit and finish, comfortable to wear- Excellent build quality and durability (hinges seem very sturdy)- Easy to use, with very functional touch control- Good design, not intrusive or overly flashy (sophisticated in my eyes)- Easy to connect and Google Assistant functions are great (i am using a Pixel 3A XL)- Updated firmware (auto prompted me this) upon connecting the first time- Versatile folding positions- Awareness mode (so I can be aware of the surrounding without having to take these off)- Super fast charging timesLows:- Not the lightest but understandable with the quality of materials they are using- MicroUSB and not USB-C- Power button sometimes take a bit longer to shut off (have to hold down more than 3 seconds)- 2.5mm jack in instead of 3.5mm- Not the most bass heavy (this is both a good and a bad, depending on taste)Summary:These are surprisingly a great pair of ANC headphones that performs just as well as the Sony WH-1000XM3, the gold standard in ANC headphones, while costing almost $100 less than the Sony! It isn't as functional when it comes to tuning its audio profiles but in terms of everyday usability and its ANC performance, it gets a 9/10 from me.Build quality is amazing for a sub $200 headphone, the leather, memory foam, hinges, and even the paint on the earcups are textured perfectly so that these should last a good few years of heavy usage with no worries.Audio quality is above average but it does lack the smartphone software that allows you to adjust the EQ and such on the headphones but I think this can be compensated by adjusting the EQ on the music player you are using. I tried playing some FLAC on a non-amplified line using the 3.5mm to 2.5mm cable that is included, it does a great job of delivering clear highs and mids without muddles from the bass. It definitely excels at the trebles, an indication that this is great for clear conversations too. And yes, calls are extremely clear when I use this for regular phone and VOIP conversations on my phone.Connecting to the phone is easy once it is paired, turning it on does the job automatically. Pairing is easy too, hallmarks of a good BT 5.0 implementation. It even show a picture of the PH805 on my phone after I click on its name in the Bluetooth devices.There are 3 excellent party tricks that makes this an excellent steal at $180 or so.1. The 3 ways that it folds: flat fold, curl fold, and flat and curl fold (where it fits in the pouch)2. Awareness mode turns down the music and broadcasts the environmental noise so that you hear whats around you easily and can carry a conversation with the person in front of you while wearing it, which is quite fun/funny but useful on commutes3. Google Assistant: I actually started looking at my phone less and less now that I own this pair of headphones. Having Google Assistant able to read back any text messages, even messages in Line app because that function is enabled when wearing this headphone means that I can focus more on work and not get distracted by the many other things going on on my phone! And having the touch control on the earcup, without any additional markings, is a great design in nature.4th bonus party trick: its touch control is really useful for turning up and down the volume, no more trying to find the volume rocker or buttons, just swipe at the right ear-cup and it adjusts the volume, although slowly.

I am like different headphones for different kinds of music and have shied away from bluetooth type headphones because most of the ones I see are closed back. I own a pair of Phillips X2HR phones so I thought I would give these a try. The idea of not being tethered to my computer or music source quite appealed to me. Everything that follows are my opinions. Also, most of the comparisons I make are based on open back headphones specifically designed for great audio reproduction.First, the good: Music reproduction of these phones is good, not great, but pretty good. I miss the "wide open" sound that other phones reproduce. I really enjoy the fact I can move about the house and still hear my music. I love the capability of replaying or skipping a track from pushing a single button forward or back. I like being able to pause music when I take a phone call. I don't use or care about the noise cancellation capability of this set. I like to listen to my music but not be cut off from the rest of the world. They are very comfortable, light weight and don't clamp your head like a vise. Even with the noise cancellation feature turned off they very much seem like quality closed back headphones.Now, the not so good: I really like being able to adjust the volume by running fingers up or down the right headphone, in fact, I think that is really a cool feature, however in my opinion I think it is very poorly implemented because 3 out of 4 times when I try to adjust the volume I get an audio message stating "the Google Assistant is Not Connected." In fact if you accidentally touch the right headphone that irritating message interrupts whatever you might be listening to. Seriously? Does Google have to be a part of everything?I really like these headphones, the price is decent and they sound pretty good but I would never recommend them because of the Google interruptions. I bought a different headset (Soundcore Q30) which are about as good sound-wise as the Phillips.

What a sound love it. And the phone calls sound is amazing.

I saw a $120 headphone set on sale for $80 and thought I was moving up in quality but this thing literally snapped in half in the middle of gaming. Everytime you adjust the volume to fill a tts will verbally tell you while muting whatever you were listening to but not pause it which is very annoying. The microphone is poor and sound quality is middling. I’ve had cheaper headphones that have lasted over a year but these ones were just a constant disappoint. Even when watching YouTube videos it wasn’t uncommon for one ear to cut out forcing me to take the time to turn it off and on again. The wired function is hampered by the utilization of a micro aux port on the headphones making all the normal cords you already have useless. From the beginning it maintains a loose fit and again it did not do so well as it snapped in two after one month.