Philips Performance Wireless Headphones

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 times Lows: - 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 commutes 3. 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.