Philips TAH4205 (H4205) Review: Great For Bluetooth 5 Connections

Luis Silva (December 2020)

While still not as practical as a wired pair of headphones, wireless headphones have come a long way, and Bluetooth 5 surely helps to bring the gap closer.
A few weeks ago, I was looking for affordable wireless headphones online, and I came across a bunch of them. One of them being the Philips TAH4205, which I ended up purchasing.

I still love my good-old wired headphones, but I also wanted a microphone, and I wanted to give wireless headphones a try.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a decent review out there, so I decided to write one, just in case anyone else comes across them.
They are also known as Philips H4205.
You can find them in black (TAH4205BK/00), white (TAH4205WT/00), blue (TAH4205BL/00), and red (TAH4205RD /00).
Have a quick look at its technical specifications before we continue.

Philips TAH4205 Specs

Model name	TAH4205BK/00
Color Options	Black, Blue, Red, White
Weight	0.15 kg

SOUND

Acoustic system	Closed
Magnet type	NdFeB
Frequency response	20 - 20,000 Hz
Impedance	32 ohm
Speaker diameter	32 mm
Sensitivity	110 dB

CONNECTIVITY

Microphone	Built-in microphone
Bluetooth profiles	A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth version	5.0
Maximum range	Up to 10 m

CONVENIENCE

Volume control	Yes
Call Management	Call on Hold, Switch between 2 calls, Answer/End Call, Reject Call, Switch between call and music

ACCESSORIES

Quick start guide	Yes
User Manual	PDF
USB cable	USB-C cable

POWER

Battery type	Li-Polymer
Standby time	166 hr
Talk time	21 hr
Music play time	29 hr

Who's the Philips TAH4205 for?

Almost everyone.
They aren't very expensive, but they also aren't the most affordable out there.
You should really consider them:

If you're looking for a pair of affordable wireless headphones that can give you pretty decent audio quality.
If you enjoy electronic music or any kind of bass focused media, like action movies, because you have a dedicated bass button to turn it on or off.
If you plan to use them with other Bluetooth 5 devices. They can give you a lag-free experience.
If you want your headphones to be as light as possible because they feature neodymium magnets.
If you want to quick charge them using USB-C chargers. They'll give you 4 hours of music playback with a 15-minute charge or up to 29 hours from a two-hour charge.
If you prefer an on-ear type of headphones.
If you want to use them for phone calls.

Is the Philips TAH4205 worth it?

It depends.
Yes, that's right.
If you're planning on using them with non-Bluetooth 5 devices, you should consider purchasing a Bluetooth 4 headset instead, probably with aptX support. Unless, of course, you don't mind having a lag of about 800ms between audio and video.
Not only that but, if you're planning to use them for phone calls, they occasionally drop them back to the phone for a few seconds. That can be quite annoying sometimes.
If they ever get unresponsive, you can restart them by giving them a quick charge for a couple of seconds and then turning them on.
Other than that, they sure are worth the money.

What is it like to use the Philips TAH4205?

Overall, I like using them.
They're light and comfortable.
I like being able to use them in my bathroom without having to carry my TV with me!
Actually, after some quick tests, I found that they might have twice the range that these devices usually do. At least with other Bluetooth 5 devices.
I just wished laptop and TV manufacturers were as quick as smartphone OEM's at upgrading their devices to Bluetooth 5.0. If you have a 2018 or 2019 laptop or TV and you don't know their Bluetooth version, most likely they still are 4.0 (or 4.2).
They lack multipoint, which would allow you to connect to at least two devices at the same time, but I also like that I can use a single NFC tag to quickly reconnect them to other phones that also support NFC. It only takes a couple of seconds. This should also work with other Bluetooth headphones, though.
A quick push on the volume buttons brings the sound up or down a bit faster than using a TV remote or the smartphone, and you can double-push to get to the next or previous tracks.
They're ok, but I'd prefer a simpler approach as they did with the power and the bass button.
They also should be more battery efficient than your phone's loudspeaker. You should expect to lose anything between 3 to 5% every hour when listening to your offline mp3 collection.

How's the battery on the Philips TAH4205?

It's perfect.
I wouldn't buy them if they didn't give me at least 15 hours of music playback.
I don't know if they really last for 29 hours, but they sure have a fantastic battery life, probably thanks to Bluetooth 5.0.
I usually leave them in standby mode for up to 8 hours, and with some music and phone calls during that time, they sure last over a week. This is mostly with Bluetooth 4 devices.
The battery also charges quite fast.
You'll know when the battery level is at about 20%, or you can check it on your phone.

How does the Philips TAH4205 sound?

Sound quality shouldn't be an issue. I know that if you go after premium headphones, they should sound better and feature noise-canceling features too. But, in my opinion, these are very cost-effective and excellent value for your money.
The bass boost button is a must-have for me. Although, depending on what you're listening to, you can have a hard time figuring out if it's enabled or not.

What's in the Box?

You can find a quick user guide and a USB-C cable in the box.
You can get its user manual here (you should download and take a quick peek):
www.download.p4c.philips.com

And more info about the headphones here:
www.philips.co.uk

Pros
#1	Good sound quality.
#2	Optional bass boost button.
#3	No lag on Bluetooth 5.0.
#4	Great battery life.
#5	Comfortable (if you don't wear glasses).
#6	Great value for the money.
#7	USB-C Quick charging.

Cons
#1	Lag and other issues with Bluetooth 4 devices.
#2	Volume controls could be simpler.
#3	Lack of noise-canceling option.
#4	No multipoint support.