Philips TAT4506 TWS earbuds Review: Good audio performance to dent your wallet!

Earphones with active noise cancellation have seen huge demand in recent times. From affordable ones to the exotic (read expensive) ones, companies try to put this feature in almost all the earphones. But what matters is if it actually cancels the noise or not! And now adding to the bucket of options is Philips TAT4506 (4000 series). Priced at Rs. 7,099, the Philips TAT4506 is equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC), touch control, and an IPX4 rating for splash and sweat resistance, among others.

However, as you have to pay a hefty amount of money for buying Philips TAT4506, you need to know if it is worth the penny it demands, and memorize its incredibly tongue-twister of a name. To let you know the same, I have been using the Philips TAT4506 for a while now, and here is how it stands out in the test.

Philips TAT4506 Design

There is nothing much on offer when it comes to the design of earphones, and the same goes for the Philips TAT4506. The earphone is being offered in only a single colour option- Black and gets the same monotonous stem style design. The earbuds are packed in a cuboid-shaped charging case that has a plastic body with a matte finish and glossy borders. The build quality is good but it does get scratch marks.

With the logo on top, a sleek rectangular cut in front to enable opening the case easily, and an indicator and metallic hinge at back, the charging case has got an overall decent but boring look. The device weighs 0.055 kg and is easy to carry and comfortable to wear. However, I did feel the size of the box is a bit large and could have been made more handy.

The earbuds perfectly fit into my ears and do not fall even while shaking my head vigorously. Also, the earphones get connected or paired with the smartphone automatically after opening the charging case, making it pretty convenient (I have been using it with Android phones only). But, you may have to wait for a few seconds to let the earphones get connected.

Philips TAT4506 Audio Quality

The more you pay for a product, the more the expectations rise. The sole purpose of any earphone is to provide good audio quality. My expectations with Philips TAT4506 audio performance were really high, given the price it is being offered at. And yes, it did not disappoint me. It has clarity on both the minimum and the maximum volume, and the audio quality does not get distorted when raised all the way up. From songs with soft music to pumped up Punjabi and party songs, I enjoyed them all.

The active noise cancellation feature also performed perfectly. When the mode was on, I was not able to hear most ambient sounds, like people talking in my living room, sounds of animals and birds, whirring fans, passing motorcycles, and the likes. However, walking on the road can be risky if you can't hear the background sounds, hence Philips has given awareness mode too. It allows to hear the horns, and sounds of the vehicles even while listening to songs.

The earphone also supports Mono mode, using which only one earbud can be used while talking or listening to music while the other one can lay in the box for charging. The maximum wireless operating range offered is 10m; with my phone staying on the 1st floor, I was able to go downstairs and enjoy undisrupted audio.

Philips TAT4506 Sensor Control

The Philips TAT4506 has touch sensors placed at the top of both earplugs using which you can control music, call, ANC mode, and much more with simple touch gestures. What I missed here is controlling volume. You will have to control the sound using your phone as the earphone does not support this function. Other than this, it was easy to control the music, change modes, and answer or reject calls using the touch gesture.

Philips TAT4506 Battery Life

Battery life on the Philips TAT4506 is decent. Upon using the earphones daily for around 3-4 hours, I was able to extract around 5 days of battery life on a single charge (the earbuds charged up while they rested in case). When completely discharged, the case took around 2 hours to refill itself from 0 to 100 percent.

Philips TAT4506 Verdict

I love the audio performance offered by the Philips TAT4506. Be it listening to music, watching movies, or taking calls, either in ANC mode or awareness mode, my expectations were perfectly satisfied. The earphone also scores high with regards to comfort and ease of use. Coming to the battery life, it is also decent. I did not like the design of the charging case much, but that is subjective and you may like it.

Also, you can see the same features, if not better, on several other TWS earphones priced much lower. If you want to explore some alternatives with different designs and for some less money, then take a look at the Realme Buds Air 3, Noise Air Buds Pro, among others. The Realme Buds Air 3 is feature-rich, has a strong ANC system, and, most importantly, sounds good.