Philips' midrange ANC headphones promise cutting-edge specs and massive battery life

(Image credit: Philips)

Along with a retro-styled Century range celebrating 100 years in audio, Philips has launched a midrange pair of wireless headphones that combines active noise-cancellation, a lightweight design and advanced, user-friendly features.

The Philips TAH8000E feature hybrid adaptive ANC and a lightweight, foldable design for everyday portable use. The wireless headphones feature Bluetooth 5.4 with compatibility for the higher-quality LDAC codec that lets you stream hi-res music, while LC3 and Auracast support is also included. The headphones feature large, graphene-coated 40mm drivers and you can also enjoy immersive audio thanks to spatial audio support.

Battery life figures are impressive, with the H8000E boasting 70 hours of playback with ANC off, going down to a still-massive 50 hours with ANC turned on. In comparison, our current favourite wireless headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5, offer 30 hours with ANC turned on.

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There are five levels of ANC available that you can select using the Philips Headphones App. The HE8000E features five mics in total to deliver the best noise-cancelling and call quality. Four of these mics are used for noise-cancelling, while two AI mics are used for calls, and the model includes "effective wind noise reduction" when using the headphones outdoors in noisy and windy conditions.

In terms of user-friendliness, a quick charge function means a ten-minute charge gives you a substantial eight hours of battery (ideal when you're in a hurry), while the headphones support Multipoint Bluetooth for seamless switching between devices.

Launching in September in black or white finishes, the Philips HA8000E wireless headphones feature replaceable batteries and detachable ear pads. We don't have further specifications or any confirmed pricing just yet, but the 'midrange' makes us hopeful that these feature-packed ANC cans will cost somewhere between £150 – £200, in a more wallet-friendly price bracket compared to the £250+ premium flagship headphones we see from Bose, Sony, Sennheiser and more.

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Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand 13 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.