Philips TAA4216 on-ear sports headphones in test

The Philips TAA4216 is ideal for sports due to its water resistance and removable ear pads. We show what affordable on-ear headphones still have to offer.

Anyone who wears headphones while exercising quickly faces challenges. If you prefer on-ear headphones, you may notice an unpleasant odor from the pads over time. Sweat can also attack the material. Philips promises a solution here with the TAA4216. On-ear headphones are primarily meant for sporty and active wearers, they are waterproof and offer removable and washable ear cushions. Moreover, the only one has a competitive price 27 eurosThis test shows how well cheap headphones work in practice.

The design is functional and modern. The materials used are mainly plastic, which is not surprising considering the low price. This means that the Philips TAA4216 doesn’t look of high quality, even though there’s not much to complain about in terms of neat workmanship. The earphones can be folded inwards, similar to what a DJ headset suggests. This makes transportation easier, but not the case.

The most important thing for sports headphones: they fit comfortably. Otherwise the wearing comfort seems a bit restrained. Although ears fit most head sizes, over time they press uncomfortably against the head. The bracket is not messed up at this point. A rubber layer is used instead of plastic, but it is not at all soft. On-ears also put a lot of pressure on the ears. This isn’t a problem for workouts lasting about an hour. However, if you wear sports headphones for long periods of time, you may find them uncomfortable.

The biggest feature is the ear cushions covered with synthetic fabrics. These can be removed and then washed by hand under the tap – ideally with mild dishwashing liquid or mild detergent. The filling of the padding is also equipped with a layer of cooling gel, which aims to cool the ear at high temperatures. However, in winter, we do not really have the opportunity to assess the impact of this feature. The only challenge: Removing the pads and reattaching them to the headphones is quite difficult. When you first pull the cushion fabric out of the earphones, you initially think you’ll damage them.

There are three buttons on the right earphone which have been given multiple functions. When pressed for a long time (six seconds), the middle button acts as an on/off switch and start and stop buttons for playback. After switching on, the headphones automatically enter Bluetooth pairing mode. The plus and minus buttons control volume. If you press plus for about two seconds, playback skips to the next track. The minus button plays the current track again from the beginning. TAA4216 is incompatible with the Philips Headphones app.

Philips TAA4216 supports Bluetooth 5.0 and can also be connected to two devices at the same time. The connections are also closed with rubber covers. On the back there’s a USB-C slot for charging and a jack input if you want to connect the headphones to a playback device using a cable. There is no active noise cancellation (ANC) on the TAA4216. The frequency range covered is between 20 Hz and 20 kHz, the impedance is 32 Ω and the sensitivity is 118 dB. Supported codecs look a bit poor: only SBC is included.

The headphones have a microphone integrated into them. However, the sound quality is subpar and the person we are talking to can barely understand what we are saying. When you speak it almost seems as if you have something in your mouth. The Philips on-ears are hardly suitable for making phone calls.

The Philips TAA4216 has IP55 certification and hence is protected from dust and water jets. After exercising, you can use a damp cloth to remove any sweat residue on the headband – which we recommend doing after each workout.

Philips claims a playback time of around 35 hours, which our practical experience can pretty much confirm. In practice, with three to four gaming sessions per week, the headphones only needed to be recharged after about two months. Charging via USB-C takes about two hours. Power supply is not included in the scope of delivery.

The sound is good, especially considering the low price. Two 40mm drivers deliver powerful yet precise bass. The sound is balanced, even if the highs are a little more present than the mids. Overall, the sound quality is more than adequate.

RRP is around 57 euros. The headphones were usually available for 45 euros. Currently the price has fallen drastically 27 euros,

If you are looking for cheap sports headphones and prefer on-ear headphones, you can choose Philips TAA4216. The Bluetooth headphones are waterproof and offer removable ear pads that can be hand washed. The price is more than reasonable, in return buyers get a good sound experience. The headphones sit firmly on your head while exercising, but they do press in a bit, which can be uncomfortable if worn for long periods of time. Buyers have to make do without hi-res codecs and ANC, but they get very cheap on-ear headphones for sports.