We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want active noise cancellation with a proper over-ear fit and Google Assistant built in, choose Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK; if you need an open-ear design that keeps you aware of traffic and a charging case with its own touch screen, choose CNBRO TWS.
• Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK — biggest strength: Active Noise Cancellation in a full over-ear design, plus a 7 Hz–40,000 Hz frequency range and 40 mm dynamic drivers. Long 30-hour play time with a 15-minute quick charge that gives 6 hours.
• Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK — biggest trade-off: It seals you off from your surroundings, and it's a plastic-bodied over-ear headphone with touch controls, which some people find fiddly compared to physical buttons.
• CNBRO TWS — biggest strength: Open-ear ear-hook design with a touchscreen charging case that handles calls, music, remote camera shutter, language switching and EQ modes. Up to 48 hours total with the case, and water/dust resistance.
• CNBRO TWS — biggest trade-off: No active noise cancellation at all — by design. Sound is air-conduction style and open, so it will never isolate you from a noisy train or plane.
• Who each pick is for: Philips for commuters, flyers and office workers who want quiet and long listening sessions. CNBRO for runners, cyclists, gym-goers and anyone who needs to hear the world around them.
This is a classic over-ear noise cancelling headphone, and it knows exactly what it is. The earcups are rounded and sit fully over the ear, the drivers are 40 mm dynamic units, and the frequency range runs from 7 Hz all the way to 40,000 Hz — a genuinely wide spread that suggests the tuning targets detail across the whole spectrum rather than just thumping bass. Impedance is listed at 3 ohm with 90 dB sensitivity, which tells you these are built to be driven easily by a phone over Bluetooth rather than by a dedicated headphone amp.
Battery is where this headphone earns its keep on a long trip. Philips lists 30 hours of play time, with a 2-hour charge time and a 27.5-hour average life figure. More useful in practice is the quick charge: 15 minutes on the cable gets you 6 hours of playback. That's the difference between a dead headphone on the platform and a working one for the whole flight home. Bluetooth 5.0 with a 10-meter range covers normal room-to-pocket distances.
The feature list is where it splits its audience. Active Noise Cancellation is the headline, and it's the reason to buy this over almost anything open. Google Assistant is built in, so you can manage things hands-free on the move — useful when your phone is buried in a bag. There's a built-in mic with echo cancellation for calls, which matters if you take meetings on the go. Controls are touch-based on the earcup, and the package includes ear cushions and a carrying case.
CNBRO TWS: Who It's For
The CNBRO TWS is a very different animal, and the spec sheet says so immediately. These are open-ear earbuds with ear hooks — the ear placement is listed as "open ear" with an over-ear hook shape, so nothing goes into your ear canal. That single design decision drives everything else. Nothing blocks your ear, so you stay aware of traffic, other runners, and whatever is happening around you. CNBRO explicitly frames this as security and situation awareness for running, cycling and hiking.
The standout hardware feature is the charging case with a touch screen. According to the feature list, you can answer calls, play music, remotely take photos, switch languages, and adjust EQ modes from the case itself. That's an unusual amount of control packed into a case, and it's the kind of thing that either delights you or feels like a gimmick — I lean toward "genuinely handy for remote camera shutter and EQ switching," but it's a taste call.
Battery is the other headline. CNBRO lists up to 8 hours of single-use playback and up to 48 hours total with the charging case, with a 2-hour charge time and a 7-hour average single-use life figure. For a pair of open buds, 8 hours in one go is a solid session — enough for a long ride, a full workday, or a gym block without touching the case. When you do recharge, the case gives you days of buffer rather than one extra top-up.
Sound is described as a 360° surround spatial field with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range and dynamic drivers. That's the standard full-range window, and it's honest about what these are: immersive and vivid, but not a critical-listening reference. Bluetooth 5.4 is the newest version here, which is a real plus for connection stability and power efficiency, and the 10-meter range matches the Philips. They're water-resistant and dust-resistant, so rain, dust and snow are handled. Weight is listed at 18.14 g for the pair.
Buy it if you run, cycle, lift, hike, or work outdoors and want music without sealing off the world. Skip it if your main listening happens on a plane, a noisy train, or in an open-plan office where you need the noise gone — there's no ANC here, and that's not a flaw, it's the trade-off of the open design.
• Best for noise cancellation → Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK. It's the only one of the two with Active Noise Cancellation. CNBRO lists noise control as "None."
• Best for battery life (total) → CNBRO TWS. Up to 48 hours with the charging case versus Philips's 30 hours.
• Best for a single uninterrupted session → Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK. 30 hours in one go beats CNBRO's 8 hours per charge.
• Best for awareness and outdoor safety → CNBRO TWS. The open-ear hook design keeps your surroundings audible.
• Best for sound range and detail → Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK. 7 Hz–40,000 Hz with 40 mm drivers is a dramatically wider spec than 20 Hz–20,000 Hz.
• Best for weather and sweat → CNBRO TWS. Water-resistant and dust-resistant; the Philips sheet makes no such claim.
• Best for hands-free voice control → Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK. Google Assistant is built in, and the mic has echo cancellation for calls.
• Best for case-side controls → CNBRO TWS. The touchscreen case handles calls, music, remote photos, language switching and EQ modes.
• Best for a quick top-up → Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK. 15 minutes of charging returns 6 hours of playback.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd buy the Philips Audio Performance TAPH805BK. My reasoning is simple: Active Noise Cancellation plus a 30-hour single-charge runtime plus a 15-minute/6-hour quick charge covers the way most people actually listen — commuting, working, traveling, and forgetting to charge. The wide 7 Hz–40,000 Hz range and 40 mm drivers also suggest a more capable listening platform than an open-ear design can offer for focused music.
The CNBRO TWS is the better choice for exactly one job, and it does that job well: staying aware outdoors with 48 hours of case-backed runtime and a genuinely novel touchscreen case. If you run or ride daily, that's a strong argument. But for a single do-everything pair, I'd take the Philips.
FAQ
The Philips lists 30 hours of play time (with a 27.5-hour average figure) and a quick charge that gives 6 hours from 15 minutes. The CNBRO lists up to 8 hours per use and up to 48 hours total with its charging case.
The CNBRO TWS. Its open-ear ear hooks keep your surroundings audible and it's water-resistant and dust-resistant. The Philips is an over-ear headphone with no listed water resistance and full ear sealing — fine for the treadmill at home, less ideal for road running.
I can't quote prices here — they change, and this page doesn't carry them. Check the current price on Amazon for both and weigh it against what you actually need: ANC and 30-hour sessions, or open-ear awareness and a 48-hour case. That comparison, not the sticker, decides the better value for you.
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