Philips announces its 2024 audio lineup with all-new solar-powered headphones
The TP Vision launch event in Barcelona saw Philips introduce three new headphones and speakers for the coming year
Philips has today announced its latest line of 2024 products at TP Vision’s Barcelona-based launch event with three new headphones and soundbars.
Most notable of the bunch are the A6219 on-ear GO, which use Powerfoyle solar-cell technology to recharge via both artificial light and sunlight for a reported 80 hours of playback. They are part of the first line of products following TP Vision’s partnership with Exeger – the Swedish company behind Powerfoyle – which was made public in November last year.
This follows on from popular releases by fellow Swedish firm Urbanista, who successfully integrated Powerfoyle’s solar tech into speakers and headphones such as the Urbanista Los Angeles for near infinite playback time in sunny conditions.
You may have to temper your expectations regarding indoor charging since we found the likes of the Urbanista Phoenix, released in the UK last year, were slow to regain battery in these lower light conditions. This technology has been making major gains in recent years, however, so we’ll reserve judgement of the Philips A6219 – which also feature 35% recycled plastics and are set to retail for €130 (subject to change upon launch later this year) – until our full-length review. 
Philips also launched two other headphones in Barcelona: the open-ear A6709 sports headphones (€100) and the over-ear H6509 headphone (€90).
The former should provide competition to the swathes of other open-ear models launched recently, including the JBL Soundgear Sense or the Shokz OpenFit, by offering a more regular in-ear fit found with most true wireless earbuds.
Meanwhile, the latter are set to top Philips’ mid-range offerings in 2024 as noise cancelling headphones that fit 40mm drivers into a comfortable and lightweight design. While not solar-powered, battery life reaches an impressive 60hrs with ANC off (40hrs with it on), while the headphones can be connected to Titan OS equipped Ambilight TVs for very low-latency wireless watching.
Elsewhere, Philips introduced a comprehensive line of soundbars for 2024, led by the TAB6309 soundbar’s Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X compatibility. Its 320W max-power output and vast connectivity options – HDMI eARC, optical, Aux-in and USB playback, plus Bluetooth 5.3 and LE Audio wireless support – looks to offer a promisingly high-end home cinema experience, featuring a wireless subwoofer, that can be further customised through the Philips Home Entertainment App. 
Offering the same connectivity support is the mid-range TAB5309, which is also a 2.1 system featuring a wireless subwoofer but with a reduced 240W power output. There’s also the TAB5109 which is built for smaller rooms or improving base-TV sound in a compact 2.0 system.
The three headphones are due to launch in the third quarter of this year, while the three soundbars’ release dates and price points are yet to be confirmed, though we’ll be sure to update this page when they are announced.