Top positive review
184 people found this helpful
Simply awesome and worth the investment!
By CommonConsumer on Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2017
Introduction ---------------------------- - I love testing headphones, In-ear-monitors, earphones, earbuds, earwax (jkjk)...ya know all of that stuff. Recently I picked up a pair of Philips SHP9500S (Note the "S" refers to the new version as the original 9500 was discontinued years ago). These were originally intended as a replacement for my broken gaming headphones, but upon receiving them and testing them on music I was extremely surprised with their sonic performance (or quality of their sound). At $70 these are what I would consider to be relatively "budget friendly" headphones. What surprised me the most was that even at that price, they competed equally with headphones/earphones/IEMs upwards of 3x that price point. Now I understand that these are Open-Back headphones and aren't suitable for everyone's needs (more on that later) and that the sound signature/style of sound is not traditional to what people are accustomed to hearing (again...more on this later). So without further ado, let's dig into this shall we? Build Quality ---------------------------- - Not much to say other than BRAVO Philips...At $70 I couldn't be sure what to expect from full sized Over-Ear headphones, but I was very impressed with the quality of materials that Philips chose to use in the design/manufacturing of these headphones. The headphones are constructed with relatively sturdy plastic integrated into an almost perfectly engineered fit design. Not only does the plastic feel well constructed, but every movable joint is engineered to have some degree of resistance giving it a much more premium feel than many flimsy, loose and poorly constructed headphones. To add to that, the headphones also have a very flush design with little to no excess poke between any given part and only a 3mm offset at the most where the driver/speaker tilts forward or back to conform to the persons' head. Last but not least, the slide adjustment points at the top-sides of the headband are made with aluminum and a plastic reinforcement plate under it (probably also to aid with sliding) Comfort ---------------------------- - I'll makes this simple, THEY ARE THE MOST COMFORTABLE HEADPHONES I'VE EVER USED! You know when headphones claim to be "Over the Ear", but they're really just large On Ear Headphones...? Yea well these headphones literally are OVER the ears! Unless you have Dumbo sized ears, then your ears will completely fit inside the earpads with the padded ring all the way around your ears (The way Over the Ear headphones are suppose to be). Not only that the brilliant engineers at PhilipsSound also thought it would be great to make the padding at the top of the headphones detached from the headband. Not only does this prevent stretching damage to the the padding, but it also acts as suspension space between the users' head and the headband adding to the great comfort! The headphone clamp force (elastic force used to keep the headphone "clamped" on to the head) is rather loose so this may or may not be good depending on your head size. While the clamp force is very pleasing and causes zero fatigue or headaches, it is important to note that they could fall off more easily when leaning forward or back on smaller heads. Sound Quality ---------------------------- *HIGHS* - The highs are quite fantastic in that they are very revealing in terms of detail retrieval without being harsh or sibilant (piercing). I would consider them to be warmer/smoother than most headphones in the $100-200 category with Sennheiser being the only exception. In general, the highs are consistent across all genres of music in that they're there to say hello and be present, but not overbearing and fatiguing like some headphones are. *MIDS* - This is where it's at!! The mids on these are INCREDIBLE! Because these headphones are made to have more neutral/reference style sound signature, the mids are well presented in the body of its sound. Vocals are crystal clear regardless of your genre! I listened to everything from indie alternative, tropical house, rap, r&b, rock, you name it! It honestly doesn't matter what you play, everything sounds super clear and in some instances it almost sounds live depending on the recording. Any instruments will be brought forward to your attention while still remaining behaved and in line with everything else at an equal intensity level (not over emphasized). *LOWS/BASS* - This is the most controversial section by FAR but hear me out...everything you understand about bass is not "incorrect" but rather "shaped" metaphorical also to the sound signatures of a large majority of headphones in the mainstream market. What I mean by this is that a large majority of headphones you've used have what the industry considers to be a "pop sound" aka: V-Shaped (or U-Shaped) sound. This basically means that most headphones emphasize low/bass and highs. In the case of the SHP9500S, there are lows/bass, but not in the way most of you are accustomed to. The lows/bass on these are present and impactful, but also tight with very little decay time (they don't stick around for long). In these headphones the lows/bass are there to add to the dimension of the sound to create an overall experience rather than become the focus of the experience...if that makes sense. If you're dead set on hearing a rumble and prefer that experience, then these are not the headphones for you. HOWEVER! If you're interested in trying something new and hearing your music in a completely different way, then the SHP9500s are tuned to give you the opportunity to hear everything else that a "pop sounding" headphone won't offer you. *Sound Stage* - This might be a brand new category for some of you because a good portion of you have probably only ever used earphones or closed back headphones which have a very intimate sounding experience. Even earphones/closed back headphones that claim to have a "large sound stage" are COMPLETELY different than that of an Open Back headphone. To put it simply, sound stage refers to how "open" and how real to hearing music "on stage" headphones can reproduce. The bigger the sound stage, the more life like and real it typically sounds. The SHP9500S is not the largest sounding open back headphone on the market, but it is considered to be 90% close to what open back headphones in the $300 offer and 100% competitive to open back headphones in the $150-250 range. Basically they're REALLY good overall and EXCELLENT for their price! The sound stage is open and detailed enough to give you the experience of being in the recording room with the artists which is a super fun and exciting experience! I like to consider the sound stage to be open enough to pick out instrumental positions while still being intimate enough to sound like a private performance just for you! *Sound Leakage* - I'm not here to hide this fact...they are VERY loud! If you're in a room with other people and you plan to play music at 60%+ on any device...everyone in the room will hear what you're listening to clearly. These are open back headphones and nothing is there to block the sound coming in or coming out...simple as that. Don't expect to be volume conscious with these because either way, it's still audible from the outside. If you have your own room and or you have a secluded space to listen using these, then these are perfect! OR you can let your roommates try these, they'll fall in love and then if you convince all your roommates to get one too and invest into a large aux 3.5mm splitter for everyone to connect to, then all of you can share the SUPERB experience...problem solved! Ohh...if you have annoying siblings and want to torture them with forcefully making them hear your infinitely better taste in music, you can play these at full blast and watch the expression on their face change from a smirk to anger! CAUTION...they may try to steal it if they get a chance to put them on and listen. (I am not liable for any stolen headphones) Conclusion ---------------------------- - at $60-70 the Philips SHP9500S is a GREAT investment! They are the perfect headphones for people looking to hear 90% of what those expensive $400+ "audiophile" headphones sound like at only a small fraction of the cost! I think that these headphones can also be a great alternative to buying speakers to watch movies or listen to music because you get a very similar listening experience to that of relatively decent speaker system (due to the sound stage) in a much smaller package that's also portable. If you're tired of hearing the same style of sound from every headphone and want to take a step into a completely different experience, then I HIGHLY recommend these! I promise you that if you're looking for a fantastic experience where you'll get to sit and re-listen to ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING to hear the difference, then THESE ARE FOR YOU!!
Top critical review
73 people found this helpful
SHP9500s: value all-arounders that do not live up to mega-hype
By Firebrand on Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2016
3.5 stars There is a difference between something that is “great for its price”, as opposed to something that is great regardless of the price. The Philips SHP9500 has garnered massive hype among headphone enthusiasts along the lines of the latter, when the former is, in my opinion, more what they are. The SHP9500s have a cult following. Some say they are better than the Sennheiser HD 518/558/598 and other top headphones. Popular Internet reviewer Zeos Pantera devoted a fawning, orgasmic YouTube review, calling them comparable to the Sennheiser HD600s, and worthy of a candidate for his number one set of headphones. A legion of groupies drive a bandwagon. Straining yet further, others even put them above Sennheiser 650s and other headphones many times more expensive. Is the Philips SHP9500 worthy of this tidal wave of over-the-top hype? First and foremost, they are a bargain. Combine the build quality and the comfort (for most), with the sound quality that they do offer, and the bang for the buck is undeniable. “Good for its price”? That's fair. But are they great regardless of price, equal or superior to the most respected and distinguished headphones on the market? Absolutely not. I believe for this to be true, the sound quality alone must be both spectacular and distinctive, extremely special in at least a few aspects. The SHP9500 simply don't qualify. They are decent, but do not quite reach a special level. Its sound offers strengths but there are also noticeable flaws and some significant ones. Full disclosure: I am a stickler for transparency, sharp detail, and clarity above all else. Coloration along the way is fine---that is "character"---but it must be skillfully presented. I want particular strength in the midrange and treble, and dislike boomy, bass-y, and muffled. A relaxed "warm bath" presentation is not preferable to a vivid, intense experience. With this in mind, the open-backed SHP9500 compete, but fall short of true top tier in terms of refinement. SOUND (without EQ) People complain about a lack of bass with these headphones, but I hear plenty of punchy bass. There is a boost from 100 hz to 2khz. That is enough low end to influence the midrange, giving the overall signature a warmer tone (than neutral). Only avowed, jaded bassheads could have a major issue. The midrange is decent, and relatively uncolored. From the upper mids into the treble is where things get problematic. Treble is polite, low treble slightly veiled, upper treble clear. There is detail missing in the upper mids to lower treble region. A dip at 2khz and a nose dive around 5-6khz leaves an unevenness in the sound picture---a veil, similar to the infamous veil that can also be heard in certain models of Sennheisers (although some Senns do not have this problem). This veil, which occurs in spots, puts a “holy grail” level of transparency out of reach. The upper highs are clear and present, but the resolution and synergy with the rest of the sound picture could be better. There is also noticeable graininess, and a hiss audible at higher volume on my set. My guess is that the majority of people fear treble and prefer highs that are “relaxed” and offer no threat of sibilance. For these listeners---treble wimps (including Zeos Pantera), fans of a mild Sennheiser-like treble---the SHP9500's treble may be enough. Other headphones---including many models of Beyerdynamic, AKG, Grado, Audio-Technica and Shure---offer far better mid and high energy and detail, as well as a smoother overall presentations. SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING The soundstage is so-so, not as exceptionally wide, deep or spectacular as offered by some other headphones on the market. It is cluttered, lacking directionality and focus. The SHP9500’s most glaring problem is the sound balance and imaging. The sound is left/right dominant, as if mostly collected each ear cup, with the center imaging (in front of, and across, your face) missing, as is any depth. I hear a "two blob" barbell: volume and energy emphasized out of the left and right sides. It is more obvious while listening to some recordings than others. There is also a subtle veil or fogginess, or distance (from the performer) to the entire sound picture, that is apparent when I do serious A/B comparisons with other headphones of similar or better quality. The SHP9500s are low impedance (32 ohm) and easy to drive. Amping and EQ improve the sound, as expected, but some flaws cannot be resolved with either. I tested the SHP9500s via three methods---the Aune X1s DAC/amp, the SMSL VMV VA2 amp, and a system with a Wolfson 32 bit DAC---and with various genres of music. There is something lumpy and rough about the tuning of this headphone. The main problems remain the graininess in the mids and highs,and imaging, the "two blob" sound, and the missing center imaging detail. My overall sound rating of the headphone’s factory setting without EQ: 6/10. Bass:7 Midrange: 7 Treble: 6 Soundstage: 5 Imaging: 4 EQ: A boost in treble (along the spectrum between 4khz to 8khz), making up for the suckout of that energy in the stock setting, improves the transparency and clarity, and lifts some (but not all) of the veil. But the roughness of the overall fidelity is not alleviated with EQ. BUILD/COMFORT The SHP9500s are big and full-sized, good looking, relatively well built, and comfortable for most. Some might find the practical aspects of this headphone are so strong, that they almost trump the sound quality. For me, it is a mixed bag. The SHP9500s are relatively light, but there is sturdy metal in the headband and even on the outside of the ear cups. The left and right sides are clearly marked with big “L” and “R” symbols right on the outside of the cups. The size of the ear cups are a big attraction: they are huge, among the biggest around, and should fit around even the biggest ears. These cans feel very light, and the clamping force is light. I found the fit to be far too loose, and difficult to get a good seal, which exacerbated problems with the tuning. This is not a good set for people with smaller skulls. These cans easily fall off of my head if I move. And there is hardly any way to adjust the fit, because the ear cups do not articulate (they don’t rotate or swivel much if at all). People with bigger skulls will have it easier. The ear pads are of a bumpy, almost canvas-like material. A bit scratchy. The same cloth is used for the headband. The foam is soft, but conventional (not memory) foam. The pads are, very unfortunately, virtually non-removable. They might be removed and replaced, but only with great effort. Worn for extended periods, these headphones can feel a bit uncomfortable due to the cloth material. The SHP9500s come with a thin, low quality plasticky detachable straight cable---the cheap kind that kink easily---with 3.5mm jacks on both ends, and a screw-on ¼ inch adapter. Fortunately, this cable can be replaced with better generic aftermarket ones. CONCLUSION The SHP9500s (and the similar SHP9500 S) are acceptable for their modest price, but I get far more enjoyment from other headphones. The flaws are hard to forgive. Is it fair to say they are among the better options under $100? It is a competitor, but there are many other excellent headphones out there that I personally prefer. Among open-backed headphones, both of the entry level Grado SR60e and SR80e are better soundwise, and higher end Grados are without question superior. The closed-back Audio-Technica ATHM50/M50x is also better in every way, and the ATHM40x is better, although also not without its issues. If you are willing to move up to the $150 range, the Beyerdynamic (DT770/880/990), and models in the Audio-Technica AD series leave the SHP9500 in the dust, as do many AKGs, such as the K612. I am not a Sennheiser fan, but there are many popular models of Senns that are more refined and technically better, at or below the same price point as the SHP9500s. Move even further up the price range, and the SHP9500s do not even compete. In conclusion, sound-wise, the Philips SHP9500s do not live up to all of the wild hype, and they are not the final word on headphones. They are not a headphone that I would recommend if you were to only own one pair. Their price is the best thing going for it, and their comfort and build are attractive for certain people. But there are serious flaws in their sound, especially the imaging and a lack of refinement, that prevent them from achieving world-beating status, or even a top spot among "mid-fi" options.
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