Philips SHP9500/00 Headphone

Very good previous review by Dale and we do need regular neutral reviewers who inform us truthfully about headphones in order to help us make an informed choice. It is hard to get demonstrations of most headphones as shops and retail outlets carry only the more well known headphone brands and even then a limited selection only. As such we need accurate reviews. Buying headphones is difficult whether we want one good pair or whether we collect them. I have over time acquired many headphones, the pick of the bunch being the PSB M4U-1, the Yamaha PRO 400, AKG K551, Yamaha HPH-200, and the AKG Y50. Stupid hobby as I can only wear one pair at a time, but that is what I did with my spare cash. Maybe I should have bought just one pair of expensive headphones. Still I have had great fun and can make true comparisons. At the present price of £52.95 these headphones represents the best value of any headphone I have ever bought. The Philips SHP-9500 is as good as any of the other pairs I have mentioned here. To be the equal of the PSB M4U-1 means the SHP-9500 is one heck of a headphone. It is my headphone of choice at the moment. The clarity and soundstage are unbeatable. Bass is well defined and realistic for an open headphone, with no wooliness or bleed whatsoever. It does lack the thump of the open Yamaha HPH-200, the closed Yamaha PRO 400 and PSB's though. Unlike the AKG K551's which have and accurate but comparatively diluted bass, the SHP-9500 has perhaps the most accurate bass I have heard in a headphone, truthful and satisfying which adds something extra that the other headphones cannot. But if you like a really thumping bass these will not be for you. Please remember that. The high end and midrange are just right though. They just sound right. As a whole the accuracy, spaciousness and musicality present the enjoyment factors in abundance. They have an astonishing sound which never sounds harsh at all. If there is one place they cannot match either the PSB's or the Yamaha PRO 400's is in pace. Both are faster than the SHP-9500 and therefore at times more exciting. The other factors make up for this though. The PSB's have 'room feel' technology. This means the bass is adapted to sound as if the headphones were a standing speaker. All recorded music is developed by being played back through speakers, so according to PSB headphones must account for that. Even accounting for that, the SHP-9500's have a profoundly musical sound, that taken overall, present the most enticing and listenable sound of all these headphones. They are also the most comfortable of all these headphones alongside the Yamaha HPH-200's. They, like the AKG K551's, are a VERY large headphone but lightweight and built really well. Most who listen these headphones will agree they are wonderful. Some say they are as good and maybe better than the Philips Fidelio series and that really is an indictment of excellence. Importantly remember these are open back headphones, very open headphones. Other people will hear very loudly what you play through them and they will not stop you hearing the sounds of the world around you, but if you love music and privately sit at home listening, then these headphones are a joy.

Yes Philips do the mediocre. They have also done some incredible stuff. Those of you who heard the Philips Motion Feedback Speakers will doubtless know what I'm talking about. Those of you who have heard the Fidelio S2 IEMs will also know what I'm talking about. The SHP9500s aren't perfect. The bass rolls off a bit but what is there is ample and good tight quality. The mids are clear and vocals are well presented. The treble doesn't extend as far as some more expensive headphones but I don't feel deprived. The balance of the sonics is just about perfect. Enough treble for good detail, a well presented mid range and a fair thump at the bottom end. Build quality is excellent at this price. The headphones are huge. They fit easily over the biggest ears. They are light and comfortable, maybe a little warm. They bleed both ways so just be aware of where you wear them. The sound stage is accurate enough for these to be the choice of many gamers for RPG. You should buy these even if you have better headphones. I have Grado SR80s and Monolith M560s but the Philips beats them on ease of use and comfort. Just fling these on your head. The sound is good enough for me not to feel anguish at the downgrade. EDIT: Encouraged by the extraordinary sound from these relatively cheap headphones, I ordered a pair of their 'audiophile' cousins the Philips Fidelio X2HRs. I'm sorry to say the Fidelios went back. Compared to the SHPs the bass on the Fidelios could become overwhelming. The Fidelios were also heavier and not as comfortable. Don't get me wrong the Fidelios are a good pair of headphones but not sufficiently better than the SHPs to warrant spending the extra cash and having both headphones on the shelf.

These are my first open back headphones and were bought after reading extensive reviews . I am not an audiophile or someone who analyses every aspect of the sound frequency in minute detail . What is important to me is clarity of sound and overall soundstage listening to everything from choral to metal . The 9500 are about as good as it gets at this price point and in my opinion better than the similarly priced Sony MDR-7506 which I have also tried . The sound is clear , bass is perfect for me ( not intrusive but perfectly audible ) and mids and highs are clear with only a touch of sibilance on a very few tracks . The soundstage is open and airy as you would expect from open back cans and this you either prefer to the more compressed sound from closed back or you don't . Consequently they leak a lot of sound and can annoy people you live with . Volume powered from my android Samsung is just about adequate for me and I would have preferred to be able to crank it up just a little more . Comfort is superb . They are quite loose on me so long sessions are pain free but bear in mind I have a head like a peanut . They can be adjusted to accommodate all sizes and the clamp is not overly tight . Overall the 9500s are not absolutely perfect in sound quality but up to 150 to 200 quid I don't think you will find better . I have no idea what I would ever upgrade to as sound preference is so subjective that I would be scared to spend a lot of money ie £200+ on someone else's perspective. For example , I was nearly at the point of buying Sony's Wh1000xm3 or 4 until I came across some absolutely damning "expert" reviews on their sound quality . So , the search for perfection continues but in the meantime these Phillips SHP9500 will do me just fine .

J'ai acheté ce casque pour compléter ma collection des Fidelio X2 et X3. Je n'en attendais rien de particulier puisque j'avais déjà ses successeurs a priori plus aboutis... Eh bien, c'est une excellente surprise : ce casque est très léger, très agréable à porter, confortable et le revêtement des coussinets ne m'a jamais irrité (j'ai pu lire ce reproche fait par d'autres acheteurs). J'aime beaucoup le filé de son aigu et la douceur du medium. Il est vrai qu'il est (peut-être) un peu court dans le grave, mais rien de rédhibitoire, et je suppose que ça dépend du genre de musique écoutée ; pas gênant pour le classique (chambre et symphonique) ou le jazz (y compris les bands formations)... Je ne me prononcerai pas pour les autres genres musicaux. Il peut saturer à haut volume, mais il faut y aller fort ! Bref, ses possibles défauts sont amplement rachetés par une couleur musicale que je trouve très agréable. C'est en quelques sortes une version allégée du X2 que j'affectionne particulièrement. C'est, à mon avis, un très bon choix.

Som equilibrado e nítido. Caramba, é impressionante. Estive muito hesitando em adquirir esse headphone por conta de comentários sobre poucos graves....o que foi uma grande injustiça e me fez adquirir outros inferiores... Esse SHP9500 tem graves SIM! Apesar de um roll off nos sub graves, ele possui uma das assinaturas de sons mais gratificantes que já tive em um headphone. Me lembra o Sennheiser HD555 que possuí décadas atras pela sua abertura, porém com muito mais potencia nos altos graves, médios incrivelmente nítidos e um ótimos agudos que você não precisará mecher. E olha que eu sou sensível a agudos e sempre gostei de graves. Eu quase que já me classifiquei como um 'Bass Head' por gostar da sonoridade potente. Esse headphone está a me abrir um pouco os olhos para o valor de nitidez, especialmente nos graves. Ele possui um sentimento muito bom de "punch" em batidas com graves. Texturas em linhas de contrabaixo, e guitarra com distorção são destaques. Ótimo para ouvir rock, pessoas falando, filmes e games. Apesar de pecar um pouco nos sub graves, ainda é gratificante ouvir Synthwave ou EDM. Tem experiencias sonoras únicas. Vantagens a mais: Não dá a sensação de ouvidos tampados por ser um fone bastante aberto. Quando esta usando ventilador, a estrutura dele não te trará o barulho do vento no ouvido com turbulência, pois alguns Heaphones trazem aquele som de "microfone ao vento". Extremamente confortável. Pode usa-lo por horas e horas. As almofadas devem possuir algum gel térmico pois são geladas ao usa-lo. Posso estar enganado, porém tem almofadas com gel termico para substituição em sites estrangeiros. Grande vazamento sonoro. Não espere que alguem no recinto esteja livre de ouvir emissões de som das laterais do Headphone. Apesar de não ser nítido o vazamento, ele é grande e se torna inadequado caso a outra pessoa deseje 100% de silêncio enquanto você ouve alguma música alta. Desvantagens: o clamping ou pressão na cabeça, por ser bastante confortável, é fraca. Não espere usar esse headphone em exercícios ou na rua. Qualquer movimento brusco pode faze-lo se mover na cabeça. Você não terá toda a região de sub graves onde existe aquele 'rumble' em som, porém a imersão cinemática ainda está presente.

I bought these headphones for critical listening of classical music. I know these aren't really high end phones in terms of price, however I will compare them to phones I've had in the past, the Sony MDR-V900, gold standard for mid-priced closed back phones, and the Sennheiser 600HD which is the gold standard for open back phones (both these phones retail / retailed in the $200-300 price range so bear that in mind). First of all, the SHP9500's are big phones, nothing small about them. They are fairly comfortable to wear, they fit around your ears, not on top of them. My first obvious note of displeasure is my right ear actually rubs on the speaker surface, but my left ear does not. Is my right ear bigger than my left ear? Your ears will be very, very close to the drivers on these phones, which is a little odd to say the least. Comfort wise, these phones are slightly more comfortable than the Sony and Sennheiser gold standard head phones. They have a weak clamp force and are light, so that makes them comfortable. The quality of the cup padding is below the other two headphones, however they are "okay". Build quality, below the two other headphones, but will probably last you 10 to 20 years, so whatever. Sound wise, the Sony closed back phones sound more "musical" to me, everything is in the right proportion. The SH9500 brings out the fine details better, and separates instruments better (aka "sound stage"). I could get used to the SHP9500's however they won't be in the class of the Sony's, even though the Sony's don't have as precise a sound as the SHP9500's. Comparing the SHP9500's to the Sennheiser 600 HD's is most instructive. The Sennheiser 600 HD is known as a "reference" headphone, its response is flat, flat, flat, ie you will hear music exactly as intended with no coloring, no extra emphasis of the low, mids or high tones. The SHP9500 is not flat. It emphasizes the bass more (surprisingly), sounds warmer, while the very highest registers could feel a little "screechy" (rarely) because they are emphasized. If you are looking for an absolutely analytical headphone (hear everything as intended headphone) the Sennheiser is for you. If you are looking to get a step up in sound quality to audiophile level, get the SHP9500 at a fraction of the price. Other than that, the SHP9500's run a little warmer temperature wise on the ear then my Sony closed back phone, which is a little surprising, maybe because the Sony's don't seal around my head as well. So, if you are looking for an audiophile experience on a budget, these phones are for you. You'll get precision, sound stage, its all there for you. If you are expecting the gold standard experience, the SHP9500 are not gold standard. It isn't as flat and analytical as the Sennheiser 600 HD or as "musical" as the Sony MDR-V900's (oldie but goody!) But what the SHP9500 is, is a very very good headphone for the price! UPDATE: Had these headphones a couple of days. Now my "brain" has gotten used to them, they are awesome, for the price, they are the best deal I've ever gotten in electronics / music gear. My ears aren't rubbing the speaker surface any more as maybe I just needed to adjust them. Update: Had these phones for over a year. They are still awesome. Definitely they are a scream of a deal for the money. I use them for my new Mac Mini M4, as no external speakers can compete with these.

Ich habe diesen Artikel aufgrund der vielen guten Rezensionen bestellt und wurde nicht enttäuscht .Es wurde schnell geliefert und die sehr gute Qualität hat mich überrascht. +Tragekomfort. Dieser Artikel ist gewiss nicht der leichteste aber besonders bequem und angenehm zu tragen. Dies auch bei längeren Sitzungen. + Die Haptik und die verwendeten Materialien sind auch sehr gut . Zwar viel Plastik aber zum Preis angemessen hochwertig. Besonders gefallen mir die Hochmuscheln aus Textil, die sehr weich sind und sicherlich auch widerstandsfähig im täglichen Gebrauch. Die Verstellschiene aus Aluminium wirkt wertig und sieht sehr gut aus. + Der Klang ist ausgewogen. Die Bässe sind vorhanden und gewiss laut genug und angenehm trocken. Die Mitten und Höhen sind besonders transparent, luftig und leicht vordergründig. Insbesondere ist dies bei Klassicher Musik sehr angenehm. Insgesamt klingt dieser Kopfhörer sehr klar, detailreich und fein strukturiert . es ist einfach ein Genuss die Instrumentenbühne neu zu entdecken. Ich hatte ständig den direkten Vergleich mit dem Teufel Aureol real den ich abwechselnd zur Beurteilung eingesetzt habe. Das Klangbild des Teufel weiss auch sehr gut zu gefallen und ähnelt dem des Philips SHP 9500 sehr ,allerdings mit etwas mehr Bass und leicht höheren Lautstärkepegel als bei dem Philips. Der Unterschied ist meines Erachtens nur marginal . Ein wesentlicher Pluspunkt des Philips ist jedoch der weitaus bessere Tragekomfort. Die Anpresskraft des Teufels am Kopf ist viel höher und war mir nach kurzer Zeit unangenehm. Ferner lässt sich die Verstellschiene des Teufel schlecht Justieren und bleibt auch nicht richtig arretiert . Beim Philips sind diese Nachteile gar kein Thema . Fazit: der Philips Kopfhörer bleibt und der Teufel Aureol Real geht zurück . Ein besseres Kompliment kann man an den Philips nicht machen !!. Im übrigen sind beide Kopfhörer mit offener Architektur somit eignen sich diese überwiegend für den Hausgebrauch und nicht für außen weil die Musik von daneben sitzenden Personen tatsächlich sehr wohl deutlich wahrgenommen wird und als störend empfunden wird . Dies ist aber ein konstruktiver Merkmal aller Kopfhörer,die eine offene Bauweise haben. Sowohl der Philips wie auch der Teufel sind da ziemlich vergleichbar. Positiv ist dagegen dass die Musikalität bei einer offenen Bauweise viel transparenter und luftiger ist. Es ist auch deshalb kein Zufall, das alle hochpreisige bestens bewertete Kopfhörer fast alle eine offene Bauweise aufweisen. Als einziger Nachteil ist dass der Philips nur einen 3 m langen Kabel hat.Dieser ist aber mit einer 3,5mm Klinke bequem ein und aussteckbar und dadurch auch austauschbar.Ich kann nur dazu empfehlen,einen kürzeren Kabel von 1,5 m für mobile Geräte zusätzlich einzusetzen. dann ist die Ausstattung dieses Kopfhörer perfekt. Auch die Lautstärke am Handy oder Tablet ist mehr als aureichend. Wie denn es auch sei ist der Philips äußerst empfehlenswert und dazu auch bei Amazon sehr preiswert. Eine absolute klare Empfehlung und 5 Sterne für diese Preisleistung. Update oktober 2016 Ich bin immer noch mit diesem Kopfhörer zufrieden. Die Musikalität und Akustik sind eher noch leicht besser geworden. Etwas luftiger meine ich mit etwas besserer Instrumenten Bühne nach längerer Einspielzeit . Insbesondere gefällt mir als Brillenträger dass der Tragekomfort nach wie vor gut ist. nichts knarzt oder wurde ausgeleiert. Keine Sollbruchstelle die Probleme macht. Dies trotz regelmäßiger Benutzung 2/3 mal wöchentlich. Mittlerweile benütze diesen Kopfhörer auch viel am Handy mit Amazon Prime Musik. Eine sehr gute Konstellation mit absolut ausreichender Lautstärke dank der noch geringen Impedanz von 32 ohm. Sogar der Stoff der Ohrmuscheln ist noch im perfektem Zustand. Einziger Nachteil: bei schnellen Kopfbewegungen neigt der Kopfhörer dazu nach vorne zu kippen. Aber mit diesem Kopfhörer sollte man an sich musik im Sessel ruhig genießen. Dafür ist er gedacht und entwickelt worden. Weniger schön: der Preis hat sich mittlerweile verdoppelt aber dies trifft leider auf die gesamte Produktsparte zu. Trotzdem bleibt es immer noch aktuell auch vergleichsweise mit anderen Kopfhörern in ähnlicher oder sogar höherer Preislage eine sehr gute Empfehlung .

These are the best headphone I have heard and for the money your not going to get better. They light very comfortable and very very clear with a great range with a full and open sound stage. With my ears which aren't young , The bass starts at 32 hz and they and drop off at 13.5 khz . Some people on the internet say they are bass thin. I would say they just are running them on gear that can't powers them. I has them plugged into my monitor and the bass was thin. Plugged them straight into the PC and could the 32hz easy. When plugged into my Amp in my lounge good strong clear bass. If your looking at spend twice the money save it and buy these 3 times the money save it buy these.