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 .

I was looking for some open backed cans and heard decent things about these Philips units and decided to give them a try. Presentation and feel out of the box whilst not premium is certainly businesslike, they are light but feel strong in the hand and have an unusual but flexible arrangement for the inner headphone band and the pads are also soft to the touch. The connector at the cup side to the music device is a standard 3.5mm at both ends and mine were provided with a single cable around 1.5m in length, though no adapter from 3.5mm to jack or travel bag was supplied. The fit is amazing for comfort, they have just the right amount of clamp for my head at the smallest setting, but the allowance for larger heads is vast given the ratchet at the side (which also feels nicely weighted and engineered. The tilt and swivel travel is limited by the way the cups are affixed but it gives plenty of scope for seating the cans. Listening experience was taken over a weekend with everything from laid back jazz to classical, pop, rock and a bit of rap music (the ones I like at any rate!) They dealt with all of these genres without any real complaints, I thought the bass was well weighted, the mid-range delivered and didn't bleed too much into the treble and the treble was controlled with a little shrillness at the very high end but was never 'shouty'. The sound-stage is a mixed bag, not as wide as the HiFiMan 400's but enough to get some idea of placement of instruments. Now a warning - they are open-backed so some sound leakage is expected but with these cans leakage is VERY pronounced - certainly higher than the aforementioned HiFiMan 400's I had recently and my wife remarked she could hear the music loud and clear from the next room. I would therefore say these should not be used outside unless you want to deal with complaints from others. So to close, an excellent investment, and whilst we are penalized in the EU by a much higher price than the USA $65 was quoted, if you want them that is the price because Philips have apparently stopped making this model and are not superseding it :( Grab em whilst you can!

I’ve never owned a pair of open-ear headphones before since there are limited spaces where you can use them without irritating everyone around me. However, I live in an apartment with poor sound insulation, so getting a big pair of speakers and a sub-woofer isn’t an option. I bought these on impulse when I was looking for a replacement for my old (but still excellent) Audio Technica ATH-50s. (These are over-ear headphones and are hard to beat for the price.) These Philips headphones provide excellent detail and a great range (at all areas of the spectrum), compared with these, my ATH-50s sound a bit claustrophobic and two dimensional. I’m not an audiophile so I don’t know all the right terms, but what I understand to be ‘soundstage’ effect on the Philips is brilliant and expansive to my ears. Build quality is pretty good and there is a generous 3m cable (non-coiled) plus a phono adaptor. The headphones don’t fold in any way that makes them portable, but this is OK since they’re unsuitable for using in public spaces. The carry bag is the cheapest, lowest quality part of the package and feels like it would dissolve in light rain shower. Again, no big deal as I have old spares that I can use instead. All in all a really nice quality pair of noisy headphones with impressive sound quality.

I needed to replace my Grado SE80s. I liked their sound, but I'd always known that their daft design would lead to a loose connection in the cable, and that's just what happened. These Philips headphones came warmly recommended, and cost the same as the Grados had, 5 years ago. I'm astonished at how good they are for the money. First, the detachable (and lengthy) cord means that even in the unlikely event of having the same problem as the Grados, I'll be able to just replace the cord. The big ear cups are very comfortable for lengthy listening. But most of all, the sound is amazing. Compared with the Grados, these Philips headphones reveal much more of the different, distinct character of each recording, even of the space where the music has been recorded. Their sound is clear, characterful, yet also warm and easy to listen to. I listen only to classical and jazz, so the tight bass that other reviewers have mentioned is ideal for me. One caution: you need to locate them quite carefully on your head to get the best sound; and one downside--yes, there is a LOT of noise spillage, though of course it's exactly the open-back format which makes the sound so spacious and realistic.

After seeing all the hype for this pair (thanks Z reviews), I figured I ought to try them. And honestly, the hype is lost on me. - Comfort is not this all day wear some mention. The earpads are very scratchy to me, and the lack of clamping means they don't rest on my head very well - The sound quality is okay for the price. Seems like the value is better in the US ($80 for it plus the V-MOD mic!). Highs are detailed and lows aren't really there - I'm glad it uses a standard detachable cable, especially given the price - Soundstage and detail seems okay, I didn't test it super in depth due to the comfort Overall, if you're okay with the earpads, and can get it on sale, then it could be a solid entry to the open back headphone world. As it stands at around £100, there are better options in my opinion (HD 599/ X2HR on sale, etc.)

Context :- I'm a reluctant "audiophile", but my reference system is a 55 year old valve amp and Quad Electrostatic speakers (I bet only a handful of people reading this will have even heard of the technology) - and I was an AV technician for nearly 40 years ... I went to a lot of raves in my late 30s (I'm now 63) ... but I stayed away from the speakers and wore earplugs ... raised on Vaughn Williams, Ravel etc - have since embraced everything else from minimal electronica to Mongolian throat singing via Pink Floyd, dub reggae and jazz and Kylie Minogue ... According to Youtube reviewers, apparently these weren't good enough for some people - "not enough bass" so they came up with the 9600 and quite likely spoiled the work of a team of dedicated designers and engineers ... so I was careful to buy these - the originals .. I'm not saying I have "golden ears", but these are lovely headphones and have hardly been off my head since I bought them - in bed .. in the SUPERMARKET ! ...and I've been kicking myself I didn't buy them 5 years ago. I'd forgotten how headphones could sound after many years of daily cycling wearing Koss KSC75 clip-ons which are good in their own way - but I was clearly "filling in the gaps " myself ... I bought these after an unpleasant experience "upgrading" from Panasonic £7 over ear phones to rave-reviewed Koss Portapros ... somewhere out there is a horrible bit of 80s MOR that would "explain" why those dreadful cans are so popular - I tried, but after only minutes they were back in the box and I was happily back to the Panasonics ... These are only twice the price and by all accounts were once a lot cheaper, but these are easily WORTH the £95 I paid - roughly the same as the Philips CD player I bought in 1987 - probably the equivalent of £300 today - they and Sony invented the technology. (ten years later and my electrostatic speakers revealed its limitations and I bought a Naim CD player for ten times the price ...) Based on my experience with these,when I finally settle by the seaside in France, I may upgrade to planar phones and a portable DAC for TEN TIMES the money .. meanwhile I have a lot of music to enjoy.. Life is too short. Buy a pair of these lovely phones and if you think they sound terribly "wrong" in some way, take a look at your source material .. maybe listen to a wider range of music ... maybe step away from your games console and go to a place with trees and birds .. maybe try eating fruits and veggies instead of pizza with extra cheese in the crust ... maybe try dancing ... gardening - I heartily recommend gardening if that's available to you - and modern technology means we can have glorious music while we're doing those other things we love to do ... even though I have a background in electronics and have a decent understanding and have easily embraced all this technology, it's still jaw-dropping .. Anyway that's enough lecturing from someone who snuck under the "boomer" wire by 3 years ...