Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-ear Headphones (Black)

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Product Specifications

50mm neodymium Drivers Deliver Full Spectrum of Sound
3m cable gives you freedom of movement for indoor use
Comfortable double layered headband cushion, Breathable ear cushion for longer wearing comfort
Finishing of connector: Gold-plated, Acoustic System: Open, Magnet type: Neodymium
Impedance: 32 ohm, Maximum power input: 200mW, Sensitivity: 101 dB, Speaker diameter: 50mm, Frequency response: 12-35 000Hz

Product Description

Philips SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-ear Headphones (Black)

Product Reviews

One of the Best Full-Size Open Headphones Under $100 on the Market…until they ARE available

Pros: Low cost; nice build quality; excellent sound; cool, open-back comfort plus breathable pads; replaceable cordCons: Non-replaceable ear pads; somewhat uneven treble response (can be corrected, read further)These headphones are a real treat for the price. They should sell at a significantly higher price than they do now, but are available at low prices only because they are being discontinued (not official yet, but apparently they are).I am a headphone enthusiast and own numerous headphones many of which are more expensive than the Philips SHP9500. Among them, the closest contender to the SHP9500 in many ways, including price, may be Audio Technica ATH-TAD500, which I highly regard as well. In fact, adding the venerable Sennheiser HD 518, I judge these three headphone models are the best, full-size, open headphones that can be had under $100 on the market now. These models have their own strengths and weaknesses. But my favorite is the SHP9500 and there are reasons.First, I consider the SHP9500 as one of the most comfortable full-size headphones at any price. When it comes to headphones, you do not want to ignore comfort in your buying decision. To me (and to many, perhaps), it is THE most important element, if wearing them for at least an hour is what you use them for. Some headphones are unbearable even for 15 minutes. Why is the SHP9500 so comfortable to wear? They are light for full-size cans, have no pressuring (self-adjusting) headband, have less clamping force, and most importantly, open to outside not to jack up temperature at your ears. Keeping temperature down by making ears breathe air is, in my opinion, is the most important, yet not well appreciated, reason why you need open headphones for extended use. In the case of the SHP9500, even the ear pads breathe, something that not all open headphones feature. This excessive openness sacrifices some of its sub-bass performance, but I would trade any day (and advise people to trade) sub-bass for comfort.The sonic character of the SHP9500 is midrange-centric, I would say, but extends quite well to bass and treble ranges. Treble is somewhat uneven and accentuated. If you are a classical music lover, you will be most likely pleased. If you are a bass head, this is not for you. If I am asked to compare the SHP9500 to more expensive, sonically better designed headphones such as Sennheiser HD 600, HD 650, or Sony MDR-MA900 (the Sony is also my favorite due to its outstanding comfort), I would rate the SHP9500 a notch below them in terms of pure sonic balance. However, unless you are an extremely discerning listener of classical music (which I am, unfortunately), I would not like to recommend those higher priced products, whose prices, I think, are somewhat above a common-sense range for most people (except enthusiasts). So, here I am sharing my experience as an enthusiast who does not have common sense ^^These headphones are also one of the best choices for use with a digital piano. In fact, I purchased these for my son’s piano practice. Why best for digital pianos? The first reason is same as above: Comfort. Practicing on a digital piano requires extended use, so comfort is critical. Second, the SHP9500’s low to high audio frequency responses are balanced enough for such use—you will be hard pressed finding headphones under $100, including closed-back headphones, with this good balance. Third, most digital pianos have headphone jacks with high output impedance. In such cases, relatively flat impedance across the audible frequency band is important in order not to modulate the headphone’s frequency response. The SHP9500 satisfies this requirement. Last, the headphones are sensitive for any digital pianos to generate sufficiently loud sound.So, grab a pair when they are still available!One drawback of these headphones’ design is that ear pads are not replaceable, but I think the low price can easily offset this weakness. I knew it, of course, when I made the purchase. You may think differently, but in my experience, replaceable pads are not critical. On the other hand, one strong point of the SHP9500 is that you can replace its cord with any 3.5mm stereo male to male cable, the most common and inexpensive type of audio cables these days. Cable problems are quite common in headphone usage. So, having this feature is nice.If you have very discerning ears but are on a budget, here is one way you can improve the SHP9500’s audio balance. It works best if you use them on a PC or a smartphone. Using digital equalization (EQ) is the solution. Let EQ be your friend! Do not be afraid of using EQ, especially in this era of highly reliable, digital signal processing. When properly applied, EQ presents absolutely no sound degradation, only improvement.The EQ setting for the SHP9500 suggested below can only be implemented through parametric EQ apps. They are Equalizer APO (on PC), Electri-Q (on PC through VST wrapper), EasyQ (on PC through VST wrapper), Rockbox (on some MP3 players), Audioforge Equalizer (on iOS), Accudio (on iOS; custom EQ mode), Capriccio (both iOS and Android), Onkyo HF player (both iOS and Android). If you use a PC as a source, I highly recommend Equalizer APO. It applies EQ to system sound so that you can enjoy all contents including YouTube materials in equalized audio.Parametric EQ uses three parameters: Fc (center frequency), Gain, and BW (bandwidth). In the EQ setting below, note that the third parameter is denoted by both Q and BW, which are essentially the same parameter on different scales, so care must be taken to enter right values. If you use Equalizer APO, Rockbox, or Audioforge Equalizer, enter Q values; if you use Electri-Q, EasyQ, or Accudio (custom mode), enter BW values; if you use Capriccio, enter 12 times BW values; if you use Onkyo HF player, read further.Global Gain (also called Preamp, Precut, or Pre-Volume): -2.0 dBFilter 1: Fc 40 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 0.8 / BW 1.7Filter 2: Fc 200 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 0.5 / BW 2.5Filter 3: Fc 1900 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 2.0 / BW 0.7Filter 4: Fc 3300 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 4.8 / BW 0.3Filter 5: Fc 5000 Hz Gain -6.5 dB Q 2.4 / BW 0.6Filter 6: Fc 7400 Hz Gain 4.5 dB Q 4.8 / BW 0.3Filter 7: Fc 11000 Hz Gain -7.5 dB Q 1.4 / BW 1.0I strongly recommend adjusting the Gain level of Filter 7 to make the treble sound to your liking (my suggested range is -11 to -4 dB). I also attach below a picture of the above EQ’s transfer function (the effect of EQ on a frequency response graph). If you use Onkyo HF player, simply make its EQ graph same as shown in the picture.

Best in Price, Build, Audio - Tops on you Philips!

Best budget headphones! More people need to know about the SHP9500’s. The ( Build, Fit and Finish ) of these headphones are simply outstanding at this price range. Very well designed, engineered and the materials used are of top quality. The cable/connectors are easily replaceable with any brand/quality of your liking as they are readily available if you don’t prefer the 3m stock cable. ( Comfort ) yes and very.. from the soft plush headbands to the breathable ear pad, these headphones are huge in size but oh so very light. Ear cups swivel top-to-bottom and also sideways in a very firm/solid manner for it to hold or add an extra clamp if you prefer them so. Note* - ear pads are fixed and cannot be replaced which is my only gripe but do think they will last for a long time. ( Sound ) Extremely pleasing with any genre of music and also a great choice with music videos/films/games/PC. I sense the audio experience and signature is Philip’s take on both Sennheiser/Audio Technica house sound which can only be a good thing. It has the *sort of lows that the Senn’s generate and highs of the AT’s with the mids of both. Really crisp sounding and very good depth with the sound stage.

Relaxed, Open, Comfortable

TLDR: The Philips SHP9500 are a great pair of headphones under $100. I got mine for $70 at the time and they are a steal. Uber-comfortable and will fit any ears that I can imagine. They have a quality heavy-duty plastic and metal construction. They have a relaxed sound signature, with a slight treble spike, and a bit of distortion in the lower frequencies when pushed to louder levels. They also have quite a bit of modding potential if you’re willing to take the plunge, which isn’t much of a risk at sub-100 dollar range. All in all, great value for a neutral, relaxed set of cans.In-Depth:Build/Style - The 9500’s have a professional black-on-black look to them. What stands out to me immediately is the giant L and R’s that cements the opinion these are more for musical pleasure than style. That being said they still have a sturdy frame with giant swiveling earcups. The pads themselves are made of a weird material that is actually quite comfortable and breathes enough for my ears. They are also giant and will fit every sized head and ears with ease. I can wear them for hours without the slightest discomfort, thanks in part to the levitating headband that reminds me of an AKG K702 but more comfortable. There is a 3.5mm jack on the left hand side, which is GREAT. You can switch out the giant springy cable that is included for any standard aux cable you like. I personally use the nice braided cable from my Vmoda M100s. Speaking of Vmoda, these headphones will also work with Vmoda’s BoomPro Mic, so you can turn these headphones into a headset. Overall, good build.Sound - These headphones have a very relaxed sound. What I mean by that is, the music is very open and not at all congested. These headphones are slightly treble focused and can be a tad sibilant at times. That being said the treble is still airy and very smooth. The mids are wonderful and keep the relaxed sound that characterized the treble. The biggest gripe I have with the headphones is the bass. It is slightly rolled off which is to be expected with an open back headphone, but it seemed to distort at relatively low levels. It seemed that the headphone could not pull off the bass when songs got particularly dynamic, or involving a great volume of frequencies at all levels. This was particularly an issue in EDM, because of the heavy bass in the genre. Other, more acoustic genres however, sounded beautiful. Classical music especially. Even with the distortion in the bass, these headphones are still great value for around 100 bucks and I would recommend them in a heartbeat.Modding? - You could also change up the sound with a bit of modding. Although the earpads are claimed to be non-removable, they can be removed with a bit of force (be careful not to rip the cloth) and they will come off the housing. This reveals some pins which you can reattach the cushions to later. I tried using my Brainwavz HM5 pads, and they fit over the earcup with a good amount of stretching. You can also buy 3D printed cups to make these headphones closed at this ebay page […]. This apparently changes the sound significantly but I havent had the pleasure yet to try them. Either way, Im sure its worth a try and I like to encourage modding as it can really bring the value out in products if you are careful. Cheers!

Money well spent

I was looking for a nice pair of over-ear headphones and this is money well spent. The open ear design may be a turn off for some people, but for me with wife and kids I can hear…

Great sound, extremely comfortable

I’ve been able to sit for over two hours with these with glasses on with no discomfort whatsoever. These are the best.

Crisp. Clean. Extra comfortable.

Extremely comfortable. Not exactly travel size. Outstanding sound. I do recommend some kind of output boosting software (I use AU LAB) to make these come alive.

Very good value.

Very good sound quality for the price. Highly recommend!

tell me, how can this be?

How can these sound so much better than my headphones that cost almost 3 times as much! The most comfortable headphones I have ever used.

These things bleed like a hemophiliac sliding down a cheese grater.

The sound is just ok. I wasn’t particularly impressed. However, when the overwhelmingly stupid amount of bleed is taken into consideration it doesn’t make sense.

Quality, Comfort, and Price

Great headphones, especially for the price. I don’t know of any other set of cans that can compare for sound quality in the same price-range.

¹²⁄₁₀ Comfort Great for long hours of any kind of listening

¹²⁄₁₀ ComfortGreat for long hours of any kind of listening, high quality directional and crystal clear sound. Best bang for your buck

The LASMEX L-85 is better. Better sound (esp

Bought them after seeing a rave review on Youtube. Not impressed. The LASMEX L-85 is better. Better sound (esp. bass) and build quality for basically the same amount of $.