Philips SHP9600 Wired, Over-Ear, Headphones, Comfort Fit, Open-Back 50 mm Neodymium Drivers (SHP9600/00) - Black

Product Information

After being very pleased with the SHP9600 for movies, I decided to plug them into my main headphone rig to evaluate their sound with music. While I am extremely pleased with these for movies, and I highly recommend them for that capacity, the focus of this review is mainly regarding music from my main headphone rig. I make a few comments here and there about their movie performance. The DragonFly Red is a bit more expensive, but I talk about why its DAC chip is superior to many others here. DON’T OVERTHINK IT!! It’s still numbered like the 9500, and not only is it easier to settle on a number appropriate for your head, but it actually holds its place this time.

Philips SHP9600 or SHP9500 : r/HeadphoneAdvice - Reddit Philips SHP9600 or SHP9500 : r/HeadphoneAdvice - Reddit

Not at all. But if I hadn’t bought one for the purpose of comparing it to the 9500, I would feel like I wasted my time and money. Why? BECAUSE I SAID SO!!! Again, the small attention to detail here from Philips is more than admirable, it’s outright amazing that they would adjust and improve the fit. I think this was Philips’ answer to the 58X, but that headphone is much better ( read: better tuned) even despite its Soundstage not being quite as good as either the 9500 or 9600 – both of which are rather excellent. I wouldn't say they are better than the K371. I think the K371 is probably better suited for more types of popular music than the SHP9600 due to having better bass, but if you're looking for a more technical representation, go for the SHP9600. If I look up or down and move my head, the 9600 does slide, so that’s something to keep in mind. Now for the moment that you’ve been anticipating.Still, you may opt for something like a FiiO K3, DragonFly Red, BTR3K, or Sabaj DA2 to get your feet wet as all pair very well with either headphone and can improve the sound to an extent. Whether or not you’ll actually need a DAC largely depends on how good or bad your phone is, and how good or bad the internal soundcard on your laptop/PC is. The treble could still be better, though. You can still tell that these are..well, bright. The low-end helps a lot to rein in that impression, but in songs where you can hear particularly aggressive strings, this tends to be a minor nuisance. Overall, however, the treble extends well enough and doesn't give any compressed feeling, at least to my ears. With the 9500, there’s more air and clarity, but at the expense of a somewhat more fatiguing high-end and not as much meat on the bass. Compared to another budget monster, the AKG K371 I think these are more detailed and soundstage is better, with the expense of bass. The K371 bass feels like it rumbles in comparison to the SHP9600 which hits more sharply and disappears. The K371 has a smoother, fuller sound, the SHP9600 sounds more technical and brighter, but they don't sound Grado or Beyer bright, just brighter than the K371.

Phillips SHP9600 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org Phillips SHP9600 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

There seems to be a protective measure taken in looking at the greyish-blue cap, a stark contrast to the rubbery, flimsier material inherent in the original 9500. I'm reviewing these in comparison to my other headphones, no matter what the price difference may be. Also, I've never heard the Philips SHP9500 so I cannot comment at all about those. For example, it's said these have more clamping force than the SHP9500. These are quite loose and comfortable, so I have no idea how the SHP9500 stays on anyone's head. The other difference is that the treble doesn’t have that bite that the 9500 had. Because of this, you can listen to it for longer periods of time without fatigue. As with the 9500, you can easily attach a Boom Pro here and be off to the races in no time. Just get a Creative SoundBlasterX G6. It sounds fuller and more impactful, while still mostly retaining all of that incredible micro-detail that the original 9500 provided in spades.This may just be a matter of them not being as broken in as my 9500, but I feel as though they don’t slide around nearly as much. The 9500 will also do well with the K3, but I actually like it more with a simple E10K. And even despite that, It's a little heavy but the padding is fairly generous and soft on the ear pads and headband. Overall, it's fairly comfortable.