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

Product Information

Top-end tones carry a nicely weighted snap behind them, which conveys a sense of tension behind string instruments as well as percussive strikes. They lack the same resolution, refined treble, and precise imaging that the HD 650 demonstrate, but they sound less muddy and congested. The 9600 will do well with most genres of music outside of bass-heavy tracks as well: Rock, Metal, Jazz, Classical, etc.

Over-ear headphones SHP9600/00 | Philips

The SHP9600 seems to share the same treble peaks as the SHP9600, but they seem to have been greatly subdued.Compared to another budget monster, the AKG K371 I think these are more detailed and soundstage is better, with the expense of bass. Whether I listened to the SHP9600 directly plugged into my PC’s motherboard’s on-board audio or powered them with a discrete headphone amplifier like the JDS Labs Element II, I thought they sounded great and never felt like they showcased any of the issues I would find when underpowering a headphone; which makes them a great option for those don’t currently own a headphone amplifier. They do have a moderate clamp to them, so it might be a little bit hard on larger heads, I have an average size head and it's not a bad clamp to me, but it's definitely not "disappear on your head" comfortable lol.

SHP9600 Wired, Over-Ear, Headphones, Comfort Philips Audio SHP9600 Wired, Over-Ear, Headphones, Comfort

Not enough to matter a lot, unfortunately, but they don't have the same "they only sit on your ears through the power of God" vibe as the 9500s. Both headphones are incredibly comfy, but I feel more secure with a 9600 on my head if that makes sense. Philips does accentuate the outer ring of the open-back grille with a streak of gold to help set it apart from other brands, but otherwise they're fairly inconspicuous.Particularly after using EQ, I find that the treble on the SHP9600 is very well-textured, and it delivers a very clean image of the tonal nuances in the highs. If I didn't have the HD 650 for my regular drivers, I'd have no problem using these for that purpose.

SHP9600 - Quite disappointed new Headphones Day: Philips SHP9600 - Quite disappointed

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. 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. This also helps the SHPs a lot, and they don't give any claustrophobic feelings when sitting on top of your head.You’ll get some of those same “out of your head” moments like you previously enjoyed with the 9500, but I do feel like the 9500’s Staging is a bit better overall. They are no longer "F" headphones, but I don't know exactly which drivers they put in there since they have had many revisions over the years. It was very clear to me when unboxing the SHP9600 that the bulk of what you pay here goes to the headphone, but hey, I think that’s a good thing; and you get everything you really need to get going. This type of device allows you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise.

SHP9600 Wired Over Ear Headphones with Mic Philips Audio SHP9600 Wired Over Ear Headphones with Mic

Both, surprisingly, sounded great with the streaming from the laptop sounding much, much better than we expected. Simply by the nature of being open-back headphones, the SHP9600 leak lots of noise at an audible level, potentially making them distracting for coworkers or spouses sharing the same space as you. It sounds fuller and more impactful, while still mostly retaining all of that incredible micro-detail that the original 9500 provided in spades. They’ve got a metal bridge but otherwise most the frame is plastic and is susceptible to snapping if enough pressure is applied. The SHP9600’s midrange is nearly identical to that of the SHP9500, and they both remind me quite a bit of the midrange tonality on the HD 600.Both headphones share very similar tonal characteristics, but as we will discuss shortly, the SHP9600 brings about some fairly noticeable tuning changes–and, for the most part, I think that they are for the better. For the most part, this design feels very stable and well put together, with my only complaint being that the cups do have a slight rattle to them. The 9500, while feeling like complete air, did tend to move around a bit more than I’d like, which was the trade-off. If you love what I do here and want to support the blog and channel in a more personal way, check me out on Patreonand discover all the value I have to offer you. It feels like Philips tried to make a product that would appeal to both audiophiles and consumers alike, and I think they did a pretty good job though I still prefer the 9500 at the end of the day.