Philips SHP9500 In 2022 (ARE THEY STILL WORTH IT!?)

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Music in the intro: Ward Wills - Forgive
• Forgive
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[@swifty1969]

funny you say that because I've experienced a similar path. I also, prefer my shp9500 over my AKG k712 pro and Hifiman 400se. The hifiman's sounded incredible when I first got them renewed from Amazon but for some reason over time, it started to sound more and more lifeless. I know it's not my gear because my shp9500 sounds fantastic. I've also tried and returned other headphones from monoprice, sivga and phillips Fidelio X2 HR. Shp9500 still reigns supreme. Aso, comfort is paramount and the shp's are unbeatable.

[@chasington]

Thank you for being honest and transparent. I will start with these.

[@adi2082]

This review actually really helped me as I was tossing up between the HE400se, the dt900 pro x and the 9500s. I decided on the 9500s and possibly getting quidlex 5k to pair it with.

[@martinverret]

I tend to agree as far as the shp9500 being still relevant in 2022, and very fun to listen to. The may not be the end all in all aspects, but music just sound natural on them.. Thanks! Good video, fast and straight to the point. I like that.

[@heygnd]

I recently got this as an alternative to my MH752 and woah the change is sooo great. It sounds sooo good for someone who is just trying out audiophile headsets. I was hesitant at first because of the price point but I was so glad I bought it. The open back definitely helped in making the sounds flowing naturally - it doesn’t feel cramped. It makes my gaming immersive since I mostly play RPGs instead of FPS. Best buy in my opinion.

[@coloneljessop]

Your comment on listening to classical music with these headphones has made up my mind. Just ordered.

[@samlletas]

Just got these and they sound very good, better than all my previous gaming headphones, planning on getting a dac/amp (Topping DX1) to pair it with them!

[@l67swap1]

They are still worth it in 2024 😊

[@ceciliapereira3058]

btw, this is very good quality review, i love these type of honest, genuine opinions that focus more on the experience you have as a user, more than the technical stuff. dont get me wrong, i love the tech stuff too, kind of a bit of a nerd abt it, but when i have to decide what im gonna purchase for myself, the user experience just weighs way more in my decision making. so, thank you so much for this approach on the review, i appreciate it a lot, and keep up the good work!

[@curtismclay3754]

Super nice, honest review. I have the SHP500, Sennheiser 560s, and HIFIMAN Planar 400I. I am done chasing headphone sound/quality. I am going to look for cleaner, more powerful sound to drive them.

[@madarauchiha4298]

After trying out different IEMs I think I will settle for these as an end-game headphone for myself. Just waiting to see the deal I get on black friday this yr.

[@luigismilazzo]

You felt Exactly what I feel, except the fact I climbed up to the focal clear and hd800, passing from every headphones on the planet. returning to the sho9500.

[@arvsss_]

Great review!! I like that you didn’t use much audiophile language to describe your experience with these headphones. For a person just starting out, this was really helpful!! One question tho, would you recommend replacing the earpads right away or are the stock pads good enough?

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

The only reason I replaced the pads was because my dog tore them up. I went out of my way to find replacement pads that were as close to stock as possible.

[@jcap8391]

@@CaffeinatedHiFi I like the slow prno music 🥲

[@knuexquartz6956]

Excellent re-review of SHP9500. I would like to know the replacement pads that you've used. Thanks!

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

Thank you for the feedback! amzn.to/3eBq18J

[@rocknrollboise]

God I'm so pissed they discontinued these... They're my favorite headphones (out of many that were twice the price), and I need another pair but am hearing that the new 9600's aren't nearly as neutral... Any ideas as to why they would stop making such a great design?

[@Brzeczyszczykiewicz666]

Review is coherent and informative. Very good start. Im looking for pair of this for my self. I have Superlux HD681 and this is mega budget headphones, but introduce me to this world of better quality music. So I want to make a step up and but real open back :). Or maybe you can recommend me something else. Good luck :)

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

What's your budget? Koss makes some really good headphones like the KPH40's. They're $40 and sound amazing. They're just on-ear so they're not as comfortable as something like the SHP9500's.

[@Brzeczyszczykiewicz666]

@@CaffeinatedHiFi i just found used but new shp9500 for around 40$. My brother have Koss. Fun headphones, but not for me i thinks. I'm going for Phillips thanks to you :). I will write when i get them.

[@Brzeczyszczykiewicz666]

​@@CaffeinatedHiFi Im using music card AUDIOTRAK Prodigy HD2 Advance DE from it goes optical to DAC S.M.S.L M3. So in comparison to my Superlux HD681 the SHP9500 is about 7/10 in comfort, Superlux are around 5/10. Very comfortable and light, although i think in weight it is the same. Oval shape 9500 is supreme over round 681. Material used in 9500 is very pleasing. In my 681 i must have a "sock" mod, but this increase temperature around ears, which limits the potential long use. Built quality - SHP 7/10, 681 5/10. The worst part is cable in SHP, for this price... but its removable so move one. Sound. For me, novice in all this. SHP are just different. Less bassy, more crispy, wider scene, more detailed in some areas. Both are amazing headphones. With little tweeking in EQ everybody can pull out what they want. Will i buy this again or for gift? Of course! Especially if in good price and good condition. New? For full price? Nahh... Better go with Superlux :P

[@dathriskun]

If someone looking reviews for buying them, just one thing you should know: There is no bass, like, bass is so weak you cant even feel it. Buy something like Sennheiser HD 200 PRO instead

[@etcq7535]

Are this good for mobile competitive gaming??

[@assloader]

Dt990 pro 250 ohm are the best headphones in the universe, forever headphones

[@assloader]

@@kabbalah111 you can get the shp 9500, they’re at least good for gaming, and they’re comfortable, best for price but no mic

[@Pourya842]

still good in 2024 for 60$?

[@marshide7459]

Do i need dac for this ? If yes what kind of dac i can go for ? My priority is gaming is it good at gaming ? Im either considering this or razer v2x . But one downside of shp9500 is i may have to buy dac separately with mic thats gonna be costly.

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

Dedicated DAC/Amps, no matter how expensive, will only offer marginal improvements to audio quality. Audiophilia is a game of diminishing returns. The 9500's were my first "audiophile" pair of headphones and I ran them off my onboard audio for over a year. You can run the 9500's off your onboard audio and still have a better listening experience than a cheap Razer headset. Get the 9500's and a VModa Boom Pro for $20: amzn.to/40r4nHm. Unless the onboard audio on your PC is just absolutely trash, you will get 85% of the quality out of the 9500's. The only time I have ever experienced an unusable onboard audio jack was on a Dell laptop and those are just notoriously bad.

[@marshide7459]

Thanks for opening my eyes youre doing the God's work brother!

[@inkflo]

Are these or the SHP9600 good for mixing music or video?

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

For music production, technically no, they are not a neutrally tuned headphone. That being said, if you're just doing personal projects you can learn to work around that. But I would not suggest them for professional use. For video production, Taran from Linus Tech Tips used to use shitty Bose headphones to edit with so I really don't think editing requires nearly as much accuracy. I have not heard great things about the 9600's, although I have not personally tested them. If you're looking for a closed back alternative, I would point you to the Rode NTH-100's: amzn.to/3VxpqFP.

[@siegfrico1428]

can you use these on xbox series x?

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

You'll need an adapter that plugs into your controller, but yes: Microphone - amzn.to/3F5cUaW Controller adapter - amzn.to/3Vu8vDO

[@louieduarte7436]

Hows the directional audio on these for fps like r6

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

I personally am not an FPS gamer but I know many people that use them for that style of gameplay. In their price range, they're probably one of the better options because they do have good highs. However, brighter headphones with less low end would be the better sound signature for serious competitive play. TLDR, they're a good option but you could do better if you're needing headphones for that one specific use case.

[@LXVGH0ST]

@@CaffeinatedHiFiwhat headphones would you recommend for fps games

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

@@LXVGH0ST Hey there, I've been out of the headphone game for a while so I'm not up to date anymore. What I will say is that unless you're playing competitively and are looking for a dedicated pair of headphones that will only be used for FPS, just get a really good pair of headphones. The "best" headphones for fps are all treble and no bass because the only thing you need to hear is the direction of footsteps and gunfire. That doesn't lend itself well to music it movies or anything else. As far as I know, the SHP9500s are still the best in that price range, but like I said, I haven't kept up in a while. I hope that helps!

[@FreqAMP]

Wondering how shp compares to monitor 80 from oneodio ??

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

I haven't heard those, they look interesting though

[@FreqAMP]

@@CaffeinatedHiFi what ? May I should have elaborated my question a bit more.. 😄 I was just asking How Philips SHP9500 sounds compared to OneAudio Monitor 80 as you have both of them ?

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

@@FreqAMP I don't have the Monitor 80's, sorry!

[@FreqAMP]

@@CaffeinatedHiFi kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6eWYoWtm8aIbas Well that was your review of m80. U mean to say you don't have it now for a direct comparison?

[@CaffeinatedHiFi]

@@FreqAMP That's not me????

[@oldmemories15]

Listening you with my shp. Totally worth. 0:21 ❤❤