Philips Audio SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones (Black)

These are excellent headphones but consider your usage. These are big open-backed headphones. They leak sound and don't guard against outside noise much. These are for your usage at your desk/couch when playing games (no mic) or listening to music/watching tv. They are big and comfortable and do all of that really well but at that price there are cheaper headphones that also do that well. I think these have a very neutral sound profile. They handle whatever you throw at them but it isn't like bass or treble or anything will explode at you. In that sense, if what you really want are Sennheiser or Beats, then you should buy those because they sound different at a fundamental level. It isn't a "quality" thing, it's just a preference thing. That's fine! I just want to you have a sense of what you'll be getting and you should understand these headphones have a different profile from the other brands, and they sound different from Skullcandy as well.I guess my only concern with these headphones, having accepted that they are for home use, is that I'm not driving them properly. They don't get that loud compared to other headphones I have. I'm running them out of my tv monitor or laptop. I think I'm leaving a lot on the table without additional power for these things. I imagine they'd get louder and brighter, in which case they'd be truly marvelous. As it stands, they sound wonderful (distinct, but wonderful) and for the value hit above their weight class. If you've been in the $40-$50 range these are a clear improvement-- that much is clear. Probably with an amp they'd be even more. The sound is very neutral. A lot of high-end brands play up warm profiles and deep bass. I guess these could have deep bass, but the warm, bass-y sound stage you hear on headphones that cost more is a design choice. You may like that! These are designed to be clear and crisp and they are. At the same time, because they aren't getting super loud, and don't necessarily do anything to "grab" me with the listening experience like an artificial bass or a "comfy" sound stage, I find myself frequently using cheaper headphones to get that quick hit of warm bass and (overly?) engineered sound-stage. Don't get me wrong: I've used these nearly every day for years (2nd pair). I always come back to these headphones. But I can't help but think they are also designed for more than just laptop or TV monitor power. If you are fine with what you have, you may not be blown away by these headphones unless you specifically want something clear or very comfortable for a very specific use. Beyond that, these are great.

Guys, I really am obsessed with these headphones. Bought Used “Like New” for $50. Insane for what you're getting as far as decently robust economical build quality, handsome old-school looks, and a powerful 50mm neodymium drivers with fantastic clarity...like WHERE can you find something this good at this price.Now as good as these are stock, and as much as I wanted to keep these bad boys because I loved the clarity, two issues were killing me. 1. The treble was pretty piercing and fatiguing, and I couldn't listen to more than 30 minutes before starting to get a bad headache (I am treble sensitive so this was really a big thing for me) 2. The bass was a little lacking and I did want just a tad more, and 3. The upper corners of your ears hit the driver due to the shallow earcups, and after wearing for 30 minutes it can really start to hurt to the point that you want to take them off to give your ears a break.ENTER SHURE 1840 VELOUR EAR PADS. These things literally solved all three of these problems, and man it's an entirely new headphone. 1. NO more ear pain due to the ear cups being just a tad deeper for your ears to fit in and distance from the drivers (not to mention they are SUPER comfortable!) 2. Trebles have been quelled and tamed just enough and the entire sound signature just feels much more warm and free not closed in as they were with the stock headphones, passing through the velour material more - and I've now been listening to these things for HOURS on end with zero fatigue 3. The bass response is just a tad more prevalent and everything feels a little more rounded and spacious. Do NOT underestimate the influence of ear pads on your headphones! They can change everything!!Made me SO HAPPY! These things are phenomenal even apart from the price. I'm not an audiophile and of course everyone has their own preference for sound signatures and there is no real right answer (just what YOU prefer!) but I've owned Sony MDR V6s and ATH M40xs and M50xs....I take these hands down anyday. Just....wow.And for those of you who want even more potential out of these, like REALLY good strong bass and power with that clarity, wait until you hook these guys up to an Amp. I have an Onkyo receiver on my desk, and it's like I'm listening to music with 3x more excitement and power than just plugging into a standard iPhone or iPod. Worth it - wait till you see the potential these things have with a proper amp.The replacement for the Shure 1840 pads mod is really straight forward and can be found on YouTube. The most time-consuming thing is getting the glue off the ear pieces, but that's it. If you're going to get these headphones, definitely get these specific velour ear pads (I wouldn't recommend the Brainwavz that are sometimes recommended as those are too far away and too thick of material to give you 1. that warm sound the velour pads will give you and 2. will just change the sound signature too drastically and not for the better).Well done Phillips. You guys rocked the HiFi world with offering such amazing headphones at so cheap, and with one simple change like these pads, they sound phenomenal and I couldn't be more happier. Will hang onto these bad boys for years to come and thousands of hours of more music hooked up to my amp.Hope this helps and hope you enjoy the SHP 9500s as much as I am right now!