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

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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 was something I was a bit worried about, but Philips has proven once again how adept they are at making headphones. Instead of “Philips” engraved on the jack termination itself, it’s now embossed, reading “Philips” on one side, and “SHP9600” on the other in a more readable way due to the better color matching.

Philips SHP9500 vs. 9600 | THIS is an upgrade?! Philips SHP9500 vs. 9600 | THIS is an upgrade?!

The somewhat-tacky Left/Right white text indicators on the cup grills are gone and they have been replaced with an all-black design that features a very thin, bronze ring around the grill’s perimeter. Investing in one could end up being a complete waste of time and money, and we want to avoid that… at all costs.For instance, if you have an Apple computer or phone, you may not benefit at all from separate amplification.

SHP9600 vs AKG K361 : r/HeadphoneAdvice - Reddit SHP9600 vs AKG K361 : r/HeadphoneAdvice - Reddit

Then, for instrument separation the SHP9600 really impressed me, as all the different elements that composed the music I listened to were exceptionally well-defined and distinguished within the soundscape. 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.Overall, however, the treble extends well enough and doesn't give any compressed feeling, at least to my ears. The cups are oval-shaped and rather shallow, but your ears will fit inside just fine and the headband doesn’t dig into the top of your head.

SHP9600 Wired, Over-Ear, Headphones, Comfort Fit New Philips SHP9600 Wired, Over-Ear, Headphones, Comfort Fit

I'd imagine maybe for gaming the soundstage / imaging benefit is already "good enough" with SHP9500. It still kind of is now, and you should take additional care when handling these, as they're not big fans of punishment. Still, these really are very minor nitpicks, and I think that for the most part Philips got a pretty good tonality and timbre for the SHP9600’s midrange. While the 9500s have a far more characteristic look, with the massive L and R on each cup, the 9600s opt for none of that, going for a jet-black color with a bronze-ish tint on the cup rings to give a bit of contrast to the overall look. The good news is that the SHP9600 uses 50mm Neodymium dynamic drivers and carries a 32-ohm impedance making them acceptable to use with both headphones and laptops.By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising.