8 reviews for Unleash Sound: Philips Audio SHP9500 HiFi Over-Ear Headphones!

1. 

   Melody – October 1, 2025

   Good quality affordable headphones
   I bought these back in 2020 and had been using them ever since for all my music listening and gaming use. Last Thursday they were on their last legs and the right piece fell off completely, due to me putting them back on and off every morning and night (sometimes I am a little rough with them). I love listening with these headphones, the sound out of the box is very clear , not muddy at all so it’s plug in and play. For reference, I listen to a lot of rock/alternative so if you’re looking for something specific with bass / listen to hardcore or EDM music then it might not be for you. The clamping isn’t too tight for me at least, so it’s comfortable even with glasses on. I bought another brand to see if it would be any better, but it was only more expensive. After a day of using the other brand, I had to order these again. So glad I did as the quality is just as good as I got it since then. If you’re looking for something more on the budget side, good quality build, and good sound, then this is the one.

2. 

   Charles R. – October 1, 2025

   The hype is real. These cans sound nearly as good as units costing more than 2x as much!
   Wow! I am really surprised at how true the hype is — I just received these headphones today, and as I was listening to them, I felt compelled to come write this review because I am so happy with the way they sound.I love good sounding audio. I’m kinda picky about it. But I increasingly dislike the term “audiophile,” and not being independently wealthy, I don’t own much gear. So, I try to make my purchases wisely. That’s how I wound up with the SHP9500s.A little background: My first “real” headphones were Audio Technica ATH-M30s (the original generation, not the current M30X). I probably bought ATs back around 2003 or so, and they were pretty much my only cans for 15 years. They were beat to hell, but always never gave me any trouble. And I thought they sounded just fine.Since they were starting to get pretty worn out, I decided it was time to upgrade. So a few years ago, I bought a Schiit Fulla 2 DAC/amp combo and some Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros (250 ohm). I never knew how much I was missing with the ATH-M30s until I started using the DT 770s. It was beyond night and day.The DT 770s have been my daily drivers for a couple years now. I love them; they really do sound so nice. I think they’re beginning to be at the point of diminishing returns, though – if I start to spend much more than I did for the DT 770s, I probably won’t notice nearly the improvement I did when I went from the ATH-M30s to the 770s.But, the 770s are closed-back headphones. I had never really tried open-back headphones. I heard open cans tend to have better sound stages, can be more comfortable, and of course make it easier to hear your surroundings (this can be bad and good – but there are times when I need to be aware of what other people are doing, in an office environment, for example, so that’s why I consider it a “good” thing). Anyway, while the DT 770s aren’t necessarily uncomfortable, they’re definitely noticeable and can get kind of tiresome after an extended session. So, I decided it was high time to try some open-back headphones, and the SHP9500 kept popping up with rave reviews.When black Friday came around, I decided to nab ’em. I almost pulled the trigger on the more expensive Philips Fidelio X2HR, which were also on sale, but the SHP9500 seemed like a sure bet based on the sheer number of great reviews, and money was is tight, anyway. Plus, there are those who say the 9500s are less colored or “V” shaped than the X2HRs, and I tend to prefer headphones that don’t color the sound too much.TL;DR – My headphone progression has been Audio Technica ATH-M30 > Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250 ohm) > Philips SHP9500. The DT 770 Pros are arguably several “grades” better than the 9500s, and easily 2x the price. But these 9500s sound *almost* as good — really. DT 770s are closed-back, these 9500s are open-back. The sound stage is slightly disappointing on the 9500s – I thought it would be better since they’re open-back, but I think the DT 770s have a better stage. Definitely less bass with the 9500s, but its still good bass! The SHP9500s are very clear, crisp, and detailed. Overall, there is just a tad less “depth” and “body” to the sound when compared to my DT 770s – and less rumble in the bass – but it is _so close_ in overall quality – and more comfortable than the DT 770s – that these SHP9500s are worth buying for everyday use, backup use, a 2nd pair of cans to keep at the office – whatever. I’m already thinking about buying a second pair! They’re that good. That said, I still have a lot more listening and comparison to do, so this review may be subject to change. Also, make sure to check the prices. Around $50-60, they’re a steal. Much more than that, I’d consider putting my money toward something higher-end.

3. 

   Happy Reader! – October 1, 2025

   Very clear, very comfortable headphones. Excellent value.
   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.

4. 

   Coarsegrain – October 1, 2025

   Qualidade de som excelente, boa resposta em todas as frequências, sem graves acentuados demais.Conchas grandes, envolventes e confortáveis, mesmo para quem usa aparelho auditivo RIC e tem orelhas grandes.No escritório, o som em volume normal não é perceptível para outras pessoas no mesmo ambiente.Por outro lado, sendo design aberto, não isola muito os ruídos externos. No meu caso é bom, pois percebo quando alguém me chama.Usei por várias horas ininterruptas sem incômodos.Gostei que o cabo sai do fone, ajuda no transporte.Qualidade de construção boa, passa impressão de que terá boa durabilidade.Considero que tem boa relação custo-benefício.

5. 

   Ringeval Jean-Paul – October 1, 2025

   J’ai acheté ce casque pour compléter ma collection des Fidelio X2 et X3.Je n’en attendais rien de particulier puisque j’avais déjà ses successeurs a priori plus aboutis… Eh bien, c’est une excellente surprise : ce casque est très léger, très agréable à porter, confortable et le revêtement des coussinets ne m’a jamais irrité (j’ai pu lire ce reproche fait par d’autres acheteurs). J’aime beaucoup le filé de son aigu et la douceur du medium. Il est vrai qu’il est (peut-être) un peu court dans le grave, mais rien de rédhibitoire, et je suppose que ça dépend du genre de musique écoutée ; pas gênant pour le classique (chambre et symphonique) ou le jazz (y compris les bands formations)… Je ne me prononcerai pas pour les autres genres musicaux. Il peut saturer à haut volume, mais il faut y aller fort ! Bref, ses possibles défauts sont amplement rachetés par une couleur musicale que je trouve très agréable. C’est en quelques sortes une version allégée du X2 que j’affectionne particulièrement. C’est, à mon avis, un très bon choix.

6. 

   Brenden – October 1, 2025

   These are the best headphone I have heard and for the money your not going to get better.They light very comfortable and very very clear with a great range with a full and open sound stage.With my ears which aren’t young , The bass starts at 32 hz and they and drop off at 13.5 khz .Some people on the internet say they are bass thin. I would say they just are running them on gear that can’t powers them. I has them plugged into my monitor and the bass was thin. Plugged them straight into the PC and could the 32hz easy. When plugged into my Amp in my lounge good strong clear bass.If your looking at spend twice the money save it and buy these 3 times the money save it buy these.

7. 

   chris martin – October 1, 2025

   Solo hace dos dias que disfruto de estos magnificos auriculares Philips, pero ya puedo decir que por su precio son inigualables.Con un sonido de gran calidad ahora Philips se pone con estos auriculares y los Fidelio donde le corresponde por su prestigio, yo he tenido el placer de probarlos y añado que es lo mejor que he escuchado y eso que siempre he tenido gama de alta de Akg y Sennheiser pero lo malo es que mi presupuesto no llegaba a Fidelio y tuve que adquirir los SHP9500, pero que buena compra, así que los recomiendo a todos.A pesar de su contexto todo de plástico en principio y al observarlos dan una imagen de no muy buena calidad, pero insisto el sonido es de lo mejor, hablando claro está de calidad-precio.Con relación a Amazon pues lo de siempre…. precio y servicio el mejor!

8. 

   Tim Cho – October 1, 2025

   The Philips SHP9500 have somewhat of a notorious reputation in the online audio community, particularly due to the hype reviews of a particular reviewer. Having said that, overall, I think that these are an great set of headphones for the price you pay for them (sub-$100 CAD). Keep in mind, this review is written having bought the headphones as a gift for my father and not after an extended period of time. I took some time to test to see if they were actually good before handing them off to my dad. So what follows isn’t really in-depth or after hours of use, but more of a short first impressions and comparison to the other headphones I own.First off, what you get in the box is fairly simple and straightforward: Headphones (in a fabric bag) and a cable (with a quarter inch adapter for those who may need that). It should be noted that the cable you connect the headphones to are 3.5mm male to 3.5mm male, which means that should the cables included ever fail, you can replace them really easily. Moreover, you can replace the stock cable with something like the V-moda boom pro mic, turning these into a great set of cans for gaming.The material quality is good, but not mind blowing (appropriate for the price-point I would argue). The mechanism for adjusting the size of the headband feels fairly solid. I’m not a huge fan of the material for the ear cups themselves, although they feel comfortable enough. There is very little clamp force on these meaning that when using them, they always feel a little bit like they could fall off with a head shake that’s a little too vigorous. Another issue that has been noted before is that the ear cups are quite shallow and I did notice that my ears did touch the foam on the inside. This may not be an issue for all, but your mileage may vary.The most important part is obviously how they sound. I own two other pairs of entry level audiophile headphones (I have yet to ascend the ranks of true audiophile) that I can compare these headphones too: Audio Technica M40X and Sennheiser HD58X Jubilees (made in collaboration with Massdrop).My first impressions of the sound were that I really liked them. Overall, the clarity is definitely a strong point and the soundstage was very good. Vocals sounded clear and while there’s a little bit of sibilance, it’s really tolerable (unlike the M40Xs which I can find almost untolerably sibilant at times). I would say these cans probably tend a little bit more towards the clinical side rather than warm and laid-back. I listen mostly to Jpop/rock, which tends to be a little more instrumentally driven and most of the tracks I listened to sound quite good and balanced. I also very much enjoyed listening to other genres (classical, jazz, rock) as well.There is one glaring weakness of these headphones, however, and that is their almost complete lack of bass extension. It’s quite noticeable when you look at the frequency response curves, as the curve drops off quite severely in the lower range. And it shows in how it presents tracks. This was particularly noticeable when listening to more electronically driven pop or EDM. The lack of bass extension really lead to these tracks lacking a lot of the punch they have with headphones with better bass. In general, the lack of bass extension can lead to the headphones having a somewhat less full sound than they could otherwise have. But it should be pointed out that this can somewhat be remedied by equalizers (the bass switch on my FiiO E10Ks does a decent job at mitigating this as well).While the lack of bass extension is a definite minus, in the end I don’t think it’s a complete deal breaker. If you’re listening predominantly to more instrumentally driven music, they still sound great due to their clarity and open soundstage.The M40Xs are a pair of headphones in a similar price range to the SHP9500 and are often recommended as a budget pair of audiophile headphones. I rate the M40Xs very highly because at their price point, I think they sound very good. But if I was now given the choice of only keeping the Philips or the M40Xs, I would say I probably prefer the sound of the SHP9500 over the M40Xs for a couple of reasons. First, the sound-stage (as open cans) is much better and feels far less congested and narrow compared to the M40Xs. Second, I find that these, while still a little bright on the highs, are far less sibilant. However, compared to my HD58X open headphones, I would say that these fall off because of the lack of bass extension and me preferring the slightly warmer sound of the HD58Xs. Having said that, the HD58Xs also cost substantially more (about double).So should you buy these? If you are looking for a good-sounding pair of open headphones (you don’t mind that you can hear other through them and that others can hear you!), are not a bass-head, and maybe tend to listen to more instrumentally driven music, I would definitely recommend them. They aren’t all that the hype can sometimes have you believe they are because they do have serious drawbacks, but they are great value for the money