Open Back Wired Headphones - Cushioned Over Ear Headphones with Adjustable Headband for Ultimate Comfort and Superior Sound Quality, Plugs into TV, Stereo or PC, Ideal for Podcasts or Music

TL;DR: These headphones are very good for the price I got them, which was 70 bucks. The build, though it feels rattly in the hands, never does when it's on the head, and they are very comfortable. They sound very warm, from the bass to the mids, everything sounds extra thick, but didn't lose too much in the clarity department for this range of headphone. This is a really chilled out, lay back and enjoy the music/game/movie headphone. Okay, now time to give the full story of why I even tried these headphones. So I wanted to fill a very specific role. I actually have gone through my own audiophile journey for a while now. I got into the hobby about a decade ago, and got into open back headphones with the superlux hd681 evo, so very budget at the time. I think I paid like 35 bucks for those, so even half what I paid for the SHP 9600. Then after having those for a while, I upgraded to the SHP9500 (Yeah, I'll compare them a little later on), and then went to the HD6XX. So pretty standard, but after that I went a little off the beaten path and got the Monolith M1070. And then another couple years down the road got the Arya V3, or the Arya stealth. Couple all this with a few variations on Dacs and Amps, and I've had some experience with many tiers above the SHP9600. So why even bother with them? Well, headphones are just fun to play around with. But really, I started to put together a secondary setup in my home, and wanted a open back headphone that was also easy to drive with a ps5 controller, and one that of course sounded good enough. I didn't want to move the Arya around, and the dac amp set up that I have is not so portable from my main desk. Honestly the SHP9600 fit the bill very well. I ended up returning them in favor of something else that suited my fancy a little better after some thought. But as a guy who has listened to what were originally $1600 headphone(Though the Arya stealth now go for $650, I thought I got them for a good deal at $1000, but damn), the SHP9600 were still fun to listen to. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for them, but anything less and this is a very fine headphone. The bass These are a budget open back headphone, so the sub bass isn't very great, but the bass otherwise is a little elevated and makes the entire headphone feel warm. This bleeds into the mids too, but not in a super offensive way. It's enjoyable. You do lose some forwardness in the clarity department, I wouldn't say the bass is super detailed, but it doesn't feel particularly muddy either. The bass is decently textured. Mids Kind of mentioned it in the bass section, but the mids are very warm. It's relaxed, smoothed out, sounds thick and kind of honey like. This is where the most muddiness comes in, and its not a whole lot, because vocals still are forward. The timbre, the characteristics of the sound, are just fuller. It is not what I would call bloated exactly. I guess I am surprised by how thick sounding these are without having to sacrifice much clarity and not introducing a lot of muddiness is pretty impressive. So, somehow, I think this will be the make or break of this headphone. If you want a very clean sound, like a little more accurate, then the original SHP9500 might be a little better. But if you just want to enjoy without trying to analyze, the SHP9600 is just more fun. If I personally had to choose, I would actually pick the SHP9600, but that's partially because I have the Arya, which are very neutral. Treble: Another factor that changed alot. It's less sibilant than the SHP9600, but that means the imagine suffers a TINY bit. Honestly, I felt the SHP9600 still retrieves details just like the SHP9500, it's just two steps back. The timbre between the SHP9500 and 9600 in this range was basically identical. But the treble is just smoothed out more on the SHP9600. The treble extension is not that far, but good enough. Soundstage: These headphones are pretty darn wide. To my ears, they were actually wider than the SHP9500. The imaging is good on them too. Very solid. I'm honestly not the greatest judge on this honestly. I play games, but not competitively, just a single player game enjoyer. But the imaging sounded correct. Not razer focused, but accurate. Conclusion: For 70 dollars, you could do a lot worse. I liked them a lot, and if I had to choose only one headphone to have within a budget, I would feel good about these. I ended up returning them, because I decided that I wanted to push my budge a tier higher and get something that is just ridiculously fun, and not neutral, because I already have that. So I got the X2HR. Those headphones aren't perfect, and honestly I think some would find the SHP9600 to sound better than the X2HR. But for me, they did enough cool things, while being enough of a departure from the neutral that I already have at my main desk. Oh, I don't have the SHP9500 anymore. After many years of use, one of the drivers got a little weaker, so some channel imbalance. I don't think it is normal for the headphones to do that, but I did have them for like 5 years. Yep, long winded, but if you made it down here, congrats! Hope I offered some insight, or at least some entertainment. Good luck in your audio journey!

When I first did my digging into the great world of audiophile headphones, I thought I'd start my journey on the low-end range of things. The Philips SHP9500 (Predecessor to this model) are sung far and wide as being *the best* headphones, punching above their weight-class, sounding as well as headphones that cost triple or even quadruple its price. However, I soon heard many mixed reviews about it's successor, this here SHP9600 model. Let's get into the nitty gritty. Philips made a followup to once of the most glowing, and might I add, quite unwarranted audiophile headphones for those stepping into the realm of a more "luxurious" listening experience. The only catch being that the legendary SHP9500 had a price of around $80, with the new SHP9600 retailing at $180 originally. From what you'll hear the upgrades (or some say lack of) that this model presents at its increased price point make it a pointless, fruitless endeavor to wear these headphones. Now perhaps I would agree, the SHP9500 is a hard lightweight headphone to beat. Worth $180? It's subjective. However, if you can get these on sale or with a coupon? Oh boy, there ain't nothing to lose. Before I get into the pros and cons I'll give a TL;DR. The sound? Amazing. These offer an incredible crisp, yet slightly warm and rich sound, much unlike typical headphones that kill the mids or up the lows and highs. The build quality is good, the aesthetics are great, I'm particularly fond of the bronze ring on the ears, and the comfort is astounding. Is it enough to warrant a $180 purchase over a $80 purchase, assuming you get these off sale, well, they might just be. If you're unsure which team to swing for, do your research but bear in mind, these are still an amazing pair of headphones for the price. With that out of the way, it's deep dive time. PROS - Sound quality. As with the SHP9500, the audio coming out of this particular model is exquisite. The lows, great, the mids, extremely discernable, the highs, almost always don't become uncomfortable. These are the "flattest" headphones I own to boot. When I listen to a track it almost always sounds like I'm listening to it the way the artist intended, no EQ mixing needed. It's definitely a slightly warm sounding pair of headphones, but they still ring true and can handle any genre I throw at them, be it quiet or noisy. - Build quality. A funny thing to preface this with is that these headphones are quite light. At a quick grab and glance these might not immediately register as particularly sturdy headphones. However, after using these for half a year now I can tell you that their durability is that of a snappy and whippy stick, that bends back into shape if it is ever forced to bear pressure. I've accidentally dropped these a couple times and they have a bit of bounce to them depending on how they fall, yet they have not bent or even scuffed. Furthermore, I've, rather sheepishly, put a little stress on them and purposefully stretched the headphones apart from each other to see if they bend or crack, yet here they remain, in mint condition still. Deceptively strong headphones, they can most certainly withstand reasonable punishment without suffering any failures. - Aesthetics. Subjective, sure, but I must admit, these just *look* like nice headphones. Big ear cups with a bronze ring on them, nice sleek, black finish? Love them, they look just as well in a studio as they do with at home listening. - Comfort. My goodness, I've owned my fair share of "over-ear" headphones and I must say, these truly are "over-ear." The padding is soft and remarkably thick, making it so these truly don't press the drivers up against your ears. I feel it evdn aids in the listening comfort to, the sound doesn't feel as though it's shot straight into your ear, the distance from the drivers plus the open-ear design really helps music sound like it's happening around you than directly in your ear. - Aux adapter. Included with the headphones is a wonderful 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable of impressive length, which even comes with an aux adapter. A very nice addition! - The soundstage. Music truly feels like it's happening around you with these on. The open-ear headphone experience is one I can never go back on. Music is no longer a sterile bit of sound blasted at my ears, it unfolds around me and envelopes me in listening bliss. MIXED - Clamp force. Don't get me wrong, the clamp force is perfectly, perfectly serviceable. Yet it must be noted that I have a rather big noggin, and still these still fall on the more medium, bordering on the medium-light side of clamp force. This could potentially be a problem for people with small heads, but it probably wouldn't hinder wearability to any extreme degree, just don't expect them to hug your head too tight if your head is indeed small when you engage in a bit of overzealous headbanging when listening to your favorite tracks. Light, even medium headbanging with these on and they still do hesitate to move, so this is a "your mileage may vary" point. - The bass. This is more of a headsup than a proper Mixed note on my part. If you're the type to listen to exclusively bass heavy tracks and/or the type to boost the bass on your music be mindful that these are open-ear headphones. These offer a more impressive soundstage than closed-ear but as such bass is less punchy, again, aiding in the more neutral "flat" sound that most audiophiles would prefer. That being said, bass is still very noticeable, but it won't rattle your brain. - Swivel ears. The ears have a fair bit of degrees of swivel to them. This is only a personal gripe, I just am not a big fan of swivel ears on headphones. They do not effect the comfort, but I just prefer a more rigid feel to my headphones, and it's just a nitpick of mine. CONS - Sound leak. This is just a byproduct of being open-ear headphones. Sound *will* leak out of these headphones, people around you will hear what you're listening to, so if you're concerned with interfering with others around you then it could be a problem. However if you've got your own place or room to vibe in or people who don't mind it then it isn't a concern. - The... price? The thing is, these headphones are WELL worth the original retail value of $180. If there didn't exist the SHP9500 these wouldn't even be noted. That being said, in spite of its minor upgrades it just depends on how much you're willing to shill out on your beginner pair of audiophile headphones. The SHP9500 model is fantastic, but these are *just that bit* better to me personally and makes it worth it. Look, when all is said and done, I can't help putting my experiences up front to help punch for this model. I love these headphones so much that I've put off on upgrading to much more expensive audiophile headphones. $180 is more than the $80 model, sure, but these have provided such a listening experience comfort that I've found myself not getting that itch to upgrade, and I think that says a lot about the quality of the SHP9600. They make me truly feel like I'm bopping with $500 headphones on my head, and my personal bit of advice (since you're still reading my review) that you need to pick these up. These are a safe horse to bet on. I unashamedly champion the SHP9600 model, they're my favorite pair of headphones I've ever owned, and I reckon it'll be years before I find a pair of headphones I favor over these.

As a decades long headphones hobbyist, I'm very impressed by the potential of these headphones, but there are some minor issues out of the box. I bought a like-new set for 50 bux, and that's a steal. The standard 3.5mm trs jack for the removable cord is awesome, as it eliminates the most common failure while allowing endless upgrades without soldering or disassembly. The included cord is thin and tangly, but you can get excellent replacements on Amazon for a few bux. My primary goal was to use these with a cheap bluetooth amp, and it's perfect for this. At this time, nobody makes an affordable open backed wireless headphone, so diy is the only choice. This headset, a $20 amp, a $5 8" patch cable, and a rubber band are all you need to upgrade these to some of the best wireless headphones under 100 bux. If you spend more on the amp, you'll be well rewarded, as these really are some premium speakers. Headphone sound quality is getting insanely good these days. Despite the low impedance, the 9600's quality is fantastic with a powerful amplifier, and excellent plugged into most jacks. I've always loved the bass power and clarity of several 250 ohm Beyerdynamic cans, but this Phillips can be more pleasing. With a strong amp and eq, these can pump lots of tight bass, while providing a fun, smooth, honest, detailed overall experience, no matter the genre. See online videos for thorough impressions, but this is very impressive. Comfort is excellent overall on my large head. The headset is lightweight with just the right clamping force to keep them in place while moving without pain or fatigue. I bought them for doing chores, but I've been sitting for hours in them recently. I usually dislike suspension strap designs, but this is a good one, with excellent adjustable range and no silly complications. Build quality feels excellent: good strong plastics and metal where you need it. I'm not afraid to knock them around a little. I agree with others' notes: The pads are a little disappointing, but only because of the scratchy material. The foam is comfortable for long listening, and many people won't mind the fabric. Try it before upgrading, many people will like these. For me, almost all headphones aren't deep enough, as my wide ears hate touching the padding. These are designed so you can stuff foam or cotton padding to increase space, and that works well. If you like to upgrade, you need mounting rings, and the best source is cheap pads. I pulled the fabric off a $6 set, and the remaining mounting ring perfectly fits 110mm circular replacement pads. Probably some oval pads as well, but the 110's are perfect for me. If you made it to the end of this review, you should probably try the SHP9600, it's truly one of the best deals in quality headphones, and might actually become my daily headphone for a while.

First off, I was juggling between the purchase of these and two other headphones. Obviously, I ended up going with these and boy was I not disappointed these headphones fit completely over my ears and such a comfortable way it felt like I had earmuffs over my ears or I had just put personal beds on my ears and put them to sleep, pure comfort the sound quality is amazing. The base is deep when it needs to be deep and clear when it needs to be clear the vocals high and mids are all clear. It is such an amazing clear, beautiful sound.! honestly I was so blown away. I knew I was gonna write this review.

These are easily the best headphones I've ever owned. While it's hard to call myself a true audiophile, sound quality is very important to me across all my listening devices. Comfort: 5/5 - These are super lightweight, have great flexibility in the ear cups, a nice wide headband that is well cushioned and the perfect amount of clamping force. I hardly realize I still have them on after 10 minutes and even after hours of having them on I have no discomfort. The ear cups are nice and large and well cushioned, they don't touch any part of my ears and with the open back design, they are super breathable which prevents my ears from getting hot like with closed back headphones. Sound quality: 5/5 - Punchy and tight bass, well balanced mid and clear highs. I've heard details in songs and movies with these that I've missed with other headphones. They may tread a tad on the bassier side for some but it's by no means over done and in my opinion the ideal sound stage. My only small critique is the headphone jack. While there is nothing wrong with it at all, for most of my applications I prefer having the headphone jack on the right side of the headphones. If these included ports on either side they would be without flaw. Since this is my personal preference rather than a flaw with the headphones design it's hard to deduct any points from it. While I'm confident there are other headphones that sound better than these, the price you'll have to pay to get it isn't worth it to anyone but the most seasoned audiophiles. For the price, you'll be hard pressed to find a more comfortable pair of headphones that sound as good as these.

Fantastic sound quality exactly what i want in a set of headphones. Unfortunately the design is massively flawed and offset a good port of your head tension into the earmuffs into these tiny lil pegs that shear away within little to no time. Mine broke about a week ago and i have to re attach my earpieces to make it work. Philips what the actual hell were y'all thinking with this one. These headphones and design are some of the best i have encountered but why do you insist on such a weak peg based hinge system. I would much rather have fixed headphones and if this happens again to my next pair I am going to hotglue the pegs to right your wrong.

Got 'em for $67.49 on October 2025 ($72.21 Total. Since I didn't have any Prime subscription, they charged $4.72 for Taxes). Take into account that these have an open-back. That suits me since I don't listen to music/podcasts while on the street, and like being able to hear my surroundings while home alone. Of course, there are audio characteristics open-back headsets have compared to closed-back pairs, but I got no knowledge of such. I don't use any DAC's besides the one my desktop computer has, and they work just fine. You'd have to try them yourself to really know if the sound fits you, but trust me, it will. And if it doesn't, some EQ should do the trick. The cable's lenght more than enough for its use in a desktop, and it's also made out of silicon (it feels like so) which is pretty dope for the price point. THEY'RE HELLA COMFORTABLE, even when using glasses I'm able to wear 'em for a couple of hours straight. Also, the ear pads are replaceable, and thus, washable (so if mold and fungus grows on them, it might be your fault). The pair I got had a couple "surprises" regarding its durability: I accidentally dropped them twice and nothing seemed wrong with them (drop of about a meter of height). A couple of days later, I found a metal piece bouncing inside the headset (right speaker). Hadn't a week gone by and another metal piece fell off; this one held the left speaker casing (yeah, I found the whole left speaker casing hanging from its cable). Anyways, I managed to replace both pieces inside the headset and they have been working just fine; like I had never dropped them.

The sound quality is good, much more on the high to mid range from what I can tell. The build quality leaves a lot to be desired, however it does cause them to be more lightweight and less heavy on the head. I have no issues with the ear muff design and rather like the headband actually. The headphones fit very well over my ears and it seems like theyd house people with vastly different head shapes. My three complaints are the build quality, the EQ, and the sound bleed. I understand open backed headphones are kinda made this way, but the bleeding is pretty bad.