Philips Hi-Fi Wired Open-Back Headphones (Black): SHP9600 $50.99, SHP9500 $63.49 + Free Shipping

If anyone was wondering why the older model costs more... It's the better version.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones...shold=0.01

The better version... I guess that would depend on how close to neutral you want to be and what you want out of your headphone. I find the 9500 and 9600 to be tools for different jobs here.

I'd pick up the 9500 if my goal was analyze my music and be able to pick up on every little detail and where. For the gamers this is great for your FPS games.

For the 9600, I'd use this headphone if I'm not interested in critical listening and wanted something a bit more 'engaging'. The bass on this headphone is going to sound more pleasing and fun. The 'reduced' amount of treble could also help potentially with longer listening sessions. For the cinematic gamers, this would be my choice.

Obviously each of these headphones have pro's and con's and might not be for everyone. For example, the 9600 could have too much bass and the 9500 could have too much sizzling treble which some might find painful. I just find that between the two, the 9600 would be the most appealing to general audiences.

No idea why this post got TD. This is also what I read from reviews before getting the 9600. It's a good practical summary of the sound difference.

Some things not mentioned, in case important, is that the ear muffs are cloth, not pleather, and I find them very comfortable. However, the are permanent and not replaceable.

There was something else important . . . but I forgot all the details, so you guys should TD this post Something to do with the impedance of the headphones. I use the 9600 for my digital piano and it works fine because I think the 9600 have low impedance. If you need/prefer high impedance, these might not work for you. Hopefully that's accurate.

If the 9500 ever drops to $50 or below, I'll probably pick them up to try.

Which pair would be best suited for a voice over artist to dial in their post production workflow?

Would you guys save up some more to go to X2HR?

I have both SHP9500 and X2HR for gaming and greatly prefer SHP9500. The clamp force on the X2HR is much higher and not comfortable. The velour pads on the X2HR also are a dust magnet and hot. I replaced them with pleather but still prefer SHP9500.

TY. Thumbs up or down, it is all good. These headphones set out to accomplish some of the same things which is to pleasure your ear holes.

As a unbiased opinion without saying one is better than the other objectively, I break them down by use case to which I highlight what I think their strong points are, even if they are very similar headphones.

I think both are great headphones in their price brackets and can be used interchangeably in purpose but I think there are some strengths that people should be aware of or be mentioned when trying to narrow down the two if there is interest in purchasing just one.

One of the most helpful reviews I found as a person interested in both of these headphones was this article: https://homestudiobasics.com/phil...0-vs-9600/.