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The Philips sph9500 are a great value for budget headphones. I totally understand not wanting to invest in luxury goods during this economy.
The SPH9500 plays music, and that's the 85% of the thing, but so do AirPods and Bose. The SPH9500 also have a sound signature that is pretty balanced in emphasis between lows, mids, and highs, so it's more comparable to the HD 600. The Philips is a good choice for budget headphones.
The rest of this comment is for anyone who is curious what nicer Mid-Fi headphones have to offer.
I'd rank the Philips as a bit more glaring and fatiguing than the Sennheiser HD 560S, and then the HD 600 is even smoother and refined than that while still sounding pretty faithful to the "studio reference" sound signature. Kind of like the difference between cheap off-brand whiskey and aged, name brand stuff.
The HD 660S2 is tuned more "home HiFi" than "Studio Monitor," with a bit more emphasis on the lows and a more engaging, musical emphasis. This is less about a magnifying glass on recording flaws like the HD 600. The highs are a bit softer, but still very clear, so you get detail in a nice, unforced kind of way. The bass also extends lower into the sub-bass range deeper than the HD 600; sub bass isn't exaggerated, but some notes that might be too soft or quiet to make much impact with the Philips or HD 600 will be more apparent here. The HD 600 series including the HD 660S2 are also physically more open than the Philips: almost acoustically transparent, there's less "cup" resonance on the HD 660S2 and therefore it seems less like you're listening to headphones.
I also feel the HD 600 series is my favorite for comfort. The clamp pressure is firm and I don't forget I'm wearing something, but the pads aren't too small (my ears touch nothing!) nor too big (they don't pinch my jaw muscles), the headband has a gap to relieve pressure right where most headbands would make a sore spot first, and at only 260g they're also much more lightweight than their size belies (light without feeling fragile). For big heads, these expand super long. And that extreme open design also means it doesn't build up heat much. I have more expensive headphones, but the HD 600 series are the only ones I seem to be able to wear indefinitely without developing a sore spot.I also like that Sennheiser sells many parts to repair these headphones; you usually don't even need tools if you follow the instructions to replace cables, earpads, headband pads, grille, even the driver and whole yolk assembly can be replaced (ship of Theseus?!). I've had an HD 660S2 since it came out, and an HD 6XX for a decade, all have been great durable investments and I usually wear some pair of headphones every night.
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The price is crazy. I can understand wanting the best, but I'm sure you can get 80-90% there for a fraction of the cost. Are Philips SPH9500 that much worse?
This is mid tier. Look up HD800S if you think this price is crazy
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I have 660s2. get 600, 650 and 660s2 to compare. 600 for classic, HD 650 is slightly thicker and richer, while the 660S2 is the most relaxed and darkest. 660s2 > 650 >600 easy to drive. Ppl hate s2 due to price. when 650 come out, alot of negative review. 600 and 650 were legendary. I picked s2 due to I use for music and youtube while I work.
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from Stinktooth
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The price is crazy. I can understand wanting the best, but I'm sure you can get 80-90% there for a fraction of the cost. Are Philips SPH9500 that much worse?
The Philips sph9500 are a great value for budget headphones. I totally understand not wanting to invest in luxury goods during this economy.
The SPH9500 plays music, and that's the 85% of the thing, but so do AirPods and Bose. The SPH9500 also have a sound signature that is pretty balanced in emphasis between lows, mids, and highs, so it's more comparable to the HD 600. The Philips is a good choice for budget headphones.
The rest of this comment is for anyone who is curious what nicer Mid-Fi headphones have to offer.
I'd rank the Philips as a bit more glaring and fatiguing than the Sennheiser HD 560S, and then the HD 600 is even smoother and refined than that while still sounding pretty faithful to the "studio reference" sound signature. Kind of like the difference between cheap off-brand whiskey and aged, name brand stuff.
The HD 660S2 is tuned more "home HiFi" than "Studio Monitor," with a bit more emphasis on the lows and a more engaging, musical emphasis. This is less about a magnifying glass on recording flaws like the HD 600. The highs are a bit softer, but still very clear, so you get detail in a nice, unforced kind of way. The bass also extends lower into the sub-bass range deeper than the HD 600; sub bass isn't exaggerated, but some notes that might be too soft or quiet to make much impact with the Philips or HD 600 will be more apparent here. The HD 600 series including the HD 660S2 are also physically more open than the Philips: almost acoustically transparent, there's less "cup" resonance on the HD 660S2 and therefore it seems less like you're listening to headphones.
I also feel the HD 600 series is my favorite for comfort. The clamp pressure is firm and I don't forget I'm wearing something, but the pads aren't too small (my ears touch nothing!) nor too big (they don't pinch my jaw muscles), the headband has a gap to relieve pressure right where most headbands would make a sore spot first, and at only 260g they're also much more lightweight than their size belies (light without feeling fragile). For big heads, these expand super long. And that extreme open design also means it doesn't build up heat much. I have more expensive headphones, but the HD 600 series are the only ones I seem to be able to wear indefinitely without developing a sore spot.I also like that Sennheiser sells many parts to repair these headphones; you usually don't even need tools if you follow the instructions to replace cables, earpads, headband pads, grille, even the driver and whole yolk assembly can be replaced (ship of Theseus?!). I've had an HD 660S2 since it came out, and an HD 6XX for a decade, all have been great durable investments and I usually wear some pair of headphones every night.
Last edited by EverettM1119 May 25, 2026 at 03:57 PM.
The price is crazy. I can understand wanting the best, but I'm sure you can get 80-90% there for a fraction of the cost. Are Philips SPH9500 that much worse?
They are. Thinking $400 is some insanely high amount of money in 2026 is pretty crazy to me.
The price is crazy. I can understand wanting the best, but I'm sure you can get 80-90% there for a fraction of the cost. Are Philips SPH9500 that much worse?
I definitely believe in diminishing returns when it comes to headphones, but these are nowhere near "the best".
The Philips sph9500 are a great value for budget headphones. I totally understand not wanting to invest in luxury goods during this economy.
The SPH9500 plays music, and that's the 85% of the thing, but so do AirPods and Bose. The SPH9500 also have a sound signature that is pretty balanced in emphasis between lows, mids, and highs, so it's more comparable to the HD 600. The Philips is a good choice for budget headphones.
The rest of this comment is for anyone who is curious what nicer Mid-Fi headphones have to offer.
I'd rank the Philips as a bit more glaring and fatiguing than the Sennheiser HD 560S, and then the HD 600 is even smoother and refined than that while still sounding pretty faithful to the "studio reference" sound signature. Kind of like the difference between cheap off-brand whiskey and aged, name brand stuff.
The HD 660S2 is tuned more "home HiFi" than "Studio Monitor," with a bit more emphasis on the lows and a more engaging, musical emphasis. This is less about a magnifying glass on recording flaws like the HD 600. The highs are a bit softer, but still very clear, so you get detail in a nice, unforced kind of way. The bass also extends lower into the sub-bass range deeper than the HD 600; sub bass isn't exaggerated, but some notes that might be too soft or quiet to make much impact with the Philips or HD 600 will be more apparent here. The HD 600 series including the HD 660S2 are also physically more open than the Philips: almost acoustically transparent, there's less "cup" resonance on the HD 660S2 and therefore it seems less like you're listening to headphones.
I also feel the HD 600 series is my favorite for comfort. The clamp pressure is firm and I don't forget I'm wearing something, but the pads aren't too small (my ears touch nothing!) nor too big (they don't pinch my jaw muscles), the headband has a gap to relieve pressure right where most headbands would make a sore spot first, and at only 260g they're also much more lightweight than their size belies (light without feeling fragile). For big heads, these expand super long. And that extreme open design also means it doesn't build up heat much. I have more expensive headphones, but the HD 600 series are the only ones I seem to be able to wear indefinitely without developing a sore spot.I also like that Sennheiser sells many parts to repair these headphones; you usually don't even need tools if you follow the instructions to replace cables, earpads, headband pads, grille, even the driver and whole yolk assembly can be replaced (ship of Theseus?!). I've had an HD 660S2 since it came out, and an HD 6XX for a decade, all have been great durable investments and I usually wear some pair of headphones every night.
Thank you for the write up. The SPH9500 are the most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. I don't have a large head so they have very little clamping pressure. Would you say the HD 600 are the closest in comfort and fit?
This is mid tier. Look up HD800S if you think this price is crazy
Even the HD800s is tame. Look at the Sennhesier HE-1.
These are my daily drivers. I have owned pretty much every 6 series headphone and these are the most balanced to me. I know they are expensive, but good audio does not really age so they should last a while. A lot of people still swear by the HD600 which came out in the mid 90's.
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The SPH9500 plays music, and that's the 85% of the thing, but so do AirPods and Bose. The SPH9500 also have a sound signature that is pretty balanced in emphasis between lows, mids, and highs, so it's more comparable to the HD 600. The Philips is a good choice for budget headphones.
The rest of this comment is for anyone who is curious what nicer Mid-Fi headphones have to offer.
I'd rank the Philips as a bit more glaring and fatiguing than the Sennheiser HD 560S, and then the HD 600 is even smoother and refined than that while still sounding pretty faithful to the "studio reference" sound signature. Kind of like the difference between cheap off-brand whiskey and aged, name brand stuff.
The HD 660S2 is tuned more "home HiFi" than "Studio Monitor," with a bit more emphasis on the lows and a more engaging, musical emphasis. This is less about a magnifying glass on recording flaws like the HD 600. The highs are a bit softer, but still very clear, so you get detail in a nice, unforced kind of way. The bass also extends lower into the sub-bass range deeper than the HD 600; sub bass isn't exaggerated, but some notes that might be too soft or quiet to make much impact with the Philips or HD 600 will be more apparent here. The HD 600 series including the HD 660S2 are also physically more open than the Philips: almost acoustically transparent, there's less "cup" resonance on the HD 660S2 and therefore it seems less like you're listening to headphones.
I also feel the HD 600 series is my favorite for comfort. The clamp pressure is firm and I don't forget I'm wearing something, but the pads aren't too small (my ears touch nothing!) nor too big (they don't pinch my jaw muscles), the headband has a gap to relieve pressure right where most headbands would make a sore spot first, and at only 260g they're also much more lightweight than their size belies (light without feeling fragile). For big heads, these expand super long. And that extreme open design also means it doesn't build up heat much. I have more expensive headphones, but the HD 600 series are the only ones I seem to be able to wear indefinitely without developing a sore spot.I also like that Sennheiser sells many parts to repair these headphones; you usually don't even need tools if you follow the instructions to replace cables, earpads, headband pads, grille, even the driver and whole yolk assembly can be replaced (ship of Theseus?!). I've had an HD 660S2 since it came out, and an HD 6XX for a decade, all have been great durable investments and I usually wear some pair of headphones every night.
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The SPH9500 plays music, and that's the 85% of the thing, but so do AirPods and Bose. The SPH9500 also have a sound signature that is pretty balanced in emphasis between lows, mids, and highs, so it's more comparable to the HD 600. The Philips is a good choice for budget headphones.
The rest of this comment is for anyone who is curious what nicer Mid-Fi headphones have to offer.
I'd rank the Philips as a bit more glaring and fatiguing than the Sennheiser HD 560S, and then the HD 600 is even smoother and refined than that while still sounding pretty faithful to the "studio reference" sound signature. Kind of like the difference between cheap off-brand whiskey and aged, name brand stuff.
The HD 660S2 is tuned more "home HiFi" than "Studio Monitor," with a bit more emphasis on the lows and a more engaging, musical emphasis. This is less about a magnifying glass on recording flaws like the HD 600. The highs are a bit softer, but still very clear, so you get detail in a nice, unforced kind of way. The bass also extends lower into the sub-bass range deeper than the HD 600; sub bass isn't exaggerated, but some notes that might be too soft or quiet to make much impact with the Philips or HD 600 will be more apparent here. The HD 600 series including the HD 660S2 are also physically more open than the Philips: almost acoustically transparent, there's less "cup" resonance on the HD 660S2 and therefore it seems less like you're listening to headphones.
I also feel the HD 600 series is my favorite for comfort. The clamp pressure is firm and I don't forget I'm wearing something, but the pads aren't too small (my ears touch nothing!) nor too big (they don't pinch my jaw muscles), the headband has a gap to relieve pressure right where most headbands would make a sore spot first, and at only 260g they're also much more lightweight than their size belies (light without feeling fragile). For big heads, these expand super long. And that extreme open design also means it doesn't build up heat much. I have more expensive headphones, but the HD 600 series are the only ones I seem to be able to wear indefinitely without developing a sore spot.I also like that Sennheiser sells many parts to repair these headphones; you usually don't even need tools if you follow the instructions to replace cables, earpads, headband pads, grille, even the driver and whole yolk assembly can be replaced (ship of Theseus?!). I've had an HD 660S2 since it came out, and an HD 6XX for a decade, all have been great durable investments and I usually wear some pair of headphones every night.
Meanwhile I feel like a bum with my lcd-x.
It's all relative.
The SPH9500 plays music, and that's the 85% of the thing, but so do AirPods and Bose. The SPH9500 also have a sound signature that is pretty balanced in emphasis between lows, mids, and highs, so it's more comparable to the HD 600. The Philips is a good choice for budget headphones.
The rest of this comment is for anyone who is curious what nicer Mid-Fi headphones have to offer.
I'd rank the Philips as a bit more glaring and fatiguing than the Sennheiser HD 560S, and then the HD 600 is even smoother and refined than that while still sounding pretty faithful to the "studio reference" sound signature. Kind of like the difference between cheap off-brand whiskey and aged, name brand stuff.
The HD 660S2 is tuned more "home HiFi" than "Studio Monitor," with a bit more emphasis on the lows and a more engaging, musical emphasis. This is less about a magnifying glass on recording flaws like the HD 600. The highs are a bit softer, but still very clear, so you get detail in a nice, unforced kind of way. The bass also extends lower into the sub-bass range deeper than the HD 600; sub bass isn't exaggerated, but some notes that might be too soft or quiet to make much impact with the Philips or HD 600 will be more apparent here. The HD 600 series including the HD 660S2 are also physically more open than the Philips: almost acoustically transparent, there's less "cup" resonance on the HD 660S2 and therefore it seems less like you're listening to headphones.
I also feel the HD 600 series is my favorite for comfort. The clamp pressure is firm and I don't forget I'm wearing something, but the pads aren't too small (my ears touch nothing!) nor too big (they don't pinch my jaw muscles), the headband has a gap to relieve pressure right where most headbands would make a sore spot first, and at only 260g they're also much more lightweight than their size belies (light without feeling fragile). For big heads, these expand super long. And that extreme open design also means it doesn't build up heat much. I have more expensive headphones, but the HD 600 series are the only ones I seem to be able to wear indefinitely without developing a sore spot.I also like that Sennheiser sells many parts to repair these headphones; you usually don't even need tools if you follow the instructions to replace cables, earpads, headband pads, grille, even the driver and whole yolk assembly can be replaced (ship of Theseus?!). I've had an HD 660S2 since it came out, and an HD 6XX for a decade, all have been great durable investments and I usually wear some pair of headphones every night.
These are my daily drivers. I have owned pretty much every 6 series headphone and these are the most balanced to me. I know they are expensive, but good audio does not really age so they should last a while. A lot of people still swear by the HD600 which came out in the mid 90's.
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