Review: Philips CitiScape Uptown (Updated Sept 18, 2012) - Page 15

Other than looks and the fact the volume slider works right, they sound the same* and feel the same.  I didn't have to pay anything and they didn't ask for the old pair to be sent back.

*I haven't had but a very small mount of time to listen to the new pair, listened to 3 songs and didn't do a real comparison, I had to watch my Cardinals beat providence then win the Sugar Bowl.  I'll give them both a good listen, but first impression was that they sound the same. 

I was just going to clip off the mic/volume slider and reterminate, it really seems like a difficult task to get to the main cable after seeing the insides of the other pair.  Getting the pads off the "music seal" pair seems sketchy, though I would hope the "music seal" trim is just held in with clips and can be carefully popped off, I really didn't try too hard but I did pry at it a bit with a guitar pick and it's definitely on there pretty good.  Might be able to unscrew the plastic plate from the headband, release the metal adjuster, then take it off the post that holds the driver housing on, then it looks like the post might separate along a seam. 

I listened to both pairs a bit and did sense some differences in both fit and sound, but nothing I couldn't chalk up to one pair being fresh from the box with a competent volume slider and the other having had 3 months of fairly heavy use.  New pair seemed stiffer in fit and the pads felt slightly stiffer, while the sound was a bit smoother on the old pair.  Sound could have been contributed simply to burn in or placebo, depending on your philosophical bent, no way to say for sure since the old pair definitely has a L/R imbalance presumably from the bad volume slider so it's impossible to do a blind listen. 

Are there any headphones that have pads as deep as these and as comfortable, but have overall better sound quality?

The Philips Fidelio L1, but it's open. The Denon AHD2000 or the Sennheiser Momentums would fit the bill as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Transformatron 

I called them today and my replacement should be here in about 2 weeks. They just asked me to recycle the defective ones. I may try a re-cable for the heck of it.

I noticed Burns saying it was hard to contact them, do you by any chance have the number you used still?

Thanks!

-Erik

It wasn't hard, just convoluted.  I would rather shoot off an email in two minutes than spend an hour on the phone.  On Philips' website they have it split off into different product types, some had email and phone, some had phone and chat, others just had phone numbers.  It took maybe 15 minutes of digging before I found an email address that wasn't tied to some other product line.  Headphones had (at the time) closed chat and a phone number to offices that were closed. 

It doesn't take but a minute to find the contact page, just nothing by email for headphones.

I called this number: 1-888-744-5477

I told them that one side wasn't getting any sound; they asked for my model number, name and address; call ended. I was blown away at just how easy it was.

I received my replacement pair today, they are the same as Burns11's pair. The old pair didn't have removable pads, but the new pair does. Everything sounds great and the volume slider stays at max volume.

So I called Phillips about getting a replacement, I have some balance issues as well. After I posted they told me they were sending me a new pair, a couple of days ago they called and said they are out of them and would cut me a check for the purchase price. They were a gift and paid with cash over 6 months ago, so no receipt . Long story short, they offered me a check for "cost to manufacture", $27.77. They told me to recycle them at my nearest electronics center, but they will probably be going under the knife soon, lol.

-Erik

Quote:

Originally Posted by burritoboy9984 

So I called Phillips about getting a replacement, I have some balance issues as well. After I posted they told me they were sending me a new pair, a couple of days ago they called and said they are out of them and would cut me a check for the purchase price. They were a gift and paid with cash over 6 months ago, so no receipt . Long story short, they offered me a check for "cost to manufacture", $27.77. They told me to recycle them at my nearest electronics center, but they will probably be going under the knife soon, lol.

 

-Erik

Funnily enough, my second pair completely lost sound on the left side the other day. I called Philips and they said another pair was on its way, so I guess we'll see!

Bought one CitiScape Uptown for 126usd this week.

Variant: brown earcups, musicseal ring, appears to be not the counterfeit one.

I can't add to the SQ thread because of my low end DAC/amps.

But I'd like to talk something about the gear itself. I'll be 

a bit repetitive, since there are already 15 pages of it.

- construction: could be divided in three parts

  - earcups/headband: solid build

  - cable/connector: flimsy, fragile

  - volume slider/pause-play: crappy, should not be there at all with this quality

- comfort:

  - disagree with some posters, it definitely shows some pressure around the ears,

    and upper part, but it's really soft.

 - earbud size is circumaural but just tightly so. And my ears are smaller than average.

 - I'm using it fully extended and I have to carefully position the earcups to adust to the ears.

   I do have a big head indeed, but not the biggest (I'm 1,73m tall). Maybe this could be an issue

   for someone.

-xezi

got mine a week ago from 1saleaday for 55$ shipped. love the sound, i think these sound better than the brainwavz hm5/fischer clones. 

I just hate the cheap ass cord and volume control! 

these are also too hard to drive for a portable player, but fine through a small amp