[HotIce]

Canadians, they're currently $70 on Newegg.ca.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826138190

 
Given that the loan expired, and given the $56 price tag, I decided these are definitely worth to have.
Number one for comfort (beats the 7506 on my head - which were already awesome from that POV), and the coupling of low impedance and good sensitivity makes them OK even w/out dedicated amps.
Bass-heads ... nothing to see here, move along 

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

   
Given that the loan expired, and given the $56 price tag, I decided these are definitely worth to have.
Number one for comfort (beats the 7506 on my head - which were already awesome from that POV), and the coupling of low impedance and good sensitivity makes them OK even w/out dedicated amps.
Bass-heads ... nothing to see here, move along 

Actually these have decent bass when you pop off stock pads (just takes some force to pop them off and does not daamge them) and pop on HM5 leather pads. Actually very impressive bass after you do this

 

[erich6]

I haven't modded mine and I get nice bass using the FiiO E12 amp​ with bass boost turned on. It's not going to be a warm/rich sound signature but you will get bass alright.

 

[SHAMuuu]

  I haven't modded mine and I get nice bass using the FiiO E12 amp​ with bass boost turned on. It's not going to be a warm/rich sound signature but you will get bass alright.

I would not mod. Ask me how i know. The bass is there, but if you're looking for bass go elsewhere
I went allll the way with the mods on these baby, and well, i wouldn't do it again lol
 
Hm5 sheepskin, alpha pads, 990v, or xb1k pads, and never do more

 

 

[HotIce]

  I haven't modded mine and I get nice bass using the FiiO E12 amp​ with bass boost turned on. It's not going to be a warm/rich sound signature but you will get bass alright.

 
Did not say it does not have bass 

 ... otherwise I wouldn't have said it sounded nice.
It's a totally open back HP, so bass extension is not going to please bass-heads.
I am driving it with the E12 (among others - currently just straight out of a MacBook Pro HP outlet) as well, and not even using bass boost.

 

[SHAMuuu]

   
Did not say it does not have bass 

 ... otherwise I wouldn't have said it sounded nice.
It's a totally open back HP, so bass extension is not going to please bass-heads.
I am driving it with the E12 (among others - currently just straight out of a MacBook Pro HP outlet) as well, and not even using bass boost.

 
I'm a basshead, and I was surprised and satisfied. I couldn't believe it but they can surprise you. It makes no sense, and no amount of explaining will justify it.
Z Reviews wasn't lying, the cups, and pad change do something that is beyond words.
 
BUT
 
Its simply not worth it. E.G Alpha pads and those mod parts is same price as a sz1k, which would satisfy more. So 9500s (fine as it is) + sz 1k = $$$ modded 9500 like Z Reviews
 
It will not reach the basshead levels per se, but it comes closer than you think, which makes no sense! Not saying its a HQ punch, but it punches, and maybe there is rolloff, but it tricks your brain, doesn't seem like the crazy rolloff at 100hz and below.
 
Curiosity will burn your wallet though,

don't do it

 

[HotIce]

I usually do not buy a $1000 car and put $2000 wheels on it 

 

[Music Alchemist]

For those who forgot or were not aware of the legendary Magick Man mod:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/600088/an-audiophile-and-petrolheads-journal-buckle-up/7770#post_11121790

 

[Vatnos]

I find the XDuoo XD-05 bass boost just about perfectly fills in the difference in bass between the SHP9500s and my Status Audio CB-1s. Mind you it is a very small difference. The extension is actually pretty good on the 9500s, they just need a couple extra db to top it off in the midbass and upper bass.

However that is a $200 amp fixing a $57 headphone. So... not a practical idea.

The amount of bass that's on these headphones out of the box is still very possible for people to get used to. I had Koss Porta Pros for 10 years and these were a clean and massive upgrade. The 9500s simply do everything better, bass, mids, treble, all of it. Considering there's only a tiny price difference anyway, the reasons to buy PortaPros are rapidly shrinking. ($7 KSC75s though absolutely). I've noticed it's been trendy to hate on 9500s recently. I can say with a pair of PortaPros and 9500s on my desk right now... that Verum Sonus guy that thinks the 9500s are worse is full of crap.

Anyway, point being having lived with worse rolloff for years, I'd have been happy with the bass if I hadn't heard other things that tainted me.

 

[Music Alchemist]

The amount of bass that's on these headphones out of the box is still very possible for people to get used to. I had Koss Porta Pros for 10 years and these were a clean and massive upgrade. The 9500s simply do everything better, bass, mids, treble, all of it. Considering there's only a tiny price difference anyway, the reasons to buy PortaPros are rapidly shrinking. ($7 KSC75s though absolutely). I've noticed it's been trendy to hate on 9500s recently. I can say with a pair of PortaPros and 9500s on my desk right now... that Verum Sonus guy that thinks the 9500s are worse is full of crap.

 
I like the Koss KTXPRO1 more than the SHP9500 (and KSC75) overall, though the SHP9500 is probably the objectively better headphone. One advantage the KTX has is stronger impact. The SHP has a larger soundstage, of course. And both have other strengths and weaknesses.

 

[VRacer-111]

I'm telling y'all, need to try out the Shure 1840 pads on the SHP9500's if you haven't...

NOTE: I do have the backing foam removed for better clarity and one layer of tissue paper to help take the resulting edge off.

The SHP9500's with 1840 pads and Fostex TH-X00 PH with J-Money pads are my 2 most favorite headphones so far, and they make an absolutely great complimentary combo.

 

[Vatnos]

   
I like the Koss KTXPRO1 more than the SHP9500 (and KSC75) overall, though the SHP9500 is probably the objectively better headphone. One advantage the KTX has is stronger impact. The SHP has a larger soundstage, of course. And both have other strengths and weaknesses.

 
Haven't heard the KTX, is that the same driver as the KSC75 and the PP?
 
I believe that the biggest weakness with the SHP9500s is the mids, not the bass as some people think. Ironically, the biggest strength with Koss headphones tends to be their mids. The PortaPros, KSC75s, and SportaPros are somewhat A-shaped headphones. Their treble is veiled and their bass rolls off rapidly below 100 hz, but from 100hz to 2000hz, those little Koss phones can trade blows with much more expensive headphones. There is a savoriness to their mids that kept me coming back to them for 10 years.
 
So I can see how someone could prefer them. I don't think they're better though. The treble is simply in another league on the 9500s. The bass impact is very fixable with a good amp, and it is going to scale better, coming from a 50mm driver, compared to the quarter-sized Koss drivers that can't move as much air. (The corollary to that is that Koss cans are very non-fatiguing so... there is that).

 

[SHAMuuu]

   
Haven't heard the KTX, is that the same driver as the KSC75 and the PP?
 
I believe that the biggest weakness with the SHP9500s is the mids, not the bass as some people think. Ironically, the biggest strength with Koss headphones tends to be their mids. The PortaPros, KSC75s, and SportaPros are somewhat A-shaped headphones. Their treble is veiled and their bass rolls off rapidly below 100 hz, but from 100hz to 2000hz, those little Koss phones can trade blows with much more expensive headphones. There is a savoriness to their mids that kept me coming back to them for 10 years.
 
So I can see how someone could prefer them. I don't think they're better though. The treble is simply in another league on the 9500s. The bass impact is very fixable with a good amp, and it is going to scale better, coming from a 50mm driver, compared to the quarter-sized Koss drivers that can't move as much air. (The corollary to that is that Koss cans are very non-fatiguing so... there is that).

Its spooky sometimes how i prefer koss stuff on certain songs even though i have nicer cans 10-20 times its price.
 
Though I am impressed with 75s, the clips are annoying as ****, and the ur40 fills my KOSS fix and is my sleeping headphone as it is super comfy (i put dtx910 velour), shure velours i think will fit, as will hm5 velour, but the fact i even enjoy songs on them. They lack bass impact, but there is something about its sound on certain songs which is just.... there are no words... it feels flimsy but is durable and man, the value of a ur40. Sarah McLachlan live performances (b/c she just basically her hubby or ex hubby to drum along, with her on guitar and her voice obv), and also Tragically Hip sounds best to me to me, with what I have mind you, on DjPro100.  They are not the be all end all, but for the prices!!!! Dj100 have aluminum cups!!! Amazing.
 
9500s i used for sleeping when stock and are awesome for that, they didn't fall off my head. Obv not with those boob cup mods, but in stock form with stock pads, Good bedtime can, low cost, and durable, they will not break. And if they do, well you can move on by using drivers for projects

 

[erich6]

​Just got the Oppo HA-2SE DAC/Amp and I'm very happy to report it pairs extremely well with the SHP-9500 (with bass boost on).  Fantastic little device...I had been on the fence about getting the Oppo as I read DACs have little impact on sound quality BUT man what a difference it makes to me! Specially playing with DSD and lossless FLAC with direct bitstreaming off Foobar2000 or JRiver (going to be giving Roon a try).

 

[micmacmo]

File under better-late-than-never.
 
My impressions...
These phones required a bit of burn-in. Maybe 10 hours. Out of the box, there was too much energy at the top end, so they were fatiguing to my ears.
 
After 10 hours, they sound very good out of a portable digital player or smartphone. (Especially when you factor in that they were less $80 Canadian delivered to my door.) But they sound even better out of a modest amp. I tried it with my mini^3 and Objective amps, and might prefer it with the slightly warmer mini^3. In any case, I prefer them over what I recall of the venerable K701, even when the K701 were driven by a full-size amp.
 
Build quality is just okay. The snaps that hold the suspension strap to the headband popped apart during the first day. I snapped them back into place (and they haven't come apart since). But still... Materials aren't flimsy, but they aren't robust either.
 
I'd say they are reasonably balanced, but tip in favour of brightness. Good bass extension and texture. The mids are not recessed to my ears and can even sound lush. Even female singers who have a nasal quality to their voice have a nice bit of presence with these headphones. Trebles are there, not tiring. (The amount of bass and the weight of the mids improves with an amplifier.)
 
Sound stage is disappointing. Even though the drivers are angled slightly, which can help the soundstage. No real sense of space.
 
Great bang for the buck cans.