Philips SHS3200/37 Flexible Earhook Earbuds (Black)

Bas82

New Head-Fier
Pros: Durable, hardly noticeable when wearing them, they stay practically fixed in place in any physical activity except roughest ones, good sound quality
Cons: For the price, none
Audio quality
 
My experience is very different from the other review for this earbuds. The reviewer says that these headphones have no bass at all, and I notice a very good amount of bass, not too extended but with very good impact probably due to the bass port.
 
However, to feel some bass, it needs to be EQd (I am not against EQing, on the contrary, I think it's OK to EQ headphones except when testing them), and they need to be adjusted to achieve at least a minimal seal. Due to the earhook, once adjusted they stay in place. Otherwise, indeed there is almost no bass, just as it happens with almost any earbud. One thing that can be done to improve sealing is use them with a foam.
 
Presentation is more forward than Sennheiser signature (tested against MX80, MX400, MX680 and OMX 90 VC Style). All Sennheiser earbuds have a somewhat dark and veiled sound signature (as in the PX 80, previously known as PX 100), and they differ in detail in mids and high, and rolloff quality. These Philips earbuds have a more forward presentation. Bass is less extended but with a little more impact.
 
While I'd say that Sennheiser signature is more leaned towards bass and gentle highs, Philips SHS3200 have a more V shaped signature. Highs can be a little harsh if not EQd. I find them superior to MX80, little better than MX400 and MX680, and almost on par with OMX 90 VC Style.
 
Compared against my AKG K311, the AKG is better with some kinds of music, but for the music I tend to listen when riding my bike or commuting, the SHS3200 do very well (I tend to listen to metal and EQ towards a strong bass since I need to listen environment and usually at low volumes bass is the first thing lost). 
 
 
Design and construction quality
 
Nothing to say here. I use them mountain biking (dirt/street/all mountain) and they havent failed. Although the cable is thin and simple, cable and connectors have been pushed beyond design limits and survived.
 
However, there is one thing that could be better: the cable does not follow the hook, but hangs directly from the earbuds. If the cable would be routed through the earhooks, the earhooks would be a much stronger stress relief. It's not difficult to fix it by simply hanging the cable over the ear, but that cuts some length of the cable. Depending on where you wear your audio rig (in my case, iPod Mini), cable could be a little shorter if weared this way.
 
They can be used for hours and hardly notice them. Very, very light and unobstrusive on the ear. Due to the extremely low weight and the earhook, is very difficult that they come out of place once adjusted.
 
 
Overall value
 
Excellent, for the price they are awesome. They compare very well to more expensive earbuds, and the added value of being extremely comfortable and not suffering from the usual issues with earbuds -that is, holding its position on the ear- make them an excellent value.

tdockweiler

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Great for exercise, sounds good for the price
Cons: Not adjustable like old model. Little if any bass.
Back in 2000-2001 I used a cheap pair of Philips earbuds during exercise with just a CD player. Back then I had no mp3 player. They were the types that had an adjustable ear clip and they had the perfect fit even with glasses. I liked them so much that when they finally broke I bought the same exact pair! There must have been SOMETHING I liked about them. Obviously I upgraded to something better and have not went back.
 
The other day I was at Wal-Mart and saw a cheap pair of Philips $9 earbuds. I kind of wanted to try them out to see how they sounded. I was just curious. They were nearly the same as the old version.
 
I was going to just not even open them because I felt like it'd be a waste of time. Opening the box I was kind of laughing because I felt like these were going to sound like garbage and that i'd be wasting my time.
 
I hooked them up to my Nuforce Mobile headphone amp (totally not needed) and they sound actually pretty decent, maybe even kind of good! For a $10 earbud that is! The sound out of them is actually very clear and detailed. The bass is almost non-existant despite them having some "Bass Port" as a feature. You certainly don't feel ANY bass at all. I listened to my favorite reference track and one thing I always listened for was still there, but was nearly missing. It sounds like a fireplace bellow(?) and is kind of hard to hear. You feel it on some high end headphones, but not in the cheap stuff.
 
So, why would someone use these? If you want decent sound quality for a maximum of $20, these would be one option. They don't sound anywhere near as good as the Koss KSC75, but those are MUCH more bulky and not good for ALL exercise. These headphones would be good for a runner that wants some decent earbuds with a clip and doesn't want to pay over $25. For very extended listening, obviously i'd get something else.
 
BTW these have been in my ears for the last hour and it feels like I have absolutely nothing on my ears. They're just so light. They fit even fine for me even with glasses on.
 
I haven't tried many other cheap earbuds lately so I can't compare them to much. I do feel these were better then the $20 JVC Flats headphones I tried. I really found those to have very poor sound quality and I took them back.

RiennaCruzar

New Head-Fier
Pros: Good clarity, Decent enough Bass, can get pretty loud.
Cons: Uncomfortable, some high and mid notes aren't as clean as they could be.
I'm new here and got these awhile back for 10$ as a backup. 
I must say, if you're only spending 10$ and no more these are very worth the price. 
Metal sounds great on these, I tried them with songs like Black Label Societys cover of No More Tears.
And I must say they sound almost as good as my Koss UR22is did. Just with not as deep a bass or as clean highs. 
My only gripe is there's no isolation, so if you're around people talking you might as well give up trying to listen to music, unless you crank it up so high as to destroy your hearing or upset said people. Also they don't stay in my ears very well.
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