[Pharmaboy]

Yes, you're correct about going nuts lol.

You're also correct on the bold part and the V2 uses a 100 step digital volume control (and a remote control

) so it works with most IEM's as well and has no clicking sounds when changing the volume.

It's kind of nice knowing that you've got that 8W power if needed, that being said my balanced set up will be a good deal more powerful muhaha....

 
I just looked at your profile to see what "balanced set up" refers to. I'm in shock at the LONG list of headphones & IEMs-amazing!
 
So you have 2 Nuforce HA-200's? (also amazing). How does that sound/work for you?
 
I've become very interested in getting a balanced amp (sooner or later) to use w/ZMF Ori. But it's kind of intimidating--most are very expensive and/or huge. My fantasy balanced in Violectric V281--but the $$ just isn't there.

 

[peter123]

I just looked at your profile to see what "balanced set up" refers to. I'm in shock at the LONG list of headphones & IEMs-amazing!

So you have 2 Nuforce HA-200's? (also amazing). How does that sound/work for you?

I've become very interested in getting a balanced amp (sooner or later) to use w/ZMF Ori. But it's kind of intimidating--most are very expensive and/or huge. My fantasy balanced in Violectric V281--but the $$ just isn't there.

I wish my wife shared your enthusiasm for the long list lol. It might look better on the paper than in real life perhaps.....

I just picked up the HA-200's locally a couple of weeks ago when someone was selling a pair brand brand new ones for about $300. Planning to use them with either the Advance Acoustic mda-503 or Dacmagic Plus and use the Shinrico D3 as a player. Only problem is that I'm still waiting for some balanced cable and adapters but shouldn't be long now.

So far I've used the HA-200 single ended in two different setups and I like them a lot in both so seems to be very good quality amplifiers that deserve more attention imo.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Nice, congratulations!

I've bought a end game dac/amp myself last spring (Burson Conductor V2+) so I'm also considering getting a pair of really great open headphones and call it a day. For me it'll probably be the HD800(s) or HE560 based on my experience with the lower end offerings from these brands. Still manage to be quite happy with the X2's and HE400i so no rush but I know myself.......


Although I've got the Burson I've also been dreaming of a fully balanced desktop rig and by several coincidences this will also be a reality very soon I believe.....

Does the madness ever end lol?

 
Just had a fascinating reply to an email sent to Burson--now I really need your advice/comments about the Conductor V2+:
 
I emailed Burson to ask if they offer an alternative to the stepped volume potentiometer that I've found to be a limiting factor in using my Soloist (particularly as a preamp & with low impedance, relatively sensitive closed back HPs). They replied "Yes, we can offer a standard Alpot for your Soloist.  It's 50USD inclusive of postage. However, you may notice a performance drop with this implementation because the Alpot has 90% channel balance whereas the attenuator has 99% channel balance"
 
That's pretty interesting, and I have more questions to ask them--are they just selling me a pot I have to install (impossible...no soldering iron & very low electronics IQ here).
 
But the rest of their email is REALLY interesting: they offer to give me a trade-in on my Soloist for a V2 or V2+. The thought never entered my mind to check out the V2, but suddenly, I'm kind of forced to think about it.
 
What does the Conductor V2+ sound like? I'm particularly interested in the amp portion, since I'm so happy w/my endgame DAC (Audio GD NOS 19). But if the Conductor V2 amp really sounds good--not bright/cold, good bass, a "friendly" vs intimidating sound--then I have to consider this.
 
It's a little crazy because the Ori is the 1st pair of headphones that will really benefit from the considerable power of the Soloist (4W top rating), but the Conductor has twice that much power! Not to mention a remote controlled digital pot.
 
Help!

 

[tintheman]

Hi Pharmaboy, do you have Phillips Shp9500? How do you like them compare to your Marantz?

 

[peter123]

   
Just had a fascinating reply to an email sent to Burson--now I really need your advice/comments about the Conductor V2+:
 
I emailed Burson to ask if they offer an alternative to the stepped volume potentiometer that I've found to be a limiting factor in using my Soloist (particularly as a preamp & with low impedance, relatively sensitive closed back HPs). They replied "Yes, we can offer a standard Alpot for your Soloist.  It's 50USD inclusive of postage. However, you may notice a performance drop with this implementation because the Alpot has 90% channel balance whereas the attenuator has 99% channel balance"
 
That's pretty interesting, and I have more questions to ask them--are they just selling me a pot I have to install (impossible...no soldering iron & very low electronics IQ here).
 
But the rest of their email is REALLY interesting: they offer to give me a trade-in on my Soloist for a V2 or V2+. The thought never entered my mind to check out the V2, but suddenly, I'm kind of forced to think about it.
 
What does the Conductor V2+ sound like? I'm particularly interested in the amp portion, since I'm so happy w/my endgame DAC (Audio GD NOS 19). But if the Conductor V2 amp really sounds good--not bright/cold, good bass, a "friendly" vs intimidating sound--then I have to consider this.
 
It's a little crazy because the Ori is the 1st pair of headphones that will really benefit from the considerable power of the Soloist (4W top rating), but the Conductor has twice that much power! Not to mention a remote controlled digital pot.
 
Help!

LOL! Here we go ha ha....
 
I know this is OT for theis thread but as it might be of interest to others as well I still put my answer up here instead of in a PM. If people think it derails to much from the topic in this thread just let me know and I'll delete the post. 
 
Like I've already stated the V2+ for me is a very good and very complete unit.  It combines fantastic build quality with all the features I could possible wish for adn sounds extremely good as well, to me it's the perfect all-in-one solution.
 
I find it very hard to desctibe the sound of the V2+ and knowing myself this is a sign that it's very natural sounding without any particular things standing out (and to me this is an indication that a unit performs very well). I actually find it easier to describe what it's not as well as what it does and by doing so I hope you'll get a picture about what it actually does and how it sounds. 
 
The V2+ does not give you a super laid back and relaxed sound (like the Mojo for example) but it doesn't come across as overly in-your-face or bright/fatiguing either. It does deliver amazing dynamics, separation and soundstage in all directions and to me it's very transparent sounding. It's not often (if ever) I've come across this amount of drive and dynamics without feeling that the bass might be slightly overblown or overall sound has some closed in/congested/sluggish feeling to it but none of this is true with the V2+. 
 
Here's a link to my full review of it that I did about a year ago. I did end up purchasing one eventually as I just was not able to fight the urge to own one after having tried it out:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/burson-audio-conductor-v2/reviews/15450
 
I've read through my review once again now and after spending a lot of more time with thre V2+ I'd like to make some claryfications:
 
After long time usage I do not feel that the DAC section of the V2+ has less deep bass extension compared to the MDA-503, but better quality. I'd also say that the separation is better on the V2+ at this point.
 
Hopefully the matching section will also give you an idea of how it sounds. If you'd like me to share my impression with any other of the headphones that I own just let me know. 
 
My hardest to drive headphones these days are the AKG Sextett's with it's 600Ohm impedance and even with those I'm not able to move far beyond 50% on the volume.  
 
Regarding volume control and hiss a I think both of these are greatly improved from earlier Burson offerings but this is just from reading and not from real life experience as I've not heard any older Burson units at home and in direct comparison to the V2+. There's 99 volume steps available so it's very easy to get the perfect volume. I only get some background his with very easy to drive IEM's and even those are perfectly usable to me, given the 8,2W output @16Ohm this is really impressive in my opinion. 
 
I'd also like to add that the DAC section of the V2+ also has grown on me since I made the review and pairing it with other quality amplifiers in direct comparsion to other DAC's has really masde me appreciate it more and more. Unfortunately I've never heard the NOS 19 so I've got no idea how they compare soundsignature wise but I would not disregard the DAC in the V2+ without having heard it first. 
 
The V2+ also has both a DAC and pre out available and I've used both a lot lately with great sucsess (especially DAC out to the HA-200) and really appreciate them being there. 
 
 
If I wasn't crazy and haven't been lured into the rabbit hole called "balanced" after experienced it from several portable devices recently I'd not even think of building an alternative system (the one I've already mentioned including the HA-200). I do this out of curiousity and it does aslo help that I'd be able to do it without much extra cost (I've actually only bought the HA-200 for trying this, the rest I had already). 
 
To put things short: If I could only keep one source among all the different ones I own it'll be the V2+ without a doubt.
 
I hope this is somewhat helpful to you. 

 

[Lurk650]

And FWIW Peter is the one who convinced me to get the Conductor Air, the baby brother to the V2+. Essentially, its fan-freakin-tastic. I personally feel it doesn't color the sound at all, it just lets your hear your gear for what it is

 

[Pharmaboy]

  LOL! Here we go ha ha....
 
I know this is OT for theis thread but as it might be of interest to others as well I still put my answer up here instead of in a PM. If people think it derails to much from the topic in this thread just let me know and I'll delete the post. 
 
Like I've already stated the V2+ for me is a very good and very complete unit.  It combines fantastic build quality with all the features I could possible wish for adn sounds extremely good as well, to me it's the perfect all-in-one solution.
 
I find it very hard to desctibe the sound of the V2+ and knowing myself this is a sign that it's very natural sounding without any particular things standing out (and to me this is an indication that a unit performs very well). I actually find it easier to describe what it's not as well as what it does and by doing so I hope you'll get a picture about what it actually does and how it sounds. 
 
The V2+ does not give you a super laid back and relaxed sound (like the Mojo for example) but it doesn't come across as overly in-your-face or bright/fatiguing either. It does deliver amazing dynamics, separation and soundstage in all directions and to me it's very transparent sounding. It's not often (if ever) I've come across this amount of drive and dynamics without feeling that the bass might be slightly overblown or overall sound has some closed in/congested/sluggish feeling to it but none of this is true with the V2+. 
 
Here's a link to my full review of it that I did about a year ago. I did end up purchasing one eventually as I just was not able to fight the urge to own one after having tried it out:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/burson-audio-conductor-v2/reviews/15450
 
I've read through my review once again now and after spending a lot of more time with thre V2+ I'd like to make some claryfications:
 
After long time usage I do not feel that the DAC section of the V2+ has less deep bass extension compared to the MDA-503, but better quality. I'd also say that the separation is better on the V2+ at this point.
 
Hopefully the matching section will also give you an idea of how it sounds. If you'd like me to share my impression with any other of the headphones that I own just let me know. 
 
My hardest to drive headphones these days are the AKG Sextett's with it's 600Ohm impedance and even with those I'm not able to move far beyond 50% on the volume.  
 
Regarding volume control and hiss a I think both of these are greatly improved from earlier Burson offerings but this is just from reading and not from real life experience as I've not heard any older Burson units at home and in direct comparison to the V2+. There's 99 volume steps available so it's very easy to get the perfect volume. I only get some background his with very easy to drive IEM's and even those are perfectly usable to me, given the 8,2W output @16Ohm this is really impressive in my opinion. 
 
I'd also like to add that the DAC section of the V2+ also has grown on me since I made the review and pairing it with other quality amplifiers in direct comparsion to other DAC's has really masde me appreciate it more and more. Unfortunately I've never heard the NOS 19 so I've got no idea how they compare soundsignature wise but I would not disregard the DAC in the V2+ without having heard it first. 
 
The V2+ also has both a DAC and pre out available and I've used both a lot lately with great sucsess (especially DAC out to the HA-200) and really appreciate them being there. 
 
 
If I wasn't crazy and haven't been lured into the rabbit hole called "balanced" after experienced it from several portable devices recently I'd not even think of building an alternative system (the one I've already mentioned including the HA-200). I do this out of curiousity and it does aslo help that I'd be able to do it without much extra cost (I've actually only bought the HA-200 for trying this, the rest I had already). 
 
To put things short: If I could only keep one source among all the different ones I own it'll be the V2+ without a doubt.
 
I hope this is somewhat helpful to you. 

 
Terrific reply! Every paragraph contains valuable information. Can't tell you how helpful this is.
 
Again, at the risk of hijacking this thread (my current H.F. favorite), here's an update on my Burson situation:
 
-- The Burson contact, Alex, replied to my questions about volume pot swap-out for my Soloist by saying they would sell me a non-stepped pot for $50, and swapping pots is easily done, no soldering (they'll guide me through it)
 
-- He also offered to discount the CV2, even if don't wish to trade in the Soloist, in the interest of "rewarding customer loyalty." I'm researching the hell out of the CV2, but really have to hear my Soloist w/new volume pot on new Omni/Ori headphones to understand what (if anything) I need to change re HP amplification.
 
Also have to say I'm blown away by Burson's excellent customer service. They & ZMF Headphones are extremely good to deal with...

 

[Pharmaboy]

  Hi Pharmaboy, do you have Phillips Shp9500? How do you like them compare to your Marantz?

 
Sorry, never heard the Phillips SHP950 (though checked it out repeatedly...kind of interested in it).
 
I do have the Fidelio X2's and have compared them to the Marantz', if that has any interest to you.

 

[tintheman]

Price wise, SPH9500 is closer to Marantz and this is why I asked... maybe some other members could share their thoughts? I could see that Phillips is open back, maybe compare to ISK 2010?

 

[peter123]

Terrific reply! Every paragraph contains valuable information. Can't tell you how helpful this is.

Again, at the risk of hijacking this thread (my current H.F. favorite), here's an update on my Burson situation:

-- The Burson contact, Alex, replied to my questions about volume pot swap-out for my Soloist by saying they would sell me a non-stepped pot for $50, and swapping pots is easily done, no soldering (they'll guide me through it)

-- He also offered to discount the CV2, even if don't wish to trade in the Soloist, in the interest of "rewarding customer loyalty." I'm researching the hell out of the CV2, but really have to hear my Soloist w/new volume pot on new Omni/Ori headphones to understand what (if anything) I need to change re HP amplification.

Also have to say I'm blown away by Burson's excellent customer service. They & ZMF Headphones are extremely good to deal with...

Glad to be of help.

Yes, the one thing I forgot to add in my answer is how absolutely amazing Burson are as a company. Both when it comes to customer service but also their genuine interest and great knowledge in what they're doing and how willing they are to discuss and explain things even to/with a novice like myself.

I understand your dilemma, my advice is to try to test out as many of the options as possible before you make your decision.

Good luck!

 

[mysacisanorange]

I have the shp-9500's, and can compare it to the status audio cb-1's.
 
Highs - Winner = Shp 9500's
Listening to the shp 9500's highs are just amazing. Brilliant actually. Everything is so clear and strong. Never ever had it have a painfully high pitch, but it feels in a way, sharp? When compared to the cb-1's (which also have great highs), the cb-1's sound veiled. It's kind of like, the treble satisfaction of the cb-1's just can't reach the impact of the shp 9500's. If you were someone who could only hear highs (bless your soul), and tried to do a direct ab comparison between the two, you would double the volume on the cb-1's, and it still wouldn't feel as satisfying as the shp 9500's. The highs on these cans seem to pierce through, not painfully or in anyway negative, but just pierces through and comes out so cleanly. If highs are your thing, the shp 9500's are undoubtedly better. The cb-1's highs are great too. Just not shp-9500 level. The highs on the cb-1's are still a decent chunk better than average . Just doesn't have that clarity and treble (impact) that the shp 9500's have. The cb-1's are in no way bad at highs,  Some complain about sibilant highs on the shp's. I don't think sibilance is as prevalent in these cans as much as people say it is. Can be fixed with EQ
 
Mids - Winner = Shp 9500's
Mid's on the shp 9500's are also very good. Equally as good as the highs. Just amazing. I honesty think that the cb-1's are good here too. I feel as though the 9500's do a slightly better job at mids. When listening to Breezeblocks by Alt-J, the mids/vocals just sound better on the shp-9500's. The voice is raspier on the shp-9500's than on the cb-1's. Not raspy in the sense of $1 earbuds with static, but like, it seems like an extremely accurate portrayal of the artist's voice (This guy has a super raspy voice, and I imagine the shp's play his voice the way it exactly sounds). Both headphones have good detail, but the shp-9500's are open back, and I'm sure the sound stage really helps it here. I do think that there could be a tad more emphasis on the cb-1's
 
Lows  - Winner - Status Audio CB-1's
The bass on the shp 9500's suck. Straight out. It's bass anemic, lacks sub bass  and bass impact. The bass is just weak. It's not sloppy or anything bad in that sense. It''s just not there. If you dislike bass (if that's possible), then these are perfect. The bass, aside from quantity, doesn't have super glaring issues. If there were simply more bass, the bass on these would be fine. The quality of  bass is fine, there's just not nearly enough. I wouldn't call myself a bass head, but these definitely lack bass. The bass on the cb-1's are good. Punchy, strong, not over bearing, not sloppy in the slightest. It's quite good bass actually, and while it may not be enough in quantity to satisfy a bass head, the quality of bass is good enough to please anyone. The quantity of bass on these cans is ever so slightly more than neutral. It's good. The cb-1's are advertised neutral cans, and despite being a tad (I mean incredibly small) bassier than completely neutral, I doubt anyone would confuse them as bass heavy. 
 
Build - Winner = Shp 9500
Shp-Actually built amazingly well. I've sat on it twice to feel it flex and survive with no damage. Does make noise if you shake it. That is the only negative. Everything else is perfect. Build quality is top notch. Feel too good to be true. They do look a bit ugly. The cb-1's greatest weakness might as well be build quality. 
Cb-1 - Built okay. Plastic band is  a HUGE no-no for me. If  you don't care about plastic bands then the build is very decent. Cups are like a nice painted on aluminum or something. Takes a plastic fantastic approach, but still feels quite well made. Solid plastic. 
 
Comfort - Winner= Shp 9500 / CB-1's (debatable)
SHP- Low clamp force. I love it. Huge pads. More surface area = less pressure in one spot = more comfort. I just love it. Pads were a bit shallow so I modded them. Headband is well padded, could be a bit softer material but I still love it. Very good comfort. Velour/Fabric. I actually worship pleather/leather though, but it wouldn't work for open backs.
Cb-1's. Very good. A decent chunk clampier than the shp's, but it's only a tad too clampy for me (fyi: I hate clamp more than anyone. My headphones are stretched out to be 1 inch thinner than my head, at rest. If the cb-1's are only SLIGHTLY too tight for me, it's an appropriate amount for others), which is probably perfectly fine for anyone else on earth. Amazing ear pads. Good top padding. I might be a bit biased here because I love pleather.
 
Appearance -Winner = CB-1's
No question. They look sexy. The shp's are ugly.
 
Portability - Winner= CB-1's
Smaller. They fold. They are closed back. They look nicer. The shp's should only be used at home
 
Sound sig
SHP's - Bright? Absolutely brilliant at mids/highs. Bad bass
CB-1's - Neutral. Jack of all trades. Actually very good at everything. Not having as good highs as the 9500's isn't a weakness. It's more of a given. Mid's could be a bit more emphasized. Detail is fine. Bass is good. 
 
Sound Stage
I'm terrible at distinguishing sound stage, but I do know that the shp 9500's have amazing sound stage. Wide and fun. The cb-1's have decent sound stage for a closed back. Better than average.
 
Winner-? You decide. You want something closed? cb-1's or other closed back options. You're only gonna use these at home? Give the shp's a try. 
 
Personally, I would pick the shp 9500's over the cb-1's. I used to think I'm a bass head. These make me question if I am. I don't even mind the lack of bass on the shp's thaaat much. The highs and mids really make up for it.
 
I know someone like Pharmaboy LOVES bass. If you are like him, the 9500's are just not for you. Even if you can afford to use an open back for home only use. If you really want to try a budget open back, but love bass (open backs tend to have bad bass anyways), look for the takstars hi2050, or their isk clone, or superlux line up, or save up for a Sennheiser 518. 
 
If you want something that is a great headphone, with no weaknesses (EXCEPT THAT PLASTIC BAND), get the cb'1s. Nothing says you can't use them at home, but you can also use them outside.
 
This is my first review. I'm not that experienced in the audio world. I'm sure a made a lot of mistakes/used wrong terms. Take my advice with a grain of salt

 

[Pharmaboy]

  I have the shp-9500's, and can compare it to the status audio cb-1's.
 
Highs - Winner = Shp 9500's
Listening to the shp 9500's highs are just amazing. Brilliant actually. Everything is so clear and strong. Never ever had it have a painfully high pitch, but it feels in a way, sharp? When compared to the cb-1's (which also have great highs), the cb-1's sound veiled. It's kind of like, the treble satisfaction of the cb-1's just can't reach the impact of the shp 9500's. If you were someone who could only hear highs (bless your soul), and tried to do a direct ab comparison between the two, you would double the volume on the cb-1's, and it still wouldn't feel as satisfying as the shp 9500's. The highs on these cans seem to pierce through, not painfully or in anyway negative, but just pierces through and comes out so cleanly. If highs are your thing, the shp 9500's are undoubtedly better. The cb-1's highs are great too. Just not shp-9500 level. The highs on the cb-1's are still a decent chunk better than average . Just doesn't have that clarity and treble (impact) that the shp 9500's have. The cb-1's are in no way bad at highs, it's just that in the sea of music, the highs on the shp 9500's are like clean incisions piercing through the masses of water so beautifully that even Moses couldn't compare. 
 
Mids - Winner = Shp 9500's
Mid's on the shp 9500's are also very good. Equally as good as the highs. Just amazing. I honesty think that the cb-1's are good here too. I feel as though the 9500's do a slightly better job at mids. When listening to Breezeblocks by Alt-J, the mids/vocals just sound better on the shp-9500's. The voice is raspier on the shp-9500's than on the cb-1's. Not raspy in the sense of $1 earbuds with static, but like, it seems like an extremely accurate portrayal of the artist's voice (This guy has a super raspy voice, and I imagine the shp's play his voice the way it exactly sounds). Both headphones have good detail, but the shp-9500's are open back, and I'm sure the sound stage really helps it here. I do think that there could be a tad more emphasis on the cb-1's
 
Lows  - Winner - Status Audio CB-1's
The bass on the shp 9500's suck. Straight out. It's bass anemic, lacks sub bass, mid bass, and bass impact. The bass is just weak. It's not sloppy or anything bad in that sense. It''s just not there. If you dislike bass (if that's possible), then these are perfect. The bass, aside from quantity, doesn't have super glaring issues. If there were simply more bass, the bass on these would be fine. The quality of  bass is fine, there's just not nearly enough. I wouldn't call myself a bass head, but these definitely lack bass. The bass on the cb-1's are good. Punchy, strong, not over bearing, not sloppy in the slightest. It's quite good bass actually, and while it may not be enough in quantity to satisfy a bass head, the quality of bass is good enough to please anyone. The quantity of bass on these cans is ever so slightly more than neutral. It's good. The cb-1's are advertised neutral cans, and despite being a tad (I mean incredibly small) bassier than completely neutral, I doubt anyone would confuse them as bass heavy. 
 
Build - Winner = Shp 9500
Shp-Actually built amazingly well. I've sat on it twice to feel it flex and survive with no damage. Does make noise if you shake it. That is the only negative. Everything else is perfect. Build quality is top notch. Feel too good to be true. They do look a bit ugly. The cb-1's greatest weakness might as well be build quality. 
Cb-1 - Built okay. Plastic band is  a HUGE no-no for me. If  you don't care about plastic bands then the build is very decent. Cups are like a nice painted on aluminum or something. Takes a plastic fantastic approach, but still feels quite well made. Solid plastic. 
 
Comfort - Winner= Shp 9500 / CB-1's (debatable)
SHP- Low clamp force. I love it. Huge pads. More surface area = less pressure in one spot = more comfort. I just love it. Pads were a bit shallow so I modded them. Headband is well padded, could be a bit softer material but I still love it. Very good comfort. Velour/Fabric. I actually worship pleather/leather though, but it wouldn't work for open backs.
Cb-1's. Very good. A decent chunk clampier than the shp's, but it's only a tad too clampy for me (fyi: I hate clamp more than anyone. My headphones are stretched out to be 1 inch thicker than m head. If the cb-1's are only SLIGHTLY too tight for me, it's an appropriate amount for others), which is probably perfectly fine for anyone else on earth. Amazing ear pads. Good top padding. I might be a bit biased here because I love pleather.
 
Appearance -Winner = CB-1's
No question. They look sexy. The shp's are ugly.
 
Portability - Winner= CB-1's
Smaller. They fold. They are closed back. They look nicer. The shp's should only be used at home
 
Sound sig
SHP's - Bright? Absolutely brilliant at mids/highs. Bad bass
CB-1's - Neutral. Jack of all trades. Actually very good at everything. Not having as good highs as the 9500's isn't a weakness. It's more of a given. Mid's could be a bit more emphasized. Detail is fine. Bass is good. 
 
Sound Stage
I'm terrible at distinguishing sound stage, but I do know that the shp 9500's have amazing sound stage. Wide and fun. The cb-1's have decent sound stage for a closed back. Better than average.
 
Winner-? You decide. You want something closed? cb-1's or other closed back options. You're only gonna use these at home? Give the shp's a try. 
 
Personally, I would pick the shp 9500's over the cb-1's. I used to think I'm a bass head. These make me question if I am. I don't even mind the lack of bass on the shp's thaaat much. The highs and mids really make up for it.
 
I know someone like Pharmaboy LOVES bass. If you are like him, the 9500's are just not for you. Even if you can afford to use an open back for home only use. If you really want to try a budget open back, but love bass (open backs tend to have bad bass anyways), look for the takstars hi2050, or their isk clone, or superlux line up, or save up for a Sennheiser 518. 
 
If you want something that is a great headphone, with no weaknesses (EXCEPT THAT PLASTIC BAND), get the cb'1s. Nothing says you can't use them at home, but you can also use them outside.
 
This is my first review. I'm not that experienced in the audio world. I'm sure a made a lot of mistakes/used wrong terms. Take my advice with a grain of salt

 
This mini-review is excellent! You took the time to compare 2 headphones (one I never even heard of...the Philips) in great detail. A lot of good information here.
 
BTW, you totally nailed the CB-1' basic nature: "very good at everything" (w/better than average appearance). That's dead-on. There's obviously good reason for a company like Status Audio to recycle this Somic closed back design. It's a very serviceable, "Swiss Army knife" type headphone.
 
Have to explain something, though. I surely do love bass, but need to put it in context:
 
-- IMO, just good bass won't be enough, if the midrange & highs aren't competent & persuasive. After all, my goal is to listen to music, not to the headphones themselves
 
-- Over and over, I've heard audio equipment (audiophile speakers, DACs, moving coil cartridges, as well as headphones) reproduce the full  frequency range of music in ways that doesn't approximate real music. More often than not the highs are strongly elevated, piercing. Sometimes the bass is also elevated. It sounds unnatural.
 
To get a handle on "what's right" in all this subjective stuff, I think back to music I've heard live in well designed, acoustically treated spaces (ie, Carnegie Hall; Metropolitan Opera; churches; performance halls in Julliard & The Manhattan School of Music). Hearing unamplified (or lightly amplified) instrumental music in those spaces, the highs have dynamic force & impact, but aren't "bright." They sparkle, but don't hurt your ears. And the deep notes from larger instruments (massed cellos, tympani, marimba, low notes on  piano) fill the space and strongly impact the body as well as ears. "Bass" (lower midrange down) = the foundation of the sound, felt as well as heard.
 
This is what I look for in all audio equipment, not just headphones--that the bass anchor the sound with impact. Beyond being enough in quantity, good bass reproduction requires true quality--the capacity to make a standup string bass sound as different from an electric bass as it truly is.
 
Just having "basshead headphones" doesn't work for me. 1-2 months ago I tried desperately to like the legendary basshead cans, the JVC HA-SZ1000's. Even though they could reproduce crushing levels of bass/sub-bass, the midrange & highs never "came together" for me, never matched the power of the bass. It was a fail...
 
Thanks again for insightful comments.

 

[mysacisanorange]

Q

 

[tintheman]

Hi, has anyone tried isk mdh8500, any difference from the 2011?

 

[peter123]

I've auditioned the SHP9500 several times and it's the best sub $100 open headphones I've ever tried.

If you are in the US and looking for a cheap open headphone this would be my number one choice.

Unfortunately it's way more expensive over here and I also found the fit to be very loose on my small head.