Do Philips SHP9500 tend to break in much?

[Stephenmarklay]

This is my first pair of full size, over ear phones.  I dig them.  I did have some entry level Grado years ago and enjoyed them also.
 
My sources are pretty bad.  No external DAC using the headphone out on either my MacBook air or iPhone 6.
 
The headphones are not exactly bright but it sounds like a 'big ol' titanium tweeter next to my ear.  Very detailed to the point of being very clinical on some music.
 
This may be that I need a DAC with a better impedance match.  I am not sure but at this point I do wonder if they will tame with time or a specific DAC will smooth them.
 
I am almost exclusively listening to streaming Tidal.  I was going to look into EQ apps that would work with streaming amps also.
 
Thoughts?

 

[Monsterzero]

32ohms and 101db sensitivity,its meant to be driven direct from a DAP/Phone/jack....so the impedance isnt an issue.

Burning-in is a real thing IMO,others will say otherwise,but youre not going to hear a totally different headphone....Highs might tame a bit,lows might tighten up a bit,but nothing dramatic...so in other words,what you hear now is pretty much the same thing you will hear a year from now.

I havent heard these headphones personally,but from your description it sounds like you might have a tech issue....start simple,are you sure the headphones are plugged in fully?

Next step is trying an EQ....From my understanding these dont have huge bass,so at best your looking at trying to trim down some peakiness in the upper mids/highs...which will allow the bass to come out a bit more and hopefully do away with the "tweeter in the ear" youre describing.

 

[3lusive240]

Yea Ive herd that the lower end comes through later after 100+ hours. I just bought these headphones myself. Here are some EQ settings you may like.
 
SPH 9500 EQ
Filter 1: Fc 40 Hz Gain 4.5 dB Q 0.8 / BW 1.7
Filter 2: Fc 200 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 0.5 / BW 2.5
Filter 3: Fc 1900 Hz Gain 2.5 dB Q 2.0 / BW 0.7
Filter 4: Fc 3300 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 4.8 / BW 0.3
Filter 5: Fc 5000 Hz Gain -6.5 dB Q 2.4 / BW 0.6
Filter 6: Fc 7400 Hz Gain 4.5 dB Q 4.8 / BW 0.3
Filter 7: Fc 11000 Hz Gain -7.5 dB Q 1.4 / BW 1.0

 

[3lusive240]

I am adding about +10 db from 20hz to 80hz

 

[Stephenmarklay]

Thank you guys.  No they don’t have a lot of bass but that is fine in and of itself but it may be exaggerating the upper end.
They may just be what they are and that is ok for the $50 asking price.
 
3lusive240, what EQ are you using?  I need to research EQs that will work with streaming apps.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
My sources are pretty bad.  No external DAC using the headphone out on either my MacBook air or iPhone 6.
 
The headphones are not exactly bright but it sounds like a 'big ol' titanium tweeter next to my ear.  Very detailed to the point of being very clinical on some music.
 
This may be that I need a DAC with a better impedance match.  I am not sure but at this point I do wonder if they will tame with time or a specific DAC will smooth them.

 

Unless the Macbook and iPhone have a very high output impedance that makes the brown box region worse, there's not much else that a DAC can really do, much less specifically target the red box region. You're better off using an EQ first just to  trim everything in the red box region.
 

 

Alternately, when those earpads wear out, try Brainwavz HM5 earpads and see if you can wear them pushed forward a bit so the drivers aren't sitting smack over the ear canals.

 

 

[Stephenmarklay]

Thank you very much for the thoughtful response. I will try some different pads for sure. I wonder if a dac would help by lowering distortion. In some ways i feel like i am hearing some nasty harmonics. I need to try some other sources for sure.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I wonder if a dac would help by lowering distortion. In some ways i feel like i am hearing some nasty harmonics. I need to try some other sources for sure.

 

Like I said, it's a lot more likely that what you're hearing is the headphone's natural response, ie the part I marked with the red box. At best, what the Macbook and iPhone have anything to do with is making the are I marked with the brown box worse.

 

Also a DAC by itself wouldn't improve anything, if not make it worse, since the line output of a DAC isn't exactly a headphone amp and will have even higher output impedance than the output of a headphone amp. If you really want to try to solve your problem by throwing money at it rather than free EQ apps, what you need to buy is a DAC-HPamp unit, or a DAC and a separate headphone amplifier. Look into the Schiit Modi2 with Vali2.

 

[Stephenmarklay]

Thanks so much. For sure IF I can find an eq that I can use with TIDAL. I am all ears.

 

[3lusive240]

Search the App Store for A program Called "BOOM" its free. also just try searching for Equalizer in the app store, if BOOM doesn't work for you

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks so much. For sure IF I can find an eq that I can use with TIDAL. I am all ears.

 

Doesn't Tidal have an EQ or tap into the phone's OS EQ? Spotify can access Adapt Sound (calibrated via test tones), manual EQ, and soundfield simulators (room size reverb and tube amp timbre simulations) on my Note 3, Note 4, and an S5 when I tried it.

 

If it can't then one thing you can try is to do the Grado "sock mod" on the SHP9500, but use the toe end off some new/clean socks without cutting a dime hole (or any hole) into it. That adds to a literal veil over the drivers (ie the reason why some people remove the driver covers off their HD650).  If that doesn't work, the only other solution is to get an SR225e and put the small Grado pads (the closed ones that used to be standard on the SR60) on it. Better yet, try the RS2e, but again use the earpad that goes over the driver.

 

[piokuro]

I havent had any quality issues with my 9500s. They sound great out of the box, didnt need any burn in..

 

[Stephenmarklay]

Thanks you guys.

 

[Stephenmarklay]

  Search the App Store for A program Called "BOOM" its free. also just try searching for Equalizer in the app store, if BOOM doesn't work for you

Neither of these support streaming music.  They work with Music on your phone or files from Dropbox etc.

 

[Stephenmarklay]

 

 

Doesn't Tidal have an EQ or tap into the phone's OS EQ? Spotify can access Adapt Sound (calibrated via test tones), manual EQ, and soundfield simulators (room size reverb and tube amp timbre simulations) on my Note 3, Note 4, and an S5 when I tried it.

 

If it can't then one thing you can try is to do the Grado "sock mod" on the SHP9500, but use the toe end off some new/clean socks without cutting a dime hole (or any hole) into it. That adds to a literal veil over the drivers (ie the reason why some people remove the driver covers off their HD650).  If that doesn't work, the only other solution is to get an SR225e and put the small Grado pads (the closed ones that used to be standard on the SR60) on it. Better yet, try the RS2e, but again use the earpad that goes over the driver.

Nope.  Tidal does not have any EQ function.  But I have thought about doing some sort of sock thing.  It is not that bad.