[Denon2010]

First off let me just say that in person, these things are absolutely gorgeous, they have this funky 90's design the material is like super soft car seat its truly something and I am a person with sensitive skin. It has a mesh look but feels nothing like it, it feels soft and plush. The design is beautiful its basically like a design that should have existed in the 90's but never existed, instead of someone from the 90's picturing what headphones in the future would look like, its basically someone from the future picturing what a proper 90's design should have been and what it needed. The only headphones I can think off that looks better thanthis is maybe the HD 650
 
My God this thing absolutely trashes my HD 598 "Modded 555 into a 598" so its true Z Reviews was right the 9500 is practically HD 600s for $65 I am sure in a dark quiet room you may find some things with the 600 to be slightly better but for my current daylight test with all doors and windows open in the countryside here in the Caribbean. The 9500 is mindblowingly good.
 
The clarity is mind blowing the bass the highs everything, it makes the 598/555 sound inferior in comparison you can hear how laid back the sennheisers are this is not a bad thing though, but upper frequency in the 555 just isn't there like it is in the shp9500 I suspect it can be adjusted with an EQ but I don't like EQ it distorts the audio if you ask me I like to leave it flat. It has a lot better sound stage aswell. The senneiser sounds lazy and fatigue in comparison. The highs in the 9500 totally blows away the 555, the bass in both are sub par in comparison to closed cans but the shp 9500 is noticeably better than the 555 at default EQ the 9500 has more bass its closer to that of a closed can but still very far off which is to be expected from open back cans.
 
Now my HD 555 are 10 years old I bought it back in 2006 if I remember correctly. I currently run both headphones on a ASUS Xonar DG sound card. It has a night and day difference over onboard sound. Even my so called high end asus crystal sound 2 onboard using Japanese audio caps the xonar dg sound card is still significantly better sounding when I swap them.
 
Music tested so far are
 
Pink Floyd - Sorrow / Marooned
 
Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles
 
Bob Marley - Sun is Shining
 
these Phillips make Pink Floyd absolutely shine, I have never heard anything like this I should mention
 

 

[Denon2010]

Ooh btw the pads are totally removable for cleaning, it takes 3 seconds to remove the pads. And you snap it back into the 4 clips its the easiest pad removal of any headphone I have ever seen. This is great, people say they soak sweat but its not been a big issue with me, I live in hot Caribbean tropics and these are perfect thanks to their open back design. But thank god the pads are super easy removable.

 

[McPatD]

Interesting you mention headphones to sound different in darkness and in light. This is very true for me as well.

 

[Denon2010]

Interesting you mention headphones to sound different in darkness and in light. This is very true for me as well.

Ooh yes when night comes, the temp gets cool, I turn off the overhead lights and sit in the quiet dark, it becomes apparent just how much different everything sounds and how immersive the experience is.
 
It has to do with your brain focusing more on sound when it does not have to deal with vision at the same time. It seems the brain processes audio better when it does not have to process vision at the same time. Its true for blind people aswell the ear becomes more sensitive if you go blind in order to protect you, its an evolutionary survival trait I think.

 

[danmlr]

I'm partial to koss headphones, but I've also listened to the 9500's and own a wide range of lower end earbuds and IEM's. Also, I haven't listened to the 555/598's. 
 
With those caveats aside, I was not especially impressed with the 9500's. They are not so much bass lite, as they are very trebly and peaky. There's nothing wrong with a bit of treble emphasis, but the treble emphasis on the 9500's sounded very artificial, to the point of distraction. 
 
After a while, the sound signature becomes very enjoyable to listen to. But I never got the impression that the 9500's sounded accurate at all. 
 
If you don't require noise isolation in your headphones, I suggest you get your hands on the following:
 
1. several pair of parts express headbands
 
2. Koss KSC75, SportaPro, and PortaPro drivers. 
 
3. clip the SportaPro and PortaPro drivers into the parts express headbands.
 
4. clip the KSC75 drivers into the sportapro and portapro headbands. 
 
Enjoy the results. I think all of the koss drivers listed above have much more impressive bass and the treble seems far more natural than with 9500's. 
 
Amazingly, all of the hardware I listed above will only set you back $100 or less.
 
Oh, and grab a Fiio E6 while it's still available. 

 

[Denon2010]

^ I agree the Treble is certainly high, but I feel as if its in a natural way.
 
Are you saying the 9500 highs are not how it is supposed to sound?
 
the HD 555 and 598 are laid back and quite accurate but for some weird reason I find the 9500 to sound better, how can this be?

 

[danmlr]

To my ear, the 9500's are artificially bright. This is a subjective assessment however, as different listeners have different preferences and different standards. 
 
I've only tried the sennheiser px100 years ago; I don't recall if it was the original or the ii version. That headphone sounded like it had rolled off treble, along with weak bass, a very bad combination. 
 
It seems as if you like a bright sound with ample treble. I find the Koss KSC75 much more balanced, IF it's paired with a headband with some decent clamping force, esp. a Koss PortaPro headband or maybe a parts express headband. 
 
If you ever get the budget, grab a pair of KSC75's and Portapro's. You will need to budget about $50. I think you will find the KSC75 drivers with portapro headband to be a revelation. 

 

[hylas512]

I used these headphones for about a year before I moved to HD600s. I liked them very much and I agree with most of what has been said here. As to the brightness, I am not very treble sensitive, so on some songs they just seemed somewhat bright (not a bad thing at all), and on some recordings they seemed just a bit too much more emphasized (not murderous though). At their price and comfort level, I didn't care, even though I am a stickler for neutrality.

 

[danmlr]

After listening to the 9500's I'm very surprised that they'd be compared to the Senn600's The 600's have a reputation as a price range benchmark for a neutral sound signature. The 9500's clearly tilt towards a bright, maybe even excessively bright sound signature. It really makes me wonder what the heck head fi reviewers are talking about sometimes. 
 
I feel like I've been led to some really terrific finds: the Fiio X5 and VE monk plus come to mind immediately. But I've also read rave reviews for plenty of other headphones and IEM's (which I won't list here, at least not for the moment) which were clear duds. 
 
Sad to say, the 9500's are much closer to a "hit" rather than a miss for me. They're not especially expensive, and they are fun to listen to, but it's really very odd to compare the treble happy 9500's to a neutral sound signature benchmark like the 600's. 
 
Anyway, I'm glad you all are enjoying the 9500's even more than I did; I just want to let potential buyers know that they aren't anywhere near neutral. 

 

[Denon2010]

The only real complaint I have is that these ear pads are so shallow.
 
I may do a mod on them and put on the brainwavz

 

[Denon2010]

I have had these headphones for 2 weeks.
 
Ok so... The sound? huge stuff some real mama jama business we have going on here. This is cleaner than the ATH M50 and best of all its actually open. Bass is huge for open back aswell way stronger and more powerful than my HD 598 These Phillips are likely on par with the HD 600.
 
Now for built, the looks are incredibly beautiful, but boy is it disgustingly uncomfortable stock pads are absolute GARBAGE. Too slippery, too big and too shallow and a stupid 90's car seat material. I sort of kinda fixed this by ripping the pads from the glue and stuffing sponge underneath it to raise it and give it thickness it feels better now but I still do not like it.
 
Headband? OMG the headband is trash its waaaay too slack it has 0 clamping force and slippery pads mean it always slide off my head with the slightest tilt. And mind you I actually have a large head.
 
So where are we now? massive sound for the price essentially HD 600 sennheiser sound but man is the build trash.

 

[thamasha69]

  I'm partial to koss headphones, but I've also listened to the 9500's and own a wide range of lower end earbuds and IEM's. Also, I haven't listened to the 555/598's. 
 
With those caveats aside, I was not especially impressed with the 9500's. They are not so much bass lite, as they are very trebly and peaky. There's nothing wrong with a bit of treble emphasis, but the treble emphasis on the 9500's sounded very artificial, to the point of distraction. 
 
After a while, the sound signature becomes very enjoyable to listen to. But I never got the impression that the 9500's sounded accurate at all. 
 
If you don't require noise isolation in your headphones, I suggest you get your hands on the following:
 
1. several pair of parts express headbands
 
2. Koss KSC75, SportaPro, and PortaPro drivers. 
 
3. clip the SportaPro and PortaPro drivers into the parts express headbands.
 
4. clip the KSC75 drivers into the sportapro and portapro headbands. 
 
Enjoy the results. I think all of the koss drivers listed above have much more impressive bass and the treble seems far more natural than with 9500's. 
 
Amazingly, all of the hardware I listed above will only set you back $100 or less.
 
Oh, and grab a Fiio E6 while it's still available. 

Thank you @Denon5220 for starting this thread...I'm glad I stumbled across it. A month or two ago I read through the SHP9500 thread in its entirety thinking it could be a fun headphone to mod - pads and a cable. I definitely prefer open headphones, as I prefer earbuds to IEMs for that larger sense of space/imaging/soundstage.
 
Regarding the KSC75, my journey with it began about a year ago with a Parts Express headband. I have used a bit of EQ to boost the low end and scoop the mids just a touch where the vocals sounded harsh/granular to me at high volumes. Still not as bassy as a PortaPro, but with that additional punch when needed while retaining clarity/air. I absolutely love the detail and tonality the KSC75 offers and the treble has always sounded just right to me. I attended Rocky Mountain Audio Fest earlier this month and tested a lot of gear....and left mostly realizing that Koss headphones were giving me everything I wanted...like I didn't feel like I was missing out on much. I also just got a HiFimeDIY 9018 and paired with the KSC75's I dunno where else to go from here lol I am loving what I am hearing.
 
That said, the SHP9500 were appealing to me as I love budget gear that reaches far, and wondered if they could be the headphone to overtake my KSC75's....
 
@danmir I appreciate your comparisons and thoughts as you are the only person I've come across that has compared Koss headphones to the SHP9500. I'm not sure anymore if I would like them. I would not say that I am sensitive to treble, I enjoy it, but I am cognizant of it to the point of distraction if it doesn't sound right/accurate. I would like to hear them someday though still, as well as Fidelio X2.

 

[Denon2010]

^ Feel as though its much better to lower the EQ to adjust a headphone than to raise it thats one benefit of the 9500 being too aggressive in treble. reducing the EQ is a breeze and will not distort sound. I have grown to love the high in the 9500 and can't live without it now.
 
If and only if you are willing to mod then get the SHP 9500 the stock earpads are complete anal trash, too slippery feeling and waaaay too shallow and big. You need to get the leather HM5 pads but be careful they deteriorate after 1 year the pleather is really poor quality
 
BTW you mentioned you go to those events that allow you to test different headphones, what do those places look like? are there only whites at those festivals? or are there other races? what happens if a colored person wants to listen to a headphone? do people behave in a scornful way towards them or do they treat them about the same as everyone else? strange question I know but most people who post on this site does come across as very high class rich whites so I am curious as to how they respond to someone of a different race wanting to put the headphones on their head. This is for my own personal knowledge to understand what other countries and cultures are like.

 

[danmlr]

 
Thank you @Denon5220 for starting this thread...I'm glad I stumbled across it. A month or two ago I read through the SHP9500 thread in its entirety thinking it could be a fun headphone to mod - pads and a cable. I definitely prefer open headphones, as I prefer earbuds to IEMs for that larger sense of space/imaging/soundstage.
 
Regarding the KSC75, my journey with it began about a year ago with a Parts Express headband. I have used a bit of EQ to boost the low end and scoop the mids just a touch where the vocals sounded harsh/granular to me at high volumes. Still not as bassy as a PortaPro, but with that additional punch when needed while retaining clarity/air. I absolutely love the detail and tonality the KSC75 offers and the treble has always sounded just right to me. I attended Rocky Mountain Audio Fest earlier this month and tested a lot of gear....and left mostly realizing that Koss headphones were giving me everything I wanted...like I didn't feel like I was missing out on much. I also just got a HiFimeDIY 9018 and paired with the KSC75's I dunno where else to go from here lol I am loving what I am hearing.
 
That said, the SHP9500 were appealing to me as I love budget gear that reaches far, and wondered if they could be the headphone to overtake my KSC75's....
 
@danmir I appreciate your comparisons and thoughts as you are the only person I've come across that has compared Koss headphones to the SHP9500. I'm not sure anymore if I would like them. I would not say that I am sensitive to treble, I enjoy it, but I am cognizant of it to the point of distraction if it doesn't sound right/accurate. I would like to hear them someday though still, as well as Fidelio X2.

I have the same impressions of the open back koss headphones. Namely, they get you 95-98% of the way to what is possible with headphones. The other 2-5% being placebo effect.
 
I could grant that more expensive headphones use more material, larger drivers and perhaps costlier material. But this comes with penalties such as weight, heat and a concomitant decrease in comfort. It's a lot easier to immerse yourself in and enjoy your music with super lightweight koss headphones as opposed to the heat trapping monsters like "higher end" full size headphones. 
 
As far as the 75's, pair the drivers with either portapro or sportapro headband, preferably portapro's. That will increase the bass significantly. 
 
If you have the budget, why not give the 9500's a try? I don't think you'll like them very much quite frankly, but the cost of entry is relatively low. I think you'd do much, much better with another pair of 75's with the koss headbands I listed above at the same cost or less. 

 

[thamasha69]

@Denon5220 This is the event I attended:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/822365/2016-canjam-rmaf-impressions-denver
 
There are vendors and people from all over the world there. Annually it is held in the Marriott hotel with most of the stereo guys setting up demos in the hotel rooms and headphones (CanJam) housed in its own large room, though this year it was in a separate tent out of the building due to renovations. It is designed so that everyone in the community can interact, share, and test gear. It is really a fantastic show and I look forward to it every year.

 
I have the same impressions of the open back koss headphones. Namely, they get you 95-98% of the way to what is possible with headphones. The other 2-5% being placebo effect.
 
I could grant that more expensive headphones use more material, larger drivers and perhaps costlier material. But this comes with penalties such as weight, heat and a concomitant decrease in comfort. It's a lot easier to immerse yourself in and enjoy your music with super lightweight koss headphones as opposed to the heat trapping monsters like "higher end" full size headphones. 
 
As far as the 75's, pair the drivers with either portapro or sportapro headband, preferably portapro's. That will increase the bass significantly. 
 
If you have the budget, why not give the 9500's a try? I don't think you'll like them very much quite frankly, but the cost of entry is relatively low. I think you'd do much, much better with another pair of 75's with the koss headbands I listed above at the same cost or less. 

I am glad you are confirming my impressions...Koss had a PortaPro connected to a Pono Player at RMAF and my Dad and I agreed that it was one of our favorite 'setups' of the show. You can get so far with these Koss headphone, I just can't justify spending hundreds of dollars chasing more. I tested some headphones in the $300-400 range at RMAF and found them to be lacking in certain ways for what I want and kind of just decided I may be at plateau already with a $12 KSC75 and a $2 headband- $20 total investment if you include shipping cost. I guess the DAC and adapter add another $120 to the cost, but that is something I can use with any of my sources.
 
Do you think the Portapro headband makes a big difference over the Parts Express headband? When I first got the PE headband, it was very loose due to the way it slides to adjust for size on either side. I simply set it to the size for my head and tightly bound each side with a bit of electrical tape and it definitely made the whole headband more rigid. I'm not sure I want to invest in the SHP9500 anymore as a PortaPro headband and these KSC75 drivers may better suit my tastes. Plus I could at least fold the headphones up for easier travel. I wish there was a way to just purchase the PortaPro headband sans drivers.