Philips Citiscape Downtown - first opinion
Apr 11, 2012 at 5:50 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 21
Costanza76

Costanza76

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After reading Tylls rave review over at his site I was very eager to get my hands on these babies. I've been in the market for a pair of decent portable phones for a while now, but in spite of extensive reasearch haven't been able to find something to my liking - until nown (maybe).
 
Got the Downtowns (brown/black) for NOK 599,- (USD100) yesterday at a local retail chain (Expert) here in Norway (Oslo).
 
I'm not going into any extensive description of build quality or comfort other than to say that it both feels and looks alot more expensive than its price should suggest.
 
As far as sound is concerned I'm quite happy so far (maybe 5-7 hours of burn-in). As Tyll and others have said; nice extension in the lower area (no "boominess" - just a tight and to my ear quite accurate reproduction). Roll-off in treble is not as bad as expected - cymbals and strings have a natural ring to them, and the detail level is nice overall. There is no need to pump up the volume to hear the finer details in the recordings. The mids I have yet to fully grasp. There is a certain "hollow" sound that I have to get used to (it's not unpleasant in any way - just different from what I have been used to in my other phones).
 
All in all - I'm very satisfied with the Downtowns. To my ears (and I stress that this is my opinion based on limited time with the Downtowns and various other portable phones) it's overall sound is better than B&W P5, Beyer T50p and AKG Q460, and given it's lower price it's a steal in comparison to it's more prestigious rivals. 
 
(More to follow as I get more listening (and burn-in) time...)
 
Apr 12, 2012 at 1:35 AM Post #6 of 21
@Costanza, I love your username.  The Downtowns are a great pair of headphones :)  Hope you enjoy them.  So comfortable too :)
 
Apr 12, 2012 at 5:33 AM Post #8 of 21


Quote:
negakinu said:
Better than the DT1350? Interesting! :) Still, I need another headphone like I need another nipple. 
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Ooops: Was thinking of the T50p, NOT the DT 1350!!! My bad (Original post changed)
 
I guess it boils down to me being unable to come to terms with the soundsignature of the T50p (not able to get a proper seal).
 
The DT1350's I haven't been able to audition so far.... :frowning2:
 
Apr 12, 2012 at 1:21 PM Post #10 of 21
Does anyone have a sense of whether there is any difference in sound quality or isolation between the downtown and the uptown? I agree that the downtown looks like the better value (the uptown doesn't seem to add much for the extra $50), but I do tend to prefer circumaural to supraaural cans, and the headband on the uptown looks a tiny bit nicer. But I would sacrifice both for sound quality if the downtowns sound or seal better.
 
Apr 12, 2012 at 1:32 PM Post #11 of 21


Quote:
Originally Posted by Costanza76 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
 
I'm not going into any extensive description of build quality or comfort other than to say that it both feels and looks alot more expensive than its price should suggest.
 
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That was what struck a nerve for me when the first pre-release pics came out.  It just seems to ooze quality in the looks and construction departments.
 
Apr 22, 2012 at 12:31 PM Post #14 of 21
 
Quote:
zzffnn said:
I heard the Downtowns at my local Best Buy. They sound look for the price (my CALs sound better though), seal well and feel comfy. However, I did not buy them because the fabric wrapping above their driver cups makes them too feminine looking for my taste. Your mileage may vary.
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Fabric wrapping is removable :p  Then you can DIY a new headband (padding) on :)
 
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