Philips Citiscape Downtown review – Bass!!! Oh God the Bass!!! Oh look, Mids!!!
Oct 17, 2012 at 4:01 PM Post #16 of 25
Reading what discombob has to say I'm thinking maybe something funky is going on with these, like variances in sound within the same model. I have always thought mine were midrange monsters and average regarding bass. But since I have expanded my stable of headphones and therefore have heard many various models, and decided that I really like solid bass impact, I have to say that these (or at least mine) are DECIDEDLY bass-light.
 
In fact I ended up back on this thread just now after doing a quick forum search to see if there are any mods I can do to them to bring out more bass, so if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them 
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Oct 18, 2012 at 12:50 AM Post #17 of 25
There may have been something wrong with mine.  Even Dre Beats and other rapper endorsed cans I've heard had a less invasive bass balance and didn't drown out the rest of the frequency spectrum as much.
 
After EQ'ing them back closer to neutral, they sounded so-so with slightly notched out mids and adequate, but in-articulate highs (even on my solid state Nuforce Icon HD amp, known to be brighter and detailed); just no where near what I would have imagined after the Inner Fidelity endorsement.
 
My conclusion was that I liked my old Sony MDR-V6 more for a balanced listen at the office and sold the Downtown.
 
Nov 6, 2012 at 3:38 AM Post #18 of 25
I caught a glimpse of these at the airport in the Netherlands, and I was sort of awed by them. They were next to some Beats, or perhaps another bigger brand. They looked just right, the sound was very clear and just bouncy enough, and I happened to receive a call as I was testing them and the mic/audio quality did not disappoint.
 
But unfortunately, these don't have any replaceable cables like my Shure's 440's (if anyone wants to make a soundstage comparison go right ahead). That might be expected for this price point, but it has me doubting. This thread was started in april, any owners want to comment on longevity? Does the cable hold up?
 
Cheers.
 
Bump on 3rd day: No one on longevity?
 
Nov 11, 2012 at 1:01 AM Post #19 of 25
[size=11.199999809265137px]Chimaobi sorry I really can't comment on that or I would gladly help you. The fact is I just have not used mine more than [/size][size=11.199999809265137px]a handful of times, and even then [/size][size=11.199999809265137px]somewhat briefly. The reason being I tend to use IEM's when out and about and have always preferred circumaurals when at home. I will say though that there doesn't really seem to be any reason to doubt the dependability of the cable with normal use - keeping in mind that I am habitually careful with my [/size][size=11.199999809265137px]stuff[/size][size=11.199999809265137px] and rarely break [/size][size=11.199999809265137px]things.[/size]
 
[size=11.199999809265137px]All The Best...kd[/size]
 
Dec 21, 2012 at 1:02 AM Post #20 of 25
Hey guys, I've got some issues with my Downtowns and I'm wondering if I got a bad pair.
First of all, the bass is really low. Granted, my main earphones are Monster Turbine Pro Coppers, which have a lot of bass, but still... It's clear and all, but so much in the background it's hard to hear sometimes. To me these seem very mid/high centric.
Secondly, when I put the volume up (I take the subway every day so I kind of have to), they sound TERRIBLE. The highs are so shrill it hurts my ears. These are great at low volumes but at higher volumes they just fall apart.
Is this normal? Or should I exchange them for another pair?
These are also my first pair ever of on ears (my other headphones are the Sony MDR-7506 and the Meelectronics M6 and A151), so perhaps this is just common to on-ears, I have no clue.
Thanks a lot and have a nice day!
 
Jan 17, 2013 at 6:55 PM Post #21 of 25
I just wanted to tell you that I read 2 reviews from your account.You have amazing and thorough reviews and it really impacted my decision on which headphones I should purchase. I originally ordered a pair of Skullcandy Hesh 2.0 headphones, but after reading your review, I canceled the order and saw this review. As soon as I read it, I ordered the Philips Citiscape Downtown's. And boy they have not dissapointed! Keep up the reviews, I love it!
 
Aug 25, 2013 at 2:10 PM Post #22 of 25
I bought the grey (boring to some) SHL5605GY/10 in a department store in Chile they came equipped with an adapter for Android and Nokia phones , to me they are not bass heavy compared to my Nu-Force NE600X for example. I paid almost 30 bucks for them and searched for the current price at amzon. To my surprise Amazon offers the same model with a slight difference in subtype which is SHL5605GY/28. Are there any driver /tunning differences between those two subtypes?

 

 
Dec 25, 2013 at 3:30 AM Post #23 of 25
I also agree that there might be variances in sound within the same model. I have mines for about one year and they're great, no doubt. But just out of curiosity, I tried the white ones in a local store, about a week ago. Unbelieveble! Almost twice as loud as mines, with bass reminding of beats solo. And now I just don't know what to think anymore...
 
Jan 14, 2014 at 7:48 AM Post #24 of 25
I also agree that there might be variances in sound within the same model. I have mines for about one year and they're great, no doubt. But just out of curiosity, I tried the white ones in a local store, about a week ago. Unbelieveble! Almost twice as loud as mines, with bass reminding of beats solo. And now I just don't know what to think anymore...

 
Well, be mindful that you didn't try them at home, in your own equipment. Or did you take your portable rig to the store?
 
Nov 16, 2014 at 10:35 PM Post #25 of 25
   
 
I'm a man, but sure why not?

Because that is the most hideous haircut I have ever seen... that's why!  Just look at that.  It's bangs and....  What HAPPENED?!  Literally, that haircut looks like something horrible happened to your hair... something traumatic.  Did you get in a fight where a patch was ripped out and this was the only solution you could come up with?  My GAWD!  I honestly feel bad for this chick.

Maybe I'm just not "hip" enough.  Yes, I know it's not you, but I'm just saying hypothetically if it were you.... w... t... f-ing...f....

That being said, just ordered these on Amazon.  I will update this when I receive them and give my impressions out of the packaging and after a 50 hr burn in.
 

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