[Slater]

How do you guys keep the ear pads clean I have a pair but there starting to stink.

If I would've known they they were going to discontinue them I would have bought a second pair.

I haven’t had to clean the stock 9500 pads, but I have cleaned other velour pads. I just dampen (not soak) a microfiber cloth with alcohol and GENTLY brush the pad with it. Note I said GENTLY, like with the amount of vigor as if you were petting a baby bunny rabbit. If you go at it like your scouring a cast iron pan, then you will not have any ear pad left.

I also recommend removing the pad from the headphone when you clean it, and letting them thoroughly dry before reinstalling.

 

[Povell42]

Quick question here for people that have heard both. Should I go out on a limb and buy the 9500 from AliExpress for about 65€ (and be willing to mod the hell out of it) or should I wait and hope I can gather the 150-200€ for a pair of X2 while running the risk of the price increasing again on both of these 'til then?

Really, I'd love to buy the HD6xx from Massdrop, for 200$ it's a steal, but living in Greece makes that problematic. Import charges etc could see the cost ballooning to over 300$, possibly about 350$ plus the trouble of having to mess with customs, which is never a pleasant experience here. Sigh...

I own both. I have seen that many have already answered your question, but I thought I might add my thoughts. I have typically grabbed the 9500s when I'm playing a shooter more competitively, but will grab the X2 when playing other games. The bass and soundstage on the X2 make it a more "fun" headphone to game in.

If you told me I had to keep one of them for games, I would probably keep the X2. However, If I had to keep one for just music... I would keep the shp9500s. This exactly why I have multiple headphones. For years I was trying to find... "THE ONE".

I own 2 shp9500s (Yes, I decided a couple years ago to buy two when they were on sale for $50 on newegg).

So, if you ask me, it depends on what type of games you play. Are you a FPS type gamer, or a more of a Action/Adventure/RPG gamer. My other go to headphone for competitive shooters is my ATH-AD900x. They also have a great soundstage and imaging.

But to be completely honest, ever since I got my LCD-3 I use them to game with most of the time now. They are as close as I will come to "THE ONE" headphone, and I will own for the rest of my life.

 

[Povell42]

Out of all of my headphones the shp9500s still do the best with this virtual haircut video. Seriously, if I wanted to impress someone with this video, I will still grab the SHP9500 over all my other headphones to show it. That says something about the SHP9500s imagining capabilities for sure.

 

[Slater]

So, if you ask me, it really depends on the type of games you mainly play.

I play board games more than anything. Which one do you recommend?

Just kidding around - I own both myself

 

[Creeping Doom]

How do you guys keep the ear pads clean I have a pair but there starting to stink.

If I would've known they they were going to discontinue them I would have bought a second pair.

In my case , I clean my pads (hm5 velours) , with a lint roller , very carefully .

 

[Slater]

In my case , I clean my pads (hm5 velours) , with a lint roller , very carefully .

Yeah, but if his are starting to stink, that means organic funk is growing. You have to sterilize with alcohol.

Once the smell is under control, I agree a lint roller is handy to remove dust and lint.

 

[tolis626]

I didn't hate mine with pleathers, I just prefer the hybrid. I don't recall thinking they were bloated or sloppy, I just preferred the hybrid.

I see. Well, I guess if they work with pleathers, velours and hybrids, having options is good. It's like an eq. But for your head. That makes no sense...

I haven’t had to clean the stock 9500 pads, but I have cleaned other velour pads. I just dampen (not soak) a microfiber cloth with alcohol and GENTLY brush the pad with it. Note I said GENTLY, like with the amount of vigor as if you were petting a baby bunny rabbit. If you go at it like your scouring a cast iron pan, then you will not have any ear pad left.

I also recommend removing the pad from the headphone when you clean it, and letting them thoroughly dry before reinstalling.

I can't focus more on the not soaking part. I once tried to wash a pair of filthy AKG cloth pads, so I used warm water and soaked them in. Within 15 minutes the glue holding them together had dissolved and I was left with the inside foam and the outer cloth seperated. Didn't mourn much for them, but I learned my lesson.

I own both. I have seen that many have already answered your question, but I thought I might add my thoughts. I have typically grabbed the 9500s when I'm playing a shooter more competitively, but will grab the X2 when playing other games. The bass and soundstage on the X2 make it a more "fun" headphone to game in.

If you told me I had to keep one of them for games, I would probably keep the X2. However, If I had to keep one for just music... I would keep the shp9500s. This exactly why I have multiple headphones. For years I was trying to find... "THE ONE".

I own 2 shp9500s (Yes, I decided a couple years ago to buy two when they were on sale for $50 on newegg).

So, if you ask me, it depends on what type of games you play. Are you a FPS type gamer, or a more of a Action/Adventure/RPG gamer. My other go to headphone for competitive shooters is my ATH-AD900x. They also have a great soundstage and imaging.

But to be completely honest, ever since I got my LCD-3 I use them to game with most of the time now. They are as close as I will come to "THE ONE" headphone, and I will own for the rest of my life.

Well, when it comes to gaming, I'd prefer the X2, altough I mainly play games that would benefit from the SHP9500's sound. Thing is, my MSR7 are damn near perfect for shooters. Their soundstage is decently wide for a closed back, but the imaging is excellent and I can pinpoint footsteps' location in a 3D space. However, they aren't the greatest when one wants an immersive experience, say for games like the Witcher. And I suppose neither are the SHP9500. They're not bad, sure, not even close, but standing in the middle of Novigrad's square in the Witcher sounds like I'm in a big room rather than a square. Maybe that's an issue with them being closed, but I doubt that the SHPs would be better in this regard. The X2 sound like they'd fit the role perfectly.

Speaking of the X2, I was watching/reading some reviews online. One one hand, there's Tyll and Zeos, who both praise the X2, each in their own way. Tyll basically says they're in the better side of non-neutrality, while Zeos says they're the widest sounding headphones and have great bass and whatever. One the other hand there's DMS. I don't know if that guy is a troll that just poops on most popular headphones just to be polarizing, or if he's just the most harsh reviewer among the bunch. Maybe a little bit of both, I guess? Anyway, in his review, he says the X2's bass distorts after a certain volume, that their midrange is lacking and that their highs are peaky and grainy. Needless to say, that was a bit of a shocker because, well, what if he's right? After all, his hearing ought to be in the best condition among the aforementioned reviewers. He's young, unlike Tyll, and seems to be able to hear highs, unlike Zeos (or rather, he doesn't tolerate it as much? I dunno).

Damn...

 

[Povell42]

I see. Well, I guess if they work with pleathers, velours and hybrids, having options is good. It's like an eq. But for your head. That makes no sense...

I can't focus more on the not soaking part. I once tried to wash a pair of filthy AKG cloth pads, so I used warm water and soaked them in. Within 15 minutes the glue holding them together had dissolved and I was left with the inside foam and the outer cloth seperated. Didn't mourn much for them, but I learned my lesson.

Well, when it comes to gaming, I'd prefer the X2, altough I mainly play games that would benefit from the SHP9500's sound. Thing is, my MSR7 are damn near perfect for shooters. Their soundstage is decently wide for a closed back, but the imaging is excellent and I can pinpoint footsteps' location in a 3D space. However, they aren't the greatest when one wants an immersive experience, say for games like the Witcher. And I suppose neither are the SHP9500. They're not bad, sure, not even close, but standing in the middle of Novigrad's square in the Witcher sounds like I'm in a big room rather than a square. Maybe that's an issue with them being closed, but I doubt that the SHPs would be better in this regard. The X2 sound like they'd fit the role perfectly.

Speaking of the X2, I was watching/reading some reviews online. One one hand, there's Tyll and Zeos, who both praise the X2, each in their own way. Tyll basically says they're in the better side of non-neutrality, while Zeos says they're the widest sounding headphones and have great bass and whatever. One the other hand there's DMS. I don't know if that guy is a troll that just ****s on most popular headphones just to be polarizing, or if he's just the most harsh reviewer among the bunch. Maybe a little bit of both, I guess? Anyway, in his review, he says the X2's bass distorts after a certain volume, that their midrange is lacking and that their highs are peaky and grainy. Needless to say, that was a bit of a shocker because, well, what if he's right? After all, his hearing ought to be in the best condition among the aforementioned reviewers. He's young, unlike Tyll, and seems to be able to hear highs, unlike Zeos (or rather, he doesn't tolerate it as much? I dunno).

Damn...

I was initially surprised by that review from DMS too. He didn't like the SHP9500 either. But, it seems to me that DMS really values mid frequencies, and the X2 is V shaped while the SHP9500 is know for its detailed highs (not the most refined highs - but still fantastic for its price). It seems like DMS reviewed them after he had heard the massive hype of both of the Phillips headphones, and how these my be giant killers... which they are not. Sometimes very high expectations of something can ruin the experience, versus little or no expectation of a product. If i had already heard many high end headphones and was told that the Phillips headphones would blow me away, I may have been disappointed too. But, I can tell you that I frequently think to myself (regarding the 9500) dang, i cant believe these were $50.

Also, there are now several other headphones on the market that have raised they bar for budget HiFi cans. It seems like a couple years ago, the X2 and 9500 hit way above the price tag compared to competitors. And again... these headphones became popular among the Gaming community... not the audiophile music listening community. If you judge this in the hifi music audio world.. there are now many many better options. But, both of these blow away almost ANY "gaming headset" - $300 for a Astro A50 or an X2 - the X2 wins!
I rarely listen to music with these headphones because I have other headphones that do that better for me. Its not that they play music badly - they are extremely better for music compared to an Astro headset. But, I do grab either of my Philips when I play a game or watch a movie (that is until my Mobius arrives ).

So with these speculative possibilities, I can kinda see where DMS is coming from, even though he was a little harsh. I think Zeos over emphasized the size of the soundstage of the X2 in his video.. at least with my experience with them. If you compare them to the HD600, the X2s do have a much wider soundstage. But there are bigger soundstages to be found in headphones.

Sorry, I know that this is a SHP9500 Thread. It sounds like the X2 would fit your purposes more so than the SHP9500s.

Edit: Oh, I also have noticed a difference in sound between my two SHP9500. One is a SHP9500 while the other is the SHP9500s. This difference may be that one is never used and is basically brand new while the other has burned in. But there is a significant difference. The ones I use more often are warmer sounding. This may also play a role in differences of reviews.

 

[gargani]

I agree with your assessment of dmz's reviews. I Think he was way to harsh in his assessment of the shp9500 and the FIDELIO x2.
He seems to use the hd600 and hd650 as his benchmarks. The extra brightness of the shp 9500 would probably be a turn off for him. As for the graininess he describes for the 9500, To my ears It's not that extreme. I think his ears are highly treble sensitive.
If mid range is very important to him, then It's understandable the x2's wouldn't ,as compared to the hd 600, be his cup of tea. But just as his description of the 9500's graininess, is not as extreme to my ears as to his; his description of the x2' treble, isn't how I hear it., either.
I also wonder if the extra mid bass hump of the x2's also threw him off kilter. I mean compared to the hd 600, the bass may have sounded bloaty to him.

Another example of different people's hearig perceptions.

 

[Slater]

Edit: Oh, I also have noticed a difference in sound between my two SHP9500. One is a SHP9500 while the other is the SHP9500s. This difference may be that one is never used and is basically brand new while the other has burned in. But there is a significant difference. The ones I use more often are warmer sounding. This may also play a role in differences of reviews.

So which ones do you use more often? I.e., which are the warmer ones? This is the 1st time I have seen someone with both and can shed light on the differences. Up until now people have said that they are the same.

 

[Povell42]

So which ones do you use more often? I.e., which are the warmer ones? This is the 1st time I have seen someone with both and can shed light on the differences. Up until now people have said that they are the same.

The original SHP9500 is warmer than the SHP9500s. But keep in mind I have had the SHP9500s in its original box like new other than pulling it out to burn in - I played very soft music on them for about 100 hrs. (*The owner of The Source AV, Jason, told be he burns in all of his headphones with soft music with dynamic music [like Daft Punk] for 100 hours before putting them on Demo... so I decided to follow suite - regardless of the opinions if it helps or not).

I did not burn the original SHP9500 this way. I used a louder volume and probably not as long of a timeframe, but they have had "head-time" burn in too. So, I do not know if this has created a different signature or if is a manufacture difference. It may be that if I played louder music in the SHP9500s for a while, that they may warm up and be the same as my original. But, I can confirm that there is currently a difference between the two with A/B testing.

 

[Electrolite]

I didn't hate mine with pleathers, I just prefer the hybrid. I don't recall thinking they were bloated or sloppy, I just preferred the hybrid.

I was initially surprised by that review from DMS too. He didn't like the SHP9500 either. But, it seems that DMS really values mid frequencies, and the X2 is V shaped while the SHP9500 is know for its detailed highs (not the most refined highs - but still fantastic for its price). It seems like DMS reviewed them after he had heard the massive hype of both of the Phillips headphones, and how these my be giant killers... which they are not. Sometimes very high expectations of something can ruin the experience, versus little or no expectation of a product. If i had already heard many high end headphones and was told that the Phillips headphones would blow me away, I may have been disappointed too. But, I can tell you that I frequently think to myself (regarding the 9500) dang, i cant believe these were $50.

Also, there are now several other headphones on the market that have raised they bar for budget HiFi cans. It seems like a couple years ago, the X2 and 9500 hit way above the price tag compared to competitors. And again... these headphones became popular among the Gaming community... not the audiophile music listening community. If you judge this in the hifi music audio world.. there are now many many better options. But, both of these blow away almost ANY "gaming headset" - $300 for a Astro A50 or an X2 - the X2 wins!
I rarely listen to music with these headphones because I have other headphones that do that better for me. Its not that they play music badly - they are extremely better for music compared to an Astro headset. But, I do grab either of my Philips when I play a game or watch a movie (that is until my Mobius arrives ).

So with these speculative possibilities, I can kinda see where DMS is coming from, even though he was a little harsh. I think Zeos over emphasized the size of the soundstage of the X2 in his video.. at least with my experience with them. If you compare them to the HD600, the X2s do have a much wider soundstage. But there are bigger soundstages to be found in headphones.

Sorry, I know that this is a SHP9500 Thread. It sounds like the X2 would fit your purposes more so than the SHP9500s.

Edit: Oh, I also have noticed a difference in sound between my two SHP9500. One is a SHP9500 while the other is the SHP9500s. This difference may be that one is never used and is basically brand new while the other has burned in. But there is a significant difference. The ones I use more often are warmer sounding. This may also play a role in differences of reviews.

I noticed this with my SHP9500 as well with months. I noticed that songs I didn't listen for a long time (since my SHP9500 was brand new) really had more low end. I always had my doubts with burn in but I indeed feel they got a little warmer

 

[SomeTechNoob]

The SHP9500 really sounds quite grainy when you get used to the HD 650 sound imo. I never noticed it until I upgraded to the Senns. So I can see where DMS3 comes from, but I still find the SHP9500s to be great value for money...when they're in production.

 

[srozi]

hi, i wanted to buy dac/amp for the shp9500, i want to choose between the following, i am advised to hear the ultimate quality of these headphone,
- ifi nano idsd black label
- Topping nx4 idsd
- xdoou xd-05
- dragonfly red / black

thanks

 

[rendyG]

I think all of these are nice dac/amps, but maybe a little overkill for shp9500. I recommend you to save and get a Sabaj DA3. You can spend the rest on some different gear.

Google the sabaj, it is stellar for the price, better than dragonfly..