Phillips SHP 9500 S got discontinued, which headphone would you recommend that fits in that place?
Jul 5, 2018 at 12:05 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 37

Rapalino

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Hi forum

I always wanted to get the Phillips SHP 9500, but now that I decided to, they got discontinued. Also the S version of them.

Now I'm looking a proper replacement for them, in every aspect (Budget, type of sound, comfort...)

In case you don't know the specs, I'm gonna summarise what I'm looking for:

Budget: $70. $80 tops.
Type: Supra-aural (Over-ear) - Open back
Sound: Balanced. Don't have any problem with mid emphasis.
Music: I listen a lot of classic prog. (Floyd, Yes, King Crimson) and Latin Jazz too (Early Santana).
Source: I'm gonna use them on my PC, onboard audio.
Comfort is a must. Long periods of listening.

Right now I have a pair of Superlux 681 EVOs, and I love them, but I'm looking for an upgrade.

Thanks in advance.
 
Jul 5, 2018 at 9:22 AM Post #2 of 37
Hello friend. I have a feeling that people who have Superlux headphones are ignored on purpose. So I will gladly reply to you. Superlux 681 EVO are amazing headphones. You are good with them for a long time. You don't need any other. I believe you will not hear any improvement even if you buy ~400 dollar headphones. I also love Superlux, I have 662 EVO. I seen people on youtube compare our models to ~400 dollar headphones and barely hear any difference. You should know that before you decide to spend money on other headphones which will not be an improvement. You will encounter that experts here could possibly ignore that, be against Superlux entirely, and/or even make false negative reviews based on lies and pure american anti-asian propaganda, probably because of the Superlux origins and low price. Most people who spend hundreds/thousands on audio gear will get FURIOUS when someone else has the same experience on Superlux. You can find various anti-superlux propaganda videos on youtube, mostly from americans.

As you can see, my thread is also ignored. If I had said I have Audio Technica headphones, there would probably be 250 views in 3 hours.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sup...pment-for-24-bit-96000-hz-audio-files.883490/

If you really want something better than Superlux 681 EVO, the only answer is this
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...Q6AMS&linkId=3e8cac95bddd453c1668a0aa87fb1971

Keep in mind.. those are just my... "opinions", riiight? :wink:
(*sigh* I have a feeling I will have to constantly use that as my main disclaimer whenever there is a difference of opinion rather than keep nodding on stuff like "Yeah! Go through your money away at headphone brands that will have no sound difference against Superlux 681 EVO!"...)

I should also let you know, before Superlux I bought a pair of 120 dollar AKG headphones which sounded like GARBAGE. I had to forcefully return them and got Superlux 662 EVO as a replacement because I was implying fraud from AKG, so the shop wanted to avoid problems and agreed.

What you and I really need are some good combined AMP/DACs. That will unleash the power of our headphones. I'm telling you, DON'T give up on those Superlux headphones, what you hear now is only half of their true potential!

But unfortunately I have no idea about which amp/dac to choose so thats why Im here. (I hope my time here won't turn out into a waste of money...)
 
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Jul 5, 2018 at 10:13 AM Post #3 of 37
I had the Superlux HD 681 Evo and think it was trash. Very muffled sounding and unresolving compared to a good headphone, I expected more. Of course, poor bottom and top extension as well.

It's a shame about the Philips. I would try to save up for the Sennheiser HD 559, just a tad over your budget but still affordable and if it's anything like the HD 558 then it is many, many leagues above everything under $100 (except maybe the Philips) with regards to technical performance and accuracy.
 
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Jul 5, 2018 at 10:52 AM Post #4 of 37
Superlux HD 681 EVO have a Sensitivity of 98 dB SPL while Sennheiser HD 559 have a whopping 108 dB SPL. I not sure if that would be good for 20 hours of listening...

Also, Superlux HD662 EVO / HD681 EVO are almost indestructible. You can even go outside and PLAY BASEBALL with them.
 
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Jul 5, 2018 at 9:50 PM Post #5 of 37
The reason people haven't immediately given you the response you are looking for is not because of some conspiracy against Superlux headphones, lets just put that to bed right now. Plenty of people around here have or have had various Superlux and liked them plenty....but your question is about the SHP9500s,and at this moment it doesn't seem like there are a lot of choices that are as good as or better than them at the same price point.
The 9500s, when it was going for under $100 was an amazing bargain of a headphone, it arguably outclassed everything under $100 in terms of sound quality and was competitive well up into the $200-300 range.
You might look into the Lasmex L-85...I don't have one yet (waiting for a killer price drop) but the headband is really good, it's used on lots of other headphones. ( I have one of them and really like the way it fits) and that driver/housing is used in other headphones (again, I have a set that uses the same drivers and housing they sound pretty good...excellent bass, clarity etc)
It's not a set that gets mentioned a lot, but i think it has tons of potential, considering the parts it is made up of.

Superlux HD 681 EVO have a Sensitivity of 98 dB SPL while Sennheiser HD 559 have a whopping 108 dB SPL. I not sure if that would be good for 20 hours of listening...

Also, Superlux HD662 EVO / HD681 EVO are almost indestructible. You can even go outside and PLAY BASEBALL with them.

you clearly don't understand the information you are quoting. Just because a headphone is rated at 108db doesn't mean you have to PLAY them at that level...it's like saying a car that is capable of going 200 mph is dangerous because when you crash going that fast it is more likely to be fatal. Uh, ok, or you could just not go 200 mph. Higher sensitivity doesn't mean they are "louder" and therefore not good for long listening sessions....

[mod edit: merged]
 
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Jul 6, 2018 at 1:35 AM Post #6 of 37
Hello friend. I have a feeling that people who have Superlux headphones are ignored on purpose. So I will gladly reply to you. Superlux 681 EVO are amazing headphones. You are good with them for a long time. You don't need any other. I believe you will not hear any improvement even if you buy ~400 dollar headphones. I also love Superlux, I have 662 EVO. I seen people on youtube compare our models to ~400 dollar headphones and barely hear any difference. You should know that before you decide to spend money on other headphones which will not be an improvement. You will encounter that experts here could possibly ignore that, be against Superlux entirely, and/or even make false negative reviews based on lies and pure american anti-asian propaganda, probably because of the Superlux origins and low price. Most people who spend hundreds/thousands on audio gear will get FURIOUS when someone else has the same experience on Superlux. You can find various anti-superlux propaganda videos on youtube, mostly from americans.

As you can see, my thread is also ignored. If I had said I have Audio Technica headphones, there would probably be 250 views in 3 hours.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sup...pment-for-24-bit-96000-hz-audio-files.883490/

If you really want something better than Superlux 681 EVO, the only answer is this
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...Q6AMS&linkId=3e8cac95bddd453c1668a0aa87fb1971

Keep in mind.. those are just my... "opinions", riiight? :wink:
(*sigh* I have a feeling I will have to constantly use that as my main disclaimer whenever there is a difference of opinion rather than keep nodding on stuff like "Yeah! Go through your money away at headphone brands that will have no sound difference against Superlux 681 EVO!"...)

I should also let you know, before Superlux I bought a pair of 120 dollar AKG headphones which sounded like GARBAGE. I had to forcefully return them and got Superlux 662 EVO as a replacement because I was implying fraud from AKG, so the shop wanted to avoid problems and agreed.

What you and I really need are some good combined AMP/DACs. That will unleash the power of our headphones. I'm telling you, DON'T give up on those Superlux headphones, what you hear now is only half of their true potential!

But unfortunately I have no idea about which amp/dac to choose so thats why Im here. (I hope my time here won't turn out into a waste of money...)
How many other headphones have you listened to? It seems like you have had 2 or three sets of headphones and you have it all figured out.
I mean good for you, you have YOUR headphone needs all wrapped up.... but from the way you talk, and the things you say...it seems like you have way more opinions than information, knowledge or wisdom. You would do well to read more and write less, because you are talking out the side of your neck and it is kind of embarrassing and obvious.
I get that it's the internet and everyone is free to say whatever, but people come here for helpful advice, not to hear whatever dumps out of your nearly empty bucket
 
Jul 6, 2018 at 11:40 AM Post #9 of 37
@Cruelhand Luke
It seems like some part of my text has given you complexes. Sorry about that. You should quote that exact part instead of the entire post so mamy times.
nothing you said "gave me complexes" I quoted your entire post because nearly everything you said was incorrect, it wasn't worth my time to parse it out by incorrect statement and misleading comment one at a time.
I would encourage you again, read more and write less when you have very little facts but lots of opinions.
 
Jul 6, 2018 at 4:14 PM Post #11 of 37
@Cruelhand Luke, well since you're that eager to talk about what I was incorrect about and the way I talk, why don't you please explain why did AKG K92 sound FLAT like garbage? They sounded like squeaking.
You paid $120 for some K92?? lol. You just keep bringing the hits.
Look, you over paid for a lower tier headphone, and didn't like them. Then you watched some youtube videos that said that Superluxes sound exactly the same as $400 headphones and now you're an expert. I don't feel like going through your unintelligent post and explaining to you point by point what's wrong with it.
You posted your opinion that the only way to get better sound than the Superlux is to spend $4,000....but you know next to NOTHING about headphones.
Read more, write less, your ignorance is glaring.
 
Jul 6, 2018 at 5:19 PM Post #12 of 37
When a guy's first response in a thread is clearly written to spark political debate while at the same time telling the OP not to upgrade (when the OP is asking for upgrade recommendations)... just lol.

Also that Superlux is not going to scale with higher end DACs and amps, so you are right to focus on a headphone upgrade. Been there, done that with the HD 681 EVO, went as far as using it with a Bel Canto DAC 3 + Antique Sound Labs MG Head DT (OTC) with nice tubes. It's simply not good enough to scale with such equipment unlike much better headphones.
 
Jul 6, 2018 at 6:24 PM Post #13 of 37
When a guy's first response in a thread is clearly written to spark political debate while at the same time telling the OP not to upgrade (when the OP is asking for upgrade recommendations)... just lol.

Also that Superlux is not going to scale with higher end DACs and amps, so you are right to focus on a headphone upgrade. Been there, done that with the HD 681 EVO, went as far as using it with a Bel Canto DAC 3 + Antique Sound Labs MG Head DT (OTC) with nice tubes. It's simply not good enough to scale with such equipment unlike much better headphones.
I would second this thought. I have a nice little humble Schiit Magni 3, and my lightly modded Superlux HD 681 did sound better out of it, but it didn't scale up dramatically....on the other hand the SHP9500s with similar mods sounds really good. The 9500s scaled up to be on par with the sound quality of my Fidelio L2 in many regards.
Unfortunately I don't think there isn't anything out there right now in the $50-100 range that sounds as good as the 9500s....possibly the Fostex TR series of headphones? I haven't tried one yet but the few reviews out there seem pretty positive. I think they get overlooked because the RP series is so wildly popular that people don't even think of Fostex when they are looking for a dynamic driver headphone, they automatically go for their planar counterparts.
@Rapalino have you checked out the TR90? (they come in 80 ohm and 250 ohm versions btw)
https://www.amazon.com/Fostex-TR-90-250-Semi-Open-Dynamic-Headphones/dp/B01DLXGOB6/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1530915709&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=fostex+TP&th=1
 
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Jul 6, 2018 at 7:12 PM Post #14 of 37
When a guy's first response in a thread is clearly written to spark political debate while at the same time telling the OP not to upgrade (when the OP is asking for upgrade recommendations)... just lol.

Yeah, just about that. I'm just looking for an upgrade, so I would like to explore options. I'm not saiyng I'm bored with my Superlux but, They're the only ones I've tried. I wanna expand my taste and test another brands / models. That's why I want an upgrade, and by an upgrade I mean a headphone, I'm not looking for an amp right now, I can't afford it. And that's just another complex topic: Amps. Let's leave that for later down the road.

Unfortunately I don't think there isn't anything out there right now in the $50-100 range that sounds as good as the 9500s....possibly the Fostex TR series of headphones? I haven't tried one yet but the few reviews out there seem pretty positive. I think they get overlooked because the RP series is so wildly popular that people don't even think of Fostex when they are looking for a dynamic driver headphone, they automatically go for their planar counterparts.
@Rapalino have you checked out the TR90? (they come in 80 ohm and 250 ohm versions btw)
https://www.amazon.com/Fostex-TR-90-250-Semi-Open-Dynamic-Headphones/dp/B01DLXGOB6/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1530915709&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=fostex+TP&th=1

That's bummer. I really really wanted the Phillips but happened this or that and I ended up postponing the purchase. About the Fostex, I recognize? the brand but haven't detailed that specific model. I will check them :)

All that I know is I'm not a bass-head. I like 60s, 70s music and that's why I'm looking some neutral cans or maybe emphasis on mids or highs. I've been researching on YouTube and reddit and found the SIVGA SV007, don't know if you guys can give me an advice about that ones.

Sorry for the delay on the answer.

Edit: typo.
 
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Jul 6, 2018 at 7:45 PM Post #15 of 37
Yeah, just about that. I'm just looking for an upgrade, so I would like to explore options. I'm not saiyng I'm bored with my Superlux but, They're the only ones I've tried. I wanna expand my taste and test another brands / models. That's why I want an upgrade, and by an upgrade I mean a headphone, I'm not looking for an amp right now, I can't afford it. And that's just another complex topic: Amps. Let's leave that for later down the road.



That's bummer. I really really wanted the Phillips but happened this or that and I ended up postponing the purchase. About the Fostex, I recognize? the brand but haven't detailed that specific model. I will check them :)

All that I know is I'm not a bass-head. I like 60s, 70s music and that's why I'm looking some neutral cans or maybe emphasis on mids or highs. I've been researching on YouTube and reddit and found the SIVGA SV007, don't know if you guys can give me an advice about that ones.

Sorry for the delay on the answer.

Edit: typo.
I don't have experience with the SV007...but I do have a set of Kinden which are a clone of the SV005.
IMG_20180603_151414_909.jpg
As far as I can tell the SV005 and the SV007 are very similar...same headband, same driver and baffle, but the cups are a little different.
So, while they aren't exactly the same, they probably sound very similar.
I really like them and they are an upgrade over the Superlux. The quality of materials is better, they definitely feel like a more premium product. The sound is great for rock music ...I assume when you said 60's and 70's music that's what you were referring to. In fact of all my headphones they are my go to headphone when I am listening to straight ahead rock music....they don't have a ton of soundstage but for things like Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top (the early stuff, not the 80s) The Police, The Black Keys, Spoon...for straight-ahead guitar, drum, bass ...analogue sounds, these are awesome. The bass is all there, it goes plenty deep , it's detailed enough. The highs are relatively detailed and well represented, but not sibilant or harsh in any way.
But what makes them so much fun for this type of music is the mids...they are pretty forward, without being aggressive per se. The overall impression is not of being in an open airy space like the 9500s....people like to talk about "these put you in the front row" or "you are sitting 3 rows back....with these it's more like you are sitting on a chair in the back of the studio listening to the band play. It sounds like a dark, small rock club, not an open theater or a concert hall....in the BEST way possible.
 

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