[Markolav]

Thanks for your impressions. Did you test the SHP9500 or SHP9500S? My understanding is they are basically the same, but I've heard some people claim some differences... perhaps due to the Philips WOOX to Gibson Innovations division transfer? Many consider the SHP9500 to be a cousin of the Philips Fidelio X2 (which went through it's own WOOX to Gibson Innovations production shift). I have the Onkyo A800 (open back) and H900M (closed) headphones by Gibson Innovations. The A800 is considered by some to to be the big brother of the Fidelio X2... I prefer both it and the H900M to the Takstar Pro 82 acoustically (the Pro 82 is more comfortable than both). Unfortunately with the recent bankruptcy of Gibson, there might be some supply issues with some of these Philips/Onkyo headphones in the future...

I own the original non-S-version. As far as i know the only difference between them is that 9500 comes with 3,5mm-adapter. Fidelio X2 sounds much more colored than SHP9500 which is very neutral sounding. Pro 82 is relatively uncolored but still not neutral to me.

I think that Fidelio X2´s are made by Gibson Innovations which is completely different company than Gibson Guitars.

 

[Th3Drizzl3]

I own a pair of both sph9500 and the 9500s and imo after much back and forth and a/b seat time i can not hear enough of a difference if any at all to say they are different i believe they are the same thing just relabeled after the gibson thing. the x2 sounds very different then the 9500

 

[nraymond]

I own the original non-S-version. As far as i know the only difference between them is that 9500 comes with 3,5mm-adapter. Fidelio X2 sounds much more colored than SHP9500 which is very neutral sounding. Pro 82 is relatively uncolored but still not neutral to me.

I haven't heard the SHP9500 and Fidelio X2 side-by-side myself, but the performance data does show some family resemblance:

http://en.goldenears.net/31990

http://goldenears.net/board/GR_Headphones/5405307

Regarding the Pro 82 being uncolored, I generally agree with that vs. the headphones I have directly compared them to, except that they do something to the midrange/vocals that to my ears makes it almost side like I'm hearing the music played in a room that has some hard surfaces. Not quite an echo per se, but maybe somehow the reflections of the sound inside the cups is perceivable to me, which isn't something I typically feel I can directly experience (not that this is a drastic feeling, nothing like say an old Yamaha receiver with one of the DSP sound modes that tries to emulate a physical space, something much more subtle).

I think that Fidelio X2´s are made by Gibson Innovations which is completely different company than Gibson Guitars.

Unfortunately, they are very connected:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gibson-facing-some-challenges.867057/

 

[Markolav]

Are here any Status Audio CB-1 owners? It would be interesting to hear how they compare to these. Can anyone possibly try to get a pair?

 

[djray]

Because i didnt have anything better to do for the afternoon i decided to compare them right away.

I took a few songs from several different genres that i would think to reveal differences in the whole frequency range. And these are for stock Pro 82 and SHP9500.

First overall sound signature: Pro 82 sounds more colored to me, there seem to be more spikes, humps and bumps. SHP9500 sounds very even and flat and more "true to life" to me. Clarity is about on the same level, SHP9500 might have a slight edge here, Pro 82 sounded sometimes a bit muddy, not in its truest meaning but in comparison. Both are very detailed sounding headphones. Pro 82 has livelier and "funnier" signature on it while SHP9500 is more refined and analytical.

Then the bass, i have to say that i dont really care much about bass and im not a huge basslover in general. Bass on Pro 82 is more mellower and fuller, SHP9500 is much lighter on bass and sounds more neutral and tighter to me. Both remain good control and sound great to me in this region.

Lower mids on Pro 82 can sound like they are a bit "sucked out" from the mix and get covered by upper mids and lower treble. This makes the entire midrange sound a bit thin, its quite noticeable in some tracks with lots of guitars and male vocals for example. In top of that upper mids can sound a bit metallicly (is this even a real word? lol) sharp or harsh. SHP9500 sounds very natural and even through the midrange and has smoothness on it that is sometimes missing from Pro 82. I prefer SHP9500 slightly over Pro 82 here.

Both have kind of dark vibe on treble. Slight harshness continues here with Pro 82 and treble sounds more "in your face" compared to more relaxed highs on SHP9500, i can live with it but it can be distracting in some songs. Both can sound borderline sibilant, to my ears its more noticeable on Pro 82 (not sure about this but thats how it sounded to me). Some people have criticized SHP9500 for having very sharp/piercing/harsh/whatever treble but i cant simply hear that. But both have lively and sparkly characteristics on treble, Pro 82 has more overall energy on it that SHP9500 is kind of missing. Hard to say which one i prefer here, maybe SHP9500 because its treble sounds less fatiguing to me which makes them a better choice for longer listening sessions.

Comparing their soundstage is not very fair because SHP9500 is an open back. Pro 82 sounds more condensed and compressed (aka. more closed) but i have to say that soundstage is not phenomenal in SHP9500 either, of course its better but its not going to blow you away or anything. Both have good sound separation.

This is where i came to after promptly comparing them to each other. SHP9500 sounds better to me overall but Pro 82 is not bad by any means and i can enjoy both. Pro 82 = better for enjoyment and "fun"-listening, SHP9500 = more refined audiophile-headphones. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Thanks for your comparison between the Pro 82 and SHP9500. I currently have a SHP9500 and am looking at the Pro 82 to potentially get. There are two things that I look at when buying a headphone: sound quality and comfort. The Pro 82 would check both of those fields.

I guess my main problem is if the SHP9500 sounds better, do I really need the Pro 82 even though it would be nice to have a decent closed headphone?

Like you, I wouldn't call myself a basshead and think the bass on the SHP9500 is adequate enough. However, I do find the treble on the SHP9500 to be fatiguing depending on the type of music you listen to, like electronic and hard rock. I'm still looking for a better version of the KSC75 as funny as that sounds.

 

[Markolav]

Thanks for your comparison between the Pro 82 and SHP9500. I currently have a SHP9500 and am looking at the Pro 82 to potentially get. There are two things that I look at when buying a headphone: sound quality and comfort. The Pro 82 would check both of those fields.

I guess my main problem is if the SHP9500 sounds better, do I really need the Pro 82 even though it would be nice to have a decent closed headphone?

Like you, I wouldn't call myself a basshead and think the bass on the SHP9500 is adequate enough. However, I do find the treble on the SHP9500 to be fatiguing depending on the type of music you listen to, like electronic and hard rock. I'm still looking for a better version of the KSC75 as funny as that sounds.

As i said i can really enjoy both headphones, its kind of hard to decide which one to go with because they are about in the same price range and either one dont really have any major flaws in their sound signatures. Mids (mainly lower mids) on Pro 82 can sound a bit thin in comparison and treble might be too much for very treble sensitive ears but those are pretty small tradeoffs considering how many other things they do well.

 

[4ktvs]

As an owner of a pro 80 clone I thought about ordering a pro 82, but Newegg doesn't sell them so I tried Aliexpress but they won't let me order at all without sending in a whole bunch of info such as ID card scan and other stuff.

Is there some other retailer that sells the Pro 82 online that doesn't demand sending in a scan of ID because I think that's nut's.

 

[BenF]

As an owner of a pro 80 clone I thought about ordering a pro 82, but Newegg doesn't sell them so I tried Aliexpress but they won't let me order at all without sending in a whole bunch of info such as ID card scan and other stuff.

Is there some other retailer that sells the Pro 82 online that doesn't demand sending in a scan of ID because I think that's nut's.

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i3156s.html

 

[Markolav]

As an owner of a pro 80 clone I thought about ordering a pro 82, but Newegg doesn't sell them so I tried Aliexpress but they won't let me order at all without sending in a whole bunch of info such as ID card scan and other stuff.

Is there some other retailer that sells the Pro 82 online that doesn't demand sending in a scan of ID because I think that's nut's.

Aliexpress is very reliable. I have done over 40 orders without any problems.

 

[Th3Drizzl3]

Are here any Status Audio CB-1 owners? It would be interesting to hear how they compare to these. Can anyone possibly try to get a pair?

i do have a pair here ill do some listening this weekend and let you know.

 

[Markolav]

i do have a pair here ill do some listening this weekend and let you know.

Thank you, im planning to get a pair as well just for a "test".

It would be also cool to hear how they compare against something like Sony MDR-7506 or V6, any thoughts @trellus?

 

[trellus]

Thank you, im planning to get a pair as well just for a "test".

It would be also cool to hear how they compare against something like Sony MDR-7506 or V6, any thoughts @trellus?

Oooo, well, I’m several hundred miles from both the Pro 82 and my V6, as I’m away on a trip presently, but just from memory I can say this from memory: the V6 sound a little uneven but more exciting to me, the Pro 82 more balanced and neutral.

 

[thisisnotaboutagirl]

The pads are very soft and comfortable. They're light but could do with more clamp. Vocals are a little grainy. I took the pads and put them on my Sony WH-1000Xs with good results.

 

[caprireds]

the V6 sound a little uneven but more exciting to me, the Pro 82 more balanced and neutral.

It seems,from other descriptions, that the Pro 82 ,has a punchier fuller bass ,don't you think so?

 

[Markolav]

I finally received M50 from my friend and im listening to them and Pro 82 at the moment. This shouldnt take long, ill post my impressions soon.