These things are so overpriced, AND they are open headphones. I've never used or tried a pair of open headphones that cost more than $20 so I can't help but think they aren't the best quality.
These things are so overpriced, AND they are open headphones. I've never used or tried a pair of open headphones that cost more than $20 so I can't help but think they aren't the best quality.
These things are so overpriced, AND they are open headphones. I've never used or tried a pair of open headphones that cost more than $20 so I can't help but think they aren't the best quality.
I hear the same distortion on my sr80i and hje70, the song is "Dont Know Why" on "Come Away With Me" album. On the line "but you'll be on my mind forever" I hear a slight crackle on the left ear at the end of "you'll". I think its the recording, might have to tone down the replaygain of this album.
Ok i've had a few days to listen to the Philips and get a good impression of them and heres what I think. Overall they are a great sounding headphone with a good balanced all round sound - exactly as described in the rest of this thread. They are also the most comfortable headphone I have ever worn due largely to their memory foam pads which also help give it pretty decent isolaton.
My only complaint is that they are not open vented like I was expecting them to be so naturally I am a little disappointed as I am used to the wide sounding sig of my Senn PX100-ii's - however this is more to do with my understanding of open/closed headphones as dutchflea helped to explain. This isn't so much a fault of the Philips as they were obviously designed to be closed back but i just wish they were fully open as they would then be my ideal headphone.
Overall I would definitely recommened these to anyone wanting a decent sounding, well balanced and comfortable set of headphones but not to anyone wanting a fully open sound.
There seems to be some speculation that the sound signature of the newer CitiScape Downtown (SHL-5605) is quite similar to the older SHL-5500 (see the comments here: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/philips-citiscape-downtown). It'd be quite interesting to get a definitive comparison
(I posted this message on the inner fidelity tread on the Philips Citiscape Downtown thread earlier today.)
I own (as of yesterday!) an SHL5500. I chatted with "Nick" at Philips support earlier today. I asked him whether the SHL5500 and the SHL5605 ("Downtown") used the same drivers. He answered that they both used the 40mm drivers but did not conclusively state that they are the same.
If you compare the specifications on the Philips site (http://download.p4c.philips.com/files/s/shl5500_28/shl5500_28_pss_aen.pdf and http://download.p4c.philips.com/files/s/shl5605bk_28/shl5605bk_28_pss_aen.pdf), you will notice that the main physical characteristics of the drivers are the same (Magnet type: Neodymium; Voice coil: CCAW; Diaphragm: Mylar dome; Speaker diameter: 40 mm; Impedance: 32 Ohm). However, there are differences in Frequency Response, Maximum Power Input, and Sensitivity: 10-28K vs. 18-22K, 50mW vs. 30Mw, and 106 db vs. 102db (5500 values given first). Surprisingly, the 5500 is listed (incorrectly, I would say) as an open headphone, while the 5605 is listed as a closed headphone.
I agree that it would be interesting to hear from someone who has both headphones, or at least has listened to both!
I've been a drum musician for 20 years and I've played more than 30 drum sets in my lifetime, so what's my impression on this headphone after 200 hours of burn-in? The cymbals and hhopens have too much grain, it doesn't sound like any acoustic drum kit at all. The sound is similar to an electronic TR-606/808 vintage drum machine.
The snare lacks brightness of the strings. However, the voice (mids) are very good. Listen to Santana's Smooth, there's just too much grain. The bongo drums are also completely gone unless you use some headphone amps, listen to AT's M50 you'll hear those bongos loud and clear.
For the asking price of this headphone, they are pretty good. But, for a musician they are far from natural. The most natural sounding cans I've tested at this price point are the Brainwavz HM3s. I would recommend this SHL5500 for casual listening, but not for musician's reference.
Update: I'm listening right now to "Best of Chesky's Classics and Audiophile Tests" there's evident graining on high musical scores especially on piano pieces. If you're ears are trained as a musician, you'll spot them immediately, no doubt.
Check you SHL5500 headphones, there is a major design flaw that I just saw. Hairline cracks on both sides of the hinge. And, you better look closely.
Those who are thinking of buying these headphones, you can thank me later for not buying these headphones because this will definitely wouldn't last for more than a year those plastic would give in to the pressure. Unless you weld those aluminum together or drill a hole and screw them together.
^Thanks Alvin for the helpful review.
The new Philips Downtown headphones may be a better buy according to Tyll's review (Downtowns are built bettter). I doubt their drivers are the same as Shl5500, in view of the different specs.
Check you SHL5500 headphones, there is a major design flaw that I just saw. Hairline cracks on both sides of the hinge. And, you better look closely.
Those who are thinking of buying these headphones, you can thank me later for not buying these headphones because this will definitely wouldn't last for more than a year those plastic would give in to the pressure. Unless you weld those aluminum together or drill a hole and screw them together.
Sorry but looking at mine under a 10x loupe reveals NO such problems. So your warning conclusion is based simply on your sample and should be taken as such by prospective buyers.
I can't confirm Alvincapalca's findings either.. I hear no grain in well-recorded albums, whether it be in cymbals, piano or cello (which he mentioned in his longer review). Snares of snaredrums have a nice wet sound.
The most common source of 'grain' is the amplifier, or a bad recording. It is true that in general, with cheaper audio products, acoustic instruments like the piano and the violin can attain a somewhat 'electrical' sound, and I do hear some of that when I listen through my computer's phone-out for instance, but I don't think the headphones are to blame there.
Alvin and others, would you mind listening for a bit to this jazz track from Youtube? Please skip to 3:10m, where nice punchy piano, snaredrum and shimmery cymbals can all be heard. In spite of Youtube's compression, I don't notice any of the grain that was mentioned, but I am not a trained musician:
As for the hairline crack, are you sure that you are not simply mistaking the pivoting mechanism for a crack? I see no design fault there at all.. Besides, Philips has 100+ years of design experience and some plastics (polycarbonates) these days are a hundred times stronger than steel. I have read many customer reviews of the SHL5500 before I bought it, but I haven't encountered a single one that complained about broken parts or other construction problems..
This isn't a studio monitoring headphone, listen to a FLAC source David Guetta "Alphabeat" at 0:35, even at electronic drum snares this headphone cracks immediately. Now listen to a WS55, an M50 or any other reputable monitoring headphone, those cracking sound shouldn't be there.
Music producers will immediately point out the flaws. This may sound as natural for consumers, but for musicians this is far from natural sounding. I can name a drum set by simply listening hearing its beat. At this price point, listen to Brainwavz HM3s and you'll see the difference is so big.
If you want a legitimate source listen to the Binaural FLAC version of the album "Best of Chesky Classics and Audiophile Tests", you'll hear the flaws of this headphones. Tyll of Innerfidelity even mentioned that there is an unnatural sounding of highs present in Philips headphones. I would definitely review this headphone same as Tyll's.
And, the Downtown's built is a step better than this. With the hinge design issue, I made a stress test. I pulled the headband at around 75 degrees and the hinge has snapped. I glued them together with super-glue. Proof, here's the picture with the messy super-glue. I am an industrial designer, I know what I am talking about. This crack starts small, with everyday use it becomes larger and larger until the plastic softens up and give-way. Right now, I am in contact with Philips' Product Managers for feedback on this hinge issue.
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