A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Philips SHP9500 offers great value, excelling in comfort and offering a well-balanced sound at a lower price, but they don't isolate noise well, making them less suitable for noisy environments. The Sennheiser 560S, while more expensive, delivers superior sound accuracy and a wider soundstage that audiophiles appreciate. They are better for critical listening, but also do not block much background noise. The Sennheisers might be a better choice if you prioritize high-quality audio for music and home use, while the Philips are a more budget-friendly option for everyday use, especially if you don't need noise isolation. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Philips SHP9500
- Good for gaming
Advantages of the Sennheiser 560S
- Best in class for music
Key differences
Cost
$48
$180
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Philips SHP9500 has a price of $48 and the Sennheiser 560S costs $180.
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Key similarities
Music
9.2
9.5
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser 560S to be best in class for music, while the Philips SHP9500 is excellent.
Gaming
7.2
6.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Philips SHP9500 to be good for gaming, while the Sennheiser 560S is only fair.
Phone Calls
4.9
5.1
The Sennheiser 560S and Philips SHP9500 are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
8.1
The Sennheiser 560S and Philips SHP9500 are both very good for podcasts and audiobooks.
TV and Video
9.0
9.1
The Sennheiser 560S and Philips SHP9500 are both excellent for TV and video.
Noise Reduction
2.5
2.5
The Philips SHP9500 and Sennheiser 560S are both poor for noise reduction.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Philips SHP9500 and Sennheiser 560S both have very good build quality.
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How the Philips SHP9500 and the Sennheiser 560S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Philips SHP9500 | Sennheiser 560S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$48 | $180 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Philips | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2013 | September 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.3/10 | 6.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 4.5/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 2.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 294.8 Grams | 244.9 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Dustproof Rating | |||
Dustproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Philips SHP9500
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphones Lab
Brian Stone | April 2020
"You can’t go wrong with the Philips SHP9500 for their price. Their audio quality is superb, and the fact that you can use them for just about anything you can think of makes them well worth your money"
Sennheiser 560S
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir | March 2022
"Sennheiser made a near perfect pair of studio monitors with the HD 560S. Flat bass response? Check. Neutral and uncolored midrange? Check. Extended treble with a bit of lower-treble emphasis to highlight mastering flaws? Check. Fairly easy to drive? Check. Good soundstage and imaging? Check, and check."
Get a great deal on the Philips SHP9500 or the Sennheiser 560S
About Philips
Philips is a Dutch conglomerate and electronics manufacturer with over 130 years of history. Philips makes the Fidelio audio line which includes several models of full-sized wired and wireless headphones, true wireless earbuds. soundbars and wireless speakers.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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