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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and listening at home, the Philips SHP9500 headphones have superior overall sound and are open-back, which offers a wide soundstage, ideal for an immersive music experience; however, they lack portability and noise isolation, making them less suitable for travel and noisy environments. On the other hand, the Sennheiser CX300S earbuds offer good portability and better sound isolation due to their closed design, which would be better for use on the go, during exercise, and in noisy settings, but they have lesser sound quality compared to the Philips. Neither option has wireless capabilities or a microphone, so if these features are important to you, other models might be worth considering. 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
- Excellent for music
- Good for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser CX300S
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
9.2
6.9
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for music, while the Sennheiser CX300S is only fair.
Gaming
7.2
6.1
The Philips SHP9500 is good for gaming, while the Sennheiser CX300S is only fair.
Phone Calls
4.9
3.0
The Philips SHP9500 and Sennheiser CX300S are both poor for phone calls, though the Philips SHP9500 is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
4.7
The Philips SHP9500 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser CX300S is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
7.3
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for TV and video, while the Sennheiser CX300S is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The Sennheiser CX300S is good for noise reduction, while the Philips SHP9500 is poor.
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Key similarities
Cost
$48
$50
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Philips SHP9500 has a price of $48 and the Sennheiser CX300S costs $50.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Philips SHP9500 and Sennheiser CX300S both have very good build quality.
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How the Philips SHP9500 and the Sennheiser CX300S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Philips SHP9500 | Sennheiser CX300S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$48 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Philips | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2013 | February 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 3.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.3/10 | 6.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 294.8 Grams | 12 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof 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 CX300S
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Dig into reviews and images
Major HiFi
Carroll Moore | April 2019
"Sennheiser offers impressive bang for your buck when it comes to the CX 300S. Built like a tank and sounding surprisingly good for such a budget-minded earphone, the CX 300S out-classes many of its would-be competitors. Functional but beautiful, it’s the perfect in-ear listening solution for anyone who wants to hear everything and look good doing it."
Get a great deal on the Philips SHP9500 or the Sennheiser CX300S
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
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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