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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For an immersive listening experience with a wide soundstage, the Philips SHP9500 is excellent, particularly for at-home use, as their open-back design doesn't isolate noise well. If you're on a budget and you need a more portable option with better noise isolation, suitable for commuting or office work, the Sennheiser HD 400S is a more practical choice. The Sennheiser also has an in-line microphone for calls, which the Philips lacks. However, if the price difference is significant and you don't require the noise isolation or portable design, the Philips may offer superior sound quality for at-home listening. 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
- Excellent for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 400S
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
9.2
7.1
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for music, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Gaming
7.2
8.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the Philips SHP9500 is good.
Phone Calls
4.9
8.2
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the Philips SHP9500 is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
7.6
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for TV and video, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
5.3
The Sennheiser HD 400S and Philips SHP9500 are both poor for noise reduction, though the Sennheiser HD 400S is somewhat better.
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Key similarities
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
7.6
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Philips SHP9500 to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Cost
$48
$50
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Philips SHP9500 has a price of $48 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $50.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Philips SHP9500 and Sennheiser HD 400S both have very good build quality.
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How the Philips SHP9500 and the Sennheiser HD 400S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Philips SHP9500 | Sennheiser HD 400S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$48 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Philips | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2013 | January 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.3/10 | 8.7/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 5.3/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 294.8 Grams | 213 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
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 HD 400S
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphone Dungeon
Jim | August 2022
"Sennheiser has done it again. The HD 400S performs well beyond its price range and is one of the better budget model headphones I’ve tried. It has very few bells and whistles and offers a simple means of listening that still delivers amazing clarity and quality. If you need a good first pair of headphones or need something that you can take out of the house, then the HD 400S is definitely for you."
Get a great deal on the Philips SHP9500 or the Sennheiser HD 400S
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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Why trust us
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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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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