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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser HD800S edges out the Philips SHP9500 with slightly higher ratings in overall sound quality and soundstage, providing an immersive listening experience. Both offer excellent comfort but are not suitable for exercise, air travel, or noise isolation due to their open-back design, making them best for quiet environments. The HD800S might have a higher build quality, but it comes at a higher price, so if budget is a concern, the SHP9500 offers great value and performance for a significantly lower cost. Neither of them supports wireless connectivity or active noise cancellation, and both have a detachable cable and similar weights. If calls and gaming are important to you, both score moderately, but for TV and video, the HD800S may offer a slightly better experience. Neither model has built-in controls or mic, emphasizing their use for pure audio listening rather than multi-functionality. 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
- The Philips SHP9500 has no clear advantages over the Sennheiser HD800S.
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD800S
- Best in class for music
- Best in class for TV and video
Key differences
Music
9.2
9.9
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for music, while the Philips SHP9500 is excellent.
TV and Video
9.0
9.7
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the Philips SHP9500 is excellent.
Cost
$48
$1,400
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Philips SHP9500 has a price of $48 and the Sennheiser HD800S costs $1,400.
Build Quality
8.5
9.0
The Sennheiser HD800S has excellent build quality, while the Philips SHP9500 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
7.2
7.5
The Sennheiser HD800S and Philips SHP9500 are both good for gaming.
Phone Calls
4.9
5.0
The Sennheiser HD800S and Philips SHP9500 are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
8.1
The Sennheiser HD800S and Philips SHP9500 are both very good for podcasts and audiobooks.
Noise Reduction
2.5
2.5
The Philips SHP9500 and Sennheiser HD800S are both poor for noise reduction.
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How the Philips SHP9500 and the Sennheiser HD800S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Philips SHP9500 | Sennheiser HD800S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$48 | $1,400 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Philips | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2013 | December 1, 2015 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 9.7/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 294.8 Grams | 371.9 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 HD800S
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Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | March 2023
"The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years."
Get a great deal on the Philips SHP9500 or the Sennheiser HD800S
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
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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