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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prefer open-back headphones for a more immersive listening experience at home, go for the Philips SHP9500—they offer excellent sound quality and soundstage but are not suitable for noise-prone environments due to poor noise isolation. They are also not ideal for exercise or travel. On the other hand, if you're willing to pay more for a premium, portable option, the Sennheiser IE600 might be your choice. These earbuds offer outstanding sound quality, are more portable, provide better noise isolation, and are sweatproof. However, built-in controls are limited in both, and neither are particularly suited for calls or gaming due to mic quality and latency issues. 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
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser IE600
- The Sennheiser IE600 has no clear advantages over the Philips SHP9500.
Key differences
Music
9.2
8.3
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for music, while the Sennheiser IE600 is very good.
Phone Calls
4.9
3.5
The Philips SHP9500 and Sennheiser IE600 are both poor for phone calls, though the Philips SHP9500 is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
5.4
The Philips SHP9500 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser IE600 is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The Sennheiser IE600 is good for noise reduction, while the Philips SHP9500 is poor.
Cost
$48
$600
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Philips SHP9500 has a price of $48 and the Sennheiser IE600 costs $600.
Build Quality
8.5
9.0
The Sennheiser IE600 has excellent build quality, while the Philips SHP9500 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
7.2
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Philips SHP9500 to be good for gaming, while the Sennheiser IE600 is only fair.
TV and Video
9.0
9.3
The Sennheiser IE600 and Philips SHP9500 are both excellent for TV and video.
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How the Philips SHP9500 and the Sennheiser IE600 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Philips SHP9500 | Sennheiser IE600 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$48 | $600 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Philips | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2013 | June 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 3.5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.3/10 | 6.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 4.6/10 | |
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 | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 2.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 294.8 Grams | 6 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 IE600
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Soundguys
Jasper Lastoria | August 2023
"If you've got the bucks, the Sennheiser IE 600 is a nice, upscale set of in-ear monitors made of a lightweight metal with an unusual texture. It comes with a suite of extras, and performs well at virtually every task."
Get a great deal on the Philips SHP9500 or the Sennheiser IE600
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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Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.
Luis Torres
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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