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 superior sound quality and comfort, ideal for home listening with its open design that's not suitable for noisy environments. The Steelseries TUSQ, on the other hand, offers better microphone quality and is designed for gaming with a closed-ear design that provides some noise isolation, making them versatile for calls, gaming, and outdoor use. If you value audio fidelity and have a quiet listening space, the SHP9500 is an excellent choice, despite its higher price. However, for a more all-round set of earbuds that are suitable for a variety of activities and environments, the TUSQ may be sufficient and more cost-effective. 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 Steelseries TUSQ
- Very good for gaming
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
9.2
7.6
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for music, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.
Gaming
7.2
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the Philips SHP9500 is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
4.7
The Philips SHP9500 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
7.3
The Philips SHP9500 is excellent for TV and video, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
6.0
The Steelseries TUSQ is only fair for noise reduction, while the Philips SHP9500 is poor.
Cost
$80
$55
$50
$60
$70
$80
$90
$100
The Philips SHP9500 has a price of $80 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $55.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
4.9
5.2
The Steelseries TUSQ and Philips SHP9500 are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Philips SHP9500 and Steelseries TUSQ both have very good build quality.
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How the Philips SHP9500 and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Philips SHP9500 | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$80 | $55 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Philips | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2013 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.3/10 | 8.6/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 8.5/10 | |
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 | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 294.8 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Boom | |
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"
Steelseries TUSQ
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
Get a great deal on the Philips SHP9500 or the Steelseries TUSQ
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 Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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