The other difference is that the treble doesn’t have that bite that the 9500 had. Because of this, you can listen to it for longer periods of time without fatigue.

Philips SHP9500 vs. 9600 | THIS is an upgrade?! Philips SHP9500 vs. 9600 | THIS is an upgrade?!

The treble could still be better, though. You can still tell that these are..well, bright. The low-end helps a lot to rein in that impression, but in songs where you can hear particularly aggressive strings, this tends to be a minor nuisance. Overall, however, the treble extends well enough and doesn't give any compressed feeling, at least to my ears. The cups are oval-shaped and rather shallow, but your ears will fit inside just fine and the headband doesn’t dig into the top of your head.PS. One last thing I would like to note is that, although I think that the DT 990 Pro is still the stronger option for games (especially FPS ones), the SHP9600 with a ModMic does make make for a good contender, as I feel like its imaging is able to keep up with the requirements for competitive online games and its significantly higher efficiency makes it compatible amongst a wider array of set-ups and systems. Is the SHP9600 an upgrade over the 9500? Is the increase in price worth the investment? Did Philips actually improve on the shortcomings of the original? But based from this review it sounds like SHP9600 might be worth to try again, also if they are on sale then it makes it even better. Hmmmm...... I'm a bit curious now lol.

Shp9600 vs fidelio x2hr - Casual - HifiGuides Forums Shp9600 vs fidelio x2hr - Casual - HifiGuides Forums

The bass is pretty decent on these, but it is certainly out-classed by my other headphones. It has strong impact and good timbre. It digs deep when it has to and it never bleeds into the midrange, which is one thing I hold personally against the HD 650. Overall, bass is about the same amount as the HD 650 and a bit more pronounced than the LCD-2. However, the LCD-2 digs much deeper and cleaner than both the Philips and the Sennheiser. The SHP9600 doesn't differentiate the different bass notes as well as the HD 650 or LCD-2. Saying that, though, if these were your only headphones, you'd be none the wiser as they still are definitely not one-note in the bass department. The best thing I can say about the bass on these is they don't embarrass themselves in the slightest when playing anything by Les Claypool. It handles "Spirits in the Material World" by the Police without breaking a sweat. It's not as fast as the LCD-2, but it is pleasing for people who require a bit of bass emphasis. Note that I am not a basshead at all, but I do love the sound of the bass guitar. There seems to be a protective measure taken in looking at the greyish-blue cap, a stark contrast to the rubbery, flimsier material inherent in the original 9500.The soundstage isn't anything to write home regarding music. If you put these headphones on my head without letting me see them first, I'd have no idea they have angled drivers. Imaging is pretty good, and about the same as the LCD-2. I've never felt imaging or soundstage were a strength of the LCD-2, but it is a strength of the HD 650. Despite the HD 650's "three-headed blob," they do have very good imaging. The Philips don't suffer from the same "three-headed blob" that the HD 650 does, but they do fall behind in the precise imaging. Overall, these headphones have a fine soundstage and imaging for their price point. However, just don't expect the angled drivers to deliver anything special for you. I'd hate to imagine how these would sound without angled drivers... The same rugged plastic has returned, and the headphone cups swivel in the same way as the original 9500, ensuring that you’re able to get a good fit on your noggin. The separation to me is really decent for the price of these and probably the aspect that jumps out at me the most about these.

Philips Over Ear Headphones/Wired Headphones ideal for Laptop

It’s an intense but meaty sound that matches quite well with that particular cross-section of entertainment. What is a big deal, unfortunately, is the overall assembly quality. These are basically almost the same as the 9500s, and that brings in the same issues. Thankfully, and I'm giving one big pro here, these have clamp! Not enough to matter a lot, unfortunately, but they don't have the same "they only sit on your ears through the power of God" vibe as the 9500s. They still need more, as they fall off quite easily still, but Philips tried to fix that in the Fidelio series. Tried is perhaps a strong word. These headphones have no glaring issues or flaws. They do many things well, and I suspect people on a budget would have no complaints with these as their daily drivers. I'm quite impressed with them regardless of how much I paid for them, and I only appreciate them more because of their price. The 9600 also comes with a more rugged-looking and feeling snap-on 1/4″ adapter, with a subtle but still noticeable “grip” towards the bottom.There isn’t as much air around the instruments, which is something you will clearly hear and feel in relation to the breezier, cooler 9500. I think it works pretty well for Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, Indie Pop, etc. which is what you’ll primarily be using it for should you decide to take the plunge. Mid-range I had read something a few years ago that claimed Classical actually needs more bass, and now I know why.

SHP9600 - Quite disappointed new Headphones Day: Philips SHP9600 - Quite disappointed

The 9500 will also do well with the K3, but I actually like it more with a simple E10K. And even despite that, My previous headphones include the Sennheiser Urbanite XL and the Sennheiser HD598 SE. I mainly listen to pop, EDM, and jazz. For those that are familiar with the SHP9500 sound, you know that they're probably better suited for playing games and watching movies than listening to music, mostly thanks to their frankly egregious treble response, though still not as bad as some Beyers. The SHP9600s manage to improve on that, albeit in some parts not by a whole lot. The padding is a cloth material with memory foam on the inside, and while they can wear down over time, I feel like it happens much more gradually than with something like velour. Sound The good news is that the SHP9600 uses 50mm Neodymium dynamic drivers and carries a 32-ohm impedance making them acceptable to use with both headphones and laptops. You’ll still want to power these with high-end AV equipment if you have it, but the low impedance makes it possible for pretty much everyone to use these with their current setup.In brief, I would personally describe the SHP9600 as having a slightly coloured, energetic sound to it, with a bit of a bass emphasis, as well as some accentuation in the treble. Also, this probably won’t come as a surprise, but the SHP9600 is very reminiscent of the SHP9500. Both headphones share very similar tonal characteristics, but as we will discuss shortly, the SHP9600 brings about some fairly noticeable tuning changes–and, for the most part, I think that they are for the better.