Philips SHP9500
Philips Audio SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones (Black)
Our Budget Pick in Best Open-Back Headphones at Every Budget. Here is the full rundown: the specs, what we like, the trade-offs, and who it is for.
$99.99
Philips Audio SHP9500 HiFi Precision Stereo Over-Ear Headphones (Black)
Best for: First-time hi-fi listeners and gamers who want a huge soundstage on the cheap.
The SHP9500 is the headphone people keep pushing on anyone curious about hi-fi who does not want to spend real money. Its party trick is a wide, open soundstage with sharp imaging, which is why gamers love it for placing footsteps and detail-hunters love it for pulling a mix apart.
It is light and almost barely-there on your head, with big breathable cloth pads that stay comfortable for hours. At 32 ohms it is easy to drive, so a phone or laptop jack is genuinely enough. No amp required.
The honest trade-off is bass. It is clean but light, with a clear sub-bass roll-off, so bassheads will want more. Treble can also get a touch hot on badly mastered tracks. None of that dents the value: detachable cable, all-day comfort, and a soundstage that embarrasses pricier closed-backs.
What we like
- + Wide, open soundstage with sharp imaging
- + Very light and comfortable for long sessions
- + Easy to drive from a phone or laptop, no amp needed
- + Detachable, replaceable cable
Watch outs
- - Light bass with noticeable sub-bass roll-off
- - Treble can be bright on poor recordings
- - Zero isolation and heavy leakage (open-back)
Full specs
| Driver | 50mm dynamic, angled |
| Back type | Open-back |
| Impedance | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 101 dB |
| Frequency response | 12 Hz - 35 kHz |
| Cable | Detachable, 3.5mm + 1/4" adapter |
| Pads | Breathable cloth |
| Weight | 320 g |
| Sound | Neutral, slightly bright |
Editor's note
I keep a pair of these on the desk for late-night gaming, and they are the ones I hand to friends who think good headphones have to cost a fortune. The soundstage genuinely surprised me the first time, footsteps in a shooter just appear in space around you. My one gripe: the stock cable is comically long, so I coiled mine with a velcro tie on day one.
Price & history
Price checked Jun 24, 2026. Prices change often, so verify the live price on Amazon.
How it compares
Part of a buying guide
We chose the Philips SHP9500 as our budget pick after comparing it head to head with the other top options.
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