Philips have been in the electronics business for very long time. They also make great headphones and other sound systems. Today we’re going to talk about Philips SHP9500 vs X2HR with reviews and overall features.
SHP9500 and X2HR both are open-back headphones. Both these headphones are minimal, chic, and convey a neutral sound to you. Both headphones are great with a very good sound profile. If you are looking for airy headphones for your daily needs then one of these two headphones might be the one.
Philips Fidelio X2HR and SHP9500 Both headphones are neutral sound base headphones and come from the same manufacturing company. SHP9500 vs X2HR, which headphones will give you an airy and nice experience, that’s the query of this hunt!
Brief Comparison: Philips SHP9500 vs X2HR
Sensitivity implies how loud your headphone is going to sound. The optimal rate for sensitivity to be gentle to our ears is 90dB at max. Anything above 90dB is very loud for our ears.
At max, a headphone can produce up to 110 dB of sound. Philips Fidelio x2hr has a sensitivity of 100db and shp9500 has a sensitivity of 101 dB which is still pretty loud.
Noise Isolation
Philips shp9500 and Fidelio x2hr both are neutral sounding headphones. They lack noise-isolating features. Due to their open-back feature noise isolation is very poor.
These headphones do not provide isolation below 1kHz. Since the backside of the ear cups is open no background sound is resisted before going straight into your ears.
Fidelio x2hr and Philips shp9500 have a very minute difference in their noise isolation which makes both of these headphones very poor noise isolating agents.
Scope for Sound Improvement
Headphones often need additional DAC or amp that’ll eventually improve their sound quality. The Philips SHP9500 is rated 32ohm impedance which is very easy to drive.
Therefore, these headphones will work just as fine if you just plug them in without needing an additional DAC or amp installed to them. But still, if you want to add an amp, you can go for a decent amp that has a low output impedance. That will bring out the best in your SHP9500.
However, for the Philips Fidelio X2hr, you might need an additional amp because its rated 30ohm impedance is not quite up to the mark. X2hr with amp sounds much better than without it.
It sounds quite without an amp or DAC installed when used in a PC. You can use Schitt Magni amp or Astro Mixamo in your headphones to make it sound better.
Gaming Features
Philips audio Fidelio X2hr vs. SHP9500 for gaming, these headphones are not inherently for gaming. These headphones are really good and have the potential to be a gaming headphone. Shp9500 and Fidelio x2hr are not compatible with PC, PS4, Xbox, or Xbox One. You can only listen to the game.
The reason behind not being compatible is that Shp9500 doesn’t have any built-in microphone. Fidelio x2hr also doesn’t have any microphone. So you can not communicate while playing the game which is a bummer. But you can upgrade them which is a plus point.
Mic
But there is a solution to this, if you buy an attachable microphone with Philips Shp9500 it becomes a great gaming headphone. You can pair your Philips SHP9500 with V-Moda Boom Mic to upgrade your simple SHP09500 into super gaming headphones. After this you do not have to look back to any other headphones this will be your ultimate gaming headphones that produce clear and smooth playback. The clarity that these headphones give you is mesmerizing.
Now coming to Philips audio Fidelio X2hr, it also gives a wide and decent range for gaming. Fidelio X2hr doesn’t come with an attached mic so you’ll have to add an external mic to upgrade the system. You can pair it with NeeGo Attachable Microphone to transform it into a gaming headphone. The sound you’ll get through these headphones is already high resolution and crystal clear.
Wired/Wireless
Philips over-ear shp9500 is a wired headphone. Because of this reason these headphones are not for outdoor use. Also, they are not foldable and heavy so it is perfect for indoors. The wires are detachable and lengths 9.84ft.
Philips Fidelio x2hr is a wired headphone. These over-ear headphones also facilitate you with some audiophile options. These analog audio wires are 10.3ft long and can be detached.
These headphones if upgraded are going to be your budget gaming headphones. Also for the wires, they are optimal for indoor gaming and not for outdoors.
Comfort
When it comes to comfort there is a lot to talk about.
Philips SHP9500 is an extraordinarily comfortable headphone. The headband of these over-ear headphones is soft and padded. The most eye-catching feature of these headphones is the breathability of the ear cushions.
The breathable deluxe ear cushions are a friend to your ears. The headband is double layered with a cushion which brings ultimate comfort and the headband is originally made of steel. Because of this, the headband is durable.
The authentic on-ear open-back design eliminates the air pressure that is built-up behind the driver which gives the diaphragm the flexibility it needs in movement.
Shp9500 has bigger ear cups that will cover your whole ear and doesn’t build up any sweat. For longer usage, Philips SHp9500 is quite praiseworthy.
Philips Fidelio X2hr in terms of comfort is excellent. The comfy velour cushions and self-adjustable feathery 3D mesh is just awesome. This fits perfectly to your ears and doesn’t sweat up your ears.
The ear shells are double layered specially engineered to reduce sonority and vibrations creating a perfect sound that is precise and detailed. The deluxe memory foam earpads are built for long-term comfort and perfect fit. But you cannot adjust your headband and the clamping force of the headphones is tight.
Price
Philips Shp9500 vs x2hr, the price of shp9500 is more reasonable.
The price of SHP to the features it comes with is quite affordable. If you are on a budget these headphones are the ones you need. You’ll get excellent performance in the arena of music and comfort.
Fidelio X2hr in comparison to SHP9500 is overpriced. But if you are not on a budget they are an excellent choice and stand out. It will give you the taste of premium and dynamic soundstage.
Philips SHP9500
Pros:
- Affordable
- Sturdy build quality
- Comfy and well-fitted
- Balanced tones and great mids
- Durable
Cons:
- Sound leakage
- Poor sound isolation
- Not portable
Philips Fidelio X2HR:
Pros:
- Removable Earpads
- Hefty Build quality
- Great mids and bass accuracy
- Durable
- Perfect fit memory earpads
Cons:
- Bulky
- Poor sound isolation
- No Bluetooth
Product Differentiators
Philips SHP9500 is a great steal at an affordable budget. The frequency response is rated 12-35 000Hz. Their frequency response is quite decent. Apart from the decent frequency response, these over-ear headphones have a 50mm neodymium driver and 32ohms impedance. Higher the impedance of headphones better is its power delivery and any impedance over 25ohms delivers more power.
Philips Fidelio X2HR is a wired open-back headphone. These High-Resolution Headphones are rated 5-40 000 Hz frequency response. X2HR also has a proper impedance which is 30ohms. So the difference between the actual signal and all distortion in total in an audible arena is the Total Harmonic Distortion, which is <0.1% in Fidelio X2HR.
Honorable Alternate Mentions
Superlux HD668B Dynamic Semi-Open
- Over-ear semi-open headphones are known for it’s natural and accurate sound reproduction.
- The frequency response is 10-30kHz and impedance is 56ohm.
- It is a perfect headphone for any casual or neutral listener.
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Open Studio Headphone
- Beyerdynamic dt990 pro is a mentionable neutral-sounding open-back headphone. These headphones produce crisp and dynamic high-resolution tracks and produce a lot of details in them.
- It’s rated 5-35,00Hz frequency response and 80ohms impedance.
- Replaceable, comfy, and soft velour ear cushion and robust, head-wearing build quality.
Sennheiser HD 600 Open Back Headphone
- Sennheiser HD600 is manufactured for true audiophiles that make your music crisp and clean.
- These open-back headphones deliver top-notch neutral, spatial sound and it’s extremely light-weight.
- It gives you a frequency response of 12-39,000Hz and has a total harmonic distortion of 0.1%
AKG Pro K702 Open-Back Headphone
- These reference open-back over-ear studio headphones are made for precise hearing, mixing, and mastering of tunes.
- 45mm drive size and impedance is rated 62Ω.
- The frequency response of K702 is 10-39,800Hz and gives a maximum input power of 200mW.
Sennheiser HD599 Open-Back Headphone
- Sennheiser HD599 is an open-Back headphone that delivers audiophile-grade neutral performance.
- Premium design headphones with soft replaceable earpads.
- HD599 is rated 12-38,500Hz frequency response and impedance being 50Ω.
Audio Technica ATH-M40X
- Closed-back Dynamic headphones with 40mm drivers.
- Robust build quality with cutting edge engineering.
- Audio Technica ATH-M40 is rated 15-24kHz. It will give a maximum input power of 1600mW@1kHz.
5 Best Philips Audio Headphone
Final Verdict: Philips SHP9500 vs X2HR
Before giving you closure, we want to present you with a collection of studio headphone which is perfect for gaming.
As we can see in this article, Philips Fidelio X2hr and Philips Shp9500 are both amazing headphones. They are quite affordable. Shp9500 is more affordable and has some extra perks to it. Being this budget-friendly and still delivering quality crisp sound is something else. In terms of comfort, it outruns Fidelio x2hr. So if you are on a budget then you should go for SHP9500.
If you are not on a budget also X2hr still will fit in your budget somehow. It produces an extraordinary sound and builds for your comfort. Both headphones being neutral has the scope for improvement and can be upgraded to gaming headphones.
So if you are looking for cool and chic headphones within your budget you should go for either of these excellent headphones. If you ask me I would go for SHP9500 but as the taste of music varies from person to person your choice might differ.
FAQs
Here are some questions for you, if you’re still confused about Philips SHP9500 vs X2HR
Will SHP9500 work with a PS4?(no mixamp or sound card)
Since they have a 3.5mm jack you can easily connect it to your Ps4. And the driver is 32ohms which doesn’t need an additional mixamp or sound card to sound good.
How are Shp9500 for gaming?
In this price range it’s a very good headphone for gaming. You’ll hear your game crystal clear and balanced.
Can an extra ear cover be purchased?
The ear cushions of SHP9500 are not changeable. Most importantly you won’t need any extra earpads because the ones that they come in are great and have breathability.
Will X2hr still be a worthy purchase if I’m not willing to purchase an amplifier as well?
Yes, Fidelio X2hr will still be worth it.
What is the specification for a microphone?
X2hr doesn’t come with a microphone, you’ll have to pair it with some other microphone like V-Moda Boom Mic.
Related Articles:
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- Features difference between Philips SHP9500 and Philips SHP9500S
- Comparison between Audio Technica AD700x and Audio Technica AD900x
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