After searching for weeks for good headphones almost everyone recommended me the Philips 9600s. I got them on sale for 70€ and they arrived today and after listening now to them I am super confused. They sound absolutely terrible. Like cheap 10€ headphones. There sound is damp with no heights or lows, no bass. Also the music is coming out on the sides like they have build in speakers (???). My friend said he heard everything loud and clear while I had them on listening on my phone. I'm some confused and upset. I bought them because even audiophiles recommended them to me saying they are top headphones for the price. Am I ding something wrong as a headphone noob? I use them raw as they are so maybe that it but even then you cannot tell me they are supposed to sound so terrible. I made the comparison with my old Headphones the Hyper X cloud 2 and my Anker Soundbud flows and they are world a parts. Yes they original ones I bought them brand new from their site.

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

thebauzzo t1_ixht59s wrote on November 23, 2022 at 3:32 PM

Can't comment on their sound, but music being clearly audible on the outside is pretty much a given for open back headphones

No_Relationship_7132 t1_ixi0x5x wrote on November 23, 2022 at 4:24 PM

Maybe you're just used to bass

fireferum t1_ixhvg7m wrote on November 23, 2022 at 3:48 PM

The 9600 are designed to be fairly linear for their price. They try not to have too much coloring although they are slightly colored on the bass and treble. Being open back means the sound doesn’t bounce back so it doesn’t sound muffled. It opens up what the audio was recorded as. Yes, the room will hear everything you hear since it’s open back. If you prefer a certain type of sound like heavy bass, neutral headphones may not be for you. There’s a world of difference between closed backs and open backs so it may take you a few days to get used to the different sound if this is your first pair of open back. That being said, sound is all about preference so if you still don’t like them a week later return them and get some closed back ones.

nanomerce t1_ixic1fr wrote on November 23, 2022 at 5:37 PM

For the "built in speakers" thing, that is because the SHP9600 is a open back headphone. This means that it will leak noise to your room as it's not closed off. This is done with most high end headphones as it helps the feeling of sound coming from the room rather than the headphones. If you are in a situation where either you don't wanna hear the outside world or the people around you don't wanna hear you, you need closed back headphones.

I'm regards to the "no bass no treble", the SHP9600 is known to not be the most exciting headphones. It's regarded for it's neutrality in fact. Meaning it produces a sound that doesn't have more bass over mids more treble than bass, etc. however try using the headphones for a week or so. Your brain itself is likely just used to more bass. When getting any new headphones you pretty much always need to give your brain time to adjust to the new sound signature.

Given your post though, it seems you would be better off with a closed or semi-closed back headphone with a more energetic signature like a DT770 or a DT880.

Of course, they could also just be faulty. but your experience is a fairly common one amongst newbies.

RayceManyon t1_ixi0nde wrote on November 23, 2022 at 4:22 PM

This may sound funny, but check the polarity. There is a possibility that they are wired in reverse

Sidvirtuous t1_ixia8mq wrote on November 23, 2022 at 5:25 PM

Seems like you have a sound signature preference and the 9600s aren't it. Think about what frequencies you like and find a pair that excels in that area. I hated the 9500s because it seemed like there was just no meat to the music I listened to. Then I went with some planar magnetic headphones and everything just came alive. Hifiman has some good cheap headphones so I'd recommend checking them out.

Also, open back headphones are extremely common in the audiophile world so expect some sound leak. If you don't want that then stick to closed back like your hyper x.

BlueNoori OP t1_ixjwzrg wrote on November 24, 2022 at 12:10 AM

Any hifimans you specifically recommend?

Sidvirtuous t1_ixk0hy7 wrote on November 24, 2022 at 12:38 AM

The Sundara at 300 USD has become a community gold standard in it's price bracket. But if you're still looking in range of what you paid for the 9600s, then the hifiman 400se for a little over 100 is still a good price. Planar magnetic headphones tend to have a bit more punch in the low end while not bloating too hard into the mids, which is why they shake up the market.

IMKGI t1_ixiru89 wrote on November 23, 2022 at 7:20 PM

It's more like your old gear sounded terrible and you got used to it, so headphones we perceive as sounding good sound bad to you

TheRadiantSoap t1_ixil5yl wrote on November 23, 2022 at 6:36 PM

I had to listen to my favorite pair for 50 hours before I could appreciate them because they were so different than my expectations for what headphones should sound like

I'm kind of a dumbass, so it prolly won't take that long for you, but yeah, you can't make an upgrade that big and to something so different without needing time to get used to it. Give it 5 days and you may like them more. If not, they're just not your taste. Nobody lied to you

Good luck, homie

TNF1978 t1_ixhspte wrote on November 23, 2022 at 3:29 PM

I reckon they must be faulty, I recently got a pair at a good price in the UK and they sound like they should cost three times the price!

InFortunaWeLust t1_ixj64bc wrote on November 23, 2022 at 8:54 PM

Could be you don't like them. I didn't like the SHP-9500s myself and bought after reading alot of hype around them. It's best to try headphones out in person if possible for this reason. Just return them if you don't enjoy them, try something else.

Corgerus t1_ixjkbz7 wrote on November 23, 2022 at 10:34 PM

I suggest spending more time with them as you're clearly still used to your previous headphones. After a week or two of active listening you can then decide what to do. The SHP9600 (I have it) has a warm sound with slightly de-emphasized treble. Midbass and upper bass are emphasized but the sub-bass is rolled off, so that's something to get used to. I personally think this is a good headphone.

I went from Razer Krakens to the SHP9600 over two years ago and it sounded really good but it took a minute for me to get used to the sound, and as you explained the sound seemingly was playing a bit outside the headphone which is normal for a lot of open back headphones (not all). Once you get used to the bigger sound, it will seem normal but with larger scale.

My two nitpicks for the SHP9600: I wish aftermarket pads were available because the bracket mechanism is different than the SHP9500. My own SHP9600 isn't being used much anymore because the left hinge has a poor connection with the left channel causing sound to cut in and out randomly. I think it's just my bad luck on this one.