---
title: "Philips SHP9500 vs Sennheiser HD 600"
url: "https://omorp.com/compare/philips-shp9500-vs-sennheiser-hd-600"
site: "Elan's Best (omorp.com)"
---

# Philips SHP9500 vs Sennheiser HD 600

Both are picks from our guide: Best Open-Back Headphones at Every Budget (https://omorp.com/guides/audio/open-back-headphones).

## Specs head to head

| Spec | Philips SHP9500 | Sennheiser HD 600 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Driver | 50mm dynamic, angled | 40mm dynamic |
| Back type | Open-back | Open-back |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | 300 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 101 dB | 97 dB SPL |
| Frequency response | 12 Hz - 35 kHz | 12 Hz - 40.5 kHz |
| Cable | Detachable, 3.5mm + 1/4" adapter | Detachable, 2-pin + 6.3mm adapter |
| Pads | Breathable cloth | Velour, replaceable |
| Weight | 320 g | 260 g |
| Sound | Neutral, slightly bright | Neutral, midrange-reference |

## Philips SHP9500

Our rating: 7.8 out of 10.

Best for: A first open-back for someone who owns no amp and does not want to buy one.

The SHP9500 is the headphone people keep pushing on anyone curious about hi-fi who does not want to spend real money, and the reason is specific: 32 ohms at 101 dB is easy enough that a phone or laptop output drives it properly, so the headphone is the whole purchase. That is not true of anything else in this guide.

Its character is a wide, open stage with sharp left-to-right placement, which is why it has a long tail as a competitive-gaming headphone and why detail-hunters use it to pull a mix apart. The 50mm drivers sit angled in a large, shallow cup, and the cloth pads breathe well enough that summer sessions do not get sticky.

The deviation from neutral is at the bottom. Sub-bass rolls off audibly below about 60 Hz, so kick drums land as a tap rather than a thump, and electronic music loses its floor. Treble sits forward enough that a poorly mastered recording can turn edgy. The cable detaches, which matters more than it sounds: the stock cable is long, thin and the part owners replace first.

## Sennheiser HD 600

Our rating: 9.2 out of 10.

Best for: Listeners who already own an amp and want a midrange reference they will keep for a decade.

The HD 600 has been the headphone other headphones get measured against since 1997, and the reason is narrow and real: its midrange is close to neutral across the range where voices and acoustic instruments live, with none of the scooping or presence spikes that flatter a demo and annoy you later.

This is the one pick that will not work without an amp. At 300 ohms and 97 dB, a phone runs out of voltage well before the headphone runs out of dynamics, so it sounds quiet, soft and flat straight from a laptop. Fed properly it snaps into focus. Plan for a desktop amp or a powerful dongle at the same time as the headphone.

The compromises are the other side of the same tuning. Sub-bass rolls off, so this is not the headphone for bass-led electronic music. The stage is intimate rather than cavernous, which some listeners prefer and others find closed-in. Clamp force out of the box is strong enough that the first fortnight is uncomfortable on a wide head. Against that, Sennheiser still sells pads, headband cushions, grilles, yokes and cables individually, which is why decade-old pairs stay in service instead of being replaced.

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Source: https://omorp.com/compare/philips-shp9500-vs-sennheiser-hd-600