Philips HE592 Surround Sound Ear Buds (White)

by Philips

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches ; 2.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001OY2W2
• Item model number: HE592
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (155 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 28, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

An ideal complement to portable DVD players and laptops with built-in DVD drives, this pair of ear-bud surround sound headphones simulates the home theater experience whether you're listening privately on a plane, in a hotel room, or even at the park. Each bud features a single 15 mm neodymium speaker driver with a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. But when combined, the buds incorporate Philips' patented virtual surround technology to create a rich, multichannel-like environment. Though it's not true surround sound, it's as close as a listener will get through a two-channel source, especially one that fits comfortably inside the ear canals. The buds come with a flexible, molded-rubber carrying case, along with a 3.9-foot cord that should be long enough for most applications. The cord's flexi-grip end connection lithely responds to rough handling, while its 24k gold-plated plug ensures the best possible signal transfer for a better overall sound.

What's in the Box
HE592 ear buds, 3.9-foot cord, rubber carrying case, user's manual.

Product Description

Philips Wht Vir Surr Earbuds

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Someone At Phillips Must Have Listened, May 16, 2005

By 

Terrance H. Heath "terrancedc" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philips HE592 Surround Sound Ear Buds (White) (Electronics)

Based on some of the reviews on this product, and the image above, I think Phillips may have listened to complaints and made some changes to the earbuds. The pair I just bought came with an entirely different set of cups than the ones pictured above, considerably narrower at the end that goes into the ear. The ones pictured here came as a separate pair of cups, unattached to the earbuds. So, it looks like Phillips made some adjustments to help them fit better for most people. I've only been using mine for the last day, but I wore them during my commute to work (which involves a fair amount of walking) and didn't have any trouble with them falling out.

The sound is satisfactory, and a bit better than I expected from a $20 pair of earbuds. I use them with my iPod and noticed that with the Phillips earbuds I had to reduce the volume from the level I used with the original iPod earbuds. As for the virtual-surround, the sound is somewhat richer than with the iPod earbuds, and more external noise is cancelled out.

My only complaint is the chord is designed to be worn around the neck, but works best if you wear your player on your left. I tend to wear mine on the right. A slight adustment, with the chord crossing in front of me took care of that, so I didn't experience any tugging.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great earbuds for the price, April 6, 2007

By 

T. McCool "old married guy" (Lafayette, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philips HE592 Surround Sound Ear Buds (White) (Electronics)

I give these earbuds 5 stars compared to other brands in the same price range. I'm sure you could spend more money and get better sound, but for this price you won't find any better. The "surround sound" feature lives up to its billing. I've tried other earbuds and none can match the sound.

The earbuds I purchased came with two sets of inserts - one straight and one tapered - to achieve the level of comfort you're looking for. The tapered insert works great with my ears. They are comfortable and *never* fall out no matter how vigourous the motion. Even an incidental light tug on the cord doesn't dislodge the earbud.

So if you're looking for an inexpensive pair of earbuds that are comfortable and stay in your ear - this is what you should buy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't understand................., February 8, 2007

By 

Pope (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Philips HE592 Surround Sound Ear Buds (White) (Electronics)

(this is a reposting of my older review with some updates)

...........any logic behind the plethora of complaints about these buds falling out of people's ears. Obviously these people do not know how to properly use them. They are not to be worn like standard earbuds. These buds are designed to go directly into the ear canal, which means you have to push the tips snugly into the canal. These are the most comfortable earphones I have ever had, and I've never once had either one fall out. They took a little getting used to at first, admittingly, but now I usually can't even tell I'm wearing them. They also don't start to hurt after extended periods of use, unlike regular earbuds. They come with two different sizes of silicon tips. I think most people will probably find the smaller tips to work better, but experiment on your own (just don't lose them). The cords are asymetrical, which really doesn't bother me. The short one goes in the left ear, and the longer one is meant to be worn around the back of the neck to the right ear. I usually just wear it around the front, though, however ridiculous it may look.

The sound is simply amazing--very crisp, clear, and well balanced. The bass seemed weak at first, but that was only because I was coming from earbuds that had very strong, almost overpowering bass. These Philips buds do have nice bass, but they also allow the midrange and treble to sound clearly as they should. If your player has an equalizer, you can further tweak them to suit your taste. These buds are powerful too - you will find that you don't have to have the volume up as high as you do with other phones/buds. Also very durable! I've accidentally stepped on them numerous times and still they work fine (and I'm by no means a small person). Last summer I tried a pair of $40 Sony in-canal buds which were promptly returned to the store - these Philips were way better in terms of sound and comfort.

The only major downfall is the supplied case. I will agree with other reviewers that it is moronically designed. Though a Masters in engineering would be helpful, I was able to get it figured out after playing with it awhile. Another fault is the lack of replacement silicon tips if you should happen to lose any. But I've had mine since May 2006 and I have yet to lose any of the four tips.

These earbuds may look uncomfortable at first glance, but don't let that or the many negative reviews dissuade you. I think I can safely say that most of the negatives come from people who (a) don't have them, (b) think they look ugly/uncomfortable, or (c) don't know how to use them. They sound wonderful, are very affordable, and are very comfortable once you learn how to wear them properly.

UPDATE REGARDING THE CASE:
It seems the people at Phillips must be reading these reviews, as the case has been redesigned. I picked up a new pair of these at my local Wal-Mart today after losing the pair I'd had for more than a year, and the case is now a much more user-friendly zipper pouch. The black earbuds must not sell as well, as these all still had the old case, but all of the white ones on the shelf were in a redesigned package with the new case. Hats off to Phillips for listening to their customers!!!!!