Philips HS500 Behind-the-Head Sport Headphones with Neckband

by Philips

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.8 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005OTG6
• Item model number: HS500
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (156 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 16, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Take a close look at Philips SBC HS500 lightweight headphone. It got style, class and performance to match. Try it on and notice how comfortable it feels. The super-lightweight neck-band and soft rubber ear-hooks are designed to give maximum comfort and a snug fit for your active lifestyle. And have you noticed the cable construction? That’s our unique Pull-Relief System and it’s designed to help protect the cord connection from any sharp pulling. It’s when you connect it to your favorite music however and turn up the volume that the SBC HS500 really kicks into action. Our innovative acoustic reflector system with its tiny perforations equalizes any pressure in the acoustic chamber so that the diaphragms can vibrate freely. The result is superb sound quality with powerful bass performance. Perfect for turning on and tuning in to today’s music. At home, on the street, or wherever you go.

Product Description

Philips HS500 Behind-the-Head Sport Headphones with Neckband

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best cheap headphones ever!, March 3, 2005

By 

Danielle (Peabody MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Philips HS500 Behind-the-Head Sport Headphones with Neckband (Electronics)

I bought these headphones at Wal-Mart because all my other headphones were old and dying. I wasn't expecting great things from them because they were so cheap (I usually never buy headphones under $20) and Wal-Mart was selling them (they're not exactly the electronics experts, if you know what I mean). But I was shocked by how good they sounded! They were even better than my $25 Sony headphones (a lot better actually). They're very comfortable and the sound is crystal clear. Excellent bass (no annoying crackles even on Ashanti's "Down For You" which has crackled every one of my headphones, even on a very low volume.) Another excellent feature--a little yellow thingy to prevent what nearly every headphone dies of--a pulled cord resulting in a short. It keeps the first half inch or so (the most vulnerable part) from being accidently pulled. I've had these things for over a year and there have been no problems with them yet.

Those of you not used to behind-the-head headphones will find them a little awkward at first, but whoever invented them was a genius. First, you don't have to constantly adjust them because they're slipping off your head. Also, if you're a girl you will love them. If you sometimes wear a pony tail high on your head like I do, they are wonderful. With conventional headphones, if you had a high ponytail, you had to put the headphones in an awkward position, because your ponytail is usually where the headphones are placed. Either they were slipping off the back of your head or the front. Such a pain! With these, having a pony tail is no problem. Just slip them on (with the headband part at the back of your head) pull your pony tail out and you're ready to go! It's also an absolute miracle for joggers and walkers (like I am) and guys who wore conventional headphones behind their head anyway (now they won't look like weirdos anymore!)

If you're looking for a cheap pair of headphones with excellent sound, these are definitely for you. I like them so much that I might just order myself another pair!

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best headphones I ever got!, February 10, 2003

By 

"xxtimebomb85xx" (Pt. Pleasant, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philips HS500 Behind-the-Head Sport Headphones with Neckband (Electronics)

I bought these headphones to use with my Panasonic (SL-SX290) portable cd player and these headphones are a million times better than the ones the came with! First of all, these headphones have a really cool look to them. It is light blue around the ear pieces and the rest of the headphones are black. Next, the sound on these headphones is unbelieveable! The bass is real deep without any distortion, the treble is super clear and not to high, and the mids are also very good. The headphones that came with my cd player were not so good. They had a [bad] fit (they were way to big for even my head, lol) and the sound was just average, and when I bought these, I felt like I was in heaven. Anyway, the design is also really cool on these headphones. They go behind your neck (I like them because they don't mess up your hair!) They are also very comfortable (a lot more comfortable than Sony's Behind the neck ones with the stupid flap) I could wear these headphones for hours without any discomfort. These also have one wire instead of two to reduce the wires from getting all tangled up. They even put in a feature called Pull Relief. That works good so when something pulls on the headphones, the wire dosen't get ripped out. Anyway, I all I am very happy with these headphones and would reccomend them to anyone

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good enough for the price, better than what came with your portable device, but for a bit more you can do better, March 31, 2006

By 

David Pearlman "sound fanatic" (Arlington, MA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philips HS500 Behind-the-Head Sport Headphones with Neckband (Electronics)

Yup, these headphones are cheap. Yup, these headphones are better than what came with your iPod or other portable music device. But then again, that bar is REALLY low: The headphones they toss in the box with most portable music devices are trash.

Given the current sale, for less than $10 you can buy these headphones and get an appreciable upgrade in sound quality.

That said, these are FAR from the best low cost portable headphones on the market. There's probably nothing better sounding for less money, but if you're willing to spend a few dollars more, ANY of the low end Koss headphones are MUCH superior sounding to these--it's not even a competition. The difference: The Koss headphones are more accurate, the high end of the Koss headphones is less fatiguing and the bass of the Koss headphones is tighter.

OK, now for specifics...

Sticking to $20 or under, I'd recommend the following Koss headphones, all available at Amazon (or at other fine retailers!): The Koss KCS75 (behind the ear model, similar to these Philips HS500s, not much more expensive than the Philips headphones, and SO much better sounding), The Koss KTXPRO1, The Koss PortaPro2 (ugly but good sounding) or The Koss SportaPro.

If you simply cannot spend another penny beyond what these HS500s cost, well, then, buy them and at least you'll be getting an improvement on the junk they tossed into the box with your portable player before they shipped it. But if sound quality matters to you, add about what it costs for one Big Mac to your purchase price and get a SERIOUS improvement in sound quality by getting the Koss...