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39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent In-ear Headphones at a Reasonable Price, June 25, 2008
This review is from: Philips SHE9850 In-Ear Headphones with Advanced Acoustics (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I'm always on a search for the best headphones and have tried many with varying results, all the way up to premium $300 sets. I cannot tolerate at all any type of in-ear headphone that is simply a plastic, hard ear bud, they are all far too large and uncomfortable (and generally lacking in sound quality as well) but I'm also not enough of an audiophile to really need the premium ones. My previous favorite set of headphones was the Shure E3C, which gave a great balance of comfort, sound quality and price. These go one better by offering even better comfort, stability and a lower price to boot.
Opening the box was a nice surprise...if like me you are tried of plastic that requires box cutters to get into you will appreciate the professional, quality packaging of the Philips SHE9850 which comes in a solid cardboard box that is easy to open and remove the components from. In addition to the headphones, you get 3 sizes of silicon ear buds and one set of memory foam sleeves. Also a clip for the cord, basic instructions and a nice metal carrying case. The case is a bit larger and heavier than most, but it is well designed, slides open easily and includes a spot to carry an extra set of ear buds. This is a welcome feature if like me you change them according to use. I prefer silicon for basic use, but the memory foam for more active use to stay in place better.
I was very pleased with the comfort and stability of these headphones. They are slightly angled to better insert into the ear canal and once in, I found they stayed very solidly in place when I moved around. I have very small ears, and often have comfort issues, these were some of the best I've tried so far.
Sound quality I found to be excellent. A little more response at the lower ranges would have improved it a bit, but overall I would rate them at least as good as the Shure's, and better for a lot of my music. The sound is very full and rich, and could compare with some headphones in the $200+ range. Noise reduction as well was excellent. These definitely are not headphones to wear if you need to hear any peripheral noise! I could barely hear my very noisy clothes washer while wearing these, which is the best test I could do without going on a plane trip.
Overall, these are the best headphones I've used at this price, and I'd recommend them highly. The only thing I wish it had was a mute button, but I've not yet seen a decent set of headphones that has one, so have just come to accept that it's not something easy to do reliably.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phillips SHE-9850 Earplug, August 10, 2008
This review is from: Philips SHE9850 In-Ear Headphones with Advanced Acoustics (Electronics)
Pros: Sound excellent, clear and detail, bass could be better but expected from reading other reviews. It comes with nice little metal case. The silicon plug are so air tight you actually can feel air pressure in you ear (this could be a cons), and that acts like a passive noise cancelling, blocks about 80% of high freq noise. Personally I like the included memeory foam plug which feels much better, yet still blocks some noise. Price at sub-$100 is not bad for the quality
Cons: Not a lot of places sell them, I can only find Amazon. Because of that I am not sure where I can find replacement for the memory foam attachment plugs that phillips recommendss to replace every 3 months! It could use a softer wire, but I have seen worse in much more expensive brand. Softer wire == less noise when the wire is moved around with the silicon attachment. Foam doesn't seem to have that problem.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Philips has Done It RIGHT!, June 25, 2008
This review is from: Philips SHE9850 In-Ear Headphones with Advanced Acoustics (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Almost two years ago, I reviewed a great pair of ear buds made by Philips, the Philips HE591 Surround Sound Earbuds (Black), and for two years I've haven't found a better pair anywhere... until now. Phllips SHE9850 are the best in-ear headphones I have ever used. They are equal to, if not better than, Koss Pro-4AA Studio Quality Headphones which, to me, are one of the clearest and best sounding headphones ever made. Unfortunately, the PRO/4AA's were so tight around your ears, the blood circulation to your ears was cut-off after 15 minutes use.
As soon as you open the package and see the metal exterior of the case, the metal housing of the ear pieces, and the four different pairs of sleeves, you know you are going to experience something totally different. These are not "ear buds" by any stretch of the imagination. The four pairs of sleeves, three different size pairs made with soft flexigrip silicon and one pair made of memory foam, make it easier to have better sound at a lower volume, no matter how large or small you ear canal is. For me, the larger flexigrip silicon totally sealed-out all external noise. Wearing the memory foam ones allowed you to hear conversations of those around you along with what you are listening.
I have a drawer littered with earbuds/earphones ranging in price from $12.00 to over $150.00, and made by xTreme, Shure, Koss, Sony, Jensen, and, of course, my trusty Phillips HE591's. Most of these sound "tinny," without much bass tonal qualities. As with the Philips HE591's, I have found a great test for earphones is to hear the differences in sound when you change the equalizer setting on ones iPOD. With this one set of in-ear headphones you have at your disposal a different tonal quality for each setting, it can even duplicate the "tinny" sound of those higher priced brands I have tried, just in case that is your "cup of tea."
Other features of the SHE9850 are the heavier cord and the metal case housing. One thing different about the SHE9850's from the other Phillips model is that the cords for each channel are the same length, which I find easier to manage the cords, especially if you use the included cord "clip."
Are these in-ear headphones by Philips worth their price? Yes! I only wish I had a pair of these years ago. How much do I like them? I've bought a second pair already just in case I ever misplace the first pair.
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