Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro vs Philips SHP9500
97 facts in comparison
Based on 1,862 Reddit opinions. Philips SHP9500Philips SHP9500 leads by 23 points.
1.9K opinions
Philips SHP9500 leads by 23pts
VS
63%
C
Based on
2,895 Redditors
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
~$199.99
1,314 opinions
tldr; Reddit opinions on the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro are mixed (62% positive across 2,897 mentions). Consider your specific needs and priorities.
Check pricesVS
Reddit's Pick
86%
A-
Based on
1,005 Redditors
Winner
Philips SHP9500
~$84.99
548 opinions
tldr; Budget open-back gateway. Huge pads, open sound, $60. Perfect starter.
Check prices🎵SOU
😌COM
💰VAL
🔧BUI
⚡FEA
66
Points
75
Points
Score by Category
Sound Quality
48%72%
Comfort
74%84%
Value
96%100%
Build Quality
72%80%
Features
47%100%
Why is Philips SHP9500 better than DT 990 Pro?
- Higher Reddit score (86% vs 63%)
- Better sound quality (72% vs 48%)
- Better comfort (84% vs 74%)
- Better build quality (80% vs 72%)
- Better features (100% vs 47%)
- Budget king
- Giant pads
- Open sound
Based on 3,900 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner
Reddit prefers the Philips SHP9500Philips SHP9500
Winning by 23 points (86% vs 63%)
Better sound quality
Better comfort
Better build quality
High confidence (3,900 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 3,900 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
990 Pro
6.3/10
2,895 mentions
Philips SHP9500
8.6/10
1,005 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
990 Pro4.8/10
Philips SHP95007.2/10
BUILD QUALITY
990 Pro7.2/10
Philips SHP95008.0/10
BASS
990 Pro6.0/10
Philips SHP95001.1/10
COMFORT
990 Pro7.4/10
Philips SHP95008.4/10
FEATURES
990 Pro4.7/10
Philips SHP950010.0/10
VALUE
990 Pro9.6/10
Philips SHP950010.0/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | 990 Pro | Philips SHP9500 |
|---|---|---|
Sound Quality | 48% | 72% |
Build Quality | 72% | 80% |
Bass | 60% | 11% |
Comfort | 74% | 84% |
Features | 47% | 100% |
Value | 96% | 100% |
Category Wins
990 Pro: 1|Philips SHP9500: 5
Head to Head
990 Pro: 1|Philips SHP9500: 5
Sound QualityPhilips SHP9500
990 Pro48%
Philips SHP950072%
Build QualityPhilips SHP9500
990 Pro72%
Philips SHP950080%
Bass990 Pro
990 Pro60%
Philips SHP950011%
ComfortPhilips SHP9500
990 Pro74%
Philips SHP950084%
FeaturesPhilips SHP9500
990 Pro47%
Philips SHP9500100%
ValuePhilips SHP9500
990 Pro96%
Philips SHP9500100%
990 Pro
63%
86%
Philips SHP9500
990 Pro63%
Philips SHP950086%
Clear winner - Philips SHP9500 leads by 23 points
Key Specs
| Spec | Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro | Philips SHP9500 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | beyerdynamic | Philips |
| Manufacturer | beyerdynamic | Philips |
| Color | Gray | Black |
| Weight | 0.5511 Pounds | 1.5 pounds |
| Height | 9.1 inches | 7.9 inch |
Key Highlights
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended
Philips SHP9500Winner
💰 Budget king
😌 Giant pads
🌌 Open sound
👋 Perfect starter
Topic Battles
990 Pro: 0|Tied: 0|Philips SHP9500: 5
🎵Sound Quality
Philips SHP9500 wins990 Pro
48%
Philips SHP9500
72%
😌Comfort
Philips SHP9500 wins990 Pro
74%
Philips SHP9500
84%
💰Value
Philips SHP9500 wins990 Pro
96%
Philips SHP9500
100%
🔧Build Quality
Philips SHP9500 wins990 Pro
72%
Philips SHP9500
80%
⚡Features
Philips SHP9500 wins990 Pro
47%
Philips SHP9500
100%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Philips SHP9500
Best Praise
+100 pts“Philip SHP9500 probably the best bang for buck headphone in market. Enjoy.”
r/headphones
ViewTop Criticism
+8 pts“I’d always take a KSC75 over a SHP9500 (without EQ). Especially a modded KSC75 with a headband and Yaxi pads. The SHP9500 is very comfortable, but I find the treble sounds super rough and grainy, which also makes the bass roll off sound more noticeable. Although a lot of that can be fixed with some EQ to lower the treble peaks, which dramatically improves the sound of the SHP9500 in my opinion”
r/headphones
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Best Praise
+102 pts“Your take froze the stream next to my house. That said, DT990 has benefits when EQ'd including stronger bass, bigger staging and a lack of a certain kind of harshness or contrast that bothered me with the 560s even after a Harman EQ.”
r/headphones
ViewTop Criticism
+21 pts“Sadly the cult that seems to have formed around the 990s is completely undeserving. I am sorry you dont like them and were lead to believe you would. The 990s are sadly just not a very easy going headphone. They work for some people but for a large majority of people they are just not enjoyable. If you can return them I would suggest exploring that route and maybe look at the dt880 if you want to stay within beyer or the hd6xx if you in north america”
r/headphones
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
990 Pro
Philips SHP9500
📈Historical Price Data
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Philips SHP9500
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
All-time low: $9.99(2017-03)
Philips SHP9500
All-time low: $49(2022-01)
Which is Better?
Philips SHP9500 Wins
86%
SHP9500
vs
63%
Pro
Philips SHP9500 leads by 23 points based on 3,900 Reddit opinions.
Why Philips SHP9500Winner
- Better Features (100% vs 47%)
Why 990 Pro
- More discussed (2,895 vs 1,005)
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
47%Positive
Positive
47%Neutral
46%Negative
7%Based on 1,005 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
28%Positive
Positive
28%Neutral
55%Negative
17%Based on 2,895 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Philips SHP9500 or Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
Based on 3,900 Reddit comments, Philips SHP9500 is the preferred choice with 86% positive sentiment vs Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro's 63%. Philips SHP9500 leads by 23 percentage points.
Should I buy Philips SHP9500 or Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Philips SHP9500 has stronger approval ratings (86% vs 63%). However, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Philips SHP9500?
Reddit users highlight: Budget king. Giant pads. Open sound. With 1,005 mentions and 86% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro?
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro has 2,895 mentions on Reddit with 63% positive sentiment. It's frequently discussed as a solid option.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 3,900 Reddit comments: 1,005 about Philips SHP9500 and 2,895 about Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
1,862 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/25/2026