Philips SHP9500 vs Sennheiser HD 560S

107 facts in comparison

Based on 3,639 Reddit opinions. Close raceβ€”Philips SHP9500 edges ahead.

3.6K opinions
Philips SHP9500 leads by 1pts
Reddit's Pick
Philips SHP9500
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.

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VS
Sennheiser HD 560S
85%
A-
Based on
5,999 Redditors

Sennheiser HD 560S

~$149.95
3,091 opinions

tldr; Analytical budget king. Neutral, revealing, affordable. Mixing and critical listening.

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeatures
🎡SOU
😌COM
πŸ’°VAL
πŸ”§BUI
⚑FEA
75
Points
67
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
72%80%
Comfort
84%62%
Value
100%95%
Build Quality
80%71%
Features
100%43%

Why is Sennheiser HD 560S better than Philips SHP9500?

  • Better sound quality (80% vs 72%)
  • Better bass (53% vs 11%)
  • Neutral analytical
  • Budget friendly
  • Mixing capable
Based on 7,004 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the Philips SHP9500

Winning by 1 points (86% vs 85%)

Better comfort
Better build quality
Better features
High confidence (7,004 mentions)

πŸ’¬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 7,004 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Philips SHP9500
8.6/10
1,005 mentions
HD 560S
8.5/10
5,999 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
Philips SHP95007.2/10
HD 560S8.0/10
COMFORT
Philips SHP95008.4/10
HD 560S6.2/10
BASS
Philips SHP95001.1/10
HD 560S5.3/10
BUILD QUALITY
Philips SHP95008.0/10
HD 560S7.1/10
VALUE
Philips SHP950010.0/10
HD 560S9.5/10
FEATURES
Philips SHP950010.0/10
HD 560S4.3/10
βš”οΈ

Head to Head

Head to Head

Philips SHP9500: 4|HD 560S: 2
Sound QualityHD 560S
Philips SHP950072%
HD 560S80%
ComfortPhilips SHP9500
Philips SHP950084%
HD 560S62%
BassHD 560S
Philips SHP950011%
HD 560S53%
Build QualityPhilips SHP9500
Philips SHP950080%
HD 560S71%
ValuePhilips SHP9500
Philips SHP9500100%
HD 560S95%
FeaturesPhilips SHP9500
Philips SHP9500100%
HD 560S43%
Philips SHP950086%
HD 560S85%
Close race - Philips SHP9500 edges ahead by 1 points

Key Specs

SpecPhilips SHP9500Sennheiser HD 560S
Acoustic System
Open
β€”
Driver Size
50 mm
β€”
Impedance
32 ohm
120 ohms
Frequency Response
12 - 35,000 Hz
6 Hz - 38 kHz (-10 dB)
Sensitivity
101 dB
β€”

Key Highlights

Philips SHP9500
πŸ’° Budget king
😌 Giant pads
🌌 Open sound
πŸ‘‹ Perfect starter
Sennheiser HD 560SWinner
πŸ“ Neutral analytical
πŸ’° Budget friendly
🎧 Mixing capable
⚠️ Less musical

Topic Battles

Philips SHP9500: 4|Tied: 0|HD 560S: 1
🎡Sound Quality
HD 560S wins
Philips SHP9500
72%
HD 560S
80%
😌Comfort
Philips SHP9500 wins
Philips SHP9500
84%
HD 560S
62%
πŸ’°Value
Philips SHP9500 wins
Philips SHP9500
100%
HD 560S
95%
πŸ”§Build Quality
Philips SHP9500 wins
Philips SHP9500
80%
HD 560S
71%
⚑Features
Philips SHP9500 wins
Philips SHP9500
100%
HD 560S
43%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

πŸ“ˆWhere They Rank

πŸ’¬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Philips SHP9500

Best Praise
+100 pts
β€œPhilip SHP9500 probably the best bang for buck headphone in market. Enjoy.”
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+8 pts
β€œI’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
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sennheiser HD 560S

Best Praise
+81 pts
β€œ[half off MSRP, $100 off actual market price](https://www.thomannmusic.com/intl/sennheiser_hd_560s.htm)”
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+10 pts
β€œI thought the 560s were unbearably clampy tbh”
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

πŸ“ˆHistorical Price Data

Philips SHP9500
Sennheiser HD 560S
$100$150$200$250Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Apr '26May '26Low: $79.98Low: $149.99Current: $159.99
Philips SHP9500
All-time low: $49(2022-01)
Sennheiser HD 560S
All-time low: $129.95(2024-10)

Which is Better?

Too Close to Call

Both products have nearly identical approval ratings (86% vs 85%). Choose based on your specific needs and preferences.

Why Philips SHP9500
  • Better Features (100% vs 43%)
Why HD 560S
  • πŸ“ Neutral analytical
  • πŸ’° Budget friendly
  • More discussed (5,999 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

44%Positive
Positive
44%
Neutral
48%
Negative
8%
Based on 5,999 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Philips SHP9500 or Sennheiser HD 560S?
Based on 7,004 Reddit comments, Philips SHP9500 has a slight edge with 86% positive sentiment vs Sennheiser HD 560S's 85%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Philips SHP9500 or Sennheiser HD 560S?
Both have similar approval ratings (86% vs 85%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
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 Sennheiser HD 560S?
Reddit users highlight: Neutral analytical. Budget friendly. Mixing capable. With 5,999 mentions and 85% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 7,004 Reddit comments: 1,005 about Philips SHP9500 and 5,999 about Sennheiser HD 560S. 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.

3,639 Reddit opinions analyzed Β· Last updated 6/27/2026