Philips SHE9850 Review
By Matt Aalto
June 6th, 2008
Summary
Phillips’ most recent entry into the earbud market touts an expert tuned and angled acoustic design, which reportedly provides remarkably “crisp, detailed and transparent” audio with “extended precision highs delivering the ultimate in pure sound.” But seriously – are the headphones really all that? Read on to find out.
Features and Design
The Philips SHE9850 features a straightforward aesthetic design with a twist. Specifically, the kind of industrial design that allows them to fit more comfortably into one’s ear and hopefully enhance your listening experience. And with four different earbud options featured in the box, you’re more than likely to find one that fits the bill.
Included in the package are three soft, silicone canal tips and one set of shape-changing foam tips. The foam tips are designed to fit into your ear and adjust by expanding into your ear canal, providing a seal to keep out annoying distractions and background noise. Also included in the package is a surprisingly cool, usable metal box for storage and an earbud cleaner. There is a clip to hold the cord to your shirt provided too, and the cable on the SHE9850 measures about four feet in length.
Sound
Designed with a high-definition transducer, sound quality proves about what can be expected, which is to say reasonably good. During testing, we utilized our trusty 8GP iPod Nano, armed with lossless audio files covering several different genres of music. The SHE9850 produces consistent mids, nice crisp highs and surprising bass response. With the correct earbuds chosen, it’s safe to say you’ll be pleased with the unit’s overall sound caliber and noise isolation performance.
Conclusion
At $89.99US, most buyers will find the SHE9850’s audio quality and comfort welcome – and that the headphones’ deliver as promised in terms of pure ergonomics. For those seeking superior sound though, we would suggest you instead check out the AudioTechnica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7, which provides a true noise canceling feature. Or, for a little more money, try the Shure SE310 which received a coveted Editor’s Choice award. Overall, however, Philips’ most recent model makes a solid choice for an affordable upgrade over your current set of clumsy, less enjoyable cans.
Pros:
• Extremely comfortable
• High sound quality
• Nice carrying case
• Thick cord
Cons:
• Single driver design
• No built-in noise-canceling feature
• Pricey
Specs
Sound
Impedance 12 ohm st 1kHz
Sensitivity 115 dB SPL/mW at 1 kHz
Maximum power input 3mW
Tuner/Reception/Transmission
Frequency range 20Hz - 20kHz MHz
Connectivity
Cable length 1.2m
Product dimensions
Cable length 0 cm
Width 0 cm
Height 0 cm
Depth 0 cm
Weight 0 kg
Packaging dimensions
Height 17.5 cm
Width 17.5 cm
Depth 4.1 cm
Nett weight 0.015 kg
Gross weight 0.3365 kg
Tare weight 0.3215 kg
UPC 6 09585 15027 0
Number of products included 1
Packaging type Blister
Outer Carton
Length 28.6 cm
Width 20.4 cm
Height 24.5 cm
Nett weight 0.09 kg
Gross weight 2.736 kg
Tare weight 2.646 kg
GTIN 2 06 09585 15027 4
Number of consumer packagings 6
Inner Carton
Length 18.4 cm
Width 13.2 cm
Height 21.3 cm
Nett weight 0.045 kg
Gross weight 1.163 kg
Tare weight 1.118 kg
GTIN 1 06 09585 15027 7
Number of consumer packagings 3