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  1. Home
  2. Headphones
  3. Compare
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Sennheiser HD 598 vs Philips SHP9500

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sennheiser HD 598
Philips SHP9500

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jun 21, 2023 01:02 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated May 28, 2025 01:40 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sennheiser HD 598 Picture
Philips SHP9500 Picture
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingNo
EnclosureOpen-Back
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
MicNo
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingNo
EnclosureOpen-Back
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
MicNo
  1. Recommended in 6 articles:
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  4. Budget And Cheap
  5. Studio
  6. Critical Listening
  7. Over-Ear Under $100

Variants

  • HD 598 (Black)
  • HD 598 (Ivory)
  • SHP9500 (Black)

Review

See Sennheiser HD 598 Review
See Philips SHP9500 Review
0 
5 

Our Verdict

Sennheiser HD 598

Philips SHP9500

The Philips SHP9500 offer better value than the Sennheiser HD 598. Both headphones perform similarly, with only minor differences like size. Both are very comfortable, but the Philips are slightly heavier and bulkier, and they're consistent-sounding between wears. The Sennheiser trend more mid-range forward, so it can depend on your preferences.

0 

Check Price

Black
HD 598
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SHP9500
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Ivory
HD 598
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SHP9500
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Black
SHP9500
SEARCH
B&H
 
Black
SHP9500
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Read more

Main Differences for
Neutral Sound

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

8.0
7.9

Bass Accuracy 
 

7.0
6.1

Treble Accuracy 
 

8.9
7.9

Mid Accuracy 
 

9.0
9.6

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Sennheiser HD 598 Design Picture 2
Philips SHP9500 Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Open-Back
Open-Back

Wireless  

No
No

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

8.5
8.5

Comfort Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Comfort Picture
Philips SHP9500 Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.55 lbs
0.65 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.68 lbs
0.7 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

0.0
0.0

Controls Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Controls Picture
Philips SHP9500 Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

No Controls
No Controls

Ease Of Use  

No Controls
No Controls

Feedback  

No Controls
No Controls

Call/Music Control  

No
No

Volume Control  

No
No

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
No

Talk-Through 
 

No
No

Additional Controls  

No
No

Breathability 
 

7.4
7.8

Breathability After Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Breathability After Picture
Philips SHP9500 Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

3.1 °C
2.5 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

5.6
5.2

Portability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Portability Picture
Philips SHP9500 Portability Picture

L  

7.5" (19.0 cm)
8.8" (22.4 cm)

W  

6.7" (17.0 cm)
7.1" (18.0 cm)

H  

3.3" (8.5 cm)
4.0" (10.2 cm)

Volume  

167.56 in³ (2,745.80 cm³)
250.00 in³ (4,096.75 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

0.0
0.0

Case Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Case Picture
Philips SHP9500 Case Picture

Type  

No case
No case

L  

N/A
N/A

W  

N/A
N/A

H  

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A

Build Quality 
 

7.0
7.0

Build Quality Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Build Quality Picture
Philips SHP9500 Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

6.5
6.0

Stability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Stability Picture
Philips SHP9500 Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Angled Picture
Philips SHP9500 Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Side Picture
Philips SHP9500 Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Front Picture
Philips SHP9500 Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Rear Picture
Philips SHP9500 Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Top Picture
Philips SHP9500 Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 In The Box Picture
Philips SHP9500 In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

850 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

-4.18 dB
-5.6 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-2.01 dB
0.1 dB
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

7.2
7.9

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.57 dB
0.42 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.0
6.1

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

4.11 dB
7.9 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

59.93 Hz
51.54 Hz

Low Bass 
 

-7.63 dB
-11.25 dB

Mid Bass 
 

-0.41 dB
-2.44 dB

High Bass 
 

3.45 dB
0.08 dB
Show Text 

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

9.0
9.6

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.34 dB
0.67 dB

Low Mid 
 

1.9 dB
-0.35 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-0.01 dB
-0.4 dB

High Mid 
 

-0.46 dB
-0.09 dB
Show Text 

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.9
7.9

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.7 dB
2.58 dB

Low Treble 
 

0.57 dB
-0.58 dB

Mid Treble 
 

-0.3 dB
1.1 dB

High Treble 
 

-7.76 dB
-5.2 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.8
7.7

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.56 dB
1.34 dB

Dips 
 

0.62 dB
1.56 dB
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

8.5
8.6

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.27
0.2

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

7.86
6.67

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.45
0.44

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.77
1.85
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

7.6
7.9

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

2.33 dB
3.9 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

2.66 dB
3.61 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

10.37 dB
10.85 dB

Openness 
 

9.5
9.4

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

8.4
9.2
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Sennheiser HD 598 Virtual Soundstage
Philips SHP9500 Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No App
No App

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.2
8.0

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.163
0.098

WHD @ 100 
 

0.519
0.196
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

No Firmware
No Firmware

Power 
 

Passive
Passive

Connection 
 

Wired
Wired

Codec 
 

PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

No EQ
No EQ

ANC 
 

No ANC
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

1.2
1.5

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Overall Attenuation 
 

-2.81 dB
-3.30 dB

Isolation Audio 
 

Bass 
 

-0.05 dB
-0.01 dB

Mid 
 

1.32 dB
0.86 dB

Treble 
 

-9.37 dB
-11.91 dB
Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

1.7

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-3.04 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-3.07 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-3.32 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

Philips SHP9500 ANC Wind Handling Graph

ANC Wind Noise 
 

N/A

Leakage 
 

2.1
0.8

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

61.7 dB
66.76 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
No

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

No
No

Recording Quality 
 

0.0
0.0

Microphone Frequency Response  

Sennheiser HD 598 Microphone Frequency Response
Philips SHP9500 Microphone Frequency Response

Recorded Speech 
 

N/A
N/A

LFE 
 

N/A
N/A

FR Std. Dev. 
 

N/A
N/A

HFE 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted THD 
 

N/A
N/A

Gain 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Handling 
 

0.0
0.0

SpNR  

Sennheiser HD 598 SpNR
Philips SHP9500 SpNR

SpNR 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Gate 
 

No
No

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

N/A
N/A

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

N/A
N/A

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

N/A
N/A

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

N/A
N/A
Active Features

Battery 
 

0.0
0.0

Battery Type 
 

No Battery
No Battery

Continuous Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Additional Charges 
 

N/A
N/A

Total Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Charge Time 
 

N/A
N/A

Power-Saving Feature 
 

No
No

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

Passive Headphone
Passive Headphone

Charging Port  

None
None

App Support 
 

0.0
0.0

App Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 App Picture
Philips SHP9500 App Picture

App Name  

No App
No App

iOS  

No
No

Android  

No
No

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
No

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

9.5
9.9

Cable Picture  

Sennheiser HD 598 Cable Picture
Philips SHP9500 Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
Yes

Length 
 

4.40 ft (1.34 m)
9.84 ft (3.00 m)

Connector 
 

1/8" TRS
1/8" TRS

Latency - Analog 
 

0.2 ms

Latency - USB 
 

0 ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog
Show Text 

Bluetooth Connection 
 

0.0
0.0

Bluetooth Version 
 

No Bluetooth
No Bluetooth

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No

NFC Pairing 
 

No

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - SBC 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency Codec  

No Bluetooth Audio

AAC Support 
 

No

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A

iOS Latency 
 

N/A

Android Latency 
 

N/A

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

0.0
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

Check Price

Black
HD 598
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SHP9500
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Ivory
HD 598
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
SHP9500
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
 
Black
SHP9500
SEARCH
B&H
 
Black
SHP9500
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
Back to Top

Sennheiser HD 598

Philips SHP9500

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 year ago

Sennheiser HD 598 vs Philips SHP9500: Main Discussion

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