Thursday, January 15, 2009

Full Size Cans: Philips SHP-8900.

Now What? The last review I made was on the "King of Cheap Open Dynamic Cans" - the Philips SHP-805. Today I wish to review and talk about the SHP-805's big brother, the SHP-8900. The 8900 was at the top tier and flagship at one time in the Philips range of open dynamic full sized cans. It is only now surpassed by a newer model, the "CINEOS" SHP-9000 which is now the top of the line Philips Open Dynamic Headphone.

However the SHP-8900 is still held in very high regard. Here are my own impressions on the SHP-8900 - The SHP8900's sound is brighter then it's smaller brother the 805, it does have much better resolution. It offers more clarity, which is easily discernible in the higher frequency registries. It is not just a matter of clarity in the higher frequency ranges, the graininess is gone and the presentation is much more refined. The SHP-8900's bass is allot tighter and has considerably more extension, impact and firmer control. There is a little booming at the bag end and this may suggest why Philips launched the "CINEOS" SHP-9000 to superseded this model, I presume that they have dealt with this issue although I must confess that I have yet to test drive the SHP-9000 but hope to get around to it. These are excellent cans if you are looking for a bright sound. I would say that these cans are on a par with the Sennheiser HD-595 cans.


Features:
The perfect listening experience, 50mm speaker driver for sound without audible distortion. The 50 mm speaker driver combines the sensitivity of composite Mylar material with the power of neodymium for the magnetic circuit to deliver powerful, distortion-free sound.

The whole ear is covered to optimize sound quality, full-size ear shells not only cover your whole ear for better sound quality, but also provide space for a larger, higher performance drivers.

High quality Linear Crystal Oxygen Free Detachable Copper cable. The extremely pure copper used for this cable minimizes transmission losses and delivers superb signal quality to the headphone, and pure sound to your ears.

Ergonomic cushions improve wearing comfort and bass. The ergonomic ear cushion shape and luxurious velvety materials ensure a more comfortable fit and better bass performance thanks to reduced audio leakage.

Easy adjustable headband ensures optimum fit and comfort. The easily adjustable mechanism provides a comfortable close fitting acoustic seal between the ear cushion and ear, ensuring optimal performance.

Breathable headband improves comfort for prolonged use. The extensively cushioned 'Auto Fit' head band with integrated breathable mesh, ensures you stay cool & comfortable during prolonged periods of use.

24k gold-plated adapter for ultra reliable connection. High-quality sound regardless of whether your audio devices are fitted with 3.5 or 6.35 mm jack sockets.

Single-sided detachable cable reduces tangling and improves comfort. The cable is conveniently connected to just one side, considerably reducing the risk of tangling and simplifying winding the cable up for storage.

4m detachable cable for extended life & simplified storage. A detachable cable is convenient to connect or store away depending on your needs.


Unique detachable cable locking mechanism. Paying attention to even the smallest detail, the acoustic engineers refined the design of the locking mechanism to ensure the detachable cable does not accidentally come lose. Storage pouch included.




Specifications:

Sound:

Acoustic system: Open Dynamic

Magnet type: Neodymium

Frequency response: 5 - 30 000 Hz

Impedance: 32 Ohm

Maximum power input:1500 mW

Sensitivity: 106 dB

Speaker diameter: 50 mm high efficiency drivers


Connectivity:

Cable Connection: One-sided

Cable length: 4 m

Detachable cable: Yes

Finishing of connector: 24k Gold-plated


Accessories:

Adapter plug: 24k gold-plated 3.5-6.3 mm adapter plug

Pouch: Convenient storage pouch included

Velcro cable strap: Velcro cable strap supplied


Packaging dimensions:

Depth: 15 cm

Gross weight: .78 kg

Height: 28.3 cm

Nett weight: .38 kg

Tare weight: .4 kg

Width: 24 cm


Outer Carton:

Gross weight: 12.82 kg

Height: 65.5 cm

Length: 52.2 cm

Nett weight: 4.56 kg

Tare weight: 8.26 kg

Width: 50 cm

Parameter Review Results:

  • Bass Extension: 7.8
  • Bass Impact: 7.9
  • Bass Quality: 7.9
  • Mid Quality: 7.6
  • High Quality: 7.5
  • Soundstage: 7.8
  • Detail: 8.0
  • Portability: 1.0
  • Isolation: 1.5
  • Comfort: 7.5
  • Durability: 6.0
  • Value: 9.6

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