There’s nothing wrong with the look or feel of the SHE9000s – the bevelled metal is a tactile treat – and they’re a snug fit.
The cable is a mixture of rubber and cloth; the rubber bit tangles, the cloth section doesn’t.
The most notable aspect of the Philips’ performance concerns the low frequencies: they’re miserably overstated and barely controlled. At the opposite end, treble sounds are splashy and insubstantial.
Perversely the SHE9000s sound quite poised in the midrange, and other pluses include dynamism and outright volume.
But the oppressive bass and rather mechanical overall sound means they can be safely ruled out.
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