What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
Tue, Sep 2 2008, 11:00AM
Philips SHE9850
For
Good detail in the presentation, good build, comfortable
Against
Painfully trebly, sound is brittle and grinds after a short period
The Philips SHE9850s look and feel quite weighty, but they're comfortable enough in the ear – and they sound quite weighty too.
Warm and substantial, they bring real purpose to low frequency information – though that's not at the expense of speed or dexterity.
The midrange can sound a little intimidated by all the kerfuffle in the bass, though, and the finest details can go astray – particularly at enthusiastic volume levels.
On the whole, though, the SHE9850s are an involving listen.
There's not quite the bite or attack from the highest frequencies that some other rivals offer, but if you hanker after a generously proportioned, solid sound, you could do a lot worse