Home > Consumer Reviews > Philips SHE9850 In-Ear Headphones with Advanced Acoustics

I use two types of earbud headphones: the nice, pricey Sony ones (MDR-EX51LP Fontopia) for music and the Sony budget ones (Sony MDR-E828LP Fontopia) for exercise and general use.

I played the same songs (all time favorites on my playlist) with the pricey Sony and these, somewhat pricier Philips headphones. There is a very noticeable improvement in the overall sound clarity, separation, bass response and brilliance.

The buds fit very securely inside my ears, sort of sealing in the sound, so you'll have to experiment with the three other enclosed earpieces to see what is most comfortable, but the sealing is part of what makes the sound so startlingly strong. It would be nice if there were foam or cloth overlays for these kinds of headphones like they have for the cheaper types.

If you listen to music a lot and you want to maximize the experience, these are worth hearing. Why invest in a music collection and not play it back on something worthy of it? It's also nice to know that amazon currently lists an inexpensive set of replacement buds. I lose mine all the time and it was a hassle -- and expensive -- to get them from Sony.

1. Great clean sound, through superior engineering
2. Comfortable wear
4. Great frequency response 20hz-20khz
5. Quality metal case, for protection of earphones

The only fault I can find is that like many of today's headphones, the cord is a little short.

Bottom line: These are decent in-ear noise canceling headphones but they are overpriced for the sound quality and performance. Unlike some other reviewers, I found them to be a little flat in the midrange and base. I have 2 Sony earbud style headphones (Sony MDR-ED21LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones and Sony MDR-E829V Fontopia Earbuds with In-line Volume Control) and they produce better sound at a much better price point.

PROS:

1. Attractive. Good quality construction.
2. Fit snugly in the ear, providing good noise isolation and clarity.
3. The sound is sharp and not bad (but certainly not what I would expect from headphones in the $75 price range)
4. Very little distortion at high volume.
5. Snug fit keeps headphones in your ear while jogging or exercising.

CONS:

1. Cord a bit short for anything other than walkman/MP3 player use.
2. Sound quality a bit on the tinny side, lacking in bass and midrange "oomph."
3. Not always easy to get the fit right in the ear.
4. Some may find the in ear buds uncomfortable (though it was fine for me).
5. Cost too high when comparably priced Etymotics or Shures are available.
6. Depending on how the bud fits in your ear, the casing can rest against your earlob, sometimes causing friction sound when moving. Very distracting.

While the Philips SHE9850 are a step up from most $20 earbud headphones, they are certainly not the best you can do. I will use these mainly for early morning jogs with my iPod, but for real discerning music listening, I'll look elsewhere. 3 stars, maybe 3.5.

I bought these to wear at work to drown out my coworkers. Yes, the "earplug" style blocked out my coworkers -- but then the only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat and breathing, and a terrible amount of noise every time the cord brushed against something (desk, clothing, whatever). A complete waste of money. Next!

These headphones just did not measure up to my expectations. I compared them to a $15 pair of Koss phones that i had in the office and the Koss's were better. They were very uncomfortable and hurt my ears. also, they didn't stay in well. The bass was non existent. Also, the cord really conducted the sound of touching or bouncing against your clothes very loudly.

I returned them and got the Beats by Dre headphones. those are awesome! Great sound and a good fit for me. $150 but worth it. the cables never get tangled!