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2020’s Best Wired Headphones Under $150
It was a relatively quiet year for affordable wired headphone releases. Most of the movement in the consumer sector is now in the wireless space, and that shows no sign of slowing down.
Last year was also a tough act to follow, thanks to the huge splash made by the AKG K361 and K371. Sennheiser made some aggressive moves with their new HD 560S, and its $200 price tag and high level of performance seem bafflingly designed to eat away at the market share of their own massively popular HD6XX model.
Still, $200 is too much to pay for a huge swathe of the market. If you want to get into good audio at a fair price and you want the latest-and-greatest in wired headphones, my favorite pick this year is the Philips SHP9600. You can check out their official site by clicking right here. That’s not an affiliate link, as I think those are gross.
Like the Sennheiser model mentioned above, the SHP9600 has a wildly popular predecessor to contend with…and at first glance, the new one is on the back foot. The older SHP9500 has been a star of the budget space for a few years now, regularly selling well below its standard $99 price point. It offered folks a way to check out the benefits of well-designed open back headphones without spending a ton of money. What could a follow-up possibly improve?
Turns out: it could improve absolutely everything.
The SHP9600 is a little bit better in every important way than its predecessor…save for MSRP. The price is bumped up to $129.99, but like its older cousin I have no doubt it’ll receive regular discounts. Unlike the 9500, it doesn’t have any obvious flaws. The sound is far smoother and more enjoyable to listen to, with a bass presence and warmth that the original model was lacking. The build has been updated with a more modern-looking design. The clamping force and ear pad foam have been adjusted to increase the comfort. And the previous model’s wide soundstage is still fully intact.
