Philips SHE8500/10 Ear Headphones

I get through lots of headphones so I look for decent deals on uncomplicated phones. I picked these out as they are asymmetrical so that i could wrap them round the back of my neck and thus they bounce less when I am walking around and reduce the common tapping or rubbing sounds that can transmit well in noise isolating headphones.The sound quality is decent, not as good as some similar but more expensive Sennheisers I have had (which is expected), the bass is full without being too heavy, the mid range is reasonable (maybe lacking in a bit of punch) and the treble seems fine. However, the overall sound could more controlled as individual vocals and musical instruments are less distinct, there seems to a bit of merging and softness. To be honest as I listen to music, podcasts etc. on public transport most of the time, this makes little difference. FYI I am currently listening using an iPod Nano with EQ as default to avoid bias on any particular part of the frequency spectrum.I can't comment on build quality at the moment as i have only had the headphones for a few days, but seems ok so far, albeit the wires are a little stiff.The combination of low cost, decent sound, comparable sound isolation to other headphones i have used including JVCs, Sonys, Creatives and being asymmetrical headphones I can certainly recommend these as low cost headphones for those who commute, enjoy their bass and are not worried about a perfect sound.

I've had these headphones for about three months now. They were a replacement for my previous pair of Sennheisers, a venerable set that lasted me about good seven years or so until the cable broke at the splitter. The main reason I went for these Philips is because they have an asymmetric cable, which I really like, and this is the only pair I could find with it.They are, unfortunately, really annoying. I thought I'd just need time to adjust, but it's not happening. The cable is the most easily tangled thing in the world. Thin and weightless, it can knot itself from merely brushing against itself. I usually wrap my headphones around my iPod or 3DS when not in use. With my old headphones, this never caused a problem. For these, they get themselves tangled and knotted when I got to unwind them EVERY SINGLE TIME. "Why not store them some other way?" I hear you ask, quite fairly. Because the cable is so long and again, so prone to tangling, that no matter how you leave it, it's a mess the next time you look at it.The other big problem is the shape of the earphones. Not having had to buy earphones for the best part of a decade, I have been unaware of "advances" in earphone design, but apparently the in thing now is to have heads that are meant to plunge as deeply into your ear as possible? These headphones come with three interchangeable size options for the heads - "normal", "not a chance" and "are you kidding me?" Maybe I just have abnormally small ear canals, but regardless of what size I use, these things do not stay in at all. They constantly pop out even when I'm just sitting around, let alone if I'm using them while walking briskly. The rubber heads are also quite prone to detaching from headphones, especially when caught in the inevitable tangles, which means they're quite easy to lose, thus rendering the headphones unusable.But I shouldn't make this review too negative. On the plus side... they're a really nice shade of blue?

Brilliant sound and bass. These headphones drown out outside sounds without having to have the volume set at full blast. The headphones come with three different sizes of earbuds so you can choose the one which is most comfortable for you. I use these almost daily and keep them in my bag, they frequently get tangled but continue to work which is great! Great value for money! This is the second time I have purchased these headphones. My previous set lasted me a year which is a good length of time for the money. This is a product I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for high quality headphones at a bargain price :)

I'm not hard on my headphones. I don't pull the cables or tangle them up or shove them in a bag. But within just 2 months these were already crackling on the cable. The wires are very thin and just don't feel robust enough to be used for portable anything. Sound -great. Fit - fab. Asymmetric cable - why are there so few?! Just a shame these don't last.

Listening to music on my phone. Good sound quality and bass 👍

My last pair of these finally gave up on one side, so a repalcement was needed. They sound as good as before, BUT there is no travel case in the pack as advertised, the jack plug is no longer a gold plated right angle version, and the wire appears to be much stiffer than before, so I suspect it will probably break quicker than the previous more flexible cable. (it may of course be that it will soften with use!) My last set also came with a soft drawstring bag to keep the 'phones in, but I suspect that's just another case of cost cutting.

I love Philips in ears - they're comfy, durable (I usually only manage some cable breakage after two years rather than months), and the sounds good. Those aren't quite as brilliant as the bassy version, but they nicely reduce outside noises for nice and clear listening. And for that, they come at a very good price.

I've used these almost exclusively as my travel earphones for many years. They sound much better than all similarly priced headphones and most mid-priced ones too, with no obvious boxiness in the mids, no harshness in the highs and a round and powerful low end without being too soft. They have survived much abuse from being shoved into pockets and seem last for a couple of years with being treated roughly. I've tried a few other more expensive sets but always come back to these.