CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: Solderdude on December 24, 2014, 03:50:34 PM
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This is one of the cheaper Philips headphones that is now discontinued but still available (end 2014).
The headphone in question is called Philips 'Cityscape Uptown' type number: SHL5905xx/10.
It's MSRP is $ 130.- but the street-price (end 2014) is a lot lower.
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/shl9505-kl.jpg)
It is intended for portable usage and available in 3 colour themes. Silver with brown headband (SHL5905GY/10), all black (SHL5905FB/10) and as shown above black with brown pads and headband (SHL5905BK/10).
These headphones have a tangle free flat silicone cord with a remote control in it. The earlier models also had a (very buggy) volume control + pause button + mic. The later models only had a mic and remote control. These are intended for usage with i-stuff, Blackbarry, HTC and LG. There is also short conversion cable so it can be used with Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Palm and Sony-Ericson as well. For the North American market there seems to be a version with a different driver as well.
The SHL5905BK/28 appears to have the same looks but differs in specs and driver materials.
The SHL5905 is a fully closed headphone with soft pleather (fake leather) pads and has a quite decent attenuation of ambient sounds and no leakage of sound to its surroundings.
It has a dynamic 40mm ∅ driver using a neodynium magnet. The 30Ω driver coil is made from Copper Cladded Aluminium Wire and the mylar dome has a 103dB/mW efficiency and 30mW power rating. At 30mW input power it reaches about 118dB SPL which is very loud !
The 1.2m long flat and tangle free OFC cable has a 3-ring 3.5mm angled goldplated connector and is low in mircrophonics ! The headphone only weighs 260 grams (9.2 oz) and has a pleasant 5N clamping force.
The pads are very soft and provide a good seal but as the whole system is closed can get your ears hot and sweaty.
The in-line volume control is 'scratchy', fails quickly and has substantial L-R balance issues...
The stock sound is tuned for the younger on the go generation. Thus... firm bass (too firm to be called Hi-Fi) and very laid back in the mids. Those mids are somewhat recessed. The treble is peaky with a hint of coarseness. The voices have an overly 'warm' tilt to it. The SHL9505 sounds decent with crappy low bitrate MP3's as the upper mids (where most 'harshness' in crappy music resides) are attenuated significantly.
For Hi-Fi usage the headphone is too bassy/flabby and slightly 'honky' and not very 'open/clear' sounding. Treble is decent, not very grainy or overly smooth.
The plot below is 1/24th oct. smoothed.
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/stock-smoothed-1-24-0-100db.png?w=614)
The frequency response shows how it sounds (disregard the dip around 80Hz, a measurement thing). plenty bass and rolled off mids so 'warm' amd far from accurate but pleasant for crappy low bitrate popular music. The treble is present and extends pretty well. The sharp dips are partly pad and partly test rig related.
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/csd-stock-lr-shl9505.png?w=614&h=297)
CSD shows some resonating at lower frequencies which I think explains the slight hollow sound. Treble is a shows a lot of ringing yet doesn't sound really bad.
Fortunately this headphone is very eay to modify and this is described here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/cv5wevv94gpajrj/Philips_Cityscape_Uptown_SHL9505_modifications.pdf (http://www.mediafire.com/view/cv5wevv94gpajrj/Philips_Cityscape_Uptown_SHL9505_modifications.pdf)
Once modified it really sounds very good to my ears and is a clear step up from Superlux HD681-HD681-EVO models as well as lots of other headphones.
No.. its not THE best headphone around but it does sound FAR beyond its price point.. even when bought at MSRP and including modding materials.
Below is what the modified SHL9505 looks like. .
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/mod-shl9505-kl.jpg)
It measures a lot better once modified as shown below:
This plot is smoothed 1/6 octave so it 'looks' a little better :)p17
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/modified-smoothed-1-6-100db.png?w=614&h=282)
and CSD....
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/csd-stock-lr-modified-shl9505.png?w=614&h=297)
As said... modded it performs well above it's pricepoint and has become my favorite portable headphone (no amp needed for this one)
I can't RECOMMEND this headphone highly enough. Get it quick before its out of the online stores.. if you are in for some easy mods that is otherwise ... stay away !
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Awesome job on the PDF guide --- brownie points!
Do you prefer these modded Up Towns to the M50?
Also curious as to how they compare to Philips own Fidelio L1 / L2 which I'm fond of.
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I have not yet heard / measured the L1/L2 but did (shortly) own the SHP9500, X1 and A5Pro.
When I run into the L2 at a decent 2nd hand price I will try them.
Philips makes some decent drivers, its just the packaging :P
I have to admit that is improving the last few years but so is the pricing :(
I owned the old M50 which I did not like at all, not enough clarity and far too bassy for me.
I liked the M40X(owned) better which appears to be a slightly less bassy and less refined version.
Strangely enough, and even though, the X1 measures better I MUCH prefer the sound of this modified cheap Philips.
Of course taste has something to do with it.
I like bass that is somewhat north of truly flat, a flat midrange to treble, nice extension and smooth yet articulate highs.
Also I like to hear the small details which it does.
On direct comparison with the better headphones it becomes obvious the mids are a bit too 'clear' yet when you just listen to it, it doesn't stand out in a negative way.
I prefer this modded one over the X1, A5 pro and SHP9500 (which is a bit bass-shy)
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Great post, mods and results. Cudos to you.
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Sorry, you can't repeat a karma action without waiting 1 hours. :)p17
You didn`t modded then, you did a miracle to then!
Unfortunatly they`re quite expensive here, will be looking for a sale ... althought just for curiosity have you checked the downtown?
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this is awesome, but I consider myself more of a "philips citiscape downtown" kind of guy... can you whip something up for that too?
kidding.
glad to see some life to be made out of these, and freaking cheap too.
do the change in pads affect attenuation / leakage much?
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this is awesome, but I consider myself more of a "philips citiscape downtown" kind of guy... can you whip something up for that too?
I remember trying the downtown in a shop somewhere and really liking it. Granted it was a noisy shop condition, but it was comfy and sounded decent, and for the $40 or whatever at the time, if I had that in my pocket I would have bought it just to futz around with. I'd be really curious to see some measurements on it.
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I'd be really curious to see some measurements on it.
Here (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsCityscapeDowntown.pdf), sadly they have non-replaceable pads so modding them would be a PITA.
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What c61746961 said plus the fact that in general I don't buy on-ears because, on some occasions, I need to wear reading glasses as well....
I am willing to put up with an EQ'ed DT1350 (not very comfortable) because of certain properties it has but that's about it on-ear wise.
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Can you by any chance compare these to HM5/FA-003/whathaveyou? Also would these be worth the ~100e it takes to get and mod those cans here in Europe?
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I don't have the HM5 or FA-003 nor any of its OEM's at this point nor any of these pads.
Should I ever have one I will be looking into them.
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In retail it is a matter of time before these headphones are being dumped.
At one point you can pick this headphone up for 20 to 30 Euro/Dollar and be done with it. Stock this headphone indeed sounds acceptable for portable use. Philips has been improving its drivers. Their latest DJ headphones are pretty good sounding.
Solderdude, the modified Philips looks impressive in the measurements.
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Where exactly should I position the felt rings, in the middle of the canvas covering the element or closer to plastic or either side? I did the mods and the sound is pretty damn good at least compared to how they sounded straight out of the box ( I don't have too many sets to compare it to atm), but either my old cans were piss-poor at treble and I'm not used to it or it's still a bit peaky and harsh. The felt is 3mm thick acrylic tho, cause I couldn't find woolen felt that thick.
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The felt rings (with adhesive back) are attached to the cups.
The felt discs (without selfadhesive layer) simply are placed on the driver (ear side) and are held in place by the dustcovers that are integrated in the SRH840 and SRH940 pads.
When using DT770 pads you will need 2 felt discs on top of each other.
I have synthetic felt and woolfelt here as well.
Strange thing is that with some headphones there isn't much audible difference when using them and in other cans there is.
In this case woolfelt sounded best.
My ears are also quite old and have to admit that I like neutral to slightly raised treble over subdued.
It is a matter of adjustment of the brain as well and might also be 'reference' related.
When an old M50 was your reference these will sound bright.
When a DT990 was your reference these will sound less 'bright'.
The self-adhesive felt I used inside the cups (against reflections) can be something like this:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/PodoPro-Chiropody-Podiatry-Self-adhesive-Fleecy-Web-Felt-Padding-3mm-Thick-/321511953333?pt=UK_Health_HealthCare_RL&var=&hash=item4adb9b13b5 (http://www.ebay.nl/itm/PodoPro-Chiropody-Podiatry-Self-adhesive-Fleecy-Web-Felt-Padding-3mm-Thick-/321511953333?pt=UK_Health_HealthCare_RL&var=&hash=item4adb9b13b5)
or:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/PodoPro-Chiropody-Podiatry-Self-adhesive-Felt-Padding-2mm-Thick-Hypallergenic-/221455624117?pt=UK_Health_HealthCare_RL&var=&hash=item338fc8a7b5 (http://www.ebay.nl/itm/PodoPro-Chiropody-Podiatry-Self-adhesive-Felt-Padding-2mm-Thick-Hypallergenic-/221455624117?pt=UK_Health_HealthCare_RL&var=&hash=item338fc8a7b5)
It's what I use simply because I had 2 small rolls of this left for smoothing edges of a leg cast.
I found a better use for it....
The felt I used in front of the driver is 3mm thick wool-felt WITHOUT the sticky back (you can't use the sticky felt there !.
Bought this stuff in a local 'crafts store'.
something like this:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/100-Wool-Felt-Fabric-3-4mm-Thick-Mottled-Anthracite-1m-x-1m-OEKO-TEX-/231426356681?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric&var=&hash=item35e215f5c9 (http://www.ebay.nl/itm/100-Wool-Felt-Fabric-3-4mm-Thick-Mottled-Anthracite-1m-x-1m-OEKO-TEX-/231426356681?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric&var=&hash=item35e215f5c9)
or:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/100-Wool-Felt-Fabric-Approx-5mm-Thick-Handmade-12-1-Metre-Square-Sheet-/141118888673?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric&var=&hash=item20db575ae1 (http://www.ebay.nl/itm/100-Wool-Felt-Fabric-Approx-5mm-Thick-Handmade-12-1-Metre-Square-Sheet-/141118888673?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric&var=&hash=item20db575ae1)
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Oops, I meant the discs indeed. In your guide they were a bit off-center in the picture so it left me wondering. I actually got all the parts except the adhesive felt today so I just made the rings out of the same felt as the discs and taped them in for the weekend. I don't feel an express need to change them tho.
Oh, and that sub-bass. I thought my nanotube JVCs were good at it, but damn!
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The stickyback felt is just convenient and works just as well as normal felt taped/glued on the cups.
It is only there to lower reflections.
For the silver one I am going to explore shelfliner on the inside and felt ovals on top of the drivers.
I was quite surprised with the results myself.
Nice extende non-flabby somewhat exentuated but non-bleeding bass, excellent clear mids and silky smooth yet highly detailed treble.
I really like it.
No problems driving it from a portable as well.
I bought 2 more of them.. a grey one that will be getting grey DT770 pads and one for spare parts (drivers)
They are out of production AFAIK so the well dries out sooner or later.
Best sounding relatively cheap HP in my book.
Glad more than just me are enjoying this headphone.
I fixed the felt discs in front of the driver with band-aid tape (shown in the article now)
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Yeah, thanks for the awesome guide. I was about to get X2, but I couldn't try them on anywhere and I didn't trust my ears to be refined enough. I'm more than happy with these, even though modding materials and esp. the Shure pads cost me a bit. The highs I complained about earlier seem to be a result of shoddy mixing/mastering on certain tracks. In my books these are at least on par with the HM5, but the more present bass gives the sound more body on low listening volumes which I prefer.
My only gripe is that I couldn't find brown ones with the better cable, and my black ones aren't as handsome as them.
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I have revisited the modification article and added some info about the silver/grey version and how to take it apart.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/cv5wevv94gpajrj/Philips_Cityscape_Uptown_SHL9505_modifications.pdf
Fortunately the grey and black versions do not measure and sound very different.
They do have a somewhat different mechanical structure (the 'music seal') which warrants a different approach to removing the pads..
Below the plots of the silver/grey SLH9505-GY(10) version once modified, 2mm synthetic felt is used in this example.
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/gy-modified-srh940.png?w=614&h=416)
Below a 'stock' SHL9505:
(https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/shl9505-stock.png?w=614&h=365)
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Excellent post!!!
I had the downtown model and it was a good on-ear headphone! Your results are freaking amazing really.
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I bought a pair of these last year. A friend who knew that I was into hp's asked me to pick out a set for her. Based on her requirements and price range I bought the Cityscape never even having heard them. I gave them a listen before I took them over to her and thought they sounded pretty decent. Well, she wore them about three times and hasn't picked them back up. Maybe I need to "borrow" them and perform a little modding :-)
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jesus that FR is gorgeous
beautifully done
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I was reminded by c61746961 about the US version that has a different suffix.
It may be worth mentioning that in the US only the -28 suffix version is available (rest of the world seems to have -10 suffix)
FWIR the drivers (and thus sound ?) may differ which means the results MAY differ after mods.
I addressed this in the article but as CS is US based 'your' SHL9505 may not be exactly the same as 'ours'.
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The leaflets show identical specs, though:
10 (http://download.p4c.philips.com/files/s/shl5905bk_10/shl5905bk_10_pss_.pdf)
28 (http://download.p4c.philips.com/files/s/shl5905bk_28/shl5905bk_28_pss_aenus.pdf)
They are probably made in China in the same plant anyway.
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I read somewhere on HF that the impedance of the drivers differed as well as other aspects.
The original Philips folders appear to be the same.
No idea why they would have the 10 and 28 suffix with no differences yet change the production over the years from:
No 'sonic seal' to with 'sonic seal' yet not changing suffixes...
Also they appear to have made a 9515 (the version with the different remote) but think these also may have been sold under the SHL9505 number as well.
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Measured impedance or listed impedance?
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listed impedance but the lists were both in very different formats so not both from Philips.
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I see, I will take photos of the driver part number when my pair arrives so we can corroborate.
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AFAIK the suffix only marks the market area: 28 for 'Murica, 10 for Europe and so on. The phones should be identical. At least that's the case with Fidelios.
Got my hands on O2 amp. Gotta disagree with these not needing the amp. Or Xonar DG sucks donkey balls.
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Very possible they are one and the same.
I can't find the info about possible differences anywhere any more.
If all goes well I should be receiving an SHL9515 (all black + music seal - volume control) shortly and will check for differences bewteen early and later models.
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The black version is sexier fo' sho.
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Solderdude, did you hear any difference with your new(?) pair? After a month and half's pretty much constant use it feels like the highs have gotten more prominent, to the point that they start to hurt my ears before I get the rest of the spectrum to the enjoyable levels. At the same time the bass has settled down a bit: they started from about same level as my slightly modded JVC HA-400 and now I can't really call it emphasized anymore. The change was pretty rapid too. Up until this week they sounded good.
Shame, i really liked how they sounded as new. Now my ears just can't stand them.
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I hear no differences with the 2 versions I already modified.
Perhaps the felt disc isn't in the proper spot any more ?
I taped mine in place with band-aid tape (Leukoplast) on the side only.
I have 3 types of 'used' headphones, old black/brown, newer silver with music seal and an SHL9515 (music seal and no volume control) and will work on these when I have some time.
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The change was pretty rapid too. Up until this week they sounded good.
Shame, i really liked how they sounded as new. Now my ears just can't stand them.
Sometimes every headphone sounds shitty, shrill and wrong to me, not really sure why. Maybe it's time to give your ears a little rest?
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Stress and health levels can easily affect sound perception too.
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I got some questions about ways to secure the Shure pads as they are kind-a loose fitting.
Updated the modding guide and added 2 ways to secure the pads while still being able to remove the pads if needed.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/cv5wevv94gpajrj/Philips_Cityscape_Uptown_SHL9505_modifications.pdf (http://www.mediafire.com/view/cv5wevv94gpajrj/Philips_Cityscape_Uptown_SHL9505_modifications.pdf)