Philips SHP2500 Headphones : Read reviews and compare prices at Ciao.co.uk

Author's product rating:

Quality
Durability
Value for Money

Advantages:	So cheap - Sound nice, long (6m) cable, comfortable, quite well built
Disadvantages:	So cheap - and feel like it in parts, not for critical listening, hard to drive

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

First, the conclusion:
I highly recommend the SHP 2500s for the uncritical TV listening for which they were intended. They're robustly built even if they don't hide their budget origins and the closed design stops sound from escaping and disturbing others which is nice. Their sonic deficiencies will not be noticed by most and will appeal to many and any flaws have to be seen in the context of an item that cost less than two packets of cigarettes. You won't regret buying these!

What are they for:
Listening to TV is what it says on the box (there's even a picture of somebody using them specially for the hard of thinking) and all the evidence points to them being specifically designed for this. There's a very long (6m) cable with adapters for the common jack sizes, a volume control so you don't have to reach for the remote when the ads come on and they're a bit too chunky for portable use.

Comfort & Build Quality:
They're a good chunky size and should fit most heads easily. I'm a solid "medium" and it fits me just fine but my six year old has no trouble keeping them on either. Now the first negative, they are built from recycled milk cartons and feel cheap and 'clicky'. The cable is a fairly hard and shiny affair but is quite rugged with the volume control feeling like the best bit of the package. The whole thing rattles a bit even when it's on your head but I can't say it bothers me and I'm freakishly anal about that kind of stuff. The ear pads are pleasant to touch and although the headband is unpadded hard plastic (I've VERY short hair) I found them comfortable for extended listening periods. The long cable which is very useful is also hard to store and can look messy, can't really have one without the other though.

Sound Quality:
Really, at this price simply being able to make out what's going on should be enough but they are pretty impressive indeed. When listening to TV they sound exciting and involving and I didn't find myself straining for missing details. There is a very distinct lift to the bass which many will find pleasant and the upper mid gets a similar lift. Car chases really zing and your average war film will sound very involving.
These cans are NOT for critical listening, they're muddy and the plastic case colours the sound badly. The bass and mid lift is irritating and for some reason I find that no matter which way 'round you put them on the music sounds the same (don't know what's happening there). On music and for critical listening they are a joke but at less than 15 Euro what do you expect?
Take note that these cans are a lot more difficult to drive than my (very) old HD540s. I'd steer clear of using them on portables or the like but if you're amped up you'll probably be fine.