If you want the widest, airiest soundstage and a self-adjusting fit that all but disappears on your head, choose Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X; if you need a lighter, easier-to-drive open-back with a detachable cable for flexible everyday listening, choose Philips Audio SHP9500. These are both wired, open-air, over-ear headphones, so neither one is a set of wireless earbuds for running — but if your "running" is really long indoor sessions at a desk or on a couch, the pick depends on which trade-off you'd rather live with.
• Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X — biggest strength: huge 53 mm drivers and a full open-air aluminum honeycomb housing that, in my opinion, is built for a spacious, unpressurized listen.
• Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X — biggest trade-off: it's wired only, has no detachable cable, and the self-adjusting 3D Wing Support fits some head shapes better than others.
• Philips Audio SHP9500 — biggest strength: lighter at 0.3 kg, lower 32 ohm impedance, and a removable 1.5 m cable that makes swapping or replacing it simple.
• Philips Audio SHP9500 — biggest trade-off: the steel open-back frame leaks sound in both directions, so it's a poor choice anywhere you need isolation.
• Who each is for: pick the ATH-AD700X if soundstage and a set-and-forget fit top your list; pick the SHP9500 if you want a lighter, more forgiving headphone you can drive from almost anything.
The ATH-AD700X is the more specialized of the two, and its spec sheet explains why. Audio-Technica fits 53 mm dynamic drivers here — the larger driver of this pair — paired with bobbin-wound CCAW voice coils that the company rates for strong power handling. Sensitivity sits at 100 dB/mW with 38 ohm impedance, and the frequency response is listed as 20–20,000 Hz in the bullet points (with a 5 Hz–30 kHz range noted elsewhere in the specs). Translation for a normal buyer: this is a wired headphone that wants a decent source, but it isn't punishing to drive.
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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
What really defines it is the open-air design. Audio-Technica describes a "full open-air type" that produces no sense of pressure on the ears, and the aluminum honeycomb casing is there for acoustic reasons as much as looks. If you've only used closed-back headphones, the effect is a wide, speaker-like presentation with very little of that "cupped" feeling. The self-adjusting 3D Wing Support is the other signature piece: there's no slider to fiddle with, the wings float to your head, and the raised-fabric earpads are designed to spread pressure rather than clamp.
Buy it if you do long listening sessions at a desk, you care about an open, airy presentation, and you like the idea of a headphone that adjusts itself the moment you put it on. Skip it if you need to move around a lot — the cable is fixed, not detachable — or if you want something you can wear on a run, where an open-back wired headphone makes no practical sense.
The SHP9500 takes a friendlier approach. Philips uses 50 mm neodymium drivers in an open-back, over-ear frame, and the numbers are deliberately easygoing: 32 ohm impedance and 101 dB sensitivity. In practice that means it plays loud enough from a phone, a laptop jack, or a cheap dongle without demanding a dedicated headphone amplifier. Philips also lists a very wide 12–35,000 Hz frequency range and notes that the drivers are angled to line up with your ears — a small design choice that tends to help imaging and a sense of direction.
The physical package is where it wins people over. It weighs 0.3 kg versus the Audio-Technica's 0.5 kg, and the double-layered headband cushion plus breathable ear cushions are built for wearing comfort over longer stretches. The 1.5 m cable is removable, which matters more than it sounds: if the cable snags, kinks, or dies, you replace the cable instead of the headphone. Philips also includes a gold-plated 3.5–6.3 mm adapter, so it plugs into both everyday gear and a proper desktop amp. The enclosure is steel, which gives it a sturdier feel than its light weight suggests.
Buy it if you want one open-back headphone that works with whatever you already own, you value a detachable cable and low weight, and you mostly listen indoors. Skip it if you need sound isolation — like any open-back, it leaks, and the steel frame does nothing to block outside noise.
• Best for soundstage and a pressure-free fit → Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X. The 53 mm drivers and full open-air aluminum honeycomb housing are the more ambitious acoustic package here.
• Best for easy driving without an amp → Philips Audio SHP9500. At 32 ohm and 101 dB, it's the more forgiving load for phones and laptops.
• Best for lighter weight → Philips Audio SHP9500. 0.3 kg against the Audio-Technica's 0.5 kg, and lighter is what you feel after two hours.
• Best for cable flexibility → Philips Audio SHP9500. The 1.5 m cable is removable; the ATH-AD700X's cord is fixed.
• Best for set-and-forget comfort → Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X. The self-adjusting 3D Wing Support and total ear-fit design mean no sizing fiddling.
• Best for a long indoor session at a desk → either, honestly, but the ATH-AD700X if you want the bigger, airier presentation.
• Best if you also want a portable or running setup → neither. Both are wired, open-back, over-ear headphones; for movement you'd be looking at wireless earbuds for running instead.
• Best value for a first open-back → Philips Audio SHP9500, in my opinion, because it asks less of your source gear and gives you a replaceable cable.
If I were buying one of these for myself, I'd take the Philips Audio SHP9500. In my opinion it's the smarter all-rounder: lighter, easier to drive from a phone or laptop, and the detachable cable is a genuine long-term advantage. The ATH-AD700X is the more interesting headphone for pure soundstage, and if your setup is a fixed desk rig and you love that open, unpressurized feel, it's the better match. But for most people who want one open-back they can live with daily, I'd point to the Philips. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, and remember neither is a running headphone — for that you want wireless earbuds for running.
Not universally. The ATH-AD700X has larger 53 mm drivers and a self-adjusting wing fit, which suits big, airy listening at a desk. The SHP9500 is lighter, easier to drive at 32 ohm, and has a detachable cable. "Better" depends on whether you value soundstage or flexibility.
The SHP9500 is rated at 32 ohm and 101 dB, so it runs fine from a phone or laptop. The ATH-AD700X is 38 ohm and 100 dB/mW, which is also manageable, but it's the one that benefits more from a clean desktop source. Neither strictly requires an amp.
Neither. Both are wired, open-back, over-ear headphones with no water resistance, and open-back designs leak sound both ways. For running you'd want wireless earbuds for running; if you also want to pair a headset with a laptop and a phone at once, look for the best multipoint headphones for running instead.
The Philips SHP9500 ships with a 1.5 m removable cable and a gold-plated 3.5–6.3 mm adapter. The Audio-Technica ATH-AD700X uses a fixed OFC single-sided cord with an elastic TPE sheath and includes a 6.3 mm adapter. The Philips wins on replacement flexibility; the Audio-Technica's sheath is designed to resist tangling.
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