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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-21 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Philips Audio SHP9500 — biggest strength: 50mm neodymium drivers in an open-back, over-ear design with a wide 12 Hz–35,000 Hz range and low 32 Ohm impedance, so it works with or without a headphone amp.
• Philips Audio SHP9500 — biggest trade-off: Open-back means sound leaks both ways. There is no microphone, no inline controls and no isolation, and the 1.5m cable is aimed at indoor desk use.
• ARTIX CL750 — biggest strength: A complete plug-and-play wired package — inline remote with microphone and volume control, sound isolation, a 40mm dynamic driver and a carrying case in the box.
• ARTIX CL750 — biggest trade-off: On-ear plastic build, a narrower 20 Hz–20,000 Hz response and no amp-friendly adapter. It is a practical headset, not a listening instrument.
• Who each pick is for: Philips Audio SHP9500 for the desk listener who wants transparency and long-session comfort. ARTIX CL750 for the student, gamer, traveller or family buyer who wants one corded headset that just works.
The SHP9500 is an open-back, over-ear headphone, and that single design choice shapes everything else. The open acoustic system lets air move behind the 50mm neodymium drivers, which is the architecture you choose when you want a spacious, unboxed presentation rather than a sealed, thumping one. The drivers are also angled to line up with your ears, and the frequency range runs from 12 Hz on the bottom to 35,000 Hz on top — wider than most wired headsets bother to specify.
The numbers behind that are friendly to normal gear. At 32 Ohm impedance and 101 dB sensitivity with a maximum input of 200 mW, the SHP9500 does not demand a dedicated amplifier. Plug it into a laptop, a phone with a 3.5mm jack, a desktop DAC or a proper headphone amp and it will behave. Philips also includes a gold-plated 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter, which is the tell that this headphone is meant to sit at the end of better equipment as well as ordinary equipment. The cable is detachable and 1.5m long — short enough to keep tidy at a desk, long enough to stand up and stretch.
Comfort is clearly part of the brief: a double-layered headband cushion, breathable ear cushions, and a steel enclosure that keeps the frame rigid without adding bulk. At roughly 0.3 kg it is light for an over-ear, and the breathable pads matter in long sessions where sealed pads get warm.
Who should buy it: anyone doing focused listening at a desk — music, mixing, editing, long work-from-home days, PC gaming where you want to hear the room around you. Who should skip it: commuters, noisy-office workers, and anyone who needs a built-in microphone or inline volume control. The open back leaks sound out and lets sound in, and there is no mic here at all. If you need to take calls or block out a train, this is the wrong tool. In my opinion it is a specialist's headphone, and a very good one at that.
The CL750 is the opposite kind of product, and there is no shame in that. It is an on-ear wired headset with a 3.5mm jack, a 40mm dynamic driver, a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range and 32 Ohm impedance. That last figure means it will run off a phone, tablet, Chromebook, laptop or school computer without any fuss. It is described by the brand as suitable for adults and kids, which tells you the design priority is durability and simplicity rather than audiophile nuance.
What makes it genuinely useful is the inline remote. There is a microphone and volume control on the cord, so you can take a call, join a class, jump on a video meeting or talk to teammates in a game without touching the laptop. The brand also lists sound isolation as a feature — the on-ear, closed, plastic-enclosed design keeps some outside noise out, which is exactly what the open-back SHP9500 will not do. It ships with a turquoise and grey faux-leather carrying case, which is a small thing that matters a lot for a headset that lives in a backpack.
The trade-offs are honest ones. On-ear pads press against the ear rather than around it, so after several hours some people will feel pressure where the SHP9500's breathable over-ear cushions would not bother them. The frequency response stops at 20,000 Hz versus the Philips' 35,000 Hz, the enclosure is plastic rather than steel, and there is no 6.3mm adapter for serious home gear. At 8.4 ounces it is noticeably heavier than the Philips headphone on paper. There is no wireless mode either — this is a corded 3.5mm product through and through.
Who should buy it: students, teenagers, remote workers, gamers, and parents buying a headset that a kid can use for class and then for a game. Who should skip it: anyone chasing maximum detail and soundstage from a desktop setup. If that is you, the SHP9500 is the better pick.
• Best for sound quality and detail → Philips Audio SHP9500. Wider frequency range, larger 50mm angled drivers and an open-back acoustic system.
• Best for calls and online classes → ARTIX CL750. The inline microphone and volume control are the deciding features here.
• Best for noise isolation → ARTIX CL750. On-ear closed design with sound isolation listed; the SHP9500 is deliberately open.
• Best for long listening sessions → Philips Audio SHP9500. Double-layered headband cushion and breathable over-ear pads, at a lighter 0.3 kg.
• Best for travel and commuting → ARTIX CL750. The included carrying case and on-ear format pack up and survive a bag far better.
• Best for amp and audiophile gear → Philips Audio SHP9500. Low 32 Ohm impedance plus the gold-plated 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter.
• Best for kids and shared family use → ARTIX CL750. Brand lists it for adults and kids, with a one-year warranty and a simple plug-in setup.
• Best for gaming and video calls at a desk → it depends on your priority. The CL750 gives you a mic; the SHP9500 gives you positional clarity and comfort. I would take the CL750 if I needed to talk, and the SHP9500 if I did not.
If I were buying for myself and my priority were simply the best listening experience at a desk, I would buy the Philips Audio SHP9500. In my opinion the open-back architecture, the 50mm angled neodymium drivers, the 12 Hz–35,000 Hz range and the breathable over-ear comfort add up to a more serious headphone, and the detachable cable plus 6.3mm adapter make it flexible with better gear down the line.
But I would not pretend that is the right answer for everyone. If I needed to talk to people — classes, meetings, gaming chat — or I wanted a headset that survives a backpack, I would buy the ARTIX CL750 without hesitation, because the SHP9500 simply cannot do those jobs. On price, both are budget-tier wired headphones; check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that comparison is the one thing this page deliberately leaves out.
FAQ
For pure sound quality and long-session comfort, yes, in my opinion — it has larger angled drivers, a wider 12 Hz–35,000 Hz range and an open-back design. For calls, isolation and portability, no. They are built for different jobs.
Correct. The CL750 has an inline remote with a microphone and volume control on the cord. The SHP9500 has no microphone and no inline controls — it is a listening headphone only.
Yes. At 32 Ohm impedance and 101 dB sensitivity it is easy to drive from a normal 3.5mm jack, and the included adapter lets you plug into 6.3mm equipment if you later add an amp or interface.
The ARTIX CL750. It is listed for adults and kids, uses a simple 3.5mm plug, has a mic for class and calls, comes with a carrying case and carries a one-year warranty. The SHP9500 is an adult desk headphone.
The Philips Audio SHP9500, based on its design: over-ear breathable cushions, a double-layered headband pad and a lighter 0.3 kg frame. The CL750's on-ear pads press against the ear, which some people find tiring over long stretches.
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