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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-04 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt — biggest strength: 27mm dynamic drivers with dedicated bass vents and neodymium magnets, tuned to push low-end punch through an ear-hook fit that stays put.
• PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt — biggest trade-off: It's an ear-hook design with no microphone and no noise control, so it's purely for listening — not calls or blocking out a noisy commute.
• Maxell 190319 — biggest strength: A lightweight, open-air over-ear build with a slide headband and a 4-foot rubber cord that's easy to live with at a desk or on a laptop.
• Maxell 190319 — biggest trade-off: Its 140-ohm impedance and 100 dB sensitivity make it harder to drive loudly from weaker portable sources, and there's no noise control here either.
• Who each pick is for: The PHILIPS suits walkers, runners and commuters who want bass and stability; the Maxell suits desk listeners who want an uncomplicated over-ear fit.
The Philips Philips Shs3300wt is, at its core, a bass-first pair of ear-hook headphones. The 27mm dynamic drivers are paired with bass beat vents that let air move, plus neodymium magnets — a combination Philips clearly intends to squeeze more low-end weight and sensitivity out of a small driver. The stated frequency range of 12 Hz to 22,000 Hz is unusually wide at the bottom end for this class, which backs up the "extra bass" positioning rather than just being a marketing line.
The fit is the other half of the story. Ear cushions are there to improve both comfort and bass response (a tighter seal generally means more low-end), and the contoured ear hooks are designed to keep the buds stable without jamming anything into your ear canal. That's the whole appeal of a non in ear design: nothing plugs your ear, so you stay aware of traffic, footsteps and conversation. The asymmetric cable is a small but genuinely useful touch — it keeps the wire out of the way instead of swinging across your chest. There's also a 1.2 m cable, which Philips frames as ideal for outdoor use, and a media control on the remote so you can pause or skip without pulling out your phone.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants a non in ear fit with real bass, hooks that hold during movement, and a cable long enough to route comfortably under a jacket. Who should skip it: if you take a lot of calls, this is a "No Mic" model with no built-in microphone, so you'll need your phone or a separate mic. And if you want active noise cancellation, look elsewhere — noise control is listed as None. It's a listen-only, awareness-first headphone. If price matters to your decision, check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before you commit.
The Maxell 190319 takes the opposite approach: instead of hooks, you get a traditional over-ear headband with over-ear cups in a lightweight, open-air design. "Open-air" is the key phrase here — like the Philips, it doesn't seal you off from the world, but it achieves that by sitting cups around your ears rather than hooking buds onto them. Maxell lists it as ideal for all portable devices, and also calls out laptops and desktops, which tells you where it's happiest: stationary listening, not sprinting.
Comfort is handled by a slide headband that adjusts to fit, and the 4-foot soft-touch rubber cord is a practical length for a desk or a laptop bag — long enough to reach, short enough not to tangle into a nest. The specs are more modest on paper: a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range, 100 dB sensitivity, and a notably high 140-ohm impedance. That impedance number is the one to pay attention to. High-impedance headphones generally need more voltage to reach the same volume, so a weak phone output may leave you wanting more headroom, while a laptop, desktop or anything with a stronger amp will drive them more comfortably.
Note one oddity in the spec sheet: the connectivity field lists a mini-phone jack alongside a Bluetooth entry, while the rest of the listing (4-foot cord, wired design) points clearly to a wired headphone. Treat the wired mini-phone connection as the practical reality and verify the details on the product page if wireless matters to you.
Who should buy it: desk and laptop listeners who prefer a headband over ear hooks, want a soft-touch cord, and don't need a mic or noise cancellation. Who should skip it: anyone who wants maximum bass emphasis, in-ear stability during exercise, or easy volume from a low-power source.
• Best for bass response → PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt. Bass beat vents, neodymium magnets and a 12 Hz low-end extension all point one way.
• Best for a stable, active fit → PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt. Contoured ear hooks and ear cushions are built to hold during movement; the Maxell's slide headband is about sitting comfort, not grip.
• Best for desk and laptop listening → Maxell 190319. It's explicitly pitched at portable players, laptops and desktops, with a 4-foot cord that suits a fixed setup.
• Best for easy volume from a phone → PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt. At 32 ohms and 102 dB sensitivity it's far easier to drive than the Maxell's 140 ohms and 100 dB.
• Best for cable length and routing → PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt. The 1.2 m asymmetric cable is designed for outdoor use and to stay out of your way; the Maxell's 4-foot cord is shorter and more conventional.
• Best for a headband fit → Maxell 190319. If ear hooks irritate you or feel insecure, the slide headband and over-ear cups are the simpler, more familiar option.
• Best for calls → neither. The Philips is a "No Mic" model and the Maxell lists no microphone either; both have noise control set to None, so plan on using your phone's mic.
• Best for wide frequency range → PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt. 12 Hz–22 kHz versus the Maxell's 20 Hz–20 kHz, with the Philips reaching meaningfully lower.
I'd buy the PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt. In my opinion it's the more versatile of the two: the bass tuning is deliberate rather than incidental, the ear-hook design is built for real movement, and at 32 ohms it'll get loud enough from a phone without a headphone amp. The Maxell 190319 is a perfectly sensible, comfortable over-ear set for a desk — but the 140-ohm impedance and modest spec sheet make it the pick only if you specifically want a headband and plan to listen from a laptop or desktop. If your priority is bass and staying aware outdoors, go Philips.
Non in ear headphones sit outside or around your ear canal instead of sealing inside it. The Philips uses ear hooks with cushions resting against the ear; the Maxell uses over-ear cups in an open-air design. Because nothing plugs the canal, sound reaches you while outside noise still gets in.
Depending on the fit, they're called ear-hook, clip-on, over-ear or open-air headphones. Both products here qualify: the Philips SHS3300WT is an ear-hook model, and the Maxell 190319 is described as a lightweight, open-air over-ear headphone.
There's no single answer — it depends on fit and use. For bass and an active, stable fit, I'd lean toward the PHILIPS Philips Shs3300wt. For a comfortable headband you can leave on at a desk, the Maxell 190319 is the more natural pick.
This pair doesn't go in your ear, but the fitting logic still matters: with the Philips, loop the ear hooks over each ear and let the cushions rest against the ear for the best bass. With the Maxell, slide the headband until the cups sit comfortably over your ears.
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