Is Philips SHE3590 better than Philips SHE 9700?

[vishpt]

We all know that Philips SHE 3590 is the next version of the successful philips SHE 3580.

Philips SHE 9700 is also an excellent earphone but an older model.When I compare both of them, they are almost similar.But the price variation is >600 . So can anyone tell me if there is any difference between them in sound.

 

[Knight2A4]

The Main difference is in b/w sound signature,Build Qulity,Cable & Accessories.
Philips SHE 3590 is very basic IEM with a V-shaped sound signature that resembles a rock setting of any media player. With a mild base & treble boost that does not relent other spectrum of the music at moderate volume it almost sounds neutral. Most audiophile like this sound signature and hence the wildly popularity. With bear minimum accessories just 3 tip S,M,L it the very basic in what you can get for an upgrade to a stock earphone. other IEM which similar Sound signature is Sound Magic E10

Philips SHE 9700 has a sound signature that is Warm and smooth, enhanced bass level, laid-back treble & Emphasis on the mid-bass region. The IEM concentrates of mid bass more than on sub-bass. Sub-bass been as example of sony Xtra Bass line of IEM. (SONY MDR-XB30EX for example). The bass of Philips SHE 9700 is accurate & travels deep but also decays slow does making mid-bass seem more prominent in compare to other spectrum of the music. But been accurate & deep mid-bass is why its rated as highly on reviews sites. This along with the the tangle free & nice cord. Gold plated 3.5 mm audio jack. A case that has hard casing on the outside with enuf room to accumulate a small mp3 player like the clip & added tips makes it well worth the price asked about 1200 Rs. In addition to this both have a design which as a noise cancelling effect due to both can slide right into the ear canal and form a seal with the ear drum means that most external sound is blocked out. When you have them in and playing music at a reasonable volume it is difficult to hear much else. This makes them ideal for use on busy public transport & other noise environment.

 

[srkmish]

I can vouch for Philips SHE9700. Its my fav earphones in sub 2k segment. Tried everything from Brainwavz to Soundmagic E10 and JVCs ,but this one's bass feels "spreaded out" and doesn't cause any strain to ears ( I hate deep bass earphones like E10 which give me headache). Oh and the clarity and sparkle, awesome soundstage. Different strokes for different folks. But if you value clarity, sparkling treble and recessed bass, its the one for you.

 

[Knight2A4]

When you listen to music with an IEM listening to it at highest volume level for prolonged period of time will naturally case headaches. Even if you think the IEM is not getting distorted at high volume level then also it will create uneven loudness contour with spike in different region of the audio spectrum. Specially those IEM with boost a particular region of the audio spectrum like bass or treble boost will worse the case further. Its also the same case when you add up a low end IEM to a high end source the reason why

I have been using Philips SHE9700... It was very good with my old mobile.... But I am getting disturbance at high volumes in my new mobile.....Seems it is not able to capture the full music at that volume...

is b/c Xperia z1 has a build in amp to drive higher ohms impedance IEM that's the reason why Philips SHE9700 started to distort on high volume. Also the driver diameter of Philips SHE9700 which is 8.6 mm in comparison to Sound Magic E10 which is 10mm Neodymium Driver. Having an amp abroad will surly help you to drive E10 better but also means it will consume more power but in any case try listening at normal volume levels.

Lastly there is nothing like Accurate deep fast bass Clear mids & sparkling treble at least in 2k range.
when ever you invest in an IEM which has some short of boost be it bass or treble other spectrum of the songs will get over shadowed by it this is the main reason why audiophile likes neutral IEM If you are not boosting anything you are not overpowering anything else also so the small detail's are not lost.what you get is music as it was composed naturally. The boost depends on the listener. How much are you willing to loss for getting pleased.

 

[vishpt]

When you listen to music with an IEM listening to it at highest volume level for prolonged period of time will naturally case headaches. Even if you think the IEM is not getting distorted at high volume level then also it will create uneven loudness contour with spike in different region of the audio spectrum. Specially those IEM with boost a particular region of the audio spectrum like bass or treble boost will worse the case further. Its also the same case when you add up a low end IEM to a high end source the reason why is b/c Xperia z1 has a build in amp to drive higher ohms impedance IEM that's the reason why Philips SHE9700 started to distort on high volume. Also the driver diameter of Philips SHE9700 which is 8.6 mm in comparison to Sound Magic E10 which is 10mm Neodymium Driver. Having an amp abroad will surly help you to drive E10 better but also means it will consume more power but in any case try listening at normal volume levels.

Lastly there is nothing like Accurate deep fast bass Clear mids & sparkling treble at least in 2k range.
when ever you invest in an IEM which has some short of boost be it bass or treble other spectrum of the songs will get over shadowed by it this is the main reason why audiophile likes neutral IEM If you are not boosting anything you are not overpowering anything else also so the small detail's are not lost.what you get is music as it was composed naturally. The boost depends on the listener. How much are you willing to loss for getting pleased.

Thank you

I understand what you mean .... my SHE9700 is over 6 months old.... Also it is an old model ... so I know It cant

cope up with the latest mobile ... I guess normal hearing is around 50-70% of max volume........But around 3 points below max volume(70%I guess), the distortion noise started(slight noise of"Shhhhh"), I mean I can understand Max volume and 2 points below it..... But If I have to hear old music... I need to raise volume to more than 60%... When you said about neutral iems.... Can E10 be called neutral? OR can you suggest any neutral earphone models??

 

[sandynator]

E10 has more of V shaped Signature. E30 is neutral but costlier than E10.

 

[Knight2A4]

I understand what you mean .... my SHE9700 is over 6 months old.... Also it is an old model ... so I know It cant

cope up with the latest mobile ...

It's not about your IEM being old it's related to impedance of the earphone in connection to the voltage applied. See below link the author also explains the (slight noise of"Shhhhh") towards the end.

Impedance : Practical Application - YouTube

Here a safe listening tread dedicated to people listing on IEM with PMP. I do not like large housing IEM such as E10 b/c they do not form enuf tight seal and hence you will have to rise the volume level. I listen to my music while i travel from to company n thus require an IEM to isolate the external noise. A small housing IEM such as philips SHE 3590 fulfills my requirement better.

MP3 Players: How Loud Is Too Loud? -- Acoustic Study Shows Safe Listening Levels

Also E10 is not completely V shaped the treble extend more when compared to bass. E30 is good cheap for what it offers but then normal consumer may find this taste less where as to a audiophile it may the only thing it wants ....

 

[srkmish]

Im no expert at audio technology, but my SHE9700 coupled with Rockboxed Sansa clip plus doesn't produce hissing/distorted sounds at high volume. In fact, im so pleased by it that i don't have any inclination for trying more expensive IEMs as of now. These things are very subjective but the clear separate sounds of the instruments plus the sparkling treble makes the 9700 a great IEM IMO