Pros Accessible but detailed sound

Aluminium shells add a touch of class

Excellent value Cons Large ear tips

Unremarkable isolation

Key Specifications Review Price: £29.99

One-button remote

8.6mm driver

What are the Philips SHE9105?

The Philips SHE9105 are affordable

earphones, aimed at those wanting a set that’s a step up from those

supplied with their phone or iPod. For £30, you get fancier-feeling

aluminium-topped earpieces, a high-compatibility single-button

remote/hands-free housing and almost certainly much better sound.

With

a crowd-pleasing signature and a pretty keen price, they’re a great buy

– and they stand up fairly well next to the more expensive SoundMagic E50 and Sennheiser CX 5.00 earphones too.

Related: Best Headphones 2015





Philips SHE9105 – Design and Comfort

Philips

has a knack of making its entry-level earphones look like they

cost more than they actually do. I held that opinion of the

old Philips SHE9000, and the same is true of this pair.

The

Philips SHE9105 have a bronze-effect aluminium finish (other colours

available), with highlights of bare silver metal that resemble the

“diamond cut” effect you see on some top-end phones. Typical of a

cheaper earphones, the aluminium is just a shell on top of a more

conventional plastic base.

Visually, the only real weak point is

the rather large “L” and “R” signposting on each earpiece, but for once

you’ll be happy to learn that it isn’t made to last. After wearing them

for a week or so, part of it has already started to scratch off.

On

the very back of the Philips SHE9105 sits a circle of plastic with an

embossed, “woven” texture that hides a tiny port – a hole in the

enclosure that helps out with bass response. I doubt you’d ever notice

it was there unless you were looking for it: A smart bit of design.

The

Philips SHE9105 earpieces are tiny, and they use a stiff bit of plastic

at the top of the cable to stop removal of the earphones from the ears

feeling like minor surgery. On the whole, the SHE9105 feel reasonably

well-made.

The bonus feature here is a single-button remote,

designed to offer maximum compatibility for both iPhone and Android

handsets. There’s a mic in there too, enabling you to make hands-free

calls.

The

selection of tips supplied with the Philips SHE9105 is a little

disappointing. You get three silicone pairs – small, medium and large. I

found the largest only just big enough.

However, you’ll be

pleased to learn that even though the SHE9105 have an unusual oval

aperture, they actually take standard-sized tips. If your last set of

earphones had tips you love, there’s a good chance they’ll fit.

As a result of the semi-open ported design, isolation is just okay – not amazing.

Philips SHE9105 – Sound Quality

The

last Philips SHE budget earphones we reviewed way back in 2011 – the

SHE900 – were seriously disappointing. Thankfully, this new model is far

more than just a style re-work.

Featuring a 8.6mm dynamic driver, rather than a 10mm one, the sound produced by the SHE9105 shows significant improvement. It’s the perfect fit for someone looking to upgrade from bundled earphones.

There’s

a healthy lift in bass, more so than the SoundMagic E50, but it isn’t

overly pronounced. Like the best “urban” headphones, there’s just enough

bass to ensure that the sound deals well when you’re somewhere with

lots of ambient noise – and to cater for the average ear’s appreciation

for a little extra low-end power.

Treble deals well with this

emphasis on bass, not appearing at all muffled and with almost zero

harshness. It’s sweet-sounding. The relationship between those highs and

lows make the Philips SHE9105 great for casual-listening.

The

mids are quite soft, lacking some of the defined texture to vocals you

get with earphones such as the SoundMagic E50. However, many will

appreciate the smooth ride the Philips SHE9105, not to mention the £15

saving over the E50s.

What really makes the SHE9105 a top

purchase is how well they sit next to just about any earphones in the

sub-£60 class. With the new driver, semi-open design and smart tuning,

Philips has stumbled upon a winning formula.

However, if you’re

looking for a boost to real audiophile-style sound then perhaps the

Philips SHE9105 are not what you’re after. The smooth and easy sound has

a slightly squidgy mid-bass cushion to it that means the level of

instrument separation isn’t the best in the sub-£50 class.

Should I buy the Philips SHE9105?

The

Philips SHE9105 are a great upgrade for those wanting a set of

earphones that are a grade above the ones supplied with a particular

device. Dinky design and a one-button remote add to their appeal, and if you’re on a tight budget then you really can’t do much better.

Those wanting a rich sound will be better upgrading to the Sennheiser CX

5.00, but they’re double the price. The one thing I’d change is the size of the largest ear tips, which in my opinion could have been bigger. But unless you have large ear cavities, this won’t be a concern.

Verdict

Cracking earphones that offer smart design, good sound quality and decent looks – all at an attractively low price.

Trusted Score



Andrew Williams is a technology writer, who has contributed to Stuff, WIRED, TechRadar, T3, Wareable and, of course, Trusted Reviews. Here he test and reviews some of newest mobile, audio and camera d…