REVIEWED: Philips BASS+ Over Ear SHB3175 headphones
Remarkably flexible and lightweight, these good value wireless cans perform well both at home and on the go
Travellers want to things out of headphones. There must be wireless, and they must be full of bass. It also helps if they don’t cost a couple of hundred pounds, like many now do. However, if you avoid the celebrity brands it’s possible to find some excellent value headphones boasting great design and innovations. Happily, TravGear just found some – the Philips SHB3175.
Philips BASS+ Over Ear SHB3175 headphones: Design
There’s nothing complicated about the SHB3175. They weigh in at 192g, which suggests a questionable build quality. OK, they’re fairly flimsy, but stood-up to our test (an overnight trip on trains and planes). They come in black or white, and they use Bluetooth to link to a phone wirelessly. They’re part of Philips’ BASS+ range produced in conjunction with Gibson, which includes wired and wireless styles, with on-ear, over-ear and in-ear versions.
Philips BASS+ Over Ear SHB3175 headphones: Sound quality
The features continue. With 40mm neodymium drivers and a closed-back, over-ear design the SHB3175 give big bass. An in-line microphone makes hands-free calls possible, while buttons on the right-hand ear-cup skip tracks and pause/play.
Philips BASS+ Over Ear SHB3175 headphones: Performance
OK, so more advanced and expensive headphones have noise cancelling technology and touch sensitive ear cups for gesture-based control. However, in practice the SHB3175’s hard buttons work fine, the Bluetooth set-up procedure was incredibly quick and simple, and the lack of any noise spillage makes them fine for sitting on a train without annoying the person next to you.
Philips BASS+ Over Ear SHB3175 headphones: Conclusion
However, it’s the SHB3175’s cunning design that really impressed TravGear. We’re not sure if we’ve ever used a pair over-ear headphones as lightweight and as flexible as these. Some rather basic-looking hinges on the headband swivel cops through 360° while allowing them to be folded up in a couple of different ways to fit flat in a bag, or even in a jacket pocket. Seriously, they’re that small, and with a tiny price to match, the big-sounding SHB3175 come highly recommended if you’re after a pair of good value, versatile headphones for both desktop and travel use.