Philips SHN5500 vs JBL Reference 510

Performance
Philips SHN5500
The headphones are of 45 ohms, with a sensitivity of 102dB and a good 500 mW of power. The ‘anti-noise’ generated by the headphones is pretty peaceful, meaning it doesn't pierce the eardrums or create too much of that sucked-out, pressured feeling that's notorious in these products. However, it doesn't completely cut down the ambient noise level. The noise cancellation is 10 dB at 300Hz.

Sound reproduction is pretty good, with good wholesome low response, and non-distorting highs. This is good, considering the over-amplification normally creates untrue and inaccurate sound while the noise cancellation is on.

JBL Reference 510
In the case of JBL, when noise canceling circuit is used solely (that is, without music), the noise definitely reduces, but not to the maximum level. It's good for continuous sounds with more lows, like a plane, as the circuit does negate those waves. After all, theoretically it is simpler if the waveform is continuous.

Speech and other material with transients cannot get eliminated, though they do get filtered. Another irritation is that the circuit is a bit noisy, so if you have discerning ears, it could be an issue.

When the music is on, however, it’s better. The spectrum is nice and present, with high clarity levels in the vocals and mid-intensive instruments. Bass and related thump is there in plenty. When the circuit is switched on, the sound remains pretty much the same, which is another plus point, but still I’m not too big a fan of the NC in these Reference 510s.

So in performance the Philips actually wins over the JBL Reference, because mainly the NC is slightly better and there isn't too much noise in the circuit of the Philips.

Conclusion
The Philips SHN5500 costs Rs 2495 while the JBL reference 510 is yours for Rs 7950. This is where I must stress a point: a lower price doesn't automatically translate to a better buy. In this case, the noise cancellation of the Philips is a bit better and the sound also is decent, so it doesn’t make sense to pay so much more for the JBL.

Agreed that there are even more expensive brands in this category, but the Philips wins because it offers better value for money and decent performance. The only downside is perhaps the looks, but then I guess you can’t have everything!