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Philips CitiScape Downtown headphones review
Jason Tsay
The last time we took a look at a pair of Philips headphones was with the “The Stretch” cans. Although we were pleasantly surprised with them in most departments, we found the sound to be somewhat lacking. With the new CitiScape collection, Philips is placing more emphasis on sound quality. Is it enough to make us recommend the Downtowns?
Features
- Immerse yourself in clear, natural sound through finely tuned 40mm drivers
- Innovative MusicSeal feature prevents your sound from leaking out for complete music privacy
- On Ear noise-isolating cushions allow you to be part of the city’s buzz, but not it’s noise
- Enjoy long-lasting comfort with the customized headband and memory foam cushions
- Easily switch from music to phone calls with the volume control and built-in microphone
Our Impressions
The CitiScape Downtowns come in a rather large blister pack. Inside are the headphones and … that’s it!
Design and Build Quality
Although not everyone will be enjoy the brown hue of the Downtowns, we’d have to admit they’re a pretty nice looking pair of headphones. For starters, there’s not a bit of cheap glossy plastic to be found on these headphones. The headband is constructed of a single strip of brushed aluminum while the plastic earcups are finished in a non-fingerprint attracting grainy finish. The headband makes the headphones fairly flexible and very durable. A rigid piece of cloth is folded around the metal headband for padding, which can easily be removed if need be. We’re not the biggest fans of the flat rubber band style cable but it does a decent job of preventing tangling combined with the L shaped headphone jack. The remote and microphone module on the cable features a single button design that offers easy to access tactile control. Overall, the design is simple and classy.
Sound Quality
Supposedly, sound quality is one of the major foci of the CitiScape collection. Do the Downtowns deliver? We’d have to say, yes, Philips has improved in the audio reproduction department since we last took a look at the “The Stretch” headphones by O’Neil. The “The Stretch” were a fun pair of headphones but we didn’t really feel that they delivered when it came to audio. The Downtowns, on the other hand, are quite excellent with a decent soundstage and tight, punchy bass. The previous Philips headphones had a fat, slow bass while the new Downtowns sound much brighter and pleasant.
Despite a low impedance of only 32 Ohms and some pretty standard 40 mm drivers, the Downtowns feel rather underpowered, requiring you to crank up the volume to hear properly. Passive sound isolation is actually quite good, thanks to Philips’ MusicSeal technology. Designed to prevent sound leakage, the MusicSeal technology does a pretty good job of keeping others from hearing your music. While we’re not completely sure what they use to create this effect, we’d think that the internal structure of each earcup and the earpads have to do with it.
Comfort
Speaking of earpads, the flat, memory foam earpads make the headphones pretty comfortable for a short period of time. Due to the tight clamp of this headband style, listening sessions of several hours on end aren’t really possible without some breaks in between.
Overall
We’re pretty happy with the $99 CitiScape Downtown headphones. Sound is certainly improved from Philips’ last attempt at headphones. The design has matured as well. MusicSeal does in fact work although we’re suspicious that it may be the culprit for the underpowered issues we experienced. All in all, the Downtowns are an enjoyable pair of cans to come in as the midrange model in the new three member CitiScape collection. While our favorite cans in this price range remain the Skullcandy Aviators, the CitiScape Downtowns are without question a solid contender at a lower price point.
Pro’s
- improved sound
- classy design
- great build quality
Con’s
- seem underpowered
- cable feels cheap
Where to buy
Philips / Amazon — MSRP: $99.99
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