Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This review is not of the sound quality. It is clearly a mention of the quality control in place for this product. I am writing this for all the consumers who may not know whether or not they have received a quality product. This was brought to my attention by reviewer W.P. Wentzell, so I am thankful for that. ****Update 12/17/15**** - 2 Stars Now My brother has contacted customer service, in which they tried to convince him that these headphones are not supposed to have their earpads removed. In fact, he went ahead and asked him to find a product page that lists it as a feature. We ended up finding a pdf on the Philips website that stated the earpads were removable since it's not even mentioned on the main Amazon or Philips page. The CS representative had the gall to state that the pdf was for the European version and did not apply to the American set. He stated that the earpads are not designed to be replaced. So I dug into my package and found the American manual, and guess what? It said replaceable earpads were a feature in there as well. It was such a poor attempt and getting my brother to keep a defective pair of headphones. Even after I gave him evidence, he continued to spout this garbage about it not being a feature of the headphones. It upset me that they tried to do that so I demanded they replace the headphones at their expense; they agreed to send out a pair and once my brother receives it, to return the defective pair with a prepaid shipping label. However, with these unethical tactics, I would not be surprised if they pulled the PDF's off the website and edited them to prevent further returns. My brother was asked to remove the earpads to expose the glue, which he did. His earpad was torn in the process. This was such an incredulous experience that I am removing another star. I am finding it hard to recommend purchasing anything from Philips at the moment. ******************** ****Original Review - 3 Stars A few days ago, this pair of headphones was a gold box deal on Amazon. I had my eyes on it over several months, and I was ready to drop a 5-star review because compared to my older headphones, it really impressed me. HOWEVER, I believe I am one of the very very few individuals who purchased TWO of them with the intent of keeping both. One pair for myself, and one for my brother. I would like to add to I purchased mine very early in the day, around 7AM EST, and received it the same day. My brother purchased his around 9PM the same day, and received it the next. This may give you an indication on whether or not you have received a defective product. The sound might work, but the earpads are non-removable. For clarification, the one I own is practically perfect. Aside from an extremely small number of blemishes on the product, it works perfectly. Earpads are removable, and the pads DO NOT INK. The other headphones do not ink either (to my knowledge), but the earpads are glued. They don't snap off as easily. In my pictures, the one on the right IS MINE. The one on the left is my brother's. This includes the packaging. You can tell that the place of import is different. Notice anything EXTREMELY noticeable? Mine has a darker, plusher, more velour-y earpad. My brother's does not. The both seem to be made of memory foam though. You probably can't notice this in the pictures, but the steel on mine is yellower, and his is whiter. The font on mine is also yellower, and his font is whiter. the font matches the steel for both headphones. The leather on mine is less shiny than his. The font and leather differences however do not concern me. And there is a small metal piece around the perimeter of the earcup, mine doesn't seem to be as flush as his. I can only hope it doesn't separate after a period of time. These products are clearly made in different places. His headphones actually look better than mine, but my earpads look better than his. Sound quality wise, they are identical. However, these are THREE HUNDRED DOLLAR headphones. The difference in manufacturing is completely unacceptable. Yes, I got these for $220 after tax, but for headphones that MSRP at $300, these should be perfectly manufactured. Although the font, steel, and leather differences do not concern me, the longevity of this product does. I do not want my headphones falling apart after several months. This would be unacceptable. My brother will contact Philips to have his replaced. I will keep mine and hope that it can last me for many years until I decide to replace them. Once all this shadiness is done, I will post a review about my impressions on the sound. But as of now, this is the foremost concern.