On Our Desk - 16

Teufel AC 9050 PH Headphones

Manufacturer: Teufel
Price (as reviewed): €69.00 exclusively through Teufel

A good set of head-cans can be worth their weight in gold, though they ideally shouldn’t weigh that much unless you really like having your neck compacted flatter than a rabbit that’s been hit by a meteor.

That said though, it’s refreshing to see that Teufel has seen that decent headphones need not actually be valued with that in mind. With the price converted into Pounds Sterling (the 9050s are available only through Teufel and are priced in Euros) the figure comes out at a respectable £55. For a lesser product that may be a tad pricey, but the 9050s deliver plenty of bang for the buck.

What’s more, the quality of the build is pretty good too, despite the fact that the faux leather padding around the cups can cause a case of sweaty ears – nothing improved personal hygiene can’t deal with.


The build of the 9050s is remarkably sturdy, with the rail system in the head band allowing you to adjust each ear separately rather than having to lengthen both at the same time. The rails are made of metal instead of flimsy plastic too, which means they're bound to last the test of time – not that battering any set of headphones is ever a good idea.

When it comes to comfort the 9050s don’t fail to deliver either, with the earcups proving so generous in depth that even Prince Charles could squeeze these over his ears if needed. The padding is lush too, though it can start to put a bit too much pressure on the top of your jaw if you wear them for too long, though that’s true of nearly all over-ear headphones.

To try and make sure that the 9050s are as comfortable as possible Teufel has added a swivel hinge to each earcup too, so that you can turn the earpieces to suit the shape of your skull if needed.


The over-long cable is probably the weakpoint of the 9050's design, as it’s unbraided and far too long to use when on-the-go. Why exactly anyone would need a cable that’s ten feet long is a little beyond us, frankly.

Even this stunningly endowed wire has strengths though, as the 9050s come with a shorter, spiralled cable that’s much more suitable for plugging into your MP3 player of choice. Unlike with similar headphones, like the favoured Sennheiser 215s, you don’t need to worry about removable cable pinging out suddenly as there’s a nifty twist-lock system that keeps the current cable fixed in.

The 9050s are a fantastic set of headphones even when it comes too accessories too, with a nice faux-leather carry pouch completing the set and protecting the ‘phones if you need to quickly toss them in your bag.

Verdict: It’s really very hard to find fault with the 9050s, especially if you’re only using them for short periods. In short the 9050s prove stylish and solidly assembled, the sound quality is superb and the price is a steal.