Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphone

It took me awhile. The P5 didn't grab me at first. Then I stopped being analytical and just relaxed. Within a couple of weeks, I was a fan. There is something almost analog about the sound. It's slightly warm and accommodating yet still brings the detail. It's the first phone I like equally with my iPhone and with my home gear. The ergonomics help, too. So, if you're not satisfied with the sound at first, let the P5's burn in for a few days, then revisit. However, these cans are not necessarily for electronic music. I prefer them with rock or acoustic. Guitars, bass and drums sound organic. Very forgiving on poorly-recorded or low bit sources but excel with better mastered material.

I just got my P5's in the mail about 1 hour ago. I'm actually quite pleased with the sound. To me it sounds warm, but not too dark - there's quite a lot of detail. Some treble notes seem a bit etched and forward (and I wonder if burn in will help this) but it's not terribly harsh, and the real standout is the speed and instrument separation for me so far. Speed and sensitivity in particular - they pick out delicate little details, and present them delicately in a way that is more like some full size speakers I have heard, including some nice B&W's. Oddly enough the slightly forward treble doesn't translate into better sound on violins or brass, which suggests to me that the peak is a little lower then that. Soundstage is not actually very large - I expected more, since this is my first pair of good quality headphones and not IEMs. The bass is great for me - and coming from IEM's, even ones with fantastic bass response, I really notice what I'm missing out on compared to large dynamic drivers. They are built beautifully, and they are comfortable and isolate decently.

Now given that they retail for $499 AUD here, I can understand why people would be a little underwhelmed. I don't think I would have necessarily paid $499 for them (I got them for free), but the US price seems a bit more fair to me given the quality of materials and construction. 

Don´t worth their price....maybe they´re comfy...good looking, but - that´s all. At least for me. Every single line seems to be recessed for me and they´re also over-bassed - for someone they will be maybe funny and accurate, for me hell NO. Not worth....IMO.

After a week with the P5, my take is very positive. Unlike my Senns and Denons, the P5 is like a speaker up against your ear. Not for everyone, to be sure. Forget soundstage, air and all that. You get the music directly to your ear and that is all.

These guys are serious rock and roll headphones. No matter what you throw at 'em they sound wonderful; they are analogue, almost vinyl sounding. MP3's, youtube, it all sounds good. These phones are built for digital but sound analogue. Very weird. The isolation is perfect for me although people outside may hear your sounds if you play fairly loudly. If you have an iPod or personal listening device, you will not find better than this. 

Talk about visceral, the P5 is like a speaker pushing and pulling on your ear drum. Played even at the lowest level, the music makes its presence felt. Bass sounds caress and stomp. This is a serious rock music listening device. Should be part of every recording studio, IMO.

To summarize, I love these phones. They are unlike any phones I have encountered. Certainly not for any younger people raised on digital but a boon to those who favour analogue and are bothered by the digititis so prevalent in the modern loudness wars. You can turn these guys up and the sound only gets better. Just make sure you don't do that. You could ruin your ears!

Warning: like others have mentioned, the P5 requires serious break in. 24 - 48 hours recommended. Don't give up on these babies! They rock.

(Best of all for hearing impaired people: if you are a one-eared impaired person with tinnitus or Meniere's like me, these puppies even out the playing field unlike any other phone I have tried. I had given up on phones until I tried these.)

I listened to a pair of these in John Lewis, Oxford Street.  Source was an ipod touch and I have to stay for the price these sounded very average.  The build quality hmmm ok but again for the price not fantastic.  What took me by surprise was when you apply pressure to the cups you could hear the ('diaphram'? or something inside) making a clicking sound. 

^ My pair make that clicking noise, but I can't tell if its from driver flex because of a seal caused with the ear, or a noise that the removable magnetic earpads are making. (That aspect of the P5's is very neat.)

I don't think the sound is mind-boggling, but its a really sweet and relaxed signature that works great for acoustic music. 

It's great with electric music. If you have a guitar amp, play this with your phone outlet, if you have one. Play this phone a little loud and then you will understand. It turns everything to rock and roll. I just heard "And You're Bird Can Sing" for the first time. I've heard it dozens of times.