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Bowers & Wilkins P5 portable (ProAudio Monitors) Review - Page 2

post #16 of 59
3/26/10 at 5:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carlosfandango View Post
gorgonmusic - thanks for the review and I hope the earlier replies don't run you off the forum, you seem to have taken them in good spirits.

Hopefully you'll also have learnt that there is a certain expectation when posting a review, specifically when making claims about levels of audio excellence reached...

Again, thanks for taking the time to share what you thought.
I understand and i have been into hi-fi since 1992 so i have been exposed to many levels of sound quality from low to extremely high..

And i know it sounds crazy buy the cans are miraculous..i got no sleep last night cause i lay in bed till 5am listening to them..lol
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post #17 of 59
3/26/10 at 6:06pm

B&W P5's

For what it's worth, I picked up a pair yesterday and so far love them. Light, ridiculously comfortable. For a pair of closed cans, they have a quite forward sound which I like, but not fatiguing (yet). In comparing it to my Shure SRH840, there no comparison in terms of precision and comfort (although for the twice the price, one would hope so).

I actually prefer them for most general listening while at my desk; right now, I'd say I like them more than my Grado HF-1s and Sennheiser 585s, but it could be new toy syndrome

(Source: heardroom microamp/desktop microdac)
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post #18 of 59
3/26/10 at 6:09pm
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/b-w...phones-477329/
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post #19 of 59
3/26/10 at 6:19pm
Thank you for your review.
Can you please compare it to other headphones you currently have? Let it be "sonys shures panasonics, technics"..., a reference comparison is easier to "feel" what it is.
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post #20 of 59
3/26/10 at 6:28pm
Thread Starter 
Ok so here is a review to back up my own observations of these cans..

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphones | Wired.com Product Reviews

Heavenly Headphones Create Symphony Hall for Your Ears

You can get a great set of over-the ear headphones for $100 or less — pick up Grado's SR60i or Shure's SRH440, and you'd need a keen ear and a petrified ass to muster any sonic gripes. So spending three times that much would seem downright stupid.

That said, we suggest you skip meals for a couple weeks and divert the money you would've spent eating on a pair of Bowers & Wilkins P5s.

These are the first headphones Bowers & Wilkins has ever sold, and it's clear from the moment you remove them from their suede-lined, quilted-nylon pouch that England's audio alchemists are interested in sending a message: "We are not screwing around."

Though the cans are constructed mainly of metal and leather, they are comprised of 100-percent attention to detail. These are simply the best-made headphones you've ever seen. From the memory-foam-padded, sheepskin-swaddled earcups to a subtle biomimetic cant that evokes the placement of ears on a head, evidence of careful consideration is front and center.

The interchangeable cables don't just plug into an exposed port — you lift an earpad off a magnetic coupling and push down to expose a swiveling modular jack. The in-line microphone and remote adds volume adjustment to the familiar iPhone-friendly multifunction button without added bulk.

And, oh yeah, the sound.

There is a technical term for this level of audio performance: DOPE. You don't expect bass from a company that recommends you download lossless versions of Peter Gabriel and the Creole Choir of Cuba from its website, but hook the P5s up to some nasty hip hop and their 40mm Mylar drivers will rattle the gold off your grille. Hook up something sweeter, and the phones will tug at the heart you never thought you had with their dulcet high notes and cut-crystal midrange.

Think we're over-enthusiastic? Go to the store and have a listen — but bring cash. You don't want that $300 impulse buy compiling interest on your credit card statement.

WIRED Sounds so sweet, you'll want to re-rip your entire music library into lossless files. Memory foam earpads block a ton of ambient noise. Go ahead and wear 'em in public — the low-profile headphones won't make you look like a ham radio operator. Interchangeable cables: one with an inline mic, one without. Included pouch is so swank, you'll probably see a knock-off for sale on Canal Street within the month.

TIRED One small gripe: The tiny sub-earpad tab that holds the cable in its routing channel is poorly machined and sharp enough to cut the rubber cord jacket. Pricey? Yep. Worth it? No doubt.

Manufacturer: Bowers & Wilkins


Price: $300

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphones | Wired.com Product Reviews
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post #21 of 59
3/26/10 at 6:35pm
There's no need to bring in other "reviews" to prove your point of view. The Wired review has been up for a couple of days but like most external publications they don't really say anything about the sound.
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post #22 of 59
3/26/10 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ljokerl View Post
There's no need to bring in other "reviews" to prove your point of view. The Wired review has been up for a couple of days but like most external publications they don't really say anything about the sound.
lol.. ok well i promise that when you hear them you will understand.. its like jesus!!!! we think he is great but when we see him we will know.. I am just so excited about these cause they are fenomenal.. but i will wait till you guys hear them ..
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post #23 of 59
3/26/10 at 7:11pm
I listened to them at the apple store (not the best place to audition plus I only went in cause I like laughing at mactards errr embrace popular culture....). All I can say is meh. They don't sound SPECTACULAR. I mean sure they are better than normal ibuds and I place it higher than Dr Dre Beats (which I hated anyways) but for $300? No way. Comparing these even to the ES7 is more reasonable (which are $70 new). However this is comparing the busy apple store atmosphere to the bus and college campus where I use my ES7.

Can't comment on specifics because it was more like a 1 minute listen but from that listen I was NOT impressed. Since I'm in the market for a new set of portables, I'll probably stick to my initial thought and go for the ESW9.

The build quality on these things however is pretty good but in my opinion it is ugly as sin.
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post #24 of 59
3/26/10 at 7:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gorgonmusic View Post
lol.. ok well i promise that when you hear them you will understand.. its like jesus!!!! we think he is great but when we see him we will know.. I am just so excited about these cause they are fenomenal.. but i will wait till you guys hear them ..
Your analogies are hilarious....no offense but it's watching a child's first experience in a toy store.
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post #25 of 59
3/26/10 at 7:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by m11a1 View Post
Your analogies are hilarious....no offense but it's watching a child's first experience in a toy store.
You are right i am new to owning great head phones.. mainly cause im getting older so blasting loud music is not as becoming as before but now i can enjoy my tunes in private ..
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post #26 of 59
3/27/10 at 11:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by happyxix View Post
I listened to them at the apple store (not the best place to audition plus I only went in cause I like laughing at mactards errr embrace popular culture....). All I can say is meh. They don't sound SPECTACULAR. I mean sure they are better than normal ibuds and I place it higher than Dr Dre Beats (which I hated anyways) but for $300? No way. Comparing these even to the ES7 is more reasonable (which are $70 new). However this is comparing the busy apple store atmosphere to the bus and college campus where I use my ES7.

Can't comment on specifics because it was more like a 1 minute listen but from that listen I was NOT impressed. Since I'm in the market for a new set of portables, I'll probably stick to my initial thought and go for the ESW9.

The build quality on these things however is pretty good but in my opinion it is ugly as sin.
x2, heard them at apple today, good, but pretty standard fare. I am not sure they are worth $300 sound wise.
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post #27 of 59
3/28/10 at 1:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gorgonmusic View Post
So ok how is the sound?????

first of its hard to divide my description into highs mids and lows cause these cans defy what you are accustomed to.. to be honest the whole sound is perfectly unified, transparent, warm full, balanced, precise , controlled. Sound stage is very high up and true to life. instruments are very natural and true to life sounding with no peaks or brightness at all.. These cans have alot of headroom that leads to a loud but relaxed sound that has to be heard to be believed.. They are very very sensitive too so if its in the recoding you will hear it just as a true reference monitor should be....
These cans make me happy cause i have a very eclectic taste in music so i need speakers and phones can do what the song calls for when its time to do it.... If a song wants to be rendered at 25 Hz in some parts then these will do it with tight and accurate precision. while keeping the vocals and highs as crisp and clean as they need to be.. THERE IS NO DISTORTION AT ALL!!!

So in conclusion these cans are the best looking and sounding $300 set i have ever witnessed.. they make iphone/pod sound fantastic i would recommend..
Hmmm, you posted in the other thread that they sound best when EQed:

Quote:
Originally Posted by gorgonmusic View Post
Yup.. wen you go to the apple store make sure iPhone/ Pod EQ is on and set to acoustic that gives the most balanced out put from iPhone/ Pods i have found. ..
I wonder, does your sound description in the first post apply to the EQed phones or not? Don't get me wrong, I have no objections to EQing (besides the iPod's subpar EQ quality), but I think it should be clarified.
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post #28 of 59
3/28/10 at 2:15am
Ehh, I really can't trust in store impressions. They're rarely indicative of real sound imo. It's usually people checking headphones out for 15 minutes on the provided gear, sometimes which isn't even totally working(loose connections or the like). Most of all though, especially with headphones like the beats, people walk in with bad expectations. That said, in-store impressions are important and useful, just they can't be taken fully into account. No offense to anyone here, as I've done so myself. FWIR, so far from owners the P5 do well with a good amount of burn-in.
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post #29 of 59
3/28/10 at 4:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Napilopez View Post
Ehh, I really can't trust in store impressions. They're rarely indicative of real sound imo. It's usually people checking headphones out for 15 minutes on the provided gear, sometimes which isn't even totally working(loose connections or the like). Most of all though, especially with headphones like the beats, people walk in with bad expectations. That said, in-store impressions are important and useful, just they can't be taken fully into account. No offense to anyone here, as I've done so myself. FWIR, so far from owners the P5 do well with a good amount of burn-in.
Im pretty sure these are burned in seeing its a store display and always on. If there was hardware error you would have noticed it right away. And I use portables in loud places so the apple store is a justified place (Doubt anyone is going to buy these for home listening).

And the beats I never tried them on instores cause they always broken but my friend has it and I tested it with and without my EF2 amp and it made no difference which means I still hated it. I didn't walk in with bad expectation with the beats seeing as how I have the Turbines so I'm not biased over Monster. And I didn't have an expectation going into the Bowers. I knew they were good speaker company and thats about it. But yea, good first try and not bad for $100 headphones. But $300? Not even justified when you have competitions like the ESW9 and the HD25 both can be gotten around $200-$250.

Also just to get this off my chest again. ITS UGLY AS SIN. But it felt so sturdy =[
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post #30 of 59
3/28/10 at 6:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by james444 View Post
Hmmm, you posted in the other thread that they sound best when EQed:

I wonder, does your sound description in the first post apply to the EQed phones or not? Don't get me wrong, I have no objections to EQing (besides the iPod's subpar EQ quality), but I think it should be clarified.
yeh so im saying that when using an ipod/iPhone WITH ANY HEAD PHONES!!!!! the best out put is achieved from those devices with the Eq set to ON in "acoustic" mode..

P5s are fantastic period.. in my opinion..
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