[Speakerphile]

  I'm hearing the exact opposite.....but hey, to each their own.

 
So I'm talking about the P3 specifically, if that matters.  That said, the P5's are fairly colored as well.  

 

[GREQ]

  You can have your opinion. But if you share it, expect other different opinions as well.
 
Certainly no screech or harshness in the Momentum. For that to even be possible, you need at least some upper midrange/lower treble presence 

That's fine, but then don't go assuming I'm looking for something and need your advice.
Also you're the only person on headfi who constantly bashes the Momentum - I suggest you find another set and have a proper listen because it's leagues better than the P5.

 

[Beagle]

  That's fine, but then don't go assuming I'm looking for something and need your advice.
Also you're the only person on headfi who constantly bashes the Momentum - I suggest you find another set and have a proper listen because it's leagues better than the P5.

 
hilarious..

 

[GREQ]

 

  That's fine, but then don't go assuming I'm looking for something and need your advice.
Also you're the only person on headfi who constantly bashes the Momentum - I suggest you find another set and have a proper listen because it's leagues better than the P5.

 
hilarious..

I know. Yet you don't stop bashing it. Sheesh. 
I'm done with you and your ridiculously over-exaggerated opinions. 
 
Instead of actually read what I wrote, taking my opinions/advice and having a taste of your own medicine, you divert the attention away from the topic of headphones into some sort of immature argument. Good job.

 

[p a t r i c k]

Originally Posted by GREQ /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
And I have listened to them thoroughly and several times. Just let me have my opinion, jeez.
 

 
But your description of the sound quality of the P5s is so far away from how they sound to me.
 
If you are going to write such strange things as opinions then I will tell you mine.
 
And you say: "If you want the opinion of an experienced tech-writer look at what Tyll wrote about it."
 
But Tyll Herstens review of the P5's shares nothing with your bizarre comments about them.
 
I recommend people read Tyll Herstens review because it is very good:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/bowers-wilkins-p5-portable-headphoneheadset
 
I entirely agree with Tyll Herstens. His summary is absolutely right imho:
 
While my obsessive desire for very high fidelity wasn’t satisfied with the Bowers & Wilkins P5, my desire for a good listening experience on the move certainly was.
 
I own the P5 headphones and I will recommend them to people who wish to listen to mobile devices on the move.
 
The great strengths of the P5 headphones is that they will sound really excellent plugged straight into mobile devices. I use them with my first generation iPod Touch, with my Pure PocketDAB 1500 personal radio, with my Roberts Revival RD 60 DAB radio, and they sound extremely good with these sources. I also use them plugged directly into my MacBook Pro.
 
With the P5 headphones you will not need an amplifier with your portable device to get very good sound quality. I see this as a great advantage.
 
The P5 headphones are compact on-ear headphones which are extremely comfortable. They are definitely the most comfortable on-ear headphones I have ever used.
 
The P5 headphones have excellent isolation which is crucial for portable headphone usage imho.
 
I have no doubt that the nonsense I see being written about the P5 headphones is from people who have never listened to them because it is so far from the reality of listening to them.
 
The P5 headphones are extremely enjoyable to listen to. They are certain not "dangerously on the edge of muffled and boring" as GREQ has written (LOL).
 
The P5 headphones do not have copious amounts of bass, but they do have a very well defined bass. This well defined bass allied to a really first class grip on rhythm means that the P5s communicate the energy of music with strong rhythmic content very well. Right now I am listening to Romanian folk dances arranged and orchestrated by Béla Bartók and with these the rhythm is (nearly) everything, with the P5s all their wit is communicated. Really they are a joy to listen to.
 
For the price of the P5s you can buy headphones with higher absolute resolution, but the P5s are prioritised for being used on the move with mobile devices and for that purpose I think the P5s really are superb.

 

[p a t r i c k]

   
If Isolation doesn't matter, then go for an open headphone. My personal favorite, the Shure SRH 1840. The Shure SE535 is better than my B&W P5, yet the Shure SRH 1840 annihilates the Shure SE535 in every single way. 
 
I wish I didn't buy the B&W P5 and just went straight to a high-end open headphone like the Shure SRH 1840
 
But the B&W P5 is good at what it does, it sounds amazing on all music and movies ..... whether is badly recorded or not (headphones like the Shure SE535 can sometimes sound bad on badly recorded music ). 
 
It's better to just take your headphone to a store and test the B&W P5 against your current headphone and see if it's much better

 
I do agree with your posting.
 
I would certainly not use the P5s as my main headphone at home. For that I would use an open circumaural headphone from someone like AKG or Sennheiser depending on taste.
 
However for use with mobile devices, on the move, I think the P5 headphones are unbeatable.
 
They are compact, comfortable and very well isolated.
 
In my experience you do not need to use an alternative amplifier to get the best out of them. You can simply plug the P5s into your mobile device directly and the sound quality will be surprisingly excellent.
 
The P5s are an excellent compromise between practicality and quality and I thoroughly recommend them for use on the move.
 
As always I recommend trying out before buying if possible.

 

[Beagle]

  I know. Yet you don't stop bashing it. Sheesh.
I'm done with you and your ridiculously over-exaggerated opinions.
 
Instead of actually read what I wrote, taking my opinions/advice and having a taste of your own medicine, you divert the attention away from the topic of headphones into some sort of immature argument. Good job.

 
Learn to read....please?

 

[GREQ]

  Learn to read....please?

That's right - keep up the immature argumentative tone.

 

[G_T_J]

  I listened to both the P3 and the P5 in an Apple Store today and the P3 was obviously better.

No way mate. I did the same comparison and the difference in overall SQ between the 2 is really huge. In favor of the P5 of course...

 

[Happy Camper]

No way mate. I did the same comparison and the difference in overall SQ between the 2 is really huge. In favor of the P5 of course...
[/quote

Same impression I had at the Apple store. The 5s are better than the 3s. Value wise, you are paying above their performance IMO. For $300, I expected a bit more but they aren't a bad listen. Getting them for $220 made it more in line with their performance. They are comfy.

 

[G_T_J]

 

No way mate. I did the same comparison and the difference in overall SQ between the 2 is really huge. In favor of the P5 of course...
[/quote

Same impression I had at the Apple store. The 5s are better than the 3s. Value wise, you are paying above their performance IMO. For $300, I expected a bit more but they aren't a bad listen. Getting them for $220 made it more in line with their performance. They are comfy.I wouldn't want to

I wouldn't want to comment in an ''absolute'' manner against the P3 as I only listened to them very briefly at a local sore. Besides, I got myself a pair of P5 very recently and they are still in the process of ''break-in''.
What I remember clearly is that the bigger B&Ws sounded far superior compared to the small ones in a straight comparison.
I have to note that from what I have gathered so far from surfing around the web and listening to my P5s, the B&Ws' sonic signature is not very immediate nor engaging straight out of the box. That said, I think that all B&W headphones need ownership as well as several hours of listening in order to get thoroughly appreciated.

 

[sling5s]

I found the P5 same and opposite of Grados with Flats.  Same being very forward midrange, everything in your face; but opposite because the treble is recessed.  I loved it and hated it.  I loved it because of it's forward sound but needed just a little more treble to help with the congestion. 

 

[Izzy58]

So, does anyone who owns or has owned both the P5 and the vmoda m100 have any thoughts on whether the vmoda will "sound better" coming from the P5?

 

[DrSheep]

Yes and no, as this really depends on what kind of sound you want.  The P5 (version 1) has a better treble and bass but narrower sound stage and much less comfortable compare to the M-100, and I think the over all package is better for the M-100 even without the XL Pads.  However, I don't version 2 of the P5 so I can't tall for sure.  I suggest you also look into the P7 if you do like the B&W sound signature.

 

[cwfour]

I actually dig the P5's way more than the P7's. I had the P7's for a few weeks and was so underwhelmed I returned them.