[JMRmat95]

I recently decided to buy a pair of new headphones as i'm not a student anymore and have a bit of cash to spend. 
 
 
I had narrowed it down to the Bowers & Wilkins p7's after looking around everywhere for headphones on the internet and i was quite happy with what i heard and the price. 
I went into the local Jb Hi Fi store to listen to them and as you can imagine i was quite happy with the sound. Having had a listen I left as i still wasn't 100% about buying them. I immediately put my earphones in (Klipsch Image x10i's) and was surprised to find them a lot better sounding. I'm not sure if this is because i wasn't used to the P7's or because they may have not been played in. I'd like advice on how the p7's compare to the Klipsch Status and or the AKG K495's?
 
 
Sorry for the long winded post and thanks in advance!
 
 
JR

 

[PurdueAlum]

I too have a pair of X10's and interestingly enough am considering a good pair of closed back over ears for work, specifically the B&W P7, Klipsch Status, and NAD Viso HP50. My Pacers branded Klipsch Image One's recently broke, and although Klipsch offered to replace them, they are signed by Pacers NBA Center Roy Hibbert and returning will produce a new unsigned unit. I'll probably glue the hinge and mount them in a nice box for display of the signature. Not that you really care about all that, so my question is what did you finally choose? Do the Status hold up to the super accurate P7's? I have heard the B&W, but the Klipsch and NAD are not easily attainable in person. Thoughts?
Thanks!

 

[JMRmat95]

I still haven't bought a pair believe it or not! I hope though that someone who has a pair of either the NAD, P7's or Status's can give some feedback. I have auditioned the P7's and found that something was missing. I have read up on the k495's exhaustively which has clouded my judgement. I can't seem to find much on the status headphones though. its a shame your pacer's broke. Klipsch make such incredible sound but sometimes the product is easily broken!  

 

[JMRmat95]

I still haven't bought a pair believe it or not! I hope though that someone who has a pair of either the NAD, P7's or Status's can give some feedback. I have auditioned the P7's and found that something was missing. I have read up on the k495's exhaustively which has clouded my judgement. I can't seem to find much on the status headphones though. its a shame your pacer's broke. Klipsch make such incredible sound but sometimes the product is easily broken!  

 

[tinyman392]

  I recently decided to buy a pair of new headphones as i'm not a student anymore and have a bit of cash to spend. 
 
 
I had narrowed it down to the Bowers & Wilkins p7's after looking around everywhere for headphones on the internet and i was quite happy with what i heard and the price. 
I went into the local Jb Hi Fi store to listen to them and as you can imagine i was quite happy with the sound. Having had a listen I left as i still wasn't 100% about buying them. I immediately put my earphones in (Klipsch Image x10i's) and was surprised to find them a lot better sounding. I'm not sure if this is because i wasn't used to the P7's or because they may have not been played in. I'd like advice on how the p7's compare to the Klipsch Status and or the AKG K495's?
 
 
Sorry for the long winded post and thanks in advance!
 
 
JR

The P7 have a smooth, musical and forgiving signature, though it's bass is quick and well controlled, it does have a slight roll off creating a slightly thicker sound.  The mids can be a bit too smoothed out with a bit of lushness; it leads to an inviting sound.  The treble is probably the best part of them, especially as you get up higher.  They are detailed very well with good presence and separation.
 
You mentioned the NAD HP50 in this thread, there are a lot of comparisons between these two headphones on Head-Fi.  I haven't heard the HP50 in months :/  From what I remember, they have the same bass quantity, though they do get better depth and have a larger body.  The midrange remains smooth with some good detailing.  The upper end does roll off a little bit in quantity, but still keeps good extension and detail.
 
Another headphone that you may also want to consider is the AKG K545 which can be had for around 250.   It has bass that has a slower decay, which results in it sounding like it has more quantity than the P7, but the depth and control is still very well done.  The midrange has a good balance between warmth and aggression giving good detailing while not becoming too thin or overbearing.  The treble may have a slight edge to it at times.  However, it offers great detailing, extension, and clarity.  
 
I personally move back and forth between the P7 and K845 (same as the K545, but BT) quite a bit.  The HP50 was a bit too warm for my tastes, but it hits the mark quite well for what a lot of people look for.  They are all great phones, you can't go wrong either direction.  
 
I haven't had any experience with the K495 or the Klipsch X10 unfortunately.

 

[JMRmat95]

I have auditioned the p7 a few times and while i agree they are an excellent headphone i still think that being used to the AKG sound (i currently have a pair of Q460's) that i would prefer the K495's or even the K545s. The p7 i found i had to turn up a lot to get the most out of it. Unfortunately there is nowhere i can audition the AkG 495s or 545s! i haven't really looked into the NADs. basically i like a headphone that sounds great with acoustic music with a nice tight clean sound.  i was looking at the 495's because of their noice cancelling properties and i generally prefer a more compact headphone as i travel a lot. 

 

[JMRmat95]

So i went into my local Audiophile store and tried on the Bose Quietcomfort 25's the AKG K495's and then the Oppo PM1s. I was really impressed with the 495's naturally as they are an awesome earphone. The PM1's however were absolutely incredible and now i'm even more confused over what i should buy