BIack Magic
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2012
- Posts
- 2
- Likes
- 0
First some context about me:
Long time lurker and first time poster. Only starting a couple months ago have I spent any significant amount of time on Head-Fi. I'm much more familiar with speakers and TVs on avsforum then I am with headphones and their related equipment. This is my first quality headphone because I'm now spending more time listening to music outside of the house then inside and wanted something better then my go to Yuins. I did audition a variety of other headphones but settled on the P5s for one main conceptual reason which is why I wanted to write this review. Instead of doing a normal review since there are plenty of more qualified reviews already available I wanted to talk about the P5s from what I think was the design focus in every category; comfort.
My Review of the P5:
The P5s are comfortable to wear as a result of the plush memory foam wrapped in leather. But the idea of comfort goes well beyond just the usual association of comfortable headphones. The headphones are also comfortable to drive allowing them to be powered by almost any device without needing an external amp. The are also comfortable to use in public, a combination of good isolation while comfortably grounding you in the environment and comfort in aesthetics with a design that looks good aesthetically whether you are wearing a t-shirt and shorts or a suit and tie. They are also comfortable to transport with a slim profile folded and an easy to use soft carrying case.
This idea of comfort also extends to, for better or worse, what is, especially on these boards, the most important element of a headphone - Sound Quality. And this is the double edge sword that distinguishes these headphones from the other quality headphones in its price bracket. The P5s were designed to have a comfortable sound. What I mean by that is everything about their warm coloration seems to be for the sole purpose of having a comfortable listening experience. These headphones are designed to sound non distracting or fatiguing with pros and cons to the sound signature as a result. The high end rolloff keeps the headphone from drawing attention to itself by sounding sibilant even on lower quality recordings, but it also keeps the headphone from drawing attention to itself by showing you something sonically subtle and interesting from the recording. The low end rolloff keeps the headphone sounding fairly tight with controlled bass, but still a lack of details to really draw you into the sound. The P5's 3khz bump, I think, was also intentional to make vocals comfortable to hear which is especially useful when watching videos at a variety of qualities such as Netflix or Youtube. The P5s also seem to be slightly dynamically compressed (although my experience for comparison is limited), but that wouldn't surprise me given that sudden and dramatic peaks could be distracting furthering the idea of comfort.
Conclusion:
The idea of comfort is a plus and a minus depending on your circumstance. For me, I wanted something that I could listen to for hours on end while I work. Because of that reason, the idea of comfort with the P5 makes it the ideal headphone for me. The sound, nor the headphone itself becomes uncomfortable or distracting for me to listen to and wear. The warm sound is just pleasant, it's easy to drive whether on a desktop with a decent DAC, a laptop, or straight from my phone and it's easy to transport. The downside is all the deliberate coloration and lack of detail means that for critical immersive listening or for detailed monitoring, the P5s fall short. Sometimes you don't want comfort, you want to hear all the details of your music for better or worse and at those times for those listeners the P5s would be inadequate. For listeners just wanting to sit back and relax with their music while working or traveling or to unwind and fall asleep with, the P5s are a great choice.
Long time lurker and first time poster. Only starting a couple months ago have I spent any significant amount of time on Head-Fi. I'm much more familiar with speakers and TVs on avsforum then I am with headphones and their related equipment. This is my first quality headphone because I'm now spending more time listening to music outside of the house then inside and wanted something better then my go to Yuins. I did audition a variety of other headphones but settled on the P5s for one main conceptual reason which is why I wanted to write this review. Instead of doing a normal review since there are plenty of more qualified reviews already available I wanted to talk about the P5s from what I think was the design focus in every category; comfort.
My Review of the P5:
The P5s are comfortable to wear as a result of the plush memory foam wrapped in leather. But the idea of comfort goes well beyond just the usual association of comfortable headphones. The headphones are also comfortable to drive allowing them to be powered by almost any device without needing an external amp. The are also comfortable to use in public, a combination of good isolation while comfortably grounding you in the environment and comfort in aesthetics with a design that looks good aesthetically whether you are wearing a t-shirt and shorts or a suit and tie. They are also comfortable to transport with a slim profile folded and an easy to use soft carrying case.
This idea of comfort also extends to, for better or worse, what is, especially on these boards, the most important element of a headphone - Sound Quality. And this is the double edge sword that distinguishes these headphones from the other quality headphones in its price bracket. The P5s were designed to have a comfortable sound. What I mean by that is everything about their warm coloration seems to be for the sole purpose of having a comfortable listening experience. These headphones are designed to sound non distracting or fatiguing with pros and cons to the sound signature as a result. The high end rolloff keeps the headphone from drawing attention to itself by sounding sibilant even on lower quality recordings, but it also keeps the headphone from drawing attention to itself by showing you something sonically subtle and interesting from the recording. The low end rolloff keeps the headphone sounding fairly tight with controlled bass, but still a lack of details to really draw you into the sound. The P5's 3khz bump, I think, was also intentional to make vocals comfortable to hear which is especially useful when watching videos at a variety of qualities such as Netflix or Youtube. The P5s also seem to be slightly dynamically compressed (although my experience for comparison is limited), but that wouldn't surprise me given that sudden and dramatic peaks could be distracting furthering the idea of comfort.
Conclusion:
The idea of comfort is a plus and a minus depending on your circumstance. For me, I wanted something that I could listen to for hours on end while I work. Because of that reason, the idea of comfort with the P5 makes it the ideal headphone for me. The sound, nor the headphone itself becomes uncomfortable or distracting for me to listen to and wear. The warm sound is just pleasant, it's easy to drive whether on a desktop with a decent DAC, a laptop, or straight from my phone and it's easy to transport. The downside is all the deliberate coloration and lack of detail means that for critical immersive listening or for detailed monitoring, the P5s fall short. Sometimes you don't want comfort, you want to hear all the details of your music for better or worse and at those times for those listeners the P5s would be inadequate. For listeners just wanting to sit back and relax with their music while working or traveling or to unwind and fall asleep with, the P5s are a great choice.
