[tvrboy]

I'm not surprised by this. B&W probably went with the sound that the average consumer likes.

 

[moodyrn]

But does the average consumer want to pay 299 for these? Even bose you good pretty good active noise canceling if noting else. I have a friend who finally bought something decent(well imo it's only decent). Then said he never saw himself paying 100.00 for some headphones before he bought them. These were the hd280s.

 

[Mayzei]

They are not good looking! (IMO, but it's right!

)

Tom.

 

[Timbre]

Apple adds about $50 right off the bat, so really if you bought these at your local
audio store they would cost $250. I figure the materials used alone probably make them
cost about $150, then add about another $50 for the way they sound (again they
don't sound that BAD, just not really good) and they should probably go for $200
at the most. The thin cord is the thinnest though that I've ever seen, which would
worry me that a couple good jerks would probably break it, which is a real shame.

 

[tvrboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moodyrn /img/forum/go_quote.gif But does the average consumer want to pay 299 for these? Even bose you good pretty good active noise canceling if noting else. I have a friend who finally bought something decent(well imo it's only decent). Then said he never saw himself paying 100.00 for some headphones before he bought them. These were the hd280s.

Not the average consumer, but the same kind of gent who buys a first gen Audi TT and calls it his "sports car" will buy these headphones and call them "hi-fi."

 

[Head Injury]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif They have some very avid fans, too. I think when you have a pretty colored headphone, you tend to get a more polarizing set of opinions. The closer you are to neutral, the less dissension there is. There is a pretty good consensus building about what the P5's sound like. The only question is whether that sound will appeal to you. For some, it may. For me, it doesn't at all.

Case in point: Grados. They have an almost rabid fan base and many people who like the sound don't like listening to any other headphones even though those headphone may be technically better in every way. But dare you step into any thread about brand appreciation, you'd expect them to be the worst headphones since Skullcandy.

Another: Sennheiser HD650. It's defining of the house sound, with a relaxed warm tone. Arguably more neutral than Grados, but still not as even-tempered as the HD800 in terms of accuracy. Some people love them, preferring them to headphones twice the price, others would rather listen to the SR60.

Yet perhaps the most contested headphone here, the K701/2, is considered relatively neutral. What it does that isn't neutral, though, is so polarizing that half the people love it and half hate it.

Good point, good review. I'm now much less interested in trying them, like many others. You just cost B&W a couple dozen sales

 

[fella]

Its been a very fascinating process watching consensus emerge on these as I've been reading about them and auditioning them. One has to weigh what is subjective and groupthink and what is technical and universal. They were initially met with skepticism because of their affiliation with the apple store and with one very annoying poster who screamed their ad copy at people, causing both sides to dig into entrenched positions. The argument should never have been about whether or not they descended from heaven, or whether sq alone is worth 300 when they quite obviously are made from expensive materials...Though I'm not an expert, I did audition a bunch of phones and think these are great. 11 more days to try something else.

The coloring is cool if you like the color!

Case in point- listening to highly compressed drums like massive attack NIN and flaming lips is extraordinary on these. The sound is already "colored" there is no attempt to reproduce live acoustic instruments, and the headphones immerse you in those kinds of sounds.

I'm very surprised by the lack of appreciation for the bass on these. These were made for the Phil Lesh school of bass that, while tethered to the rhythm section, is all about melody. A lot of more bass boosted phones just sounded like one note, while less bassy phones leave me wanting more Phil. Goldilocks likey.... these are just right.

I still am curious about esw9 but I hear they break lots and aren't as well liked without an amp.

Quote:

I'm not surprised by this. B&W probably went with the sound that the average consumer likes.

maybe. I'm cool with that description, because I am more of an average consumer in that looks comfort and portability are big issues, the idea of spending this much on prestige headphones dawned on me because of the press around beats by dre,

 

[immtbiker]

I find them extremely comfortable. I wear them for hours on end.
On the other hand, I find most Grados extremely unconfortable and can't bear them for more than 15 minutes on my ears.

Different strokes.

 

[fella]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find them extremely comfortable. I wear them for hours on end. On the other hand, I find most Grados extremely unconfortable and can't bear them for more than 15 minutes on my ears. Different strokes.

did you ever do a review? its a long thread.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fella /img/forum/go_quote.gif did you ever do a review? its a long thread.

Yes, I wrote a mini-review. I will have to find it for you.

 

[gorgonmusic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find them extremely comfortable. I wear them for hours on end. On the other hand, I find most Grados extremely unconfortable and can't bear them for more than 15 minutes on my ears. Different strokes.

Looks like you are fighting alone buddy ...lol you are the only one in here that like the P5s...

 

[Drag0n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head Injury /img/forum/go_quote.gif Case in point: Grados. They have an almost rabid fan base and many people who like the sound don't like listening to any other headphones even though those headphone may be technically better in every way. But dare you step into any thread about brand appreciation, you'd expect them to be the worst headphones since Skullcandy. Another: Sennheiser HD650. It's defining of the house sound, with a relaxed warm tone. Arguably more neutral than Grados, but still not as even-tempered as the HD800 in terms of accuracy. Some people love them, preferring them to headphones twice the price, others would rather listen to the SR60. Yet perhaps the most contested headphone here, the K701/2, is considered relatively neutral. What it does that isn't neutral, though, is so polarizing that half the people love it and half hate it. Good point, good review. I'm now much less interested in trying them, like many others. You just cost B&W a couple dozen sales

You can also add Ultrasone to that list with the Grados.
Some love the S-Logic effect, some dont.

 

[2rooi123]

The p5's sure look good but definitely wont beat my es10's! ha ha

 

[gorgonmusic]

ok I will agree that the p5 has it's own sound personality and there are no grey areas either you live it o hate it... an I have noticed that the p5 responds well to certain recordings and porly to others it's odd almost like the p5 is pre tuned to certain recording styles.

many folks refer to the restricted sound and I'm guessing that is due to the restrictive air flow design o the driver housing.... if you look the diaphragm is Huge but the metal holder blocks about 30% of it then the ear cushions cause reflections due to the perforated leather instead of foam breather design

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gorgonmusic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have noticed that the p5 responds well to certain recordings and porly to others it's odd almost like the p5 is pre tuned to certain recording styles.

That is exactly what occurs when a headphone has a noticeable coloration.