[Beagle]

Quote:

Was my pair broken?  I can't imagine someone hearing something so different from what I heard.  Beagle, they didn't sound shrill to you at all?  The pair I listened to was rolled off and shrill at the same time, and had a very uneven frequency response.  Honky might be a good word

They sounded a bit like you described, for the first minute or so. My ears and brain always seem to be set to expect the sound of the last headphone I listened to. I always have to adjust to something "new". But after about five minutes, they began to sound right.
 
I am puzzled by a couple of the comments about the P5 lacking low bass. I listened to Jheena Lodwick's version of "Groovy Kind Of Love" and Bruce Cockburn's "The Charity Of Night" and the bottom is all there. Gladiator sounded thunderous, although there was a tendency for the P5 to sound a wee bit cluttered during really busy, complex passages. But Gladiator is a tough test for a lot of gear. I tried them on three amps thus far. RA-1 rolls off the bottom but the PPA and Shanling PH100 give full measure.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Interesting.  Maybe I didn't give them enough of a chance.  But I've never really experienced a headphone growing on me, it's generally the other way around where they get worse with time because I start to notice more imperfections.  I like my M50 just about as much as at first, but I now notice their slightly closed in nature more than at first.  I already don't really like headphones that go for wow factor with exciting colorations that get tiring after a while, so my first impressions seem to remain generally the same.  But who knows

 

[2rooi123]

Quote:

They sounded a bit like you described, for the first minute or so. My ears and brain always seem to be set to expect the sound of the last headphone I listened to. I always have to adjust to something "new". But after about five minutes, they began to sound right.
 
I am puzzled by a couple of the comments about the P5 lacking low bass. I listened to Jheena Lodwick's version of "Groovy Kind Of Love" and Bruce Cockburn's "The Charity Of Night" and the bottom is all there. Gladiator sounded thunderous, although there was a tendency for the P5 to sound a wee bit cluttered during really busy, complex passages. But Gladiator is a tough test for a lot of gear. I tried them on three amps thus far. RA-1 rolls off the bottom but the PPA and Shanling PH100 give full measure.

do some pink white brown noise and frequency sweeps for a week and you will get the low bass you need. if you know what i mean

 

[cansman]

Quote:

They sounded a bit like you described, for the first minute or so. My ears and brain always seem to be set to expect the sound of the last headphone I listened to. I always have to adjust to something "new". But after about five minutes, they began to sound right.
 
I am puzzled by a couple of the comments about the P5 lacking low bass. I listened to Jheena Lodwick's version of "Groovy Kind Of Love" and Bruce Cockburn's "The Charity Of Night" and the bottom is all there. Gladiator sounded thunderous, although there was a tendency for the P5 to sound a wee bit cluttered during really busy, complex passages. But Gladiator is a tough test for a lot of gear. I tried them on three amps thus far. RA-1 rolls off the bottom but the PPA and Shanling PH100 give full measure.

Just like other headphones, run-in and positioning are important for the P5. In regard to bass response, it is important that the ear cushions are properly sealed (coupled) to the ear. My experience is that it has plenty of low bass!
 
If the music sounds muffled or dull, it might be because of incorrect positioning. Quoting B&W FAQ regarding the P5, "ear cushions may be incorrectly aligned to the ear, try moving the ear cushions around relative to the ear until high frequencies are clearest, then tighten the headband so that weight is borne by the head."
 
Cheers!

 

[gorgonmusic]

Exactly.. the P5s will render mid and low bass tight and as heavy as the track requires. The cans will shake on your ears when need be.  BUt they do not artificially add bass notes or amplify bass notes when it is not called for like some other headphones do..
 
Quote:

They sounded a bit like you described, for the first minute or so. My ears and brain always seem to be set to expect the sound of the last headphone I listened to. I always have to adjust to something "new". But after about five minutes, they began to sound right.
 
I am puzzled by a couple of the comments about the P5 lacking low bass. I listened to Jheena Lodwick's version of "Groovy Kind Of Love" and Bruce Cockburn's "The Charity Of Night" and the bottom is all there. Gladiator sounded thunderous, although there was a tendency for the P5 to sound a wee bit cluttered during really busy, complex passages. But Gladiator is a tough test for a lot of gear. I tried them on three amps thus far. RA-1 rolls off the bottom but the PPA and Shanling PH100 give full measure.

 

[Beagle]

I think that when people say the P5 lacks top end and sounds rolled off, they are actually missing the grain and other treble nasties that are commonplace in other headphones. If something is bright to most people and you don't hear it, it is possible you have hearing problems. But when you hear correct top end balance, proper timbre on violins, horns, percussion etc., how does one explain that? Is it possible that the opposite is true, that some find the P5 rolled off on top because they are used to bright headphones and don't realize it?
 
I am hearing the lack of expanded soundstage and compartmentalizing of images, but only when comparing to large headphones that place the driver away from the ear. To my ears, the P5 sounds like good high-end loudspeakers, correctly placed in a small listening/demo room. I know I will never convince anybody on the P5, but why am I suddenly content and not switching headphones all the time?

 

[2rooi123]

It doesn't lack top end but lacks the sparkle compared to say grados. People who get used the those kinds of treble will complain and say the p5 has a veiled sounding top end but IMO, they are have smooth highs which is enjoyable. Not for critical listening though but good for almost any kind of music. They kind of added a bit of coloration which i cannot explain that makes the sound non fatiguing. I don't think ill sell mine anytime soon. They are keepers to me

 

[jpelg]

Sorry, I haven't kept up with this thread to read its entirety, but has anyone experimented with after-market (or DIY) cables on these yet?
 
I'm wondering how they'd sound wired balanced for my RSA Protector...

 

[2rooi123]

Quote:

Sorry, I haven't kept up with this thread to read its entirety, but has anyone experimented with after-market (or DIY) cables on these yet?
 
I'm wondering how they'd sound wired balanced for my RSA Protector...

cant find any. do you know where to buy?

 

[immtbiker]

Why Jimmy, do you think that that sound of a P5 can be improved with a better cable?
Perhaps a silver cable can bring the highs up one step without tilting the while frequency range.
 
I remember in 2007 when some members felt that the Qualia 010's were too bright or sibilant,
Drew came out with a Black Dragon for it, and it made the 010's a truly great headphone if you
achieved the proper fit for it.

 

[Beagle]

I have a question. How does a different wire reorganize treble and bass balances?

 

[immtbiker]

I don't think that it reorganizes the treble and bass balances. But, I know that when I use a silver cable or IC,
it increases the transient response, speed, and affects the highs, while leaving the rest of the frequencies alone.
Perhaps it also tilts the lower treble frequencies, which might affect the mids, but it's not an exact science (each cable 
interacts differently).
But, if people feel that they don't like the roll off on the treble (which, in the manual, says that the engineers did on purpose
as to accentuate the middle spectrum of the musical reproduction), then it might be possible to recover some of the roll-off
by using a silver-only cable. We're not changing the curve here, just increasing the upper register by use of cable changes.
It's not magic. It's not going to make something that is not there, falsely reappear, however, it might help in adding upper
register "color" or sparkle that would make people happy, without the use of equalization.
 
Just throwing around some possibilities. When brainstorming, no ideas are bad ideas! 

 

[jpelg]

 
Quote:

Why Jimmy, do you think that that sound of a P5 can be improved with a better cable?

I'm more interested in the potential of driving them "balanced" rather than attempt to equalize with wire. The Protector is a special little amp, and I think its balanced drive might address what some people perceive as shortcomings in the FR of these cans. Just a hunch of course.
 
Problem is, now that I think about it, is that you'd have to do some drilling into the cups to wire directly to each driver separately. Not a plug-&-play operation, and not something someone would undertake lightly.

 

[immtbiker]

Yes, anytime that you are talking about a drill, permanent comes to mind 

 .

 

[rhythmdevils]

especially this drill mod, it not only rearranges the treble and bass balances, but it also rearranges your cerebral balances as well.  I guarantee the P5's will sound good afterward