EpicPie
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2011
- Posts
- 654
- Likes
- 24
[Click the images for a higher resolution]
Packaging:The product opens from the bottom with a small tab to pull out the box. Product information manuals and a taco carrying pouch made from suede that contains extra earbuds in different sizes.
Specs:
Technical features:
Secure Loop design
Micro Porous Filter
Neodymium magnets
CCAW coil
Ultra light 9um thick diaphragm
Transparent twisted cable (OFC)
iPhone compatible remote control
Drive units: 2x Ø9mm
Impedance: 32Ω
Frequency range: 10Hz to 20kHz
Distortion (THD): <1%
Sensitivity: 118dB/B at 1kHz
Cable length: 1.2m
Weight: 20g
Build Quality:
The build quality is there for a high end IEM. After a week of solid use while on the go with these guys they've held up to the abuse of people on MUNI trying to pass by you on a full bus so they can get off at their bus stops. With my early morning commute to work on the weekdays, my headphone wires always get snagged on someone trying to pass by me. Needless to say, the IEM's are constructed very solidly, with all the great aesthetics nothing feels cheap about this IEM. Bowers & Wilkins really nailed it when they had their team of engineers design this product. The color scheming and the braided silver wire add a lot to the elegance.
Sound Quality;
Bass:
The bass is a very full on sound that gives a nice "thump", at times it's a bit overpowering and seems to cover up the midrange and highs making them sound a bit flat, especially with electronic genre's. When it comes to any genre with sub-bass such as Dubstep the driver resonates to slowly to fully produce sub-bass, especially with lower frequencies. For genre's that have reverse-bass such as Hardstyle a lot of smaller details sound very quiet or flat making them less noticeable. Rock and it's sub-genre's don't seem to have the midrange and highs covered up by the bass, though with Metal and tracks that have double bass pedals in use, smaller details get covered up.
Midrange:
Male and female vocals are present and clear though at times the midrange sounds very lackluster when there is a lot of instrumental detail going on during the vocal section of a track. I noticed this the most when listening to DragonForce - "Body Breakdown" the vocals would suddenly sound flatter as more instruments started playing.
Highs:
The treble is very pleasing with how much detail it can bring out in a song. With the song "Youtopia" by Armin van Buuren the hi-hats and smaller layers of detail come to life making the track much more appealing.
Soundstage:
The soundstage is quite impressive especially for an IEM. With binaural recording the IEM's don't sound omnidirectional, it either sounds like the sound is coming from the Left, Right, or Center. When it comes to instrumental separation distinguishing the different instruments in a song is fairly easy while giving you a more vivid sound when you hear which direction the instrument is coming from.
Conclusion:
For anyone who loves music with lots of instrumentals, these IEM's would fit what you're looking for. At a MSRP of $180 the price may seem a little steep considering it's an IEM and not a full sized headphone but don't let the price scare you away from purchasing these as the IEM's are fashionable while still providing excellent sound quality and fashionable aesthetics.
Purchase the Bowers & Wilkins C5 here:
http://www.amazon.com/Bowers-Wilkins-C5-In-Ear-Headphone/dp/B005GSVN48
