Nillerbabs Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 About a year ago on the way home from London I had a couple of hours to spare in Stansted Airport. I stumbled upon a music store, had a look up and down the CD shelves, then went to try on the Beats by Dre headhphones, of which I have heard some good from my hipster friends. The top model of the line sounded pretty darn good, even if it was quite obvious that they were made for bassy music. Then I was approached by a salesman holding a pair of headphones that I knew would hurt my wallet some day. I put them on. The comfort and design halfway persuaded me - but the sound far exceeded these. I now have owned a pair of Bowers & Wilkins P5 for a month, and for those who might be looking for headphones, here's a suggestion. On the Bowers & Wilkins P5: They're beautiful. Made for the listener on the go, they're rather discreet, yet a powerful fashion statement of leather and curved metal. You're not going to be mistaken for a studio rat who sees light for the first time in a month, nor a bass-lovin' technolover, which is the impression that some huge cans seem to leave. I've put a lot of emphasis on my appearance lately - first time ever - and they're a swell fit. The unit is designed for use with iPhone or iPod, with an on-cable microphone with play/pause and vol+/- buttons. The cable can be replaced with a standard cable that comes with the headphones. I had initial doubts about the strenght of the cable, as it's somewhat thin, but I've found that it can stand pulls and movements. The on-ear fit is ridiculous. Despite the seemingly underwhelming design, I've found that they isolate just as well or better than pretty good studio cans. I've never dealt with studio headphones in the +$300 range, but for a listening device made for the go, these have impressed me by shutting out conversation, bus/train noise etc. And they feel really nice. I was in the studio recently, and was offered a pair of AKG's that felt and sounded jolly good. I can't remember the exact model, but they were good. I preferred my P5's - they just isolated and sounded vastly better. So here's what I have to say about the sound: When first trying out the headphones, I remember closing my eyes and vividly seeing Herbie, Pink and Seal performing Imagine right before my eyes. The product motto is "concert for one", and they're not kidding by saying so; the detail seems infinite. I have experienced detailed headphones before, although not to this extent - but certainly not with the same warmth and prescence. I've been the kind of guy who always thought that when listening to music, $80 cans would be just fine since I was listening to the music qualities, not being an audiophile. I have changed my mind, and am now learning a new dimension from the musicians I have always listened to in the small but crucial variations between every stroke of a note. I realize that tunes I thought I knew have instrumentation that I never thought of. The balance is just perfect, with distinct yet unharsh highs and a very tight bass. I was very impressed by being able to hear how an electric bass player moves around on the fretboard, the barely hearable noises that all constitute a part of a performance that I certainly haven't paid attention to before. I recently plugged the phones into my Nord and I'm pleased to say that I have never heard it sound so good through anything. The tops in particular were so crisp and clear, and I was very impressed by the all-round sound. I didn't notice that much of a difference on the EP samples, but this is probably due to their relatively lo-fi qualities, and the small size of the Nord EP samples, but the pianos were out of this world. These headphones represent one of the best musical purchases I have ever made, if not the best. Because I love listening to music and spend a lot of time on the train, these are a perfect fit for my purposes, since they are compact yet also carry through in a practice/studio environment. Bear in mind that I have not listened to many hifi headphones, and so there are probably many viable options out there. But if you're looking for cans, have some dough on your hands and these seem to fit, you should give them a try. Niels When in doubt, superimpose pentatonics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoodyBluesKeys Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I don't have the B&W headphones, but I have a 5 channel setup with B&W speakers that I bought about 10 years ago for the living room. Even though they were the lowest in their line - I know what you mean about seeming like one is there in the midst of the recording session with them. I can only imagine what the sound system would be like with their top of line Nautilus speakers. The audible difference in sound was what made me spend the $300 each at the time for the 5 speakers (actually spread out over a year and a half - I bought one stereo pair first, then the others). They were noticably better in A-B comparisons using the same source material than the other speaker lines that the high end audio store carried. Best I can put it is detail - like you mention hearing the fretwork of the bassist. Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nillerbabs Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 Thrown in for good measure. http://www1.pcmag.com/media/images/223686-bowers-wilkins-p5-on-head-view.jpg When in doubt, superimpose pentatonics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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