Bowers & Wilkins P5 On-Ear Headphones B&W - Black (discontinued by manufacturer)

Product Information

One note about the PI5’s fit in relation to audio: It’s possible to wear the earpieces for a long time and for the fit to still feel secure, but for the in-canal seal to become slightly less strong, which can result in less powerful bass response. If the earphones start to sound less full as you wear them, chances are the earpieces need a minor adjustment to better secure the canal seal. The mic offers solid intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone, we could understand every word we recorded relatively clearly. There is a little bit of Bluetooth distortion in the mix, but the mic signal is strong, and the clarity is slightly better than average. Above Average, But Not a Standout

In fact, the P5s’ slightly muscle-bound bass reproduction is quite at odds with the degree of solidity and speed the low end enjoys. Bowers & Wilkins PERFORMANCE - PX draws on decades of Bowers & Wilkins design experience to take you to the very heart of the music with its breath-taking performance The leather-faced headband is adjustable and the single-sided cable is detachable – cleverly, the ear pads are magnetically attached and can pop off to give access to the wire beneath.Bowers & Wilkins estimates the PI5’s battery life to be roughly 4.5 hours, with the case holding about 20 hours of extra charge. For a true wireless charging case, that’s a solid stat—but the battery life of the earpieces is close to the bottom of the barrel. Your results will vary with your volume levels and your use of ANC. PI5 Noise Cancellation and Audio Performance PREMIUM DESIGN, PERFECT FIT: The PX7 S2 headphones have been carefully designed for comfortable, extended listening, with luxurious memory foam earpads that perfectly encapsulate and cushion your ears, and an elegant fabric finish. They’re authentic stars where the midrange is concerned, too, granting vocalists the sort of prodigious detail levels that make every gasp for breath, every plosive and every palate-noise apparent. CARBON CONES: The Px8’s new Carbon Cone drive unit reduces distortion, resulting in massively improved clarity. Coupled to a fully optimised drive unit ‘motor’ system’, with revised magnet, voice coil and surround, the result is unparalleled accuracy and realism. There’s no denying the forthrightness at the top of the frequency range, nor the slight overconfidence at the bottom, but the dexterity, finesse and briskness of the B&Ws’ presentation make these flaws less obvious.

The performance is extraordinary. The parallels between the P5's sound and the perceived Bowers and Wilkins' 'house sound' are all here. First of all they love to play loud and just like many of the company's speakers, they perform best at high volumes, so you need to be careful! There are more complete-sounding headphones available at the price, but few you’d dare to wear in public – and none whatsoever with greater perceived value or pride of ownership. THE NEW LEADER IN HEADPHONE DESIGN: Px8 over-ear headphones combine cast aluminium arms for superior durability, plus sumptuous Nappa leather plus perfectly crafted memory foam earpads for effortless all-day comfort. Diamond-cut bright metal detailing perfectly finishes the luxurious, premium look. USB recording for digital channels only, recordings may be limited by broadcast copy protection (CI+). Country and channel restrictions may apply.

Bowers and Wilkins has launched its debut 'mobile' headphones

Notably, Bowers and Wilkins' places great importance emphasising the P5's suitability for long-term listening without fatigue, and to this end, the engineers have strived to keep the balance as neutral as possible. CANCEL THE NOISE, NOT YOUR MUSIC: The Bowers and Wilkins PX7 S2 headphones use a total of six microphones for outstanding noise cancellation that shuts out unwanted intrusions without harming your favourite music’s dynamics and energy. As an added bonus, they also provide crystal-clear call quality. The P5 Series 2 are a fantastic set of on-ear headphones that audio aficionados will cling to for a the remarkable sound. The fashionable leather, aluminum and incredible build quality only work to sweeten the deal further. We disliked Internally, 9.2mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 10Hz to 20kHz. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.0, and support AAC, AptX, and SBC codecs. The removable cable still cleverly connects to the headphones underneath the left earpad. Both earpads snap on and off easily with the help of magnets, revealing the upgraded drivers underneath. B&W claims the new drivers are based on the P7's drive units, which means the main upgrade in the Series 2 is sonic, not visual.

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What’s Inside

CANCEL THE NOISE, NOT YOUR MUSIC: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones use six microphones for active noise cancellation that shuts out unwanted intrusions while preserving sound quality. Careful positioning and angling of those microphones ensures outstanding call quality too. Energy consumption in kWh per year based on the power consumption of the television operating 4 hours per day for 365 days. The actual energy consumption will depend on how the television is used. It goes without saying that while the past two years have seen a lot of comings and goings in headphone-land, the B&Ws haven’t changed in the slightest. They are also composed, beautifully balanced and unquestionably natural, although at times we craved a bit more sparkle in the treble. Our sample improved with a 60-hour run-in period and got better with time. That said, we suggest you skip meals for a couple weeks and divert the money you would've spent eating on a pair of Bowers & Wilkins P5s.

Play to their strengths with a listen to Smog’s Dress Sexy at My Funeral and the P5s serve up a coherent, well-defined soundstage and give each element of it plenty of room for manoeuvre. This television contains lead only in certain parts or components where no technology alternatives exist in accordance with existing exemption clauses under the RoHS Directive.Isolation (9.5/10): The P5 is surprisingly well-isolating, nearly keeping up with the legendary HD25-1 despite also being more comfortable. The flat earpads, surprisingly, seal well enough for some driver flex to be coaxed from the P5. Obviously designed with portability in mind, the P5 performs beautifully as an on-the-go set on busy streets or public transport. Leakage is a little higher than with the HD25-1 but still impressively low for a supraaural. It's baffling that the inline controls aren't compatible with other popular mobile operating systems. Are Android and Windows Phone users still being hung to dry at this point? Unfortunately, yes. Final verdict SOUND LIKE NO OTHER: PX7 S2 uses custom-designed 40mm drive units, carefully angled inside each earcup for a truly focused, immersive listening experience. The result is headphone sound no rival can match.