PERFORMANCE
B&W's passive noise-isolation approach worked better than expected. And while it didn't quite match the noise-blocking abilities of my $900 custom-fitted Ultimate Ears UE-10 in-ear headphones, the P5 did filter out the most offensive intrusions quite effectively.
Sonically, the P5 sticks to its luxury theme, offering a sumptuous sound that's definitely more Jaguar XJ than Lamborghini. With the right material, bass power and extension was startling: The P5's low-frequency clarity made it easy to differentiate between the stand up and electric basses on Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side."
Overall tonal balance leaned slightly toward the warm side of neutral, which is not necessarily a bad thing when portable devices and MP3 files are part of the recipe. The P5's midrange clarity was particularly impressive, while top octaves came across as clear and extended but also very smooth, with none of the nasty, peaky sound you get with most earbuds. I did find the P5 to be quite sensitive to how its pads are positioned on your ears; if you don't get this positioning just right, the sound can get a bit thick and congested.
In contrast to open-back headphones, which can deliver a great sense of spaciousness while minimizing any "inside your head" feeling, the P5's image was well defined, with a more intimate sense of focus. Its performance here suggests an excellent tonal match between left and right drivers.
shopped pretty much everything high end in head phones and at the end of the day I went home with B&W P-5. Best sound with an excellent company to back up there product. No way would B&W put out sub quality on the market. They are the household name with to much to lose. By far blew Boses out of the water sound comfort quality dont get me wrong I do own Boses products again an exchasted search for my ears and head.. And the winner is!!!!
Bill M.
I've owned my P-5's for over a year now. In the winter I move to a condo with units both over and under ours so buying a pair of good speakers was out of the question for me as I listen mostly late at night. The P-5's are the answer for me. I plug them in to my receiver and crank up the sound to whatever level i wish.
The sound quality is wonderful and the headphones are well designed and comfortable. While these are not "sound cancelling" headphones per se, they do a great job of isolating the listener in the world of whatever music you may be listening to. After an hour or so i sometimes remove them for a moment or so to let my ears recalibrate to normal room ambiance, but these headpnones are never uncomfortable and my ears never get hot or sweaty.
To me, the P-5's are worth every cent I paid for them and the only thing better is when I return back to my summer residence and can listen to my B&W 804S speakers. Pure musical bliss.