Bowers & Wilkins already have the style end of the hi-fi market sewn up. Not just with the achingly cool Zeppelin, but also the eyewateringly expensive Nautilus speakers. So when we first saw the P5s, it was hardly a surprise that we had gadget lust the kind of which only happens when Jonny Ive delivers something from his workshop to the Apple faithful. But above the good looks, how do the B&W P5s stand up as a piece of functional design? Dive into our Bowers & Wilkins P5 review: design and build review and we’ll reveal all.
Read the rest of our Bowers & Wilkins P5 review:
Bowers & Wilkins P5 review: overall verdict
Bowers & Wilkins P5 review: sound quality
At £250, you’d expect the B&W P5s to be built to last and you certainly get that impression when you lift from their box. The brushed aluminium on the rear of the earpads, the metal frame and the leather exterior all scream desirability and durability.
The earpads themselves sit snugly over you lugholes, covering them completely but not encasing them like some of the pricier, open-backed Sennheisers we’ve tested in recent months. This isn’t an issue when it comes to comfort (if anything it makes them better), but the leather is so shiny that we found them slipping if we left them on for any length of time. That is, more than half an album. It’s a quirk we’re not at all fond of.
Likewise, the leather strap across the top of the B&W P5s is also a shiny number and sometimes slips from its position on the top of your noggin. It might have compromised the look, but a material that was more likely to stay in place would have been preferable.
However, the inclusion of a removable ear pad, which lets you hot swap the iPod cable for a standard gold plated one is very nifty and handled with real aplomb. You wouldn’t know this feature was available unless told. Just place your fingernail slightly under the metal rim of the right hand pad and gently lift. The magnetic covering slips back easily and never budges from its position.
The B&W P5s certainly feel far more sturdy than other cans in the same price bracket. Beats by Dr Dre might cram in better bass and low end, but they feel far more plasticky and less top end than these. Everything about them shouts quality and high-class design. You get the feeling B&W spent ages working on getting the style spot on and the design just right. Aside from the nasty niggle with the leather earpads moving slightly, the B&W P5s are arguably the coolest cans you can buy right now.
Read the rest of our Bowers & Wilkins P5 review:
Bowers & Wilkins P5 review: overall verdict
Bowers & Wilkins P5 review: sound quality
