At this price, there is nothing to complain about ...

At this price, there is nothing to complain about ...

B & W P5 HiFi headphones (MFi connection cable for iPod and iPhone) Metal / Leather black (Electronics)

Customer Review

Almost by chance, I came across this headset and the discrepancies between good and evil, you read in the reviews here have made me so curious that I simply wanted to make their own judgments. Equal first, some 5 star reviews seemed too exaggerated, but with some negative struck me that so many reviewers apparently set different expectations of the headphones. Compare: I buy a Porsche 911 and give 2 stars because my suspension is too hard.

Now, after prolonged use, break-in period and connecting various audio devices, it is time to revise my review. In conclusion, I see in the P5 is still a good set of headphones. The diverse condemnations in various forums that are contrary to the trade press (which does not surprise me), I tried to understand. Unfortunately, everyone writes only, it sounds washed out and muddy, often without justification or at least time specifying what he has hung before. Cloudy, with MP3 sounds he faded, this it is easy to precisely. On iPod it sounds well, to the amplifier stage is not accurate enough. Differences between iPhone 4S and 5 sound like day and night. Some test him absolutely powerful high-end headphone amplifiers. Probably these people draw on a Fiat Punto 205er wide tires for high speeds, no idea. I would not deny that there may be better headphones in this price range. But you should compare the P5 with optimal conditions. Is also striking that headphone averse that rely more on speakers who prefer the P5 and P7 as opposed to all types of headphones, so there is a really controversial picture. At the bottom follows the update.

My requirements:
I have an quite good hearing. As a result of my visual impairment and the fact that I can actively deal with both instruments, as well as studio technology. So I feel behind a mixing desk, at home in front of an instrument or the microphone, as well as in front of a speaker or a headset. Say I know how instruments sound how music is created and must sound. I verteufele MP3 not necessarily, but also among those who for years have a Nautilus and operate their plant on a separate circuit, go there but also quite enough, with mobile to bridge 80 kbps MP3 and Koss Porta Pro the train. Contrary to make me YouTube videos on my hifi aggressive, because that sounds really very mushy.

There are matched headphones and speakers, the specific customer groups to be more advantageous. Bass and Höhenahhebung, as practiced at Bose like crowd-pleasing (but not me). But these are not the ones who Neutrlität and precision give preference. This target group needs no more and should prefer the significantly lower Koss Porta Pro or significantly better devil Aureol. It is also clear that there is in principle no matter if good music over a Hi or Lo-Fi handset is heard, the music you love is always the same. and since hearing adapts sometimes to even eat the eye occasionally. But the "goose bumps" effect can only occur when the music gets so directly to the ear as if you attend even in an anechoic chamber during mixdown. The question for me was whether that can afford such a headset.

Test environment:
My somewhat exaggerated reference are here with my Nautilus speakers of the Sennheiser HD 800 at a Lehmann Audio Linear headphone amplifier, which is befüttert with high-quality digital music (CD-quality and high-resolution audio) via the USB port. As a journal far placed the P5 in the leaderboard from the HD 800, this comparison could be justified, even if I do not give up Test results. Since the Lehmann Audio is perhaps a little too powerful for these low-impedance headphones, to my Colorfly C4 Pro to serve as a player, the HD 800 also drives effortlessly and in a fantastic quality. As music I chose the reference CDs for the HD 800 of stockfish, and other pieces of music, which I will discuss below below. At 26 Ohm I chose the Colorfly receipt for low headset and also still moved the Koss Porta Pro added, which I gladly took advantage of the move for 15 years. Furthermore, but not decisive, is a Technics DJ headphones that I use to mix my audio productions.

For P5:
Much has been written here, where comfort and build quality are sure subjectively. In my view, the listener wears well over time, the memory foam adapts well really with time. Somewhat unusual is the complete leather lashing the shell lying on the ears and theoretically ensure would that sound is directed not quite directly from the membrane to the ear, as each fabric could at least in theory filter (like a microphone windscreen). But my test was based on the headphones as a whole, disassemble I did not want him actually. ;) As many reviewer wrote, the connecting cable is kept quite thin. Why not at least included the jack cable in high quality, me remains a mystery, especially since the cable connecting the headphones itself is even plastic coated and affects quality. Beautiful is the small side compartment in the pocket in which the iPod cable and 6.3mm adapter fits. Speaking of iPod, which I have not tested namely, because this by converters - whether iPhone or iPod Classic - is too poor and the dynamic range of Verstärkerchen is below average (the HD 800 tracked). If these headphones should be high-end, so you should keep the entire Zuspielerkette in appropriate quality. Since nothing changes off that B & W seem to see the Apple users as the primary target group.

Now the sound comparison:
Since I can very well memorize auditory information with the same music, it was enough to use the same condition as I am used to with em HD 800 in recent months. Quite simply, it was therefore apt to simply pass the high-quality music from Colorfly to P5. The same I did with the Koss Porta Pro, where the goal was to not to determine "goosebumps" the timbre alone. As described above, Music and no matter which monitoring system is used, the hearing also adapts psychoacoustically accordingly. Therefore, you can compare a maximum of the timbre of a listener with constant comings and goings, but not as good and intense you can actually enjoy music with him.

When I flipped through my various music whose style seals includes all classical, pop, rock, jazz, electro, but then I was quite surprised that the "goose-bump factor" in Dire Straits Sultans Of Swing occurred just as with Sara K.'s outstanding vocal and guitar skills. I would have this handset close to the music not so credited.
When Koss Porta Pro, for example, which is very well balanced, it does not matter with what you feed him. he sounds on Colorfly the same music, and even at 24 bits and 96 KHz good, but not close. This could compare to when you look an HD movie on a TV with PAL resolution, in which the picture good, but not Full HD looks. The P5 elicited the Colorfly an enormous precision and airiness. I, for example, never noticed that the lead singer of the Clowns & Helden song I love you such an extreme proximity effect caused while he speaks the intro. That not even occurred to me in my Nautilus, when I recently heard this piece. The HD 800 would have the singer certainly uncovered as well, but this piece I have not heard this.

As one reviewer imputed headset especially in rock music imprecision, I tested it with a few pieces of I Blame Coco. Here, I could not find that he loses tight musical arrangements of precision, on the contrary. While it was not as if I had always taken my head if it would not have placed me not a secret my HD 800, but surprised me already delivered precision. I could not begin to expect on the basis of the negative reviews.

The Stage:
The stage is defined as the ability of a headphone or speaker, as are emerging slightest differences of positions of voices and instruments and how dynamic the listener the "depth of field" dominates. This could be compared to color and sharpness curves in a photo, if you for instance photographed and determines how realistic the color looks and Schärfeverlauf of distant water a sunset.
However, one should bear in mind (which many do) is that studio recordings of each instrument individually (partly with multiple microphones) decreased, partially compressed and also adjusted by using EQ, passed through an effect and led together to the whole. Here one can not speak of stage, since there is virtually no there really. Nevertheless, it is possible to distinguish the instruments from one another and to listen for. Example, how deep and far you can hear in the superposition of the instruments into the Hall effect. Generally, you can indeed assume that Studio music is mixed with the best possible equipment, however, I note that the pop music always "cheaper" is also sound. As it comes to quick profit and it takes no more time for clean results that also uncovered such an equipment very quickly.
Or else: MP3 sound on a mobile good, on a high-end system is many times worse, since each nuance is revealed (see example above with the chassis).

P5 vs. Porta Pro:
I compare the P5 with the Porta Pro is his stage not outstanding better, that is: How is it with a headset in which the shells are right on the ear. The space in the sense of dynamism and depth, however, is clearly many times and let even the smallest nuances emerge. These missing the Porta Pro, that sounds otherwise consistent, maybe something "fruity", while the P5 indeed neutral, but adapted to the B & W typical sound characteristics (some "bitter") comes along. As one reviewer wrote, it sounds not somehow headphones. That's not surprising, when one is used also around the speaker B & W. Here you can see also that neutrality is not always neutral, the Porta Pro sounds anyway a little rounder. In Bass the P5 is more precise, it can differentiate with respect to the entire frequency range from low to high better. At Porta Pro also disturbing vibrations of the plastic holder, which slightly color the sound and especially in higher volume and take him some differentiation. However, it should be clear: 25 euros against 300 euros, since B & W can naturally obstruct more engineering performance. Disturbing vibrations I have not found here, which is also by design to the metal housing and the enclosed design. This requires less efficiency for the same sound pressure and always offers the ear a consistent atmosphere.

P5 vs. HD 800:
My tests have me but quite surprised because the P5 the HD 800 is still closer than I would have given him credit for. Thus one has really no exaggeration in this comparison. And given the fact that the HD 800 on three times as expensive and one of the world's best headphones, which is no mean feat for a manufacturer who actually never built previously headphones. Unfortunately it was not granted to me to try the same expensive headphones in this area, but the HD 650 I had and this is even inferior in some respects my opinion after the P5, but not in the naturalness and timbre. The HD 650 comes in these areas, in turn even closer to the HD 800 zoom, but it lacks a bit of precision (due to the simple construction). What the HD 800 comes to good, is the considerably higher quality cable (that alone is almost as much as the P5 costs) and the fact that the membranes inclined from the front point to the ear, as the listening angle in speakers. Here, the sound will be routed differently to the ear and thus achieves an optimized front localization. Clear that this so can not afford the P5 with his right resting shells, especially since the drivers are also significantly smaller. However, the HD 800 has far less caused at Colorfly "goose bumps" effect as the P5, but this he does at Lehmann Audio Linear more so. I think that this is justified more psychological because Despite the better converter Colorfly compared to linear something missing heat. Would I have the HD 800 operated exclusively on Colorfly that creeps would have certainly just as, I am sure.

Technics DJ Headphones:
Closed to closed, this comparison must be. The Technics DJ headphones are indeed matched neutral, but with a strong bass. This is not accurate, but steep and creates more pressure. The membranes are greater than the P5, so this already alone thereby lies in the nature of things. But in the high frequency of Technics is inferior. Although clear and bright, but a little too clearly. For Electro, but also in the studio, this is advantageous, but not necessarily for acoustic music. You can already see the difference in price of about 200 Euro. The Technics does a good job, though not as accurate and balanced as the P5. And he is of course greater.

Conclusion:
The P5 is nothing for iPod listeners who might want to pick up the army Porta Pro. Regardless of the successful design is obtained otherwise a headset that can safely play well with the few portable hifi players. The iPod does not irritate him out, but he has too little precision. Who rather the headphones used at home, you should definitely pull Grado or Sennheiser in the price range considered. An HD 650 costs a little more, is not as strong as the P5 in some respects, but it sounds a little more open.

Postscript:
I'm not a diehard B & W fan, me talking Dynaudio actually even more. Only because I very long use the Nautilus, I am the sound become accustomed. Therefore, is not ruled out that B & W newcomers (as well as in the PC-speakers) have to get used to something specific coloration (so each manufacturer has its special coloring). Since no help measuring results but it is important the question of whether it fits or not. And it can also be the headphones not only this fact flows in speakers and headphones too much in the evaluation with a. For example, a lover of "sound bath" a la Bose is the P5 may not need.

Update:
Now some time has passed. As a high res players here now a Fiio X3 joined thereto and to compare these, I have intensively consulted again with the existing headphones, however, limited to the HD 800. BW has now launched a successor to the P5, I even against must test the P5, the larger priced P7 comes for me not in question. In a review of the P7 someone wrote that the P5 indeed would like to sound precise, it whether its earpads not manage. About this statement, I had to think and have again ensured. In fact, the pads attenuate the treble. If you take this, however, and converts virtually the membrane without this dampening ear, the sound is absolutely shrill and here we can see clearly that the cushion part of the overall concept are. I am curious if this has improved somewhat during the P5 Series 2, he was supposedly completely redesigned and room for improvement of course there. However, the price of the older P5 slips down naturally, which makes him even more attractive. Indeed, despite that the sound was perhaps improved, the existing P5 is a constant, which also makes the Nexus 5 by the way a very good figure.

Even for non Mario lovers !! Rank: 5/5
December 1
Pretty and sweet Rank: 5/5
May 26
Breathtaking !!!! June 1 Rank: 5/5
March 25
Very professional! 1 2 Rank: 5/5
May 1
Almost everything 1 Rank: 4/5
July 12
mower ring Rank: 4/5
February 5

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