Headphones aren’t difficult to find, they vary in sizes, shape, quality, how they fit on your ears and ultimately price. Of course if you have brand loyalty, that would mater too, but for the majority who wants something that works well, finding the right fit can be challenging. Bowers and Wilkins audio products are premium and it’s the sort of product you would find in the Apple store with a high price tag, but you get what you pay for when it comes to sound.
The P5 series 2 has been updated with new drivers and its sound quality is amazing. It really doesn’t matter what music genre you enjoy the most, the P5 series two will handle it very well. It looks quite identical to the original P5s’, but the series 2s are a lot better with some improvements. The new Series 2 drivers are based on the P7’s drive units.
When it comes to the design, the premium feel really shines through on the P5, it’s gorgeous both on and off the head, the headband’s stitching looks great and blends in very well with the leather finishing, it doesn’t end on the headband either, as you look at the ear cushions, and the outside panels of the earcups, the premium shiny black leather continues.
Bowers and Wilkins P5 Series 2
As it will spend a lot of time on your ears, B&W have designed the headband for adequate amount of pressure to each ear, so that long train journey with your favourite playlist is enjoyable and not adding to the headache of commuting. Underneath the left earpad, you can attach/detach the audio cable and using magnets, you can easily remove the earpads. To keep your headphones clean, B&W have included a padded black sleeve carrying pouch to keep them secure. The pouch is also designed with the same premium feel in mind with the use of magnets to open and close, which also makes it easy to access on the move – using zips can be frustrating when opening and closing the pouch.
Bowers and Wilkins P5 Series 2 earcup
The audio cable has an inline three-button remote control and microphone mainly for iOS devices. The buttons allows you to Play, Pause, Answer/End Calls and multiple clicks allows you to change tracks. the other buttons are used for adjusting the volume.
Bowers and Wilkins P5 Series 2 Accessory
With such a premium, luxurious offering in the design department, it is also essential that it has the performance to match, especially when spending so much money. When it comes to its performance, the Series 2 is not just a pretty face. Whether you are listening to s subtle kind of music with not much bass, heavy bass music or just enjoying your audiobooks, there isn’t any distortion, sound fabrication to compensate or any issues at all. It sounds clear, the highs and lows sounds how it should. Even when turned up to the maximum volume, performance was still good. Making and receiving calls using the iPhone 6 also proved to be good, with no sound issues on both ends, meaning the microphone worked very well.
Bowers and Wilkins P5 Series 2
Overall, the P5 Series 2 is a great piece of kit with a luxurious and premium feel. Every detail was well thought out and implemented, from the packaging all through to the headphones – even the pouch looks great. The only issue here is the price, but as mentioned earlier on, you get what you pay for and rather than spend a series of £50s trying out cheaper headphones that won’t last or produce the best sound quality, the Series 2 is worth investing in straight away. It is durable and using the carrying pouch will also keep them safe.
