B&W has announced there first pair of headphones coming out in January. What have we all heard about these bad boys? Whats the gossip?
B&W P5 Headphones
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B&W P5 Headphones
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anybodyBowers & Wilkins 683 Speakers
Rotel RB-1090 2 Channel Amp
Rotel RC-1082 Stereo Pre Amp
Rotel RCD-1072 CD Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon 2M Red (sitting on a piece of slate supported by 3 "solid tech feet of silence" isolation feet)
Rotel RLC-1040 Power Conditioner
Shynyata Research SR-Z1 Power Outlet & Venom 3 Power Cords x 4
Tara Labs RSC Vector 1 Speaker Cables & Interconnects
Pioneer PDP-5070HD 50" Plasma
Playstation 3
Shaw HD PVR
Primacoustic Room Treatments- Bottom
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I am considering a pair of Denon headphones, but I may hold off on purchasing until I either read some reviews or get a chance to demo a set at my dealer.Panasonic TC-P65VT30
Onkyo Pro PR-SC5508 | M2Tech Young DAC | Emotiva XPA-1 (x3), XPA-2
Oppo BDP-93 | DirecTV HR23-700 HD-DVR | Pioneer PL-670 Turntable
Sony Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii | Apple TV 2, Mac Mini (iTunes Server), iPad
B&W 804S, HTM3S, CWM DS8 | SVS PB12-NSD | Denon AH-D2000 Headphones
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My Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Setup
Next Upgrade: Cables- Bottom
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Originally posted by louhamiltonI am considering a pair of Denon headphones, but I may hold off on purchasing until I either read some reviews or get a chance to demo a set at my dealer.Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Originally posted by wettouHow do you like the Emotiva?Panasonic TC-P65VT30
Onkyo Pro PR-SC5508 | M2Tech Young DAC | Emotiva XPA-1 (x3), XPA-2
Oppo BDP-93 | DirecTV HR23-700 HD-DVR | Pioneer PL-670 Turntable
Sony Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii | Apple TV 2, Mac Mini (iTunes Server), iPad
B&W 804S, HTM3S, CWM DS8 | SVS PB12-NSD | Denon AH-D2000 Headphones
Tripp Lite HT1210ISOCTR Power Conditioner, SMART1000LCD UPS System
My Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Setup
Next Upgrade: Cables- Bottom
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I spoke to the rep at CES, and he said there will be a noise cancelling model released later this year. so if that is a feature you need, hold tight. I did spend a few minutes with them, and the sound is very pleasing. the leather is nice and soft. Unfortunately, I use headphones when I mow the lawn, so I don't think this is a good fit for me at the moment.I'm just sittin here watchin the wheels go round and round...- Bottom
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Originally posted by louhamiltonI love it. I feel it has added much more detail to the music and movies. Not that my Denon receiver had a lot, but I feel there is less distortion as I turn up the volume durign extreme listening sessions. :W 8)Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Now showing up on Apple Store's website in the UK for immediate shipping:
As an aside, their new MM-1 speakers are also up:
BTW, my local B&W dealer tells me that Apple will get a 6 week exclusive on selling at least the headphones (maybe the MM-1 too, not sure) before other dealers get stock. No surprise there given Apple's current buying power.
Jeff- Bottom
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Originally posted by rgbyhkrNow showing up on Apple Store's website in the UK for immediate shipping:http://store.apple.com/uk/product/TX...co=MTcwOTA2NjQ
As an aside, their new MM-1 speakers are also up:http://store.apple.com/uk/product/TX...co=MTM3NDcyMDM
BTW, my local B&W dealer tells me that Apple will get a 6 week exclusive on selling at least the headphones (maybe the MM-1 too, not sure) before other dealers get stock. No surprise there given Apple's current buying power.JeffFarming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Originally posted by wettouCool I wonder if they will have them in the store so we can listen and see how good they are! Not yet in the US :cry:
Jeff- Bottom
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Originally posted by rgbyhkrI think they probably will given that the Zeppelin and the Mini already are currently. I can easily see the stores displaying both the P5 and the MM-1 as well. JeffFarming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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The P5s just showed up in the US Apple Store:
The MM-1s are still absent but with this development, they should be showing up soon.
Jeff- Bottom
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More than one Head-Fi'er has reported that their P5 order from the US Apple online order shipped out today even though the status currently says 2-3 weeks. So, it looks like things are moving. A check of my local Apple Store (Atlanta) confirms that they don't have stock yet, but I expect that will change by next week given the fact that online orders are in motion. Maybe the 23rd was the expected stock date for the stores and if so it looks like that will indeed happen, if not a day or so sooner.
Jeff- Bottom
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Originally posted by rgbyhkrMore than one Head-Fi'er has reported that their P5 order from the US Apple online order shipped out today even though the status currently says 2-3 weeks. So, it looks like things are moving. A check of my local Apple Store (Atlanta) confirms that they don't have stock yet, but I expect that will change by next week given the fact that online orders are in motion. Maybe the 23rd was the expected stock date for the stores and if so it looks like that will indeed happen, if not a day or so sooner.
JeffFarming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Originally posted by wettouApple does not have them in the store I was told never will, too expensive and yet they sell BOSE!!!!- Bottom
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Originally posted by wettouApple does not have them in the store I was told never will, too expensive and yet they sell BOSE!!!!- Mike
Main System:
B&W 802D, HTM2D, SCMS
Classé SSP-800, CA-2200, CA-5100- Bottom
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Originally posted by mjbFarming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Originally posted by wettouOnly on line
I just ordered a pair, should have them in a few daysCrystal Clear Music Tweaked Mac Mini / Yosemite -> JRiver 20 -> Ayre QB9DSD -> Bryston BP26DA -> Bryston 4BSST2 -> B&W 802Di | Transparent Reference XLRs, Transparent Super Speaker Cable, Maple Shade USB cable, Crystal Clear Music Power Cords- Bottom
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Originally posted by wettouOnly on line- Mike
Main System:
B&W 802D, HTM2D, SCMS
Classé SSP-800, CA-2200, CA-5100- Bottom
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Originally posted by mjbNot true. I listened to a pair in our local (Frankfurt) Apple store today. They are beautifully made, and sound very very good. Whether they're worth the premium over a pair of Sennheissers I'm not sure, but they are high quality headphones for sure. They cost 300 euros here, 400 US bucks.Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Originally posted by emig5mHeadphones scare me, especially quality ones. I'm staying far, very far away from B&W headphones!! :EFarming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Originally posted by wettouWHY is that? I love My Denon HD7000
I'm staying well clear of higher quality headphones than what I already have, lol.- Bottom
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That's hilarious! :B You made some good points and I do like to listen to a pair of quality headphones occassionally. It's true for me that sometimes I do hear details or instrumentation or even vocals that I may have missed listening to speakers.
The difference, however, is that with loudspeakers, you really can have a holographic 3D soundstage on certain "audiophile"-type material. That's virtually impossible with headphones. Particularly on the jazz discs that I love, I can imagine the full drum set right in front of me, or the vibraphone, piano, double bass, trumpet and saxophone. Not to mention some breathy vocals. Also, certain discs will have a soundstage that will extend to "behind" my ears. It really is a wonderful experience.
Of course, that almost never happens with any rock discs where a holographic soundstage is about as rare as the dodo bird. For those discs, I turn on the Dolby Pro-logic IIx and enjoy my surrounds where I can hear Jimi's guitar travel back and front in the room, or situate right in the middle of the room as a result of the surround matrixing. None of these effects happen with headphones either.
So while headphones have their time and place, and certainly can provide an "high-fidelity" experience, to me it is quite different than listening to a set of loudspeakers.- Bottom
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Originally posted by emig5mToo easy to beat out loudspeakers for fine background detail and clarity. I don't want to find myself listening to music through headphones exclusively again! 8O I was always into hi-fi growing up as a kid, but it's when I started listening to CDs through some decent headphones and hearing all the subtle background detail so clearly that was totally impossible for my low-fi speakers at the time is what really turned me into a audiophile. I've been a detail freak every since. A good quality set of headphones that can beat out my 804S for fine detail will instantly turn my loudspeakers into a waste of money for me! It took some big bucks in loudspeakers to match the fine detail of a cheap $30 set of headphones and get me back listening to music through loudspeakers, I'd hate to start the madness all over again! :E
I'm staying well clear of higher quality headphones than what I already have, lol.Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Originally posted by KyaDawnThe difference, however, is that with loudspeakers, you really can have a holographic 3D soundstage on certain "audiophile"-type material. That's virtually impossible with headphones.
I've heard some insanely high-end setups, and with albums I've had memorized for years, I never feel the same 3D soundstage that I do with my setup.
But then it makes sense... details vs soundstage.
Loudspeakers are a distance away from you, while headphones are right in front of your ears... so the headphones can make details more obvious.
At the same time, loudspeakers that are a distance away have room to create this soundstage. Headphones only have but a few millimeters of space to create that same soundstage with such little space. It's like those 100" screen goggles. You remember those? You put them on and it's suppose to feel like you have a huge screen in front of you, you know.B&W 804S/Velodyne SPL-1000R/Anthem MRX720- Bottom
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Originally posted by audioqueso+1
I've heard some insanely high-end setups, and with albums I've had memorized for years, I never feel the same 3D soundstage that I do with my setup. But then it makes sense... details vs soundstage.
Loudspeakers are a distance away from you, while headphones are right in front of your ears... so the headphones can make details more obvious.
At the same time, loudspeakers that are a distance away have room to create this soundstage. Headphones only have but a few millimeters of space to create that same soundstage with such little space. It's like those 100" screen goggles. You remember those? You put them on and it's suppose to feel like you have a huge screen in front of you, you know.Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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later this year they will be releasing noise cancelling headphones... I only listen to headphones when i mow the lawn, so I'm going to hold out... wish they were sweat resistant.. it gets hot here in florida.I'm just sittin here watchin the wheels go round and round...- Bottom
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Originally posted by audioqueso+1
I've heard some insanely high-end setups, and with albums I've had memorized for years, I never feel the same 3D soundstage that I do with my setup.
But then it makes sense... details vs soundstage.
Loudspeakers are a distance away from you, while headphones are right in front of your ears... so the headphones can make details more obvious.
At the same time, loudspeakers that are a distance away have room to create this soundstage. Headphones only have but a few millimeters of space to create that same soundstage with such little space. It's like those 100" screen goggles. You remember those? You put them on and it's suppose to feel like you have a huge screen in front of you, you know.- Bottom
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I got my P5s an hour ago and have been listening.
Here are my immediate thoughts.
1) They are small, in reality just a bit bigger than my Koss PortaPro phones or Sennheiser PX100s that I have had in the past. Definitely smaller than the UltraSone Hi-Fi700s that I have.
2) They are as loud or louder than the PortaPros and PX100s, definitely much louder than the UltraSones when playing on the iPod. The UltraSones were tooo quite.
3) They are more comfortable than the PortaPros, PX100s and the UltraSones.
4) Detail, detail, detail. They are much chrisper than the PortaPros or PX100s and I really like the sound much better. I really really like the sound of the UltraSones, but in reality they were tooo quite and bulky when using with the iPods that I rarely did. I walk 4 miles every day and will use the P5s for my walks. For vacations I will bring my PortaPros because they fold up smaller and if I lost or broke them I wouldn't be crushed because they were cheap.
5) Price. They definitely are the most expensive of the 4. Is the price worth it. If you are looking for the best comfort and sound, of these 4 I like the P5 the best with the iPod.
In conclusion I am very happy that I got the P5s. They are definitely comfortable and very nice sounding.
DaveCrystal Clear Music Tweaked Mac Mini / Yosemite -> JRiver 20 -> Ayre QB9DSD -> Bryston BP26DA -> Bryston 4BSST2 -> B&W 802Di | Transparent Reference XLRs, Transparent Super Speaker Cable, Maple Shade USB cable, Crystal Clear Music Power Cords- Bottom
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Originally posted by Freddie40I got my P5s an hour ago and have been listening.
Here are my immediate thoughts.
1) They are small, in reality just a bit bigger than my Koss PortaPro phones or Sennheiser PX100s that I have had in the past. Definitely smaller than the UltraSone Hi-Fi700s that I have.
2) They are as loud or louder than the PortaPros and PX100s, definitely much louder than the UltraSones when playing on the iPod. The UltraSones were tooo quite.
3) They are more comfortable than the PortaPros, PX100s and the UltraSones.
4) Detail, detail, detail. They are much chrisper than the PortaPros or PX100s and I really like the sound much better. I really really like the sound of the UltraSones, but in reality they were tooo quite and bulky when using with the iPods that I rarely did. I walk 4 miles every day and will use the P5s for my walks. For vacations I will bring my PortaPros because they fold up smaller and if I lost or broke them I wouldn't be crushed because they were cheap.
5) Price. They definitely are the most expensive of the 4. Is the price worth it. If you are looking for the best comfort and sound, of these 4 I like the P5 the best with the iPod.
In conclusion I am very happy that I got the P5s. They are definitely comfortable and very nice sounding.
Dave
I have a nice headfi setup and am looking for speakers to add something extra. I might very well end up with something similar to yours, so the question is: How do they compare to a real setup?B&W 800 Diamond, B&W805S, B&W DB1, Classe SSP 800, DIY Icepower ASX2 600W monos, Ayre QB9, JPlay.- Bottom
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Originally posted by SkyblueThis might sound like a strange question, but how do they compare to your 802D's?
I have a nice headfi setup and am looking for speakers to add something extra. I might very well end up with something similar to yours, so the question is: How do they compare to a real setup?
DaveCrystal Clear Music Tweaked Mac Mini / Yosemite -> JRiver 20 -> Ayre QB9DSD -> Bryston BP26DA -> Bryston 4BSST2 -> B&W 802Di | Transparent Reference XLRs, Transparent Super Speaker Cable, Maple Shade USB cable, Crystal Clear Music Power Cords- Bottom
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Originally posted by audioqueso+1
I've heard some insanely high-end setups, and with albums I've had memorized for years, I never feel the same 3D soundstage that I do with my setup.
But then it makes sense... details vs soundstage.
Loudspeakers are a distance away from you, while headphones are right in front of your ears... so the headphones can make details more obvious.
At the same time, loudspeakers that are a distance away have room to create this soundstage. Headphones only have but a few millimeters of space to create that same soundstage with such little space. It's like those 100" screen goggles. You remember those? You put them on and it's suppose to feel like you have a huge screen in front of you, you know.
I really didn't think it was possible to get headphone detail out of loudspeakers, but I got it! I aint' touching anything either. Everyone with their Classe's, McIntoshes, Krells, etc can lol at my little Yamaha but... I got exactly what I wanted out of a sound system! All goals met (and then some when you factor in the more natural and 3D sound). Every time I fire up my system I'm blown away by the detail and clarity! (and also the naturalness and 3D effect, but details.. details.. details.. is where it's at for me! :B )
One good example is one song where the band stops playing mid-song and you can hear someone in the background faintly (but clearly through headphones) doing a "3.. 2.. 1.." countdown where they start playing again that always used to be so clearly heard through headphones, but almost totally inaudible on any speaker I owned in the past and only could detect it after hearing it first through headphones and when I heard this song on the radio one day you couldn't even hear it at all, even when you know it's there and to listen for it....just totally 100% veiled over. But on my current B&W 800 series it's just there and as clear as clear can be just like CD+headphones used to be for me. I'm stoked with the performance of my system! :T- Bottom
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emig5m,
You're such a trip. lol :B I love reading your posts.
Just a few months ago, you grilled us all on whether the 800 series was REALLY as good as we swear it is... or if it was just a prestigious thing. Here you are today, loving them just as much as you loved your 600 series. I think you deserve the prize for B&W 800 Series Owner That Shows The Most Love For His Speakers. :T
It's good to hear that you're really happy with your setup.
--------------------------------
Back to the P5's though, I'm now really curious to listen to them.
First, Freddie mentioned that they're just a little bigger than the Sennheiser PX-100's. That's not big at all! The PX-100's are my travel/gym headphones.
But most of all, Freddie compares them PX-100's and PortaPros. I was kind of expecting to hear that the P5 are day and night better than both. My Sennheiser HD595/555 (can't remember which) and Audio-Technica ATH-A900's are both night and day better than my PX-100's. I would HOPE that a speaker as expensive as the P5 would easily beat the PX-100's and PortaPros.
I'll have to drive out to Osaka to listen to them. :BB&W 804S/Velodyne SPL-1000R/Anthem MRX720- Bottom
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I'm currently using the Ulitimate ears SuperFi 5pro (in ears). The new B&W P5 definitely DIDN't give me that wow factor that B&W products normally do. I do want to make a move over for 2 reasons: 1. mine is getting old (over 1yr) & 2. All my speakers are from B&W why not the headset???! anyways, I going to bring my headphone to Apple store sometimes this week to listen to both side by side.- Bottom
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Originally posted by BlueSanderI'm currently using the Ulitimate ears SuperFi 5pro (in ears). The new B&W P5 definitely DIDN't give me that wow factor that B&W products normally do. I do want to make a move over for 2 reasons: 1. mine is getting old (over 1yr) & 2. All my speakers are from B&W why not the headset???! anyways, I going to bring my headphone to Apple store sometimes this week to listen to both side by side.Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower- Bottom
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Guys,
I have been trying to dig up any trustworthy reviews online lately since I have not been able to get to the local Apple store. Here is one of the review by "immtbiker". He's one of the administrator over at head-fi.org (a huge community on headphones). here is what he said:
Hi Jason...where the heck have you been? Hope all is well.
I pulled the trigger on a pair of these today at the Apple store in Long Island (they were the last pair, so I'm not so sure that Apple will have a hard time finding a demographic for these).
My findings don't agree with a lot of those, here in this thread.
First of all, there hasn't been one pair of decent headphones that I've ever bought new, that didn't sound muddy and congested right out of the box. I'm sure after a 50 hour stretch, the P5's will become a totally different headphone to what I am hearing right now. However, with that said and understood (by me, at least) I like what I am hearing. I am listening to alac files out of a 5G Nano through one of our local amp builder friend's portable amp.
I find them extremely comfortable. I have them maxxed out, but most of my headphones are maxxed out (R-10's, T-1's, HD6XX, HE-5's and I can't even wear the 701's because they are too small on my head).
The mids while being a bit new and "muddled" are sweet. The bass is deeper and more subsonic than my ESW-9/10's and the 10's cost me a lot more money. So when people say they are not worth $299 USD, it totally confuses me. I already like them better than the 701's (more money) 6XX's (more money) and the AT 10's ($150 more money), and I find them more comfortable than those three cans. The 650's vise grip my head, the 701's ride up my ears and the headband leaves the mole of my head sore, and the ESW-10's make my ears sweat and they become uncomfortable after about 45 minutes.
I've had the P-5's on for 3 hours in a hot room, and they not only "tempurepedic" around my ears, but they block a decent amount of ambient noise, and my ears aren't sweaty.
Anyone who doesn't own these and have only tried them on, using an "i" product loaded with files that are not lossless, in a noisy overcrowded Apple store, couldn't possibly hear what I'm hearing in my home with the wife clanging around lightly in the kitchen and the kids watching TV or playing X-box at normal levels.
Also trying them through an iMod and then using flac files through a Macbook Pro's USB output into a average dac into an average portable amp has yield excellent results in this price range. And this is while they are still stiff from the ride in from China.
A couple of days in the house, stretching and working out, lifting some heavy G-Clefs and big band tubas, and I'm pretty certain that they will sound somewhat better than what I am hearing right now.
For all the people who complained about Sennheiser using painted plastic and velveteen earpads, these puppies are using some serious high grade materials and only cost $300! They're a bargain. Also, the cord is no less feeble looking than the one that came on my $450 ESW-10's.
I'm truly, pleasantly happy with this purchase taking into account what they were designed for, who designed them, and taking into account the whole big picture. I'm shocked at their price point, especially coming from the Apple Store. Sharper Image charged more for their worthless plastic air purifiers, which sunk them into the brick and mortar graveyard.
OK. I'm done now.
I just finished Pat Barber's "Cafe Blue" and it left me "Cafe Happy".
On to some of Donald's "Morph the Cat".- Bottom
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Oh, also, since B&W starts to enter the consumer market lately (I consider we all pre-pro or pro, at the very least). There is a bunch of people who have no idea what they are talking, posting things which is very irritating. I've even seen things like B&W packaging is very Apple-like quality from reputable gadget site, which to me is almost an insult (B&W could have given birth to Apple, not the other way around. This is just like what people normally call "Apple keyboard" is in fact a Sony design).- Bottom
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hey guys, I'm at home using the P5 now.
Quality = top notch, the leather padding is so soft. The softest in headphone I have ever seen. I used Bose QuiteComfort years ago before getting serious and I still recall how hot it was with those on for just 15-20 min. UE is in ears and i does get a bit uncomfortable having something sticking into your ears but I'm kinda got used to. The P5 is great. It fits my head well, once the music starts (i listen to very low volume, way below everybody around me) I can't hear a thing from the surrounding. My ear feel a bit warm, again very very little. I'm quite happy.
Sound quality: The sound is very very neutral. Headphones normally have some boost built in (including my Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5). You get exactly what the recoding supposed to be with P5, which is very B&W characteristic. Great detail, bass is tight. One thing this headphone does really well is building that 3 dimensional feel of the music. This quite striking to me coming from in-ear headphone since you normally get none of this in in-ear headphone. However, I never remember feeling anything like this when I was using Bose a few years back (yes, Bose is nowhere comparing to B&W but that was the one I used so I have to make some comparision here).
Overall, I love the headphone. Does it worth $299 + tax. Not really for me. Not because the sound isn't good enough nor the quality is not good but since I already own a huge set of Rotel + B&W equipments at home + $250 Ultimate ears headphone. The improvement of the P5 over UE isn't worth the money. If this headset was prices around 200. I definitely would take it within a heartbeat.- Bottom
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Originally posted by emig5mI'm definitely a detail freak before anything else, heh. .... my system is very open and detailed sounding (which is one reason I really like the FST mids over non-FST) and much, much more natural/realistic sounding. I actually can't stand to listen to music through my headphones anymore.- Bottom
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