B&W P5 Series 2 Review

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2

Autumn 2014 and Bowers & Wilkins have updated the P5 on-ear headphone with the B&W P5 Series 2 consisting of new “drive units” adopted from the flagship P7. Said to contain reworked internal components whilst sharing the same outer design and materials of the predecessor, this existing P7 owner’s interest was piqued.

For testing purposes: Nexus 5, iPad mini Retina and Sansa Clip Zip (with rockbox firmware) utilised. Music selection: 2NE1 – The First Album, 2NE1 – The Second Mini Album, Prince – 1999, Prince – Around The World In A Day, Prince – Purple Rain, The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land, Clara C – The Art In My Heart, Daft Punk – Random Access Memories, Nicholas Payton – Bam! Live at Bohemian Caverns.

B&W P5 Series 2 Headphones

Fancier sources were available but there was a conscious intention to replicate the listening context for 99% of consumers that would look at the P5S2 (although the Clip Zip with Rockbox has been found to measure well).

 Unboxing and Package

Photographs of the Custom-Cable P5S2 shop demo unit alongside my personal B&W P7. Pictures speak a thousand words: Bowers & Wilkins were literal about retaining the same design ethos.

B&W P5 Series 2 and P7 Alongside

When the competition mostly utilise different grades of plastic, B&W’s fusion of real sheepskin leather and aluminium for their headphones family stands out. Beauty may only be skin-deep but it certainly does no harm in this the most overcrowded price-point of the headphone market.

There are more expensive headphones out there with less attention to the finer details. Not B&W. No misplaced thread. No inconsistency in the leather. Every line matches.

The only two alterations apparent from the original P5 are (1) the ear cup plates are now black instead of silver, and (2) a 6.5mm plug adaptor is no longer included. B&W probably calculated most people are not using on-ear headphones on home sources, which traditionally carry larger 6.5mm ports.

B&W P5 Series 2 Packaging

Alongside the headphones, B&W include the following:

1x quilted travel case

1x headphone cable

1x headphone cable with mic

1x booklet

All in all this a quite satisfactory package, if not spectacular. The quilted case matches the headphone colour, even if leaning on a ‘feminine’ styling (with the headphones themselves unisex styling). The two cables are terminated in your standard 3.5mm straight plug and are smartphone case friendly. The headphone cables appear ordinary and on the thin side but tick the functionality boxes. No microphonics. Touch of springiness to retain shape. No tangling. The removable cables attach via a 2.5mm connector under the removable magnetic ear pad, another B&W design plus. This is still clever and still proprietary, but at least replacement cables are available.

Design and Comfort

The colour change makes the P5S2 appear even more like a miniaturised P7. It may only be aesthetics but adopting the all-black ‘stealth’ look refines an already beautiful premium design.

The P5S2 on-ear is smaller and lighter in size and weight. The P5S2 is consequently more transportation-friendly. The P5S2 earcups rotate 90˚ flat. The larger P7 earcups fold inwards during transport. The flat-pack P5S2 hides away in luggage or the bag more easily.

This is replicated in the ‘mirror test’ The P5S2 are discreet. The P7 try but you will feel them during wear, as well as the P7 being more noticeable to passers-by.

As is expected from the diminutive proportions, the P5S2’s remain very light during wear. No pressure at all was detectable from the headband. Being on-ear, the ear pads do sit directly on the ear. Clamping force was quite acceptable, perhaps 4/10 pressure to apply an arbitrary guestimation. My ears never became overly warm or uncomfortable during album listening sessions.

On this point headphone comfort will only ever be a personal experience and demonstration is key as your mileage may vary. You can compromise on looks. You can even compromise on sound quality. Compromising on comfort and wearability is difficult to rationale.

The noise isolation was surprising given the P5S2 does not completely cover the ear structure. Traffic noise was still audible as a background presence to the music but not intrusive or distracting, unless it was a high-pitched motorcycle engine accelerating past or an emergency siren. So for the most part the music was at the forefront in my testing, whilst the low-level traffic noise reminds the pedestrian wearer of the importance of road safety.

B&W UK Q&A

Thank you to B&W UK for responding within two-working days as advertised. A product manager responded to my emailed queries as follows (unedited responses shown within quotation marks):

The demo P5S2 headband leather is noticeably softer and more supple compared to my P7. The leather on my P7 is also more dense and firm. B&W replied thus:

“Both products use the same leather from the same source, but being a natural material, there will always be variance.”

On the different driver grill patterns on each model:

“The grill patterns are optimised for each product as part of the acoustic tuning process.”

Removing the P5S2 magnetic ear pad reveals green foam. B&W confirmed there is an impact upon the sound tuning:

“Foam type will always have an impact both acoustically and on comfort. P5 S2 and P7 use different foam types and different ear cushion designs.”

The P7 remains the flagship, but not necessarily in competition with the P5S2:

“Design and manufacturing techniques may transfer between all our products, however we always strive to achieve the best product we can within each product sector. P7 is still our flagship headphone, however some users may prefer the on-ear design of the P5.”

My final query was whether there would be a smaller profile P7 revision, taking onboard lessons from the P5S2. The cryptic and courteous reply not giving anything away!:

“We always look for opportunities to improve our products.”

Sound

B&W know their particular market. The mid-bass is elevated in the sound spectrum but mercifully not to the degree of boom-boom exaggeration. An extra helping of bass is a pleasing quality for portable use as bass helps to drown out the rhythm of urban life. There is a hint of bass bloat but it stays within that limit and for the most part stays relatively controlled.

Compared to my cheaper Tokyo purchased Sony MDR-1R mk2, the P5S2 bass is tighter and more focussed, whilst being no less impactful (the 1R however is still the comfort king).

The headphone does struggle to render sub-bass with the same conviction as my Fostex TH900 or Shure SE846 but an allowance has to be made for the physical limitations of the P5S2. Throwing on The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land reveals a fast and punchy bass. I believe many will find the P5S2 bass quite to their liking. There is some texture and detail to the bass; not one-note.

The mid-range and treble still comes through with clarity despite the mid-bass bloom. The tonality tilts towards being warm and sweet sounding. That is evident in vocals, giving female vocals a touch of intimacy. No sss-sibilance apparent during listening. Happily there is no treble harshness and the treble presentation keeps it safe, though lacks the extra treble sparkle and extension of higher tier headphones.

Detail retrieval is surprisingly good and with identifiable placement. The soundstage though is only medium width and average depth so not what could be described as 3-dimensionality.

This is not a balanced – or flat – sound signature: the P5S2 is about engaging with joyful pop music on your daily commute.

Comparison to P7 Flagship and Closing Thoughts

To manage expectations: the P5 Series 2 is not the ‘P7 sound in a smaller frame’. In a direct comparison the P7 bass has more quantity, hits harder and there is more rumble. The P7 soundstaging has a larger space and with better separation, which enables vocals to breathe more naturally. The P7 treble extension is also better. Detail retrieval seems about the same but the larger soundstage of the P7 helps to flesh out the overall presentation.

Performing quick A/B comparisons can be misleading and may create false impressions. Allowing ears to adjust to a headphone, in this case the P5S2, is kinder to the lesser headphone. The P7 is still the sound quality flagship of the B&W staple but the cost of entry is an additional £80. When you tune into the P5S2 it is quite easy to enjoy the bassy clear sound.

The P5S2 price-point may be more accessible than the P7, although it is roughly £20 or so higher than equivalent competitors. One suspects that the looks may have something to do with that, but then is that not also the point? I suspect B&W will sell quite a few of these headphones.

[portfolio_slideshow id=1216]