Last year the British manufacturer of the Stenying Research Establishment gave us the Zeppelin and Zeppelin mini iPoddocks. Now they developed headphones which, they say, promises a natural and unfatiguing listening experience. Quite the promise by B&W who produce the P5 headphones. A promise that demands a proper test.
Bowers&Wilkins
Bowers&Wilkins has earned its spurs more than often as a loudspeaker producer. Their speakers are used in many recording studios, the most known being Abbey Road studios. With the rising popularity of the iPod and iPhone, B&W couldn’t stand at the sidelines and developed their docks (Zeppelin and mini Zeppeling) and dedicated computer/iPod-speakers (MM-1). De P5 also received the ‘Made for iPod’ label which guarantees you can control your iPod with your new device.
Getting started
The packaging is largely inspired by that of the iPod. The P5 is firmly wrapped in a black box which contains not only the P5, but also a black pouch, manual, 3,5mm gold plated audiocable and 3,5mm to 6,5mm adapter plug. The P5 is equipped with special ‘ultra-linear’ neodymium magnets and uses optimized Mylar membranes. To eliminate as much surround noise as possible without reverting to noise cancelling techniques, B&W chose to implement a sealed design made of aluminium and leather cushions. B&W claims the ear pads are made of the softest sheep leather to guarantee optimal wearing comfort. The leather and underlying foam are pierced for an optimal sound reproduction. The cushions are easy to remove thanks to their magnetic attachment. This way you can change the ‘Made for iPod’-cable by the regular cable if you want to use the headphones on your installation instead of your ipod. The iPod-approved cable features a remote and microphone which allows you to answer calls, skip tracks or change the volume.
