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Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P7 Stereo Headphone Review


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Here's my review of the new B&W P7. I've read several other reviews by now, and those reviews seem to be a mixture of pro and con. I don't have any cons really, since the P7's appearance, build quality, sound, and whatever else constitutes value for price is excellent in my view.

 

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P7 Stereo Headphone Review

 

thanks for the great review. I am looking to some headphones for a flexible use, home and travel...office compatible (do not leak much)...senheiser momentums were on the short list...but now it seems that I should also consider the p7.

 

since most my listening is jazz and classical, and some eclectic pop, r&b and electro, what would be the best fit?

 

Thanks...

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thanks for the great review. I am looking to some headphones for a flexible use, home and travel...office compatible (do not leak much)...senheiser momentums were on the short list...but now it seems that I should also consider the p7. since most my listening is jazz and classical, and some eclectic pop, r&b and electro, what would be the best fit? Thanks...

 

I think the P7 is the best bet given what you said, but here are the caveats just in case:

 

The Momentum treble is often promoted as 'relaxed', but I found the upper end rolloff to be too much, and it dulled important harmonics. The P7 treble is very good, but there is a mild peak around 9 khz that some users may never get adjusted to. Some headphones (a couple of Beyers for example) are bad with these peaks, but I haven't found the P7 to be a problem. Most headphone users learn sooner or later whether they are particularly sensitive to even small treble peaks in the all-important 8 to 10 khz area.

 

The P7 bass is different from the Momentum, in that the Momentum has great warmth - mostly an upper-bass function, while the P7 has more emphasis in the mid-bass that provides more a sense of impact, although the impact isn't strong or sharp. So the bass is different, but mild bass differences like these are much easier to get adjusted to than most treble differences.

 

The P7's treble advantage (if anyone can accept that it's an advantage) works all the way down to the midrange, given a better sense of clarity and presence, although anyone can spike up the upper treble a little on most good headphones and create a sense of more detail or clarity. The trick is to get that clarity and detail in a way that sounds natural and smooth. My listening has the P7 as a good headphone that way, but your own factors will make a huge difference - the quality of your music tracks, the intensity of bass or treble energy in those tracks, when and where you listen, how loud you listen, etc.

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Hi Dale, Thanks for the review. When you have a chance, tell us a little more about how P7 compares to B&O H6. L of Headfonia seems to prefer H6 to P7 but since you are the one who is able to compare them back to back, I am more curious of your findings. In particular, I want to know how the two compares in terms of imaging and sense of space, since P7 is really good in these two aspects (just got my P7 yesterday). Thanks!

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Hi Dale, Thanks for the review. When you have a chance, tell us a little more about how P7 compares to B&O H6. L of Headfonia seems to prefer H6 to P7 but since you are the one who is able to compare them back to back, I am more curious of your findings. In particular, I want to know how the two compares in terms of imaging and sense of space, since P7 is really good in these two aspects (just got my P7 yesterday). Thanks!

 

+1

 

Dale, thanks for another great review. I owned the P5 for all of 48 hours before returning them so it's good to hear that the P7 is an improvement on all fronts. Given that the B&W and the B&O fill the same niche, which one would choose to keep if you had to pick one?

 

Esau

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+1Dale, thanks for another great review. I owned the P5 for all of 48 hours before returning them so it's good to hear that the P7 is an improvement on all fronts. Given that the B&W and the B&O fill the same niche, which one would choose to keep if you had to pick one?Esau

 

The P7 has the warmer, rounder sound, but the H6 is more portable with a smaller size and fold-flat earcups. The P7 folds, but not in the only true portable sense - to hang around your neck when not listening.

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Hi Dale, Thanks for the review. When you have a chance, tell us a little more about how P7 compares to B&O H6. L of Headfonia seems to prefer H6 to P7 but since you are the one who is able to compare them back to back, I am more curious of your findings. In particular, I want to know how the two compares in terms of imaging and sense of space, since P7 is really good in these two aspects (just got my P7 yesterday). Thanks!

 

I usually avoid going into much detail on spaciousness, since it's an averaged effect. But given that the H6 sounds a bit bland anyway, you probably made the best choice. It seems after having the H6 for a few months now, that it does very well with classical and jazz, but there are other genres that benefit more from the more lively sound of the P7. The only serious criticism I've read about the P7 is "loose bass" etc., but like soundstage and imaging, that varies greatly with amplification. The rule I think most applies to the P7 is, the smaller and weaker the amp, the less tight will be the bass.

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Hi Dale, Thanks for the review. When you have a chance, tell us a little more about how P7 compares to B&O H6. L of Headfonia seems to prefer H6 to P7 but since you are the one who is able to compare them back to back, I am more curious of your findings. In particular, I want to know how the two compares in terms of imaging and sense of space, since P7 is really good in these two aspects (just got my P7 yesterday). Thanks!

 

There's one other thing I forgot - I don't know how the Europeans judge tonality, but the H6 midrange is tilted up ("light") while the P7 is more natural. I hope someone else can explore this more...

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