Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless  Headphones Review

Reviewed Aug 22, 2016 at 11:47am
Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:22am
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1 
Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless

Track

0.0
Mixed Usage 
0.0
Neutral Sound 
0.0
Commute/Travel 
0.0
Sports/Fitness 
0.0
Office 
0.0
Wireless Gaming 
0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Call 

Track

 0
The P5 Wireless are well-crafted, wireless headphones with a sturdy build and a compact, easy-to-use design. They deliver a good, balanced sound quality, an efficient battery performance and they don't leak much. However, they can feel a little tight on your head, and they also don't prevent ambient noise from seeping into your audio.

Our Verdict

0.0
Mixed Usage 

Decent as mixed usage everyday headphones. They have a sturdy wireless design and a good sound quality. Their poor noise isolation makes them not ideal for loud environments but at sufficiently high volumes, it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Pros
  • Good audio reproduction.
  • Compact, wireless design.
  • Sturdy, durable build.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • A bit tight on the head.
0.0
Neutral Sound 

The P5 Wireless deliver a balanced audio reproduction that caters well to bass and instrument-heavy music. They don't have a spacious soundstage due to the small closed on-ear design, but their sound reproduction won't disappoint as long as you find the on-ear design comfortable.

0.0
Commute/Travel 

Average at best for commuting. They have a good control scheme, and they're decently portable headphones. However, they struggle to block the ambient noise of loud environments and won't be ideal if you have a busy daily commute or plan to take them on a noisy flight.

0.0
Sports/Fitness 

Above-average for sports. They have a compact wireless design with an efficient control scheme. They're also moderately stable enough for jogging and some light exercising. However, they're not the most comfortable, and the on-ear pads get a little steamy when you sweat a lot.

0.0
Office 

Decent for office use. They won't block all the ambient noise in a loud office environment but don't leak too much.

0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Call 
  • 0.0
    Mixed Usage
  • 0.0
    Neutral Sound
  • 0.0
    Commute/Travel
  • 0.0
    Sports/Fitness
  • 0.0
    Office
  • 0.0
    Wireless Gaming
  • 0.0
    Wired Gaming
  • 0.0
    Phone Call
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
    2.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
    3.  Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
    4.  Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here

    Check Price

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    How We Test Headphones: Over 800 And Counting!
    How We Test Headphones: Over 800 And Counting!

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    Test Results

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    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    TypeLockedOn-ear
    EnclosureLockedClosed-Back
    WirelessLockedYes
    TransducerLockedDynamic

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    0.0
    Comfort
    WeightLockedLock lbs
    Clamping Force
    LockedLock lbs

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    0.0
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    LockedLocked
    Ease Of UseLockedLocked
    FeedbackLockedLocked
    Call/Music ControlLockedLocked
    Volume ControlLockedLocked
    Microphone ControlLockedLocked
    Channel Mixing
    LockedN/A
    Noise Cancelling ControlLockedN/A
    Talk-Through
    LockedN/A
    Additional ButtonsLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Breathability
    Avg.Temp.DifferenceLockedLock °C
    0.0
    Portability
    LLockedLock"
    WLockedLock"
    HLockedLock"
    VolumeLockedLock in³
    Transmitter RequiredLockedN/A

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    0.0
    Case
    TypeLockedLocked
    LLockedN/A
    WLockedN/A
    HLockedN/A
    VolumeLockedN/A

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    0.0
    Build Quality

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    0.0
    Stability

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    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
    Top
    In The Box

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    Sound
    Sound Profile
    Bass Amount
    LockedLock dB
    Treble Amount
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Frequency Response Consistency
    Avg. Std. Deviation
    LockedLock dB
    Raw Frequency Response
    0.0
    Bass Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock Hz
    Low-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    High-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Mid Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    High-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Treble Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    High-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Peaks/Dips
    Peaks
    LockedLock dB
    Dips
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Imaging
    Weighted Group Delay
    LockedLock
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Frequency Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    LockedLock
    0.0
    Soundstage
    PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
    LockedLock dB
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    LockedLock dB
    PRTF Distance
    LockedLock dB
    Openness
    Locked
    0.0
    Acoustic Space Excitation
    Locked
    0.0
    0.0
    Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    WHD @ 90
    LockedLock
    WHD @ 100
    LockedLock
    Isolation
    0.0
    Noise Isolation
    Isolation Audio
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    Overall Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Noise CancellingLockedNo
    Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Leakage
    Leakage Audio
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    LockedLock dB

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    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    LockedLocked
    In-line
    LockedLocked
    Boom
    LockedLocked
    Detachable Boom
    LockedN/A
    MicLockedYes
    0.0
    Recording Quality
    Recorded Speech
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    LFE
    LockedLock Hz
    FR Std. Dev.
    LockedLock dB
    HFE
    LockedLock Hz
    Weighted THD
    LockedLock
    Gain
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Noise Handling
    Speech + Pink Noise
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    Speech + Subway Noise
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    SpNR
    LockedLock dB
    Active Features
    0.0
    Battery
    Battery Type
    LockedLocked
    Continuous Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Additional Charges
    LockedLock
    Total Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Charge Time
    LockedLock hrs
    Power Saving Feature
    LockedLocked
    Audio While Charging
    LockedLocked
    Passive Playback
    LockedLocked
    Charging PortLockedLocked

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    0.0
    App Support
    App NameLockedN/A
    iOSLockedN/A
    AndroidLockedN/A
    macOSLockedN/A
    WindowsLockedN/A
    Equalizer
    LockedN/A
    ANC Control
    LockedN/A
    Mic ControlLockedN/A
    Room effects
    LockedN/A
    Playback Control
    LockedN/A
    Button MappingLockedN/A
    Surround SoundLockedN/A

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    Connectivity
    0.0
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Version
    LockedLocked
    Multi-Device Pairing
    LockedLocked
    NFC Pairing
    LockedLocked
    Line of Sight Range
    LockedLock ft
    Default Latency
    LockedLock ms
    aptX Latency
    LockedLock ms
    aptX(LL) Latency
    LockedN/A
    0.0
    Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    Non-BT Line of Sight Range
    LockedN/A
    Non-BT Latency
    LockedN/A
    0.0
    Wired
    Analog Audio
    LockedLocked
    USB Audio
    LockedLocked
    DetachableLockedLocked
    LengthLockedLock ft
    ConnectionLockedLocked
    Wired Latency
    LockedLock ms
    PC / PS4 Compatibility
    PC / PS4 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PC / PS4 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wireless
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    Base/Dock
    Type
    LockedN/A
    USB Input
    LockedN/A
    Line In
    LockedN/A
    Line Out
    LockedN/A
    Optical Input
    LockedN/A
    RCA Input
    LockedN/A
    Dock Charging
    LockedN/A
    Power Supply
    LockedN/A