Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones

These are my favorite pair of headphones by far. I listen to all types of music ranging from classical Wolfgang, to Ne-Yo, to B.I.G., as well as foreign artists. I need Headphones that are not orientated towards one genre or another. Being that these headphones are so well balanced, i am able to hear the frictional tug of each string with the bow of the violin. Feel the bass rumbling through my entire body as i play sweat.
These are by far also the most comfortable headphones i have in my arsenal. (Even better than the Klipsch patented oval shaped ones, and those are wonderful) I have worn these to sleep like they were regular form-fitting earplugs.
I also run everywhere i go. I have a very active life style so i need headphones that wont fall out every time i decide to run across the street to catch a light or a bus. With the secure loop, i am able to do just that. And may i add, it is also very comfortable.
(May i add you can headbang with these?!)

205 of 222 people found this useful

Because after you pick up a pair of these you are going to want to listen to all your favorite albums again at high bitrate. The sound is just astonishing. They fit like an old pair of jeans and stick like an ear worm. Worth every penny.

89 of 90 people found this useful

I bought this at Apple store about a year ago. My most frequent issue with headphones has been failing jacks which in this case didn't happen so that was good. Sound quality is appropriate for the price and I like the fitting mechanism.

Recently though the mid-section where cables join seems to have issues. When I walk or move the cable, if the joint also moves, sound in one ear stops. It's been getting worse. There's no sign of external damage and I kept these very well protected. Honestly, expected better build quality given the price.

81 of 82 people found this useful

I'll start by saying that I have owned Dre Beats Tour in-ear and the Bose IE2 in-ear and they come nowhere near the B&W C5 in-ear headphones in any way... They boast incredible audio separation, clear highs, amazing midrange and solid bass. I am most impressed by the midrange reproduction - a feat the Bose and Dre Beats failed at miserably. The bass of the C5 is solid and clear with awesome range - the bass is not "boomy" or muffled either like Dre Beats - best bass hands down! Highs are clean and clear but not ear piercing. When it all comes together - no matter what you're listening to - the sound is incredible and fulfilling. I seriously smiled from ear to ear with a big cheesy grin as soon as I began listening to music with these... I knew my search for the perfect headphones was finally over!

51 of 53 people found this useful

I'm very particular with my headphones. Like most people, all i want is clarity, clear acoustic, depth, and obviously great quality. The second i put these on, i knew it was something different. After only 10 seconds into the song I knew i was in for an experience. The clarity, and just overall quality is unparalled to anything in the market in my opinion. I've heard instruments and sounds in songs that i've listened to a million times that i never even knew were in the song. I don't just listen to the music anymore, i literally experience it now. It just feels so real. The acoustics are just absoutely amazing. For the people who claim theyre really uncomfortable, you're just wearing them wrong, and clearly you dont realize that R stands for Right and L for Left. In my opinion, if you can shell out the money for these, its TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!! From hip hop, classical, opera, dance, etc,etc....i listen to everything, and nothing has come close to the sheer experience you get out of these headphones. Im hooked for life.

47 of 47 people found this useful

The pros:

The C5 offer excellent sound, especially mid- to low range. Deep bass is reproduced with convincing control and authority, so much so that I frequently find myself pulling out one of the plugs to check if I accidentally left the subwoofers on. Vocals are also treated with usual B&W signature excellence. That being said, expect the usual B&W coloration; i.e. not neutral sound, but warm and a bit woolly and with a slight lack of treble clarity and detail.

Aesthetically, the C5 are things of beauty. From the jet black cylindrical design to the silver "grille" at the back, they look very nice indeed. Some users are complaining that the buds are too heavy, but for me this hasn’t been a problem during workouts.

The cons:

There are a few points that potential buyers need to know about. The cable is very stiff and easy to break. I work at a Hi Fi dealership, and we’ve had unusually many C5s returned due to cable breakage. I’m on my second pair now after only two months, and despite being very careful I’m likely to move on to my third before summer.

The carrying case is a joke. Although very stylish, it’s far too small, especially considering the stiff cable. B&W have attempted to rectify this by removing the integrated plug holder in later versions, but this hasn’t helped much considering the case is still the same overall size.

The remote is also a bit of a blunder. It’s cylindrical and only works if pushed in a very specific way. It’s difficult to use without looking, and impossible if you ever wear gloves. There is also a lot of noise when using the hands free function.

Conclusion: Great sound, but troubled by some very poor design choices.

42 of 42 people found this useful

I've tried both and both products have its pros and cons.

Bass - B&W C5 will by far blow the Bose MEI out of the water. The bass is strong but not to the point where you feel like your ear drums are about to blow up. It's perfect enough to enjoy the music. As for the Bose, it has almost very little to no bass at all.

Sound - Depending on the type music you're listening to. The sound on B&W C5 is not as sharp or clear but rather soft compared to the Bose MEI. When comparing the two, I feel that the sound of music is closer to my ears when listening to the Bose.

Confort - Right of the box, the Bose MEI will sit perfectly in your ears. B&W C5 can be a little uncomfortable and will take sometime to get use to. BE VERY CAREFUL when you're switching out the ear pieces on the B&W. They rip very easily.

Result - I ended up sticking with the B&W because of the amazing bass. Very rare that I'd hear an inear headphones that would produce that kind of bass. I go to the gym quite often and listen to a lot of dance music so it's a breath of fresh air when using the B&W. Even though, I mentioned that the B&W's sound quality is not as sharp or clear as the Bose, it's still very impressive.

43 of 46 people found this useful

I've owned the Apple in-ear, Denon, Shure, Ultimate Ears, and Etymotic and these are THE BEST.

Not only do they fit perfectly and stay in place, but the sound range and bass are incredible. Thinking about buying a second pair in the future just to have on hand.

You owe it to yourself to try these (with minimally compressed audio).

40 of 40 people found this useful

Sonically these little cans will leave you breathless---IF you have them in correctly. They don't have to be deeply inserted but they do require a seal or the sound will be tinny. Once you find the sweet spot, you will not believe your ears. I'm a bit of a headphone nut and try to listen to everything plus I read up on every conceivable site. These are just fantastic in ear buds. Do they rival Grado's top of the line? Of course not. But they just blow away anything and beyond in this price range. I had a little trouble at first and got three different emails from London helping me. Now THAT is service. DO. NOT. HESITATE. Buy, buy buy.

38 of 38 people found this useful

As soon as I removed these from the (rather complicated) packaging, I was highly impressed. Bass is clear and smooth, something you do not see with under $100 earphones. What is mostly incredible is the C5's ability to give you the clear bass without any distortion of other instruments, something very rare in under $200 dollar earphones. Bowers & Wilkins will not disappoint in audio quality.

I own the Beats by Dr. Dre Pro's over ear headphones, and to be honest, it is almost as if you took the same audio quality from the large over ear headphones and put them in these little earphones. The only difference being that the Beats are much louder and are better at keeping noise out, but that is obviously an advantage of them being over ear. The Secure Loop technology is fantastic. I have heard reviews on other websites of people complaining they are uncomfortable, and I can tell that that is absolutely not the case for me. Maybe they are making the loop too big for their ear? Anyways, these are great for someone who runs, or just bops their head up and down. Thanks to the Secure Loop, they will not fall out.

My only real complaint is the pouch they come with. I can't for the life of me figure out how to put them in the pouch properly. I realize I am meant to put the actual buds in the holes of the pouch, but when you wrap wire around, it bends the secure loop, making it difficult to return it to a normal state. Hopefully I can try and figure something out. I also think they are probably overpriced, but that is with every quality audio product on the market. So I can't really complain about that when the same can be said about nearly every other product available.

Highly recommended.

35 of 36 people found this useful