Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones

Ok before i say anything else i want to say first that i am not some other company leaving a bad review i am an honest consumer and i thought that i could share with you how i feel about these headphones. i am by no means an audiophile just your average consumer. So first off i could not get these to fit into my ears no matter what i did. i switched out earbuds and tried different positions but nothing worked. i also ripped two of the earbuds in half because they are attached so tightly to the headphones and the earbuds are poorly constructed. Finally after i thought i got the best fit possible the pain in my ears was terrible it feels like someone is taking a pen and pushing it into your ear canal. Even more the sound quality is not that great because i have to keep them loose in my ears otherwise it feels like someone is trying to stab out my eardrums with a pen. My choice would be to go with the Bose Mie2i they are much more comfortable and have great bass. thanks for taking the time to read this.

9 of 17 people found this useful

I don't have a lot to compare the C5's to, but they are noticeable step up from Apple's In-Ear headphones (not the ones that come with the iPods and iPhones, but the more expensive ones you buy separately). Bass is much fuller and tighter. Like all in-ear headphones, you need to get the right fit, and I was disappointed with the treble until I tried them with the smallest ear tip and then it was great.

The C5's are unique in two respects. First, the wire loop that holds them in the ear is very nice, at least for me, but I found that it worked well only when I had the right size ear tip. It's very comfortable, and you don't feel the need to to have the ear tip so tight to hold the ear bud. On the other hand, the ear buds are noticeably heavy, so if you don't use the ear loop (and you can unhook it), I suspect that the ear buds would not stay in your ear well unless you got a Comply tip (or some other expanding foam tip). The included silicon tips would be too soft.

11 of 11 people found this useful

Superb sound, superb quality, superb fit, and the cutest little case. Totally pleased.

8 of 9 people found this useful

I bought them after my Beats by Dre died on me (for sports). I'm not a fan of an in-ear headphones and I wanted to be sweat proof as well.

First of all, these looked fragile and for the price you would expect it to be durable or at least take really good care of them. But let's be real I live in NYC - 1 point.

After figuring it out how to put them on (it comes with instructions) fumbling with it maybe 20 minutes or at least that's what it felt like, in the rain it came off. -1

Needless to say, I returned these headphones and I'm still searching for the 'one'

13 of 27 people found this useful

I love great sound and have struggled to find headphones that will both stay in my ears and deliver great sound while I am running. I have tried Bose and Monster on the more expensive end of the scale, but even the latest designs with the interior support clip do not work for my ears.

I purchased the C5 thinking that the wire design was meant to go outside the top of the ear. It actually is made to adjust to fill the inner surface of the ear like the clips on the Monster isolators. I tried this again with the C5s and it still did not work for me. Then I removed the wires from the adjustable guides on the ear bud, reversed the left, right and put the wire over the top of my ear. After slightly adjusting how they were angled into my ear canal, creating a solid contact with the bud, I discovered the sound I was looking for in my workouts. There was solid bass in addition to detailed highs and pleasant mids.

I maybe the only person who has need of this alternate approach, but if you are searching for a great sounding pair of ear buds...give these a try.

6 of 6 people found this useful

I've had Apple's in-ear headphones and dr dre ibeats. The B&W headphones are, by far, superior sound. There are several ear bud tips that come with them. Make sure you try them out for fit. When I first put these on, I was disappointed. When I put the tips on that fit right (duh), the sound was fantastic. They stay in my ears well and are more comfortable.

5 of 5 people found this useful

After someone had stole my Bose Earbuds i decided that i loved to listen to music allot and that it was a good excuse to get an even better pair. I was wrong! I got home and tried the headphones out and rite away a realized a lack of base. The headphones fit wonderfully and hits the high note perfectly, but when it comes to the lows and base the earbuds don't perform. I even left the headphones on for around 40 hours, on a low volume, to try and somewhat break them in but still no luck. I am going to return them today and once again go back to the good old Bose!

8 of 11 people found this useful

Had a set of Shure in-ear phones a few years ago - they had good sound, but could never work the fit out. These headphones fit snugly and comfortably, are almost as good as my Bose for noise suppression, and deliver crystal clear and amazing sound.

5 of 5 people found this useful

I've had my fair share of headphones and the C5 tops the list. It has great clarity, strong and punchy bass, and works with nearly ever genre of music. Highly recommended.

I loved them enough, that I bought a pair of their CM5 bookshelf speakers.

7 of 7 people found this useful

I did research & the sound is tremendous....big 3 things for me: sound, fits well in ear, & stays in ear while I'm active.
Sound--1-10: with 1 lowest & 10 most awesomeness: 9.7 awesome!!
Fits well in ear: 1-10 with 1 lowest & 10 most awesomeness: 5
Once you figure it out it's alright in there...not uncomfortable, but it's just awkward.
Stays in the ear while active: 1-10: with 1 lowest & 10 most awesomeness: 2. Unfortunately this reason is why I couldn't keep the earphones...if someone looked at me funny they would come out...that's exaggerating a smidge...but seriously if I was at the gym moving around: the earphones wouldn't stay in my ear....& for the price & the lack of "staying put in my ear while working out" ability: these won't be recommended...Sorry Bowers & Wilkins

8 of 8 people found this useful