Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones

I have used 3 Shure models, Entymotic, V-Moda, Bose, and Klipsch. The only ones that sound anywhere as good are the Klipsch (custom 3's, $300) With these B&W's you can hear detail like no other and the bass is deep and tight. If you like that overpowering, boomy bass like Rap has you might want to look elsewhere. I listen to a wide variety of music so I tried these out with Metallica, Theory of a Deadman, Joe Bonamassa, Kings of Leon, Beth Hart, The Rippingtons, Chris Rea, Mark Knofler, and some others. These sound great with them all. One thing, FIT IS CRITICAL! These are not meant to go as deep into the ear canal as others. I can tell some of these reviewers are fitting them wrong. You might need to go to a larger tip than you would normally use because they are meant to sit out farther. The loop is not supposed to fit in the inner ear canal! When I put on the larger tips, the sound really came out nice and warm and full. It took me about 15 seconds to fit initially, listened to a few songs and wasn't overly impressed. Then another 30 seconds to change tips (very tight) popped them back in and WOW! Big difference. If fit properly you can pop these in with a snug fit in 2 seconds. Literally.

I bought these last autumn on the strength of the B&W reputation and the good reviews I had seen online. I was using Sennheiser CX400-IIs until then, but wanted something with a built-mic etc. I have owned UEs, Shure E5s, and V-Moda buds in the past.

My initial impression was good build quality, which I would expect at this price point. However, I care primarily about sound quality, then comfort. As far as comfort goes, they took a bit of getting used to (they stay put perfectly, but the feeling of the cable loops is odd at first), but it was well worth it because...

The sound quality is exceptional. I generally listen to music on my iPhone 4S, lossless or at least 256kps files. Plenty of detail, beautifully balanced and open sound. Bass is rich and defined without distracting from other aspects of the music.

This seems to be true across genres. The main sense I get is of great detail and separation. I can easily cast my mind's eye on any element in the mix and follow it. I can hear fingers on the strings of guitars, clearly follow the bass at the bottom and even sense the room air on a shaker. From death metal to 70s classic rock. Jazz and classical also sound beautiful: nice wide and deep soundstage, every detail present.

The biggest revelation, however, was the first time I listened to electronic music on these. They are more than capable of delivering the full range of any dubstep mix I have come across. I hear things in the sub range on these that I don't hear anywhere outside a club. Skrillex, deadmau5 fans - these are heaven.

To summarize then, these are the best earbuds I've owned. Every style of music sounds as good as it can, and they are comfortable to wear for extended periods, sitting still or while active. Great work B&W!

I own the P5s and I absolutely LOVE them. But i was looking for something a little more convenient for everyday use so i thought that the C5s would do. I am really disappointed however. I don't find the sound to be nearly as good as the P5s and they are not the most convenient in-ear headphones. The secure loops is a good idea but it get's pretty annoying after a while... Too bad really...

These earphones are extremely clear and very comfortable. They are expensive, but I really like the fit in my ears.

I've been contemplating either these, the bose mie2i or the monster beats tours. I felt that the monster beats were heavy on the bass and that too many people out there are sporting these (real and fakes). I felt that the bose build quality is a problem and have read and heard many horror stories about peoples bose earphones breaking down every couple months.

After purchasing theses, I was blown away by the balance sounds coming out of these buds. Furthermore they come with a 2 year warranty over the monster beats 1 year warranty. Only thing about these headphones is finding the right tip and the right amount of cord to fit properly and comfortably in your ears. Once found, your will be amazed by the sound being produced.

These earphones are great! I bought a pair to replace my lost Etymotic HF3's and I'm not disappointed at all. I first thought they would have to much bass and not enough treble. They actually have a lot of bass, but still have very clean and good sounding mids and highs! For me, having extremely clear mids and highs while still having very rich bass is great! The build quality is also excellent (they are made out of aluminum). There are great, don't hesitate to buy 'em !

Definitely well worth the price. Nothing better than following many other 4 and 5 star ratings.

I love the sound and fit of the C5. Very comfortable and the sound quality is awesome. The problems for me are that the right side stopped working after 2 months. They were covered under warranty so I sent them back and got them fixed. Now the left side intermittently stops working and the volume up button on the inline control turns the volume down. What I am also unhappy about is that because I currently live outside of the US and bought them in the US, I get charged a $25 fee to return them even though they do not have to leave the country where I live to get fixed/replaced. So now I have had to spend an extra $50 because of their manufacturing problems. I take very good care of these because I loved the sound so much and I shouldn't have to spend the extra money because of their problems. It's unfortunate because the sound is so good when they work properly but I would not recommend these because if these issues.

I haven't had these too long, but they do fit well and the sound is great! They are on the pricey side, but they may be worth it, it'll be nice to see how tough and long they last without any problems since I've been through quite a few headphones since I've had my iPod and then iPhone. These may take a little time to get used to them in your ears, but the sound is exceptional , I also have some Marshall Minor FX headphones and they are great! great sound, almost the same as these and they are less money and they fit perfect and you forget you're wearing them they are so comfortable, but once I've used these ones a little longer I will rewrite a review to be fair. I like them both a lot!

I just purchased the C5 Headphones... I initially bought the Klipsch, great headphones but lacked bass. I took them back after a day and purchased the C5. Theses headphones have it all. I listen to a wide genre of music and it covers them all. It has the bass, the high's and the mid's, crip clean music. Very natural and realistic sound the music feels remarkably rich and expansive.