Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones

These earbuds (1) fit well (2) stay in my ears and (3) sound great! After being disatisfied with four previous brands of expensive earbuds, I'm happy to say the B&W C5 earbuds excel in all 3 categories. I love them!

I purchased these about 2 months ago, as I got sick of having to listen to music on the stock apple earbuds when I was working out. I have owned their more expensive counterpart, the P5, for a little more than a year now. Additionally, I have been familiar with B&W's Hi-Fi components for several years.

Build quality was clearly of high concern when these headphones were being planned. They are quite beefy in your hands when compared to other in ear models. They feel very sturdy and well made, although I wouldn't suggest you be terribly rough with them. The cable seems sturdy, and the remote/mic works very well for me. The included case is all but useless. Yeah it looks cool, but I'd love to see someone who could open it with one hand. I constantly find myself wrapping the cord around one hand only to notice I can't get the case open with my other hand. Then, after you miracle the case open and somehow manage to cram everything into the cramped space inside, you have to fight to get it closed. It almost goes without saying that I very seldom employ the case for storage of the C5.

If you are a truly picky audiophile, you will probably want to skip on these. The sound is not at all natural, but is instead heavily colored in typical B&W fashion. For the most part, the C5 sound remarkably similar to the P5. The highs are crisp but ever so slightly rolled off, yet not to the point that I feel it detracts from the music. The mids are pretty rich, but unlike with the P5 mids can often be overshadowed by the ample amounts of bass these headphones put out. At first the lows were so overpowering I was almost considering returning them to the Apple store and looking elsewhere. After a few days of listening though, they mellowed out and tightened up enough for my liking. Luckily for me, I primarily listen to Rap and other bass-oriented music when I work out. The C5 are decent enough for other genres, such as classical and jazz, but I usually find myself switching to their big brother when I'm relaxing and listening to more refined genres of music. The P5 definitely have a more balanced sound in my opinion.

The comfort factor, from my understanding, is on a completely individual basis. Personally, I find them extremely secure and comfortable. Having them fall out is virtually a non-issue for me. I would highly suggest, should you make the purchase, that you give them a few days to figure out if they will work for you or not. Long listening sessions with the C5 are, if anything, more comfortable to me than extended use of the P5.

In summary, I think the majority of listeners will be more than pleased with these. Definitely make sure to try them out thoroughly, as the sound changes for the better with use. If you're looking for a pair of headphones to listen to jazz or classical primarily, and you can afford the extra ~$120, I would strongly suggest auditioning the P5 as they are better suited to such genres.On a slightly unrelated note, do yourself a favor and don't go near the Beats line. It's very cheaply made for the money they charge, and what you get is an all out aural assault of muddy/boomy/flabby bass. Unless you like that. Whatever, it's not my money you're spending.

Okay, sure, these are expensive, but, hey, look up the page a bit and see what others are demanding for a catchy name and a bit of flash. These are audiophile in-ear units and in my personal case, about the only ones that really work and really sound wonderful. Very good stereo separation, very clean bass (especially for jazz and classical, which is what I listen to), all the while having a sort of retro look, with that typical brit charm. They are heavy, yes, and the remote clicker is a pain- cannot be used with gloved hands. The mic works very well, and darned if I can find it- must be behind the straight groove in the remote casing somewhere. These are available for less from other vendors, so if expense is a concern, check around. The thick cable is a plus.

I bought these based on the reviews. After receiving them I am very surprised, and a bit angry about the high ratings.

The sound is not natural. The highs sound interesting, but are a lot more tinny or pingy than normal. The lows are basically not there. Very poor base.

I tried all the sizes of the ear buds, one size was not too uncomfortable, but in general, I can not make them feel good.

I would have kept them and put up with the discomfort if they would have had a realistic sound, but they do not.

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!

these headphones are very well made, but you have to adjust the earpieces to your ear so they fit snuggly! at first, i was like my bose{ie2's} are better than this, but then after multiple fits and adjustments. the b &w is way better in every way, the sound is awesome, the fit is snug and the clarity is very clear! this is a pair of advanced headphones, so if you expect put them on and experiene great sound right away, you will be dissapointed, and like every person , no two ear canals are the same, so be patient, then be amazed by the sound!

People associate B&W with ultra-expensive bespoke hifi speakers but I think there's an important point missed in looking at the price alone. This is a company that offers great value. At whatever price point you get a product at the top of its game and everything from the cheapest C5s to the 802N's I used to own (to even pricier Nautilus diamond gear) has outstanding sound. I don't believe B&W ever stick a premium price tag on something just because they can get away with it, they offer incredible value and their high end speakers are works of art. Audiophiles love them because they are THAT GOOD. So what can you expect from the cheapest in the family. The C5s are a bit more bassy than the P5s (I own both) but less so than Dre/Diddy Beats. They're very stable in your ears, extremely comfortable and the microporous filter seems to provide a detailed sound stage for an in-ear phone. On the bad side, they should offer more options for the ear plugs and I'd appreciate a bigger case than the one supplied which is a bit too snug in my opinion. Small upsets for a great set of IEMs that get better with repeated listening. If you buy these make sure they're sitting snuggly in your ear and use a bit of grease to take off the ear plugs as they're very tight fitting against the tungten head of the phones. Happy listening.

I've had these for a month. I wanted to try all the tips to make sure I had the best size for bass response before I rated them. Proper fit is the key and when I found the right ones...WOW! These are the best in-ear headphones I've ever owned. Some others I've had sounded OK when you held them in place by hand but these are the only ones that have stayed in proper alignment hands free! I've read some other reviews about the trouble getting the ear tips on and off...they're right. They're a pain in the buns but please be patient. It will pay off with tight accurate sound with bass to spare. Happy listening!!!

Don't believe the hype on these headphones. Audio quality is definitely superb, no doubt about that. The problem is the casing, I'm not sure who thought it makes sense to give ear phone design sharp edges. Anything that's supposed to be housed in your ears should have CURVED, not SHARP edges. Does this really need explaining?!? Even if you get the vaunted hard tube casing to fit snug in your ear, the casing itself will jab your ears very sharply. DO NOT BUY.

These just don"t sound good. Tried to like these, but these are the worst sounding, overpriced headphones I've ever tried. Don't believe the hype and save your money.