Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins P3 On-Ear Headphones

Pros - style, comfort
Cons - Sound quality

Other headphones compared to:

Bowers and Wilkins P5 - better HIs and Lows, more defined, more efficient, less comfortable if you wear glasses cost $100 more than P3

*Sennheiser HD25-1 - better HIs and Lows, more defined, more efficient, more secure, less comfortable if you wear glasses ... one of the 2 best $200 headphones

*V-Moda M80 - better His and Lows, more defined, more efficient, very tough, customizable, less comfortable if you wear glasses ... The other best of the best $200 headphones

Soul by Ludacris Sl150 - inferior in almost every way but one of the best "celebrity" headphones for under$200

Just tried these at the Apple store and the sound quality is phenomenal! It is light, comfortable, and fits well! Compared to the P5 (fortunately they were side by side at the store), they both sounded amazing but the P3 was more lively and balanced and it delivered warmer tones. The P5 sounded thinner and lacking on the bass. Not knowing the price and model numbers at first, I actually thought the P5 was the cheaper and lower model! I then tried the Beats Studio and the P3 simply blew it away! You have to hear it to believe it!

I've been using the standard Apple white ear buds in an open office for a whilte to listen to music and block noise. These B&W P3 headphone are a huge step up from the ear buds. I was thinking of getting the P5, but thought they were too expensive, and didn't really want total noise blocking. The P3's are a nice trade-off, not totally isolating, with fantastic sound, and a reasonable price. Very cool styling as a bonus..

I bought these for travel / work and they truly deliver. The sound is warm and comforting because of how natural and untainted they've made it. The acoustic cloth transmits sound with perfection while sitting so comfortably on my ears that it's hard to tell that I'm wearing anything.

Other perks include the hard shell case that will certainly protect the things, the magnetic ear cups, incredibly elegant design and the useful and pointedly understated control-talk (not so in-your-face like many other headphones).

If you want to look professional while receiving perfect sound and comfort, I highly recommend these.

This was my first purchase of high-end headphones, and I could not be happier with my decision. After testing out Harmon Kardon, Bose, and Beats, the Bowers & Wilkins P3 had the perfect mix of highs, mids, and lows. It is not overpowering with bass like the Beats Solo HD. I listen to a variety of music spanning from Jazz to Progressive House, and these headphones fit the bill wonderfully. Futhermore, these headphones are portable and incredibly comfortable. Mixed with elegant looks and durable construction, the B&W P3 was the perfect combination of sound and estethics. I highly recommend these headphones to anyone looking to truly appreciate quality audio.

For the past month I've been on a mission to find the best pair of headphones under $200. I've tried the Bose OEI2, the Harman Kardon CL's and the Beats Solo. As a previous owner of the P5's I couldn't wait to give these a try.

I'm at about 8 hours of listening, and they definitely need a bit of a burn-in, but once they opened up I was amazed at the quality.

It seems to be more and more difficult to find headphones that do not "color" frequencies (The beats do this terribly. Far too much bass. Gives me a headache.) Even the HKCL's did this. I'm glad that B&W do their best to deliver the music as naturally as possible without adding harsh treble or pumped up bass. The music the P3's deliver is exceptional. Even the midrange (which is the most difficult frequency to deliver in headphones) is exceptional.

The build quality is on-par with the audio quality. Amazing. They fit well, look great, and the case (although a bit plasticy and not "high end") will certainly keep them safe. They're easily portable (much more so than the HKCL's) and seem to be built to last.

Without a doubt these are the best $199 headphones I've ever owned.