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?!)

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.

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!

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.

innovative; makes a product useful; aesthetic; makes a product understandable; unobtrusive; honest; long-lasting; thorough, down to the last detail; environmentally-friendly; little design as possible.
This product meets most the caveats mentioned. Out of all the in-ear headphones I've owned, this is by far the best. Using the wire as adjustable in-ear loop is very innovative indeed. Unlike some other products where there are many different sizes in which you have to replace, this one is like "one-size fits all" design, and uses minimal parts. I love it!! And by having that "loop" the earphones will not go into your ears any further that would create pressure and potentially hurt your ears.

The sound quality is superb! There is no "excessive" bass/mid/treble. Some headphones just pwns the bass and bad treble, but this one gives a nice balance. Which is good when the user listens to just about every genre of music. Dubstep to Classical music, brings the "umph" to every genre of music to your ears.

I'm one of the people who believes in the break-in/burn-in headphones when first bought. So I will have to re-evaluate my initial conclusion later, but if this already sounds superb initially right out of the box, it'll only get better and better as time progresses. $200-ish well spent!

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.

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.

I wouldn't call them "In-Ear Headphones", the C5 is more like a high end "In-Ear Monitor". The bass is clear, the mid's warm and the highs are crisp. The build quality is superb and scream luxury like B&W is know for. The C5 is comfortable to wear and they actually fit my small asian ear canals. The main thin is you find the proper fitting ear piece, it make a world of difference.

I am a Bowers & Wilkins person. I don't just own their consumer electronics, but their professional audio equipment as well. Since I purchased their headphones about a year ago, I've been in search of earphones to mach the quality and performance produced by B&W. But now that I have a pair of their C5 earphones, I can say the search has come to a close.

The bass is rich and full but also strong; it doesn't become distorted at high volumes or in bass-heavy songs. The highs and the mid tones are just as impressive, if not more pronounced then the headphones (the Bowers & Wilkins P5). If you do choose to pick up a pair, I would recommend breaking in the drivers for about eight to ten hours. The only downside I can find about these earphones is the cable; it's rather irritating at first but over time, it looses its stiffness and rigidity. All and all, a great pair of earphones to match the headphones.

The sound is pristine. They stay in your ears very well. You can run with these, I ran a half marathon with them. They fit in the outer ear so well that they block out sound (not "cancel" but essentially block all sound. Put these on in a crowded coffee shop and you can easily escape and concentrate on the book/lecture/task at hand. I love them.