Bowers & Wilkins P3
About a month ago we first heard about Bowers & Wilkins’ new P3 headphones. I for one, was excited at the prospect of what looked like a more affordable version of the spectacular Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones. The only question was, what did Bowers & Wilkins sacrifice to shave $100 off the price tag. Read on to find out!
External Changes
- Foldable Design:
- P3: The earpieces of the P3 headphones fold inward so that the earphones can fit into the new hard semi-circle shell-case. In testing the P3 headphones, the case was tough enough that I was able to throw the P3 headphones into a bag with keys and other tech and not worry about damaging the headphones.
- P5: In contrast, the P5 headphones fit into an included soft cloth pouch that protects it from scratches in a bag, but not necessarily drops or inadvertent collisions.
- Smaller Build: The P3 headphones are designed to be more portable than the P5 headphones. Thus, as-a-whole, the P3 headphones have a smaller frame (165mm in height) than the P5 headphones (180mm in height).
- Dual Wire Connections:
- P3: The P3 headphones have an audio cable attached to each headphone.
- P5: The P5 headphones have one audio cable that connects to the left earphone.
- Acoustic Fabric: Acoustic fabric replaces leather on the earpieces and the inner portion of the headband. In testing the P3 headphones, I liked the acoustic fabric a lot when I was using the headphones outdoors. While I really like the P5’s leather earpieces and headband, it can get a little sweaty around the ears and headband in the warm months. In contrast, the acoustic fabric covering the P3’s earpieces breathes, making for better on-the-go experience.
Internal Changes
- Airflow redirection to minimize distortion: In the P3 headphones the driver terminals have been moved to the rear of the magnets so that air can uniformly escape, minimizing distortion.
- Smaller Drivers: While the P5 headphones are powered by 40mm drivers, the P3 headphones are driven by slightly smaller 30mm drivers. While the change is necessary to keep with a smaller design, the smaller drivers sacrifice some of the heavier base tones.
The Sound: The vocals and high notes are clear and crisp. As expected the mid-range tones are full and dynamic. However, because of the smaller drivers, the bass sometimes feels like it hits a floor, with very deep notes sounding stunted. (see the notes below the red line)
Wrap-up: For $199, the Bowers & Wilkins P3 headphones are pretty great. However, having tested the P5 headphones I would recommend splurging the extra $100.
Note: Bower & Wilkins provided a demo unit for this review.