I own the P5 too. I've owned the P5 since mid 2011, when the guy at the Best Buy "magnolia room" talked me into buying them instead of the Bose Quiet Comfort I thought I was going to buy. I LOVE the P5s -- their sound quality is AMAZING, as advertised, great noise "isolation" without needing batteries, great space, great bass, but also great mids. Great cans. As on ears, however, they do start hurting after not too long. They fit tight and are on-ear.
Well, as they say, my new P7s are *even better*. The sound quality is truly amazing in every way. They are over ear so super comfortable. Just perfect. I use my regular iPhone 5 and the old iPod classic, and Spotify streaming; no need for an amp. They are very efficient as others mentioned. These things are just flippin' awesome. If you care about sound quality and have $395, buy them immediately if not sooner. Great bass but also great everything else; it's like you are in the room or on stage with the band (incredible spacing/stereo/biaural or whatever they call it). Like others have said. If you have a good recording, it feels like you can hear the drummer breathing and the guitarist stomping his feet; it's like you are there in the recording studio or on stage with the band and you can tell where each musician was located (or where the producer put it in the "space mix").
Everybody says this, but I truly listen to everything, including a lot of jazz and classical, but also rock from Dick Dale to Hendrix to Nirvana to Black Keys to Jack White to Dinosaur Jr--some loud stuff. Jazz guitar like Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow, Kenny Burrell, and Joe Pass. I play guitar, too, and I'm in to mids, not just bass like the hip hop folks, but these p7s kick some serious bass too. Just like B & W advertises, these things are "natural" sounding, with good mids and highs but not ear bleeding highs either. But they are bass enhanced too, or voiced with a lot of bass, it seems to me, but not in a muddy, bad way--unless you are listening to Muddy Waters, and then it's a Muddy all time great way.
I would not be caught dead with Beats, but I can't imagine anyone needing more bass than this; you feel it vibrating your ears. Style is a matter of choice, but these definitely separate you from the Beats and Bose people who have never heard of any other headphone manufacturer. I get questions about these (and the P5s, by the way) every time I bring them to work. They look sophisticated and different than the Bose and Beats that everyone has seen.
But back to sound: I do have hip hop in my collection too, from when I was younger, and when that stuff comes on shuffle, it's super clear with tons of bass. I listen to a lot of live recordings from the 1890s (Charlie Patton) through the 1960s and 1970s, which are not recorded in the best quality, but these headphones give you the best you can get as far as what the source is giving them. In fact, like a good guitar amp, these cans accurately give you what you give them. With studio recordings or other modern pop stuff that has fake computer bass, Britney Spears, etc, if you wanted to waste precious time listening to that, indeed these have tons of bass; not trying to be Beats because they are ten trillion times better, but they probably even hang with beats even if you are a hip hop guy while also having better clarity in the mids, as others have said.
One thing I'll say is I'm keeping my P5s too. I still love them. But P7 takes it to a whole 'nother level, as it should at this price point.
Only negative compared to P5; the remote control for adjusting volume and skipping/pausing songs or answering the phone -- on P5 it was with the middle button indented, and it was a "sticky" rubber, easy to find without looking, but with P7 they made the middle button sticking out and it's actually harder to find it without looking and more slippery with the shiny metal thing on the back. This is noticeable to me because I use them while walking the dog, and making adjustments, pausing or skipping songs, etc, is a little bit harder than with the P5s.
(by the way both P5 and P7 work great as mic for talking on iphone, answering phone, using siri, as advertised)
Also a different kind of discomfort can happen after too much listening--the P7s are heavy, as you can see in the specs. The P5 hurts the ears because of being on-ear and fitting tight, but the P7 starts to hurt the top of my head after a while from the sheer weight; what I do is adjust where it is sitting slightly or take a break from listening. The P5s are much lighter, as you can see in the specs. Overall I still love both and overall P7 is more comfortable.
I'm a huge Bowers & Wilkins fan now. I feel sorry for folks who have not yet discovered that there is a world of better sound outside of Bose and Beats.
Oh, one more thing: I do have an "amp" of sorts. My new Dell computer has a cool EQ/sound enhancer program that is actually good, unlike the useless apple ipod EQ. And I have used the P7s on my computer, too, and using the EQ to boost bass or mids or whatever you want, indeed these P7 headphones are flippin' AMAZING. Even bad audio quality youtube videos (live music recordings) can sound great with P7 headphones and a computer with a good EQ program.
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From the manufacturer
Truly Immersive
The new standard for portable sound quality. From Bowers & Wilkins, British makers of award-winning speakers since 1966, found in the world's best studios, including Abbey Road.
Engineering
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Best possible portable soundEvery element of P7 has been designed to raise the bar for portable Hi-Fi sound. The very best components, finest materials and impeccable build quality together offer uncompromising performance and luxurious comfort. The result is truly immersive. |
Hi-Fi drive unitsThe most important element of P7 performance is its new driver – designed less like traditional headphones, more like a hi-fi speaker. The result is performance with wonderful space, balance and clarity across the frequency range, and amazing precision. |
High-quality materialsP7 is crafted from aluminum and supple sheep’s leather, for maximum comfort, durability and noise isolation. Ultra-soft cushioning makes them very easy on the ears and keeps out external noise. You'll forget the headphones, and the world around you, and just feel the music. |
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Over-ear padsP7 leather pads completely enclose the ears to keep a consistent volume of air around drive units, enhancing stereo imaging. They also deliver a more comfortable fit and block outside noise for truly immersive audio. |
Fold up and goP7 is designed to be at home on the move. Solid metal hinges on each side, above the ear cups, create a foldable form factor. Stored safely in its quilted case, P7 is surprisingly portable. |
Detachable ear padsP7 ear pads are held in place with magnets. So you can easily detach them to change the cable, or replace them if they get damaged. Why buy new headphones if all you need is a new set of pads? |
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| P7 | P5 Series 2 | P3 Series 2 | C5 Series 2 | |
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| Price | — | $208.55 | — | — |
| Drive Units | 2 x 40mm | 2 x 40mm | 2 x 30mm | 2 x 9.2mm |
| Frequency range | 10Hz to 20kHz | 10Hz to 20kHz | 10Hz to 20kHz | 10Hz to 20kHz |
| Cable length | 1.2m | 1.2m | 1.2m | 1.2m |
| Inputs | 3.5mm stereo mini jack (on cable), 2.5mm mini jack (on Headphone) | 3.5mm stereo mini jack (CTIA 4-pole) | 3.5mm stereo mini jack (on cable), 2.5mm mini jack (on Headphone) | 3.5mm stereo mini jack |
| Finish | Real leather and metal | Real leather and metal | Custom fabric and aluminium | Black |
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This Item  Bowers & Wilkins P7 Headphones - Black |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | — | -25% $299.99 List: $399.00 | $398.00 | $149.00 | -17% $499.00 List: $599.95 | -27% $109.00 List: $149.00 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 7 | Get it as soon as Monday, May 6 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 7 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 7 |
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| Sold By | — | BuyBuyForNow | Amazon.com | Audio Advisor, Inc. | Focus Camera LLC | HIFIMAN |
| connectivity tech | Wired | Wireless, USB | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wired |
| headphones form factor | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear | — |
| connector type | 3.5mm Jack | wireless | — | 6.35mm Jack, 3.5mm Jack | 3.5mm Jack | 6.35mm Jack |
| headphones jack | 3.5 mm Jack | — | — | 3.5 mm Jack | — | 3.5 mm Jack |
| cable feature | Detachable | Without Cable, Retractable | Detachable | Detachable | Detachable | Detachable |
| control type | Media Control | Voice Control | — | — | Media Control | Media Control |
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Reviews with images
An amazing sounding set
An amazing sounding set, that is a "Live," dynamic, and very "direct" sound over the entire spectrum but with a punch in the mids that sometimes is too colored and not as open and crisp as the MT220s, 1540, M50, or E3. Interesting imaging as vocals sound like they are in the middle of your head, but are usually very enjoyable except for the vocalists that sing in the range of the strong mid flavoring of the set. Bass is tight, very present, and low, but sometimes a little boomy. Crazy good sound with EQ. Earcups are a little hard and smaller than the average headset. Slightly tighter sound than the MT220 but very close. Much more pronounced mids than the MoFi which is much warmer. Crisp with sizzling cymbals and incredible presence.
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
First of all after going through many positive reviews on ...
Reviewed in India on January 27, 2016