Headphone Reviews

Bowers and Wilkins P7
The name is a great pedigree, but why make a(nother) small rectangular pad that feels uncomfortable on the ears? What is the point of this??? The captive cord is about a yard long coming off the left ear terminating in a 1/8" TRS attached to my 1/4" adapter. As I said, we need a comfortable cord length, at least a meter and half to handle a phone deep in the pocket or stretching to the home amplifier socket. Please, manufacturers!

Listening note: Fee Da Da Dee. Guggenheim Grotto from the album Happy The Man. BK master, 2496. This is a very entertaining folk rock band from Ireland with seductive melody and rhythm. This album is out of print, but may still be obtainable. The band has renamed itself Storyman and I have lost touch.

Sensitivity is about 2 dB hotter than the Audeze partly because of a rise in the upper midrange/high end. However, these have a pretty good lower midrange and somewhat impacting bottom. My initial impression is that they have accurate vocal tone. Good transients and microdynamics. Good tone through to the highs. No obvious colorations. Boy I wish these were more comfortable!

Then I start to notice a few things: The bass limit probably is 70 with a quick rolloff so we don't get those important subsonics. But I keep on listening because the sound is not unattractive. Is there an unnatural sibilance boost on this cut? Let's keep on checking some other music.

Listening note: Bella Hardy. The Only Thing to Do from the album With The Dawn. BK master, 2496. More details elsewhere in this review.

Again I hear apparently accurate vocal tone, which is promising. Stereo soundstage is considerably smaller than my reference Stax or Audeze. Lack of extreme bass loses points. But these seem to be the most accurate candidates in this pile so far. All we need to turn these into world-beaters would be a buttkicker, an equalizer or a subwoofer. The subsonics of the synthesizer in this song are lacking fundamentals. Then I notice the peaks of the vocal are somewhat fatiguing. But there's a bit of distortion on her voice peaks in this cut so I'll just take it into account and check some more cuts.

Listening note: April in Paris. Bill Allred's 8 piece band, BK master 2496 from the 2 The Max Album. Recorded and mixed by Andy DeGanahl. Available from Bill Allred's website. This 8 piece virtuoso band plays the swing clasics with a warm, big, round sound, highly recommended.

Bass tone is nice, down to as far as these cans extend, so the low bass at and below 70 is a bit light. Tone of the brass is pretty good, maybe a bit thin or bright. There is probably a bit of an extra rise from 3k on up. But it's mitigated by a fairly accurate lower midrange. However, the same fatigue I began to notice with the Bella Hardy is creeping in with Bill Allred's band. The trumpet solo is not as warm as I know it to be on my reference calibrated loudspeakers. So these cans are beginning to come down in my estimation. Let me check a couple more cuts, I can take a bit more.

Listening note: When Katie Smiles, by Kim Pensyl, from the album of the same name. BK master, 2496. Good, clear, natural tonalities, pop-jazz from a talented trumpet and piano player.

Ok, now the rise from say 2K on up is beginning to get to me. I have to downgrade these cans, depending on the price you can get them for. If you can get them for under $200 and use them with a great DAC and amp, they should be reasonable reference bargains.

Bottom line: I look it up, and find $199 at Crutchfield, so I nailed the price! Price/performance ratio is good if they fit your ears better than they do on mine. If you can get them for less, it's a bargain, if you don't mind slightly light bass and a boosted treble.

Read full InnerFidelity B&W P7 review.
Product page for B&W P7.