Bowers & Wilkins - C5 In-Ear Headphones - Black

So I used to use $10 sony's, then upgraded to $20, then jumped to the Ironman yurbuds for $50 and was just so disgusted by the quality that I was going to by the Bose Ie2i for $130 but went ahead and took the plunge for the B&W C5's. At first with the tips that come pre installed I was kinda bummed that they sounded just ok. I then switched to to the Large included tips and WOW the sound and Bass really HIT!!!! I took them on a 4 mile jog and they didn't fall out once However they did seem to slide out of position a bit... I was on the Fence about returning them being that the Primary use is for GYM and Jogs but I really liked the sound so I did some more reading online and found The COMPLY FOAM TIPS (T-400) medium and this solved all my issues. They stay in never shift and the sound is even more Amplified along with stronger cleaner bass (not like those loser beats type bass but more like a $5000 surround sound system bass. I also purchased the 4 year warranty so I don't feel bad if these bad boys stop working for whatever reason Ill just get them replaced for FREE ;-)

The C5's are my first relatively high-end earbud purchase. I researched a lot, and decided on these over the Velodyne vPulse partially because of availability, but mostly because of my experiences with B&W and the loop fit system. I really wanted a pair of headphones that stayed put for a while when I'm active (e.g., mowing the lawn, working) and were comfortable for a long time when stationary (e.g., watching a movie or playing a game). I wax audiophilic, so the sound quality is very important. I have a nice pair of Boston Acoustics at home, and have worked with Martin-Logan, so I have high expectations. The sound does not disappoint. These are accurate, balanced, and dynamic 'phones. They fit my expectations from B&W. Similarly, the build quality is excellent. Were it not for the minor issues, these would be perfect. The fit started great. They stayed in place while I mowed my lawn for an hour, and sounded awesome the whole time - once I found the right size & shape for the tips (which, btw, are not that hard to change. Use a middle+index+thumb pinch to remove). However, after a month, the loops don't stay in place as well as I'd like. They don't seem to hold their grip, and so will sometimes loosen and begin to slip. Fortunately, the cord is light enough that they don't really fall out. Maybe my ears just subtly change enough that some days they work great, some days they don't. Today, they fit perfect and I'm loving them. Tomorrow, maybe not as much. The cord is very sturdy, but the cylindrical shape lends them to tangling. I'm really interested in the Velodyne ones for this reason. I don't feel like I will ever damage the cord; it really is tough. Some pieces on it seem purposeless, like the black beads at the end of the loop, but that's minor. The case...looks nice, but really isn't. My main gripe is the zipper. the pull tab always gets caught on itself in a way that doesn't make it easy to pull the right direction. The starting point (when closing) is not securely attached to the case, so it flops around awkwardly, making two-handed closing difficult, and on-handed nearly impossible. If the direction of the zipper was reversed, this would be less of an issue, but as it is, it sucks. After being stored in the case, sometimes the fit loops get slightly bent one way or another, making the fit awkward. Otherwise, the case is made of good materials. One last thing regarding the volume controls. They don't work on Android phones, at all. This is unfortunate, as I will never own an iPhone unless my job buys one for me because I have to have it. Considering that Android's market share in the US is over 50%, and iOS is around 30%, you'd think this would be considered. Apparently, the Velodyne set doesn't either, which is too bad. My $30 Sony ones could do it. In summary, if you're looking for a pair of fantastic-sounding, solidly-built earbuds, you will be satisfied by the C5, as long as you can overlook the annoying case and the occasional quirky fit.

These are, by far, the best earbuds I've ever used. Sound quality is amazing, especially on the low end. They have tight, punchy bass, without being too overwhelming. Unfortunately, they just don't have a very comfortable design. The ear loop is necessary to keep them from falling out, but due to its awkward rigidity, it tends to hurt after more than 30 minutes or so. Other manufacturers such as Jaybird use a more flexible hook to keep the earbuds in place, which is just as effective, yet still comfortable. However, all in-ears do have some level of discomfort after sometime, so I almost think this is a fair trade-off due to the unmatched sound quality of the C5.

i love the in-ear C5 headphones its no place i don't take them

I have been an avid headphones buyer for over a decade. I can say without any hesitation what so ever, that these headphones are the best I have ever owned. I have tried all the name brands out there such as Beats, Bose, Audio Technica. Pretty much any brand that comes to mind. These have the sound I have been looking for in all of those. The bass is so deep it feels like I have a high end subwoofer in my head. But the bass is not over bloated at all. It feels real and feels it needs to be there. The mids are almost too perfect in a good way. The treble is very much present but not over sibilant at all. I highly recommend these to anybody looking for a high end set of earbuds. The comfort is phenomenal as well. They may be pricey, but they are well worth it.

The quality of sound will make it absolutely impossible to enjoy listening to any genre of music via any other brand of in-ear headphone—including any of the over-hyped nonsense manufactured by Monser(R) for Beats by Dre or Skullcandy(R). *Source: ownership of all premium-branded manufactures' flagship models, and no fewer than 12-hours use per day, everyday.* Frustratingly, however, the benchmark-destroying sound quality produced by the C5s will last no more than six (6) months maximum—if you're lucky. And when you return your *first* pair to Best Buy, and the friendly rep asks you if you would like another pair of the Bowers & Wilkins C5 in-ear headphones, you will foolishly respond in the affirmative... only to be teased for another four to six months with this absurdly-amazing sound quality... of which you can never truly own. Today I am heading back to BB with my second pair. This pair lasted two months fewer than the first: an astonishing seven weeks! I intend to fight the urge to nod like a mouthbreathing fool when asked if I would like another pair. A note on care: a factory representative's default response to such claims would be to suggest that the failed headphones were not properly cared for; however, that assumption would, in fact, be the polar opposite of the truth: being an über-retentive audiophile prevents me from doing things like dropping the drivers (regardless of the fact that they *seem* to be robust and are of machined aluminum), wrapping/winding/twisting the cable while not in-use, or putting any sort of strain on said cable and/or its connection points. Yet despite white-glove treatment, both sets simply failed. Specifically: each set's left driver failed; unexpectedly and completely (i.e., neither wiggling the connection points leading to the driver nor tapping the driver causes it to regain connectivity). And when your pair of Bowers & Wilkins C5 in-ear headphones fail—and they will—you will find yourself sporting a two-hundred dollar set of earplugs. Save your money and preserve your lower benchmark for SQ.

I'm a big-time headphone dork, I've spent way too much money on all of this but I can't help it because listening to music is my favorite activity. Let me start off by saying based just on pure audio fidelity, the C5's are phenomenal. 5 stars for sound. They are so much fun to listen to, huge sound. I don't consider them to be audiophile-type headphones because the big booming bass is exaggerated, but I like that for mobile on the go earbuds. However, HANDLE WITH CARE. As long as you treat them like they are precious little delicate earbuds you will be ok. My first pair broke after 6 months because I was casually throwing them in my bag without a case (like you should be able to do with earbuds). After I learned my lesson and B&W sent me a new pair under warranty, I now treat them very gently, always putting them in a protective little case for added protection. But not the case that it comes with because that case is to small and will damage them (ridiculous!) So are they worth the price tag? If they were built stronger then yes. Do I regret this purchase? No, the sound is so good I can't live without them now. Just for reference, I also own & enjoy Sennheiser HD650, Sennheiser Amperior, & AKG K550. The C5's are are definitely in the same class as those.

When I decided that I need some new in ear monitors I tried to save a little cash by purchasing the Bose IE2 earphones. The Bose don't sound horrible, but I kept thinking they were lacking in depth and low end as well as volume. I swapped them out for the B&W C5 set and they are worth the extra cash. I find them comfortable to wear after properly fitting them. With the medium fittings that are pre-installed I enjoyed them but they still fell a little flat to me. I decided to install the wider set and BOOM my rating shot through the roof. These iem's are so clean and full if you close your eyes with GREAT SOURCE music it's like the artist is in the room with you performing. If you're streaming from Pandora radio it sounds good, but not amazing because it's not a high quality source. For streaming try MOG mobile as they have a HQ option with 320kbps streaming. These really start to shine with lossless music playback . B&W gives a membership to their Society of Sound with some free lossless albums for download. iPhone playback of Apple lossless files are just immersive with full mud free bass, dead perfect mids and soaring highs. Vocals and acoustic music are what these babies were made for, although some RUN DMC also sounded great too;) Adele, Jack Johnson, Peter Gabriel and the like are about as good as in ear monitors get especially for under $200. The included case looks cool, but isn't very functional. I will likely remove the plastic middle section that is supposed to hold the earphones when traveling as it's difficult to use and the case is too small so I'm afraid I'll destroy the cable with the zipper after much use. Bottom line: If you're considering these little cans just buy them. Give them some burn in time 10-30 hrs and enjoy them like crazy.