Bowers & Wilkins - C5 Series 2 Wired Earbud Headphones - Black

I purchased these ear buds during a sale for $119 and they've certainly proven to be an excellent product and value. The sound is rich and detailed. Their glossy black metal construction is such an impressive difference from all the cheap feeling plastic ear buds on the market. Make sure you try the different sized ear tips to get the best fit. Bottom line - this is a highly recommended product for people looking for IEMs with great sound, sleek design and a reasonable price.

So this has been my third set of headphones in the span of half a year and I am blown away with the quality. Pro: -The sound quality is very rich, sometimes it is heavier on the bass and becomes over-powering, but it's only been more noticeable with the metal genre. Otherwise, the high's are perfect and the mid's leave nothing to be desired. -The build quality feels fantastic. No cheap plastic feel or low quality rubber inserts. -They stay in quite well, I have used them in normal daily walking, as well as at the gym and they have yet to fall out. Cons: -They would be much better with tangle-free wires. It's slightly a nuisance to have to keep unraveling them when you set them down for a little while. -The loops to secure in the ears don't stay the set size as well as you would hope. They stay in well enough but sometimes feel loose. May have been better with ones that you can swap, though being able to adjust on the go has some perks. Overall, after using various Sony, Klipsch, Beats and other odd brands, these are my favorite thus far. The overall sound quality for a huge variety of music is crisp and clean and does not sound distorted. While the fit isn't perfect with the loops getting loose, they stay in quite well and I am very pleased with the C5 S2 headphones. 4.5/5 would be a more accurate option.

I just purchased my CS5 Series 2 earbuds, so this is my initial reaction to the product. 1. Overall quality - As with all B&W products, fit and finish of the earbuds is superb. The micro-bead filters add a unique look, and do seem to add an extra spaciousness to the overall sound and soundstage. While the cable is not oval or flat, it does feel robust, and tangling has not been an issue so far 2. Fit - the provided ear tips, in four sizes, allowed me ample options for finding the most secure, sound dampening fit in each ear. Taking the time to experiment with the different sizes, mixing and matching so that each ear was perfectly sealed proved extremely valuable and revealed the true quality of sound reproduction from these headphones. 3, Sound - A little experimentation allowed me to "tune" the sound specifically to my liking, and provided a more accurate response curve, one I perceived to be more in line with a very good reference loudspeaker: bass was well-defined and tight, even at the lowest frequencies. Mid-range was excellent and clear, framing both male and female vocals well. The highest frequencies were smooth and pristine. I listen to quite an eclectic mix of music, from Nu-Metal to Opera. I found these earbuds to be especially well suited for acoustic and jazz, with a clear and pure sound and spaciousness. The dynamic range was evident on classical pieces, and even impressive with Nu-Metal and classic rock tracks. Overall definition was superb, and the smooth frequency response allowed me to clearly identify previously unnoticed nuances in the various performances 4, Comfort - Overall, these are quite comfortable to wear for extended periods. Initially, I found them just slightly uncomfortable, but soon was able to concentrate solely on the music, as the earbuds became almost unnoticed. The loop worked well to provide a secure fit, and I didn't need to constantly re-adjust or re-seat the earbuds. Certainly, it's important to spend time to find the best ear tips for comfort, sound, and noise isolation. I found external noise (moderate levels) dampened to significantly lower levels, and unobtrusive when listening at reasonable volumes In summary, I'm quite impressed with the sound quality of these earbuds. In truth, they provide even better sound than many over-the-ear headphones I've tried, and are very similar to the B&W P7 set that I currently use as a reference, NOTE: I did compare sound quality with and without a USB DAC on my computer: I can say that the DAC provided a very noticeable, very positive improvement to the sound quality, with tighter, more controlled bass, and an improved soundstage. I am very pleased with this purchase, and expect the audio experience to improve as these "break in" over the next few weeks of regular use.

First, the bad. The unusual ear loop isn't for everybody. While the loop works great in my right ear, it is uncomfortable in my left ear and tends to pull the bud out of the ideal location in my ear canal. I was able to remedy this by pulling the loop out of the channel on the ear bud, which loosened it up enough to not interfere or cause discomfort. It does take a little extra effort to insert the ear bud correctly this way, but the shifting and comfort issues are gone. This is the only reason I did not give these a 5-star rating. I would expect a tangle free cord at this price range. Soundwise, these are a bit laid back on the highs, but to be fair, I take a medication that causes ringing in my ears for a couple hours and that is likely causing the apparent (very minor) loss treble. In-line controls are for iOS, although all functions work on Android devices except volume. I have not used with a phone, so I can not speak on those functions. The good. Excellent bass, not dance club boomy, so may not suit bass heads, but presence enough that you almost feel it resonate in your chest. Voices shine through with clarity while revealing subtlety and nuance. These present a soundstage far wider than an ear bud should with sounds seeming to come from outside your head and instrument placement was clearly locatable while deep bass seemed to radiate from everywhere. Please note that if you do remove the ear loops from their channels that you properly align the buds in your ear, otherwise your ear lobes may partially block the vents on the rear of the buds. Many reviews stated that these needed a burn-in period. I listened for a while out of the box, then left them to play overnight. I can confirm that the bass became more present and not so "tight" and restrained. Don't judge these until after 12 hours or so of use. I mainly use these with my Pioneer - XDP100R digital audio player, which I highly recommend. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/pioneer-xdp100rk-portable-high-resolution-digital-audio-player-black/5091408.p?skuId=5091408

I had the s1's for more than a year and really like them. They were some of the best sounding in-ear's I've heard for the price range and the only ones that stayed in my ear without being uncomfortable. My only dislike the the stiffness of the cable. Since I had the BBY warranty, when the sound went out in one ear, I took them to the store and got the s2 as the replacement. The sound is comparable and the cable is much improved over the s1. My only concern is the cable seems almost too flimsy and soft. Hopefully it holds up well, but if not its okay because I have another 2 year BBY replacement warranty. I've been through a number earphones over the years and I'm glad I finally wised up and bought the warranty.

I enjoy using these ear buds, the sound quality is excellent and durability compared to other brands is exceptional. The only downside I have with it is probably finding the proper ear piece to fit and stay in place. I tend to use these when running and they only stay put for so long until I have to adjust them again. But they are comfortable and I have upgraded from a basic pair of Sonys to Beats by Dre and all others under the 180$ price range and have felt these are superior in more ways I can think of. If I were to recommend a contender pair, I would recommend Bose, but their ear bud cords are too short for me and require and extensions.

I use the C5S2 all the time. Im constantly impressed with their ability to faithfully reproduce sounds earbuds shouldn’t be able to(bass especially). They fit the tight enough to block most noise (Air Tools, Chain Saws, ect.), and stay in place well enough. I wear them all day, 5 days a week while working. They are comfortable. I doubt they were ever intended for the levels of abuse they endure (and i have killed a few sets of them), but they do hold up well. I will continue buying them because they are the best earbuds ive owned.

I am in love with these headphones! Before I start this review, it's VERY IMPORTANT that you TRY ALL OF THE EARPOD COVERS and get the PERFECT FIT in your ears before you judge these headphones because the SOUND QUALITY INCREASES DRASTICALLY when you have the correct cover on for your ear size. Now back to the review, over the past year I have tried: - Bose SoundLink II On-Ear (Sounded artificial with too much bass) - JBL Everest 100, JBL Everest Elite 750NC, JBL Everest 310 (I'm not hating on JBL, I actually have their car speakers and they are fantastic, but their headphones aren't as clear as I'd wished for considering their car audio is of great quality IMO) - I hate even mentioning this but I even tried the Beats Studio 3 I returned all of these still trying to find those perfect headphones, and then I came across the great reviews for Bowers & Wilkins headphones. I did my research and was debating between the P5 Series 2 and these, and decided that getting earbuds would be more portable, wouldn't be heavy for long listening, and wouldn't get hot on my ears like ear cups tend to do. I must say that I wasn't expecting the level of clarity and tight bass from these small headphones. The 9.2mm drivers in these earbuds are fantastic and it gives you the illusion that you're wearing bigger headphones than you actually are. I listen to rock and plenty of acoustic songs and the vocals are crisp, the mids are perfect, and the bass is surprisingly boomy (tight) especially on FLAC audio files. They also aren't uncomfortable in my ears like some reviewers have said, they fit comfortably if you get them adjusted correctly to your ear. Definitely give these earbuds a try, I don't think you'll regret it!