{"id":7108,"date":"2017-05-03T17:12:55","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T05:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/blog\/?p=7108"},"modified":"2017-05-03T17:12:55","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T05:12:55","slug":"bw-p9-signature-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/bw-p9-signature-review\/","title":{"rendered":"B&W P9 Signature Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our Verdict: 5 Stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

Their price tag will be a consideration, but the B&W P9s wholly make up for it in the way they sound<\/p>\n

For:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stunning midrange clarity<\/p>\n

Superb detail levels<\/p>\n

Weighty, agile bass<\/p>\n

Precise but exciting character<\/p>\n

Comfortable and sturdy build<\/p>\n

Against:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bass a touch on the rich side for neutral ears<\/p>\n

Fifty years is a milestone that deserves celebrating. A time to reflect on what has been, and what\u2019s yet to come.<\/p>\n

While most do that with cake and a glass or two, Bowers & Wilkins has done it with a brand new pair of headphones. And a pretty special pair at that.<\/p>\n

The B&W P9 Signature headphones are B&W\u2019s new flagship over-ears, and they mark the company\u2019s 50th anniversary by donning the Signature branding, like the Signature Diamond and the Signature 30 speakers before them.<\/p>\n

They also take on board everything the company has learnt about headphones in the past seven years, since the launch of the first B&W P5s, with every part of the P9\u2019s custom made and built from scratch.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say they haven\u2019t been inspired by elsewhere in B&W\u2019s long history though.<\/p>\n

In fact, engineered by the same team responsible for the high-end 800 Series D3 loudspeaker, they are a pretty strong nod to their heritage.<\/p>\n

Build and comfort:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before we get to that though, let\u2019s start with their colour.<\/p>\n

To make them stand out from the more modern black and chrome of the P range past and present, B&W has opted for a rather retro brown for the P9s. Very 1970s hi-fi.<\/p>\n

The leather is slightly different too. There’s sturdier Saffiano leather on the outer earcups and headband, alongside softer leather on the earpads and headband cushion. The headband sits on top of memory foam, much like the P7 Wireless.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re fairly comfortable, though those with smaller heads may find the ear cups don\u2019t have the range of movement to allow the earpads to seal properly.<\/p>\n

Also, they do have a tendency to make your ears a little warm over long periods of listening.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The chrome accents on the arms and headband have also been replaced with thicker, sturdier brushed aluminium, decoupled from the earcups to prevent unwanted vibrations affecting the sound \u2013 thinking the P9s borrowed from B&W\u2019s speakers.<\/p>\n

Inside, the brand new 40mm drive units have been angled inwards slightly to create a more direct and natural listening experience.<\/p>\n

The driver suspension is also more like that in a traditional speaker than a pair of headphones, allowing for freer driver movement in an effort to deliver better frequency response.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite their more premium price tag usually being associated with at home headphones, the P9 Signatures feel like they\u2019ve been built with out-and-about in mind.<\/p>\n

For a start, the arms fold in for a more portable shape, and their closed back design means they won\u2019t leak sound to nearby commuters or colleagues.<\/p>\n

Similarly, their memory foam earpads do a great job of muffling outside noise as well, without the need for noise cancelling, and they\u2019re sensitive enough that you don\u2019t need to have your phone volume at full whack in order to hear them.<\/p>\n

More of a hint is the cables they come with. The one that comes fitted is the inline remote and microphone cable for use with phones. But you\u2019ll also find a plain cable and a 5m option for using at home with the included 6.3mm adapter.<\/p>\n

Lacking a headphone jack on your device? Apple iPhone 7 users will be able to request a Lightning cable for free from early next year, with later batches including a Lightning cable in the box.<\/p>\n

A pretty flexible pair of headphones then, but it\u2019s in the performance that you\u2019ll really hear where your money has been spent.<\/p>\n

Sound:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>You\u2019ll want to give these a good run in to get the best from them. Ours were still improving 50 hours in \u2013 before that you certainly won\u2019t be hearing what they\u2019re really capable of dynamically and rhythmically.<\/p>\n

Give them time to stretch their legs, and the wait is worth it. They\u2019re head and shoulders above what B&W has produced from its headphone range to date. And that\u2019s from a range we\u2019ve given five stars to across the board.<\/p>\n

Of course, their price tag is more than double that of the previous flagship cans, so it\u2019s to be expected that these deliver the improvements that they do.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a real sense of space here, with vocals and instruments layered on top of one another with room to breathe.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t place sounds quite as accurately as something like the open back Beyerdynamic T1s, but it\u2019s a really airy performance for closed back cans.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

They don\u2019t mess around when served a complicated track either. Play Bergschrund by DJ Shadow, and the P9 Signatures show just how capable they are at grabbing onto a rhythm and holding on tightly, no matter what\u2019s going on around it.<\/p>\n

The track\u2019s choppy beat is delivered with precision and punch while the various elements of the busy track build around it, making sense of every electronic interlude and offbeat note that DJ Shadow can throw at the mix.<\/p>\n

Precise then, but not so much that they\u2019re uptight \u2013 these headphones know how to let loose.<\/p>\n

Feed them Chance the Rapper\u2019s jovial Angels, and they\u2019ll jump behind the steel drum melody with bounce and enthusiasm, their talent with dynamics moving the song along with a good balance of pace and attack.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Like other B&W headphones, the P9 Signature\u2019s balance leans towards a slightly richer, more prominent bass, but as weighty as it is, it\u2019s also full of detail and impressively agile.<\/p>\n

It lends solidity and authority to the overall character, and manages to underpin the whole sound rather than impress itself upon any other part of the frequency range.<\/p>\n

This ensures there\u2019s real transparency through the midrange, delivering huge insight into vocals and telling the whole story of every strum, pluck and plonk of an instrumental.<\/p>\n

The treble is never an issue either, offering an open and natural sound in the top end that\u2019s never squeezed or limited.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Never is this clearer than with a piece of orchestral music, like Mozart\u2019s Don Giovanni Suite KV 527 \u2013 Madamina (Leporello). Violins are crisp and textured, with depth in every bow, while flutes flutter and soar without constraint.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s never any harshness or hardness that you might hear on lesser headphones, and everything sounds as it should, as if it were being played right in front of you. Not always easy with sounds like this.<\/p>\n

Dynamics are put to good test here too, and to great success.<\/p>\n

The quieter sections are delivered with an effective calm and consideration, but the P9s are equally happy to pick up the pace at the drop of a hat, building to a big crescendo with all the drama and showiness that a big orchestral finish requires.<\/p>\n

Verdict:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>There\u2019s no doubt that the P9 Signatures are a very talented pair of headphones. No matter what you feed them, they find themselves right at home, delivering a sound that\u2019s not just accurate, but that\u2019s enjoyable too.<\/p>\n

Their price tag won\u2019t be easy to swallow for many, but the detail, dynamic and organisational improvements these offer over the rest of the B&W headphones range, makes them worthy of their price, not to mention their flagship status.<\/p>\n

And hey, if you can\u2019t go all out on your birthday, then when can you?<\/p>\n

Read more at:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>http:\/\/www.whathifi.com\/bw\/p9-signature\/review<\/a><\/p>\n

Where to buy B&W:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/www.abtec.co.nz\/Bowers_and_Wilkins_P9_<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our Verdict: 5 Stars Their price tag will be a consideration, but the B&W P9s wholly make up for it in the way they sound For: Stunning midrange clarity Superb detail levels Weighty, agile bass Precise but exciting character Comfortable and sturdy build Against: Bass a touch on the rich side for neutral ears Fifty […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7108"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7108"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7170,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7108\/revisions\/7170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}