First Impressions: The Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless Headphones

The P7 Wireless Headphones have arrived, and this columnist has a pair to test out. From a couple hours of use, it’s safe to say that Bowers & Wilkins’ new wireless headphones are every bit as good as they are hyped up to be.

As the Inquisitr noted in another article, the P7 Wireless has already received excellent early reviews. Trusted Reviews gave Bowers & Wilkins’ new wireless cans four out of five stars.

“Third time’s the charm for Bowers & Wilkins and Bluetooth – the P7 Wireless look and sound great,” says critic Richard Easton, who says the audio quality on the headphones is distinctive and sharp, especially for wireless earphones.

Perhaps the review from Trusted Reviews is a little too low. The P7 Wireless offer the most robust sound that has ever been produced on a wireless headset. They offer impressive highs, mids, and — especially — lows. The bass roughly kicks you in the ear but delights you. The sound feels somewhat amplified and really puts you in the middle of it.

Listening to “Hello” by Adele reveals instruments that can’t be heard while listening with recent wireless headphones from Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser. The only downside, which may not matter to some, is the fact that the Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless doesn’t have active noise cancellation. However, they passively block out a lot of noise since the cans have a very firm (but not uncomfortable) hold on your ears.

Unlike the QC35 wireless headphones from Bose, you can actually walk outside with these without worrying about getting hit by a car. Sometimes, noise cancellation (especially too much) isn’t a good thing, and it’s even worse when you can’t control the amount of noise-cancellation produced. Even those who are used to active noise cancellation will be satisfied with the passive cancellation the P7 Wireless offers.

These cans are built with a lot of thought. They are designed with solid aluminum and sheep leather. Despite the very tight fit (which is good for people who lift weights), they don’t feel too tight. The P7 wireless cans feel like they are comforting your ears, not pressuring them. The tight build is what allows outstanding passive noise cancellation.

Like the wired P7, which some think is the best set of wired headphones on the market, they are big. However, in this case, bigger is better. They fold up and come with a nice case. They are still portable but almost go over the line in what portable means. But you won’t mind once you listen to your favorite music with them.

The buttons feel plastic and cheap. There is volume up button, a volume down button, and one to play, pause, or skip tracks. It’s not that the buttons are bad, but they feel very cheap compared to the rest of the headphone.

The P7 Wireless offer integrated microphones for making phone calls — something that hasn’t been tested out yet for this early hands-on review. However, others say that the call quality if just fine. Making phone calls with last years P5 Wireless was great, so doing the same with the P7 should be even better.

The P7 Wireless does come with a wire for those audiophiles who prefer wired sound to wireless. However, the most interesting thing about the P7 Wireless is that there really isn’t that much of a difference between the wired and wireless sound. Those who have been using the wired version of the P7 have asked for a P7 wireless with the same type of sound, and they finally have their wish.

At $399, the Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless will certainly take a bite out of your wallet. However, it may be a bite that is completely worth it. The P7 Wireless feel and sound so good that they are hard to take off your ears.

[Image via Daryl Deino]