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For those like us who are used to testing mostly Bluetooth headphones, having to adapt again to a cable for the connection sounds a bit strange, but it is also true that in the case of P9 Signature by Bowers & Wilkins is a really important product and the presence of the cable, among other things of remarkable workmanship, the test becomes a duty and an opportunity.
Before starting to speak in the detail of the headphones, however, it is necessary to understand what it is: the P9 Signature are a compendium of beauty and sophistication from all points of view, starting from the physical presence when you pick them up up to the actual musical performance with different types of songs, which we will discuss later in this review.
Yes, because handling a pair of headphones that cost the same as an iPhone is not what recently and above all it is not something every day, also because here the imprint of Bowers and Wilkins is very classic and dated or that there are no external noise reduction systems (like the new PX, for example) the effort is all concentrated in the sound quality.
Before trying them we would not have expected from a B&W product nothing less than excellence, but the judgment is very multifaceted, albeit excellent, and we invite you to read this review thoroughly before drawing hasty conclusions
P9 Signature, the packaging is part of the product
Given the importance that a flagship of this type represents for the brand, the packaging could only be the first step in appreciation: the opening of the box is simple, but at the same time important: inside there are the headphones, closed, and the semicircular gray alcantara velvet case (very similar to that seen in Microsoft's Surface), excellent for travelers (since the headphones, even when folded are not exactly small) but also for those who, of course i, used to put them next to the TV in the evening after use (and inside the case they looked much better).
soft leather pad encloses the whole. The same material, but with a more rigid consistency, is used for the pads of the pavilions, which are easily removable while the single cable that comes out of the left pavilion is in soft anti-knot rubber.
The original cable with 3.5 mm stereo jack it is very short, more or less fifty centimeters, therefore suitable for use with mobile devices, but inside the package there is an extension, with an attached 6.5 mm jack adapter for those who have a classic audio source.
Even the remote control, suitable for controlling iOS devices, is identical to that found in Apple headphones, capable of controlling volume and playback of songs.
The headphones are circumaural, and fully surround the entire ear, promising partial and natural isolation from external background noise, without the use of noise attenuation circuits.
Removing the bearings in the pavilions you can see that the transducers are angled with respect to the headphone axis
The frequency range goes from 2 Hz to 30 kHz, with an impedance of 22ohm and a distortion of 0.2%: foreground features for a product that makes itself to be noticed as much by Hi-Fi lovers as by those who try them occasionally, even if in our opinion this type of headphones needs competent people and passionate about music to be really appreciated
The total weight, of 413 grams, it is perfectly balanced between the two pavilions and the support in the upper part of the head, so much so that even after several hours of use it does not cause discomfort or dollars, not to mention that, at home or in the office, the skin has not produced no greenhouse effect inside the halls. In addition to the softness of the fit, we also appreciated the maintenance of the temperature in the ears (other cheaper models, after a few hours produce an annoying rise in the temperature inside the pavilions).
Finally, removing ( easily) the rubberized part of the earpads, you can see that the transducers are angled with respect to the axis of the headphones, which allows a more natural stereo effect, which we really appreciated at night, watching some movies on the iPad using the P9 Signature for not wake up wife and child.
Alcantara velvet headphone case
Music, but not only
Who writes, does not hide it, is a lover of soundtracks and symphonic music and this model represented excellence in this environment and it is precisely here that we appreciated the extreme purity of the sound and the particular refinement of some instruments, perfectly detected.
Starting from Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, in the delicacy of the Ukulele, passing the careful guitars of River and Sticks by Oakhurst up to Bass Can You Hear Me by Beat Dominator, where an at times excessive contrast dominates from the tambourine and the tuner, ending with the splendid musical harmony of Sting's Englishman In New York, which lightens everything in a captivating but detailed Pop.
In all these songs the most interesting thing was to savor the proliferation of all the nuances of tracks, and even where there were important basses, the beauty of the P9 Signature never confused the various instruments, leaving all the tones well marked.
On more orchestral and committed pieces such as Orinoco Flow by Enya or Nothing compares 2U by Sinéad O'Connor the imperial of the voice that functions as an instrument and leads the composition has been well maintained, and although the writer would have appreciated a deeper marking of the voice, it is undeniable that the rendering (with iTunes without any equalization on an iMac 27 and macOS Sierra) can be modulated with manual interventions, which we did not want to affix.
Even the song that we usually consider a watershed, Tell Me Now by Hans Zimmer (with the wonderful voice of Moya Brennan), very difficult to hold in some places, showed a beautiful balance between the music, the delicacy of the voice and the points in which the singer recovers with breaths, which offer depth to the song.
The modest judgment of the writer is that these musical areas are the area of competence for this type of headphones , who would find themselves almost wasted on listening to Live concerts, hard Rock music and disco songs, which, while playing well, do not rise again. all the potential that these headphones offer.
Different speech in the use in multimedia: as already said before we used the headphones often at night, when watching some movies or TV series. From the almost wasted time for “Atomica Bionda” up to the intriguing “Bright” of Netflix, passing through the much overrated “The Circle”, to the funny “Unsuspected suspicions” up to the funny and exciting “King Arthur: The power of the sword” ( which in our opinion was worth much more than the fierce criticism it generated).
The use of these headphones for a film is often almost a waste, but it is also true that the extreme comfort, the richness in detail and the cable that never intertwines (and which is the perfect length when lying down and using an iPad) offers a beautiful experience, with excellent insulation at night.
A welcome help
In the course of the test we also had the opportunity to try, together with the P9 Signature, a small USB amplifier from Audioquest, the DragonFly Red which basically allows you to connect analog headphones via Jack to a USB port (you can find it directly here for the purchase at l price of 199.00 Euros)
This system allows you to bypass the canonical conversion performed by the motherboard on the analog output but introduces a digital / analog converter of a very different invoice.
The device, which is basically the size of a metal USB stick, and which lights up during use, allows you to have a signal that is much stronger than the original and in high fidelity.
In our tests we found the same quality of the P9 also with the Dragonfly, but with a stronger signal (unattainable using only the volume) and with slightly more full-bodied tones.
Considerations
A judgment that can only be extremely positive on the P9 Signature, even if this sentence must be read with the right weight: the price, the high profusion of construction solutions, the choice of materials and, of course , the rich and articulated rendering of different types of pieces are characteristics that require on the one hand a palate capable of appreciating them and on the other hand an expectation equal to the yield.
What we mean is that these headphones are worth the expense only for those who know what they are buying, expecting the result they will have, including the cable, which in this headphone sector is an essential feature to avoid an inevitable cut in frequencies (and the usual discomfort of the battery) .
On the other hand from Bowers and Wilkins we have more than appreciated the response of the P7 and P5 models, both available at more affordable prices and also Bluetooth, but which inevitably cannot reach riches, to the presence and retail of these P9 Signatures for which the price is not a parameter of comparison, but a distinctive feature.
Pro :
Against:
Price : 899.99 Euros (199.00 Euros additional if purchased together with the USB amplifier)
Bowers & Wilkins allows the purchase of the P9s directly from the parent company's website for 899.99 euros, but they are also available through Amazon.it at a lower price
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