These headphones are one of the best pairs I've ever used, and they're worth every penny
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AmazonIf I could distill my feelings about the Bowers & Wilkins P7 headphones down into one word it would be "premium." From its sound to its looks, the P7s offers a consistently rich experience with only a couple of caveats.
I've never used a pair of headphones that can compare to the P7s aesthetically, they're made out of two materials: aluminum for the band and sheepskin leather for the ear cups. This makes them light, and comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. Their light weight may be an issue if you decide to head bang super hard, but they've never fallen off of my head — even during air guitar solos.
The P7s are over-ear headphones, and while their rectangular ear cups fit me just fine, they might be a snugger fit depending on your ear size. In that way, they may have limited appeal; if you've got larger ears, you might want to try a pair on before deciding to commit.
Although they don't have any official noise-cancelling function, even at a moderate volume the P7s are able to block out all the noise around me in a normal environment. I can still hear the hum of an airplane engine while wearing them on long flights, unless I started to crank the volume, but it was far less intrusive. Speaking of planes, the P7s small form factor and included carrying case make them ideal traveling headphones.
Of all the headphones I've ever used, the P7s are among the best in terms of sound quality, too. They're not as doggedly determined to provide "neutral" sound, like this pair by Sony, but they don't goose any particular frequencies either. I'd describe the sound as "enhanced" in all areas. The bass is plenty boomy, the midrange isn't muddy, and treble isn't shrill. If you're looking for a pair of headphones to accentuate any particular part of the sound spectrum, you should look elsewhere; ditto if you're looking for a totally pure sound. Instead, the P7s give me what I consider a deeper sound.
When I used them to listen to songs I was familiar with, I was able to pick out finer details that I hadn't been able to hear before, a little guitar lick here, a bass note there, maybe a little vocal crack. These headphones are definitely capable of revealing a song's flaws if you listen hard enough, but that only made them sound more real to me. All genres of music benefited from this, whether it's a sax solo from "Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section" or psychedelic effect from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
AmazonThat said, the P7s are pretty unforgiving if you've got low quality MP3s. They're fine when listening to music through streaming services like Spotify, but if you're still listening to Blink-182 songs your older sister downloaded for you on Napster in 2001, they're going to show their age. You don't need to be an audiophile to enjoy these headphones, but they'll only sound as good as the music files you throw at them.
So far the P7s premiums have been a positive: They look, feel, and sound great. The only caveat I have with them is they're a pretty pricey pair of headphones. They're worth every penny, especially if you use my method of buying them, which can save you a significant chunk of change. Simply put: If you love music, you're probably going to love the Bower & Wilkins P7 headphones.
Bowers & Wilkins P7, $399.99, available at Amazon.