Over the past few years Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has introduced some excellent headphones, including the P3 and P5. Augmenting its selection of headphones, the respected audio company has announced its new flagship P9 Signature headphones.
Developed to help celebrate the company's 50th anniversary the P9 Signature headphones were developed by the same engineering team that produced the company's statement 800 D3 floorstanding loudspeakers.
Bowers & Wilkins says the headphones utilize a unique driver placement concept that provides a more natural listening experience.
The P9 Signatures set the 40mm drivers at an angle to produce an experience in which “the wearer hears sound as if they are listening to a pair of stereo speakers rather than headphones, with a sense of imaging, depth and clarity that is truly breath taking.”
Design & Specs
The headphones carry an impedance rating of 22 ohms and they are 111dB sensitive. Bowers and Wilkins rates the headphones to produce a frequency response of 2Hz to 30kHz, and the headphones are easily driven by portable devices, including iPhones and iPads, and Android products.
Other design elements include a headband design that decouples each ear cup to minimize vibration from negatively affecting sound quality, while also providing a comfortable fit for users. Bowers & Wilkins states the headband also adds strength to the headphones and the combination of sturdiness and comfort was conceptually borrowed from the 800 D3 loudspeaker.
Another element that aides the comfort of the headphones includes Bowers & Wilkins employed Italian Saffiano leather and a “stamping” technique that gives the material its cross-hatch finish. The headphones also employ foam cushions in the ear pads to isolate the headphones from outside noise and to mould the ear pads to users' ears.
Further supporting the performance and industrial design of the P9 Signature heapdhones are the product's durable aluminum arms that feature a foldable design to allow users to transport the headphones in their carry case, which features Alcantara, a suede-like material.
Bowers & Wilkins adds that it is developing a lightning cable for iOS product compatibility and that option should be available to customers that register their P9 Signature products in early 2017. The Signature P9 headphones carry an MSRP of $900.
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