Why mess too much with a great thing? Meet the new Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 headphones. They're almost, but not quite, the same as the old P5 headphones. They may look identical, but B&W upgraded the P5's drivers to units based on the more expensive P7 model. Because of this, they're both extremely comfortable and output gorgeous audio with deep, rich lows and excellent definition in the highs. For on-ear headphones, they're quite expensive at $299.99, but readily justify that price and earn our Editors' Choice distinction.

Design

Visually, little has changed between the original supra-aural (on-ear) P5 from 2010 and the P5 Series 2 ($124.99 at Amazon) . This is a good thing, as the P5 has one of the more stunning headphone designs out there. (There's even a P5 Maserati Edition for an extra $100!) The headband, ear cushions, and even outside panels of the earcups are lined with luxurious, shiny black leather. An oval on each earcup featuring the B&W logo has changed from brushed metallic to brushed black, but otherwise this is identical in design to the original. The headphones apply just the right amount of pressure to each ear to ensure a secure fit and a proper stereo image.

The removable cable still cleverly connects to the headphones underneath the left earpad. Both earpads snap on and off easily with the help of magnets, revealing the upgraded drivers underneath. B&W claims the new drivers are based on the P7's drive units, which means the main upgrade in the Series 2 is sonic, not visual.

The default audio cable has an inline three-button remote control and microphone designed for iOS devices. You can Play/Pause/Answer Calls/End Calls with one press of the center button, navigate tracks with multiple clicks, and raise or lower the volume using the other two buttons on the remote. The headphones also come with a luxurious padded black sleeve of a carrying pouch that uses magnets to open and close.

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Performance

For a headphone pair with such a modest frame, it's a bit shocking how much low-end the P5 can produce—and yet it's not overdone. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the P5 delivers some serious thunder. When there is deep, rumbling bass in the mix, you'll hear it with no distortion even at top volumes. When it's not in the mix, the P5 doesn't fabricate artificial-sounding lows like some heavily bass-boosted pairs do.

An excellent example of this is the sound of Bill Callahan's "Drover." His rich baritone vocals need no bass boosting, and receive almost none. In fact, while some bass-boosted pairs can make his voice on this track sound a bit murky, the P5 delivers an exceptionally crisp response. His voice sounds excellent, neither thin nor too bright. The drums on this track get a bit of extra subwoofer-like presence, but in a subtle way. The hits get some added, exciting roundness that keeps them sounding natural.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the P5 once again sounds phenomenal. The attack of the kick drum loop slices through the mix with a ferocious high-mid edge, but has plenty of sustain in the lows. The vocals float over the dense track clearly, and the sub-bass synth hits have both the raspy high-mid edge that makes them sound menacing, with a round, subwoofer-like presence that can make you feel like you're listening through a club PA. It's the mark of a great headphone pair when it can make songs intended to be blasted on the radio or in clubs sound as powerful as they should and still handle subtle tracks like "Drover."

Classical tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, offer more of the same excellent balance throughout the frequency range. Lower register strings are given just the right amount of presence to have a wonderfully rich resonance when the mix calls for it, and higher register strings, brass, and vocals own the stage with a clear and precise definition. Nothing ever sounds overly bright, harsh, or thin.

For $300, the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 sounds as it should: fantastic. This is an expensive headphone option, obviously, but it has company in this price range that we also love. Choosing between the P5 and say, over-ear options like the Blue Microphones Mo-Fi or the amazing Sennheiser HD6 Mix ($149.95 at Guitar Center) will come down to personal preference, and we encourage you to read our other reviews and test out the headphones for yourself in a local electronics store if at all possible. In other words, everything mentioned here is excellent, and it comes down to whether you want a bit more low-end response, a bit more treble edge, a different kind of fit, and so on. If you're looking for excellent balance in a slightly lower price range, the Sennheiser Urbanite ($54.95 at Amazon) is a newer on-ear option. The P5's handsome design and comfortable fit are just extra perks—and it easily earns our Editors' Choice award.

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