Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsHigh expectations...
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2018
I remember listening to the P5's in an Apple Store, back in 2010 (? maybe ?) and loved the sound. I was big into bass then, and these had a good boom to them, while also having bright highs. ...then looked at the $300 USD price, and had a little sticker shock. No I didn't buy them then. About a year later I ended up with a pair of the first edition of the Bose Around-Ear headphones I received as a gift from my BIL. And to me, at the time they sounded better than any of the terrible pair of cheap cans I ever had before.
So fast forward to September of 2018, my Bose around-ear cans are shredded (the ear pads), and they're killing my ears if I use them too long. I'm photographing a wedding, where the groom opens his gift from his future wife, and he opens up a pair of Marshall Monitor Wireless. They looked sweet, so I asked him if I could plug-in and give them a try. With the sound signature of my Bose Around-Ear cans engrained in my head, I quickly rifle through bits of several songs on my phone, and OH MY! These. Are. Sweet. Totally different. Kind bright, good bass, but a bit more full in the mid tones.
So I went to the Marshall Website, and did a little research and found out the wireless pair was $250. The wired pair was $200. They actually show the sound signature profile of each set of headphones on their website. Then I kept thinking, "do I want to pay $250? Or should I try the Wired Monitors for $200? ...but wait...what about the B&W P5"?
So I checked those out, and they're up to the P5 S2 Wireless. And they're $350-$400 USD. Ugh! I'd love to pay be able to pay $350 for a pair cans. I'd love to pay $800 for a pair. But this is all coming as a rather spontaneous purchase in some ways, so I really don't want to spend more than $200. I did notice the P3 headphones were around $175 USD - but read some rather unfavorable reviews. and passed.
I ended up buying the wired monitors, as they seemed to be at the top end of my budget, and if they sound anywhere near as good was the wireless versions, I should be rather happy. And no, I wasn't going to pay $100 for the counterfeit Marshall Monitors that may (allegedly) be found on this website. ...be careful who you buy from...
Regarding the sound of the Monitors: How cow, I love these things. The sound (again) is a little dark (the highs aren't nearly as bright as my Bose Around-Ear cans), but there is definitely good detail; there is good bass, but the mid frequencies....WOW! That's were these cans literally sing. I spent a LOT of time comparing my Marshalls to the Bose AE1, and it's incredibly how hollow those Bose really are. It seems like there is literally no middle frequency to the Bose. ...Those Monitors? I love the sound of these headphones. They may even sound better than the wireless - wish I could compare the two. Best of all; they're built like a tank, not like my plasticky made Bose AE1. I also like the single cord vs. the dual cord. Talk about a step up in every way. And the ear pads are magnetically removable/replaceable. Sweetness. Solves the problem I had with the Bose AE1.
However...In the back of my head, I'm still pining for those P5 cans. ...and with little more digging, I find these refurbed B&W P5 S2 wired cans for $150. OH! I had to try these, and quickly bought a pair. Waiting for the package to arrive, I kept thinking, "I wish I would have seen these first"....
So they arrive and I quickly busted out all three pairs of headphones: Bose AE1, Marshall Monitor (wired), and the B&W P5 S2 (wired), and started the showdown.
Bose AE1: are super bright, which is strange, because they seem to have a booming bass, yet they're incredibly hollow - there is virtually no middle tone to these headphones. It's all bass and treble. I would have never realized this until I listened to the Marshalls. Suddenly the brightness of these cans was getting very tiring - on top of them no longer being very comfortable on, or around my ears.
These have a cheap plastically feel for the build quality. Not surprising the padding shredded. The cord is thin and cheap. I hate the fact both ear cups are wired from the bottom to the plug. When I'm laying down with the headphones on, one cord is alway laying across my neck, and that quickly became a wildly annoying pet peeve.
I should mention. After I received these as I gift - I used them fairly regularly for a couple of months - then they pretty much sat in a drawer for several years (might be because of the cord laying across my neck when I was laying down with these on my head). I pulled them out a few months ago and started using them much more regularly. And literally, within a few months, the padding covers tore open/off the ear cups on both sides, and the padding started to shred. ...sure they were older, and age likely had something to do with it. ...but that padding isn't replaceable. It's stitched onto to the headphones.
Marshall Monitor (wired): I know these are not $800 headphones. And I really don't care. These are smooth. They're the closest to flat between the three. Decent bass, and it's definitely tighter than the Bose and B&W. Just enough highs for detail (really depends on the source) - but not nearly as bright as the Bose or B&W P5 S2. The Mids are delicious and smooth. I swear, these cans were tailor made for listening to Tom Petty from a portable MP3 player. Close to perfect. Every kind of music I threw at them, they just worked for my ears. So while these weren't nearly as bright as the other two headphones - they still gave you beautiful detail throughout.
The build quality is fantastic (metal, metal, a touch of vinyl, more metal, nice thick replaceable cord and ear pads) - the fit is a little tight - but not entirely bothersome to me. If you have a big head, you might not like them as much.
The Marshall wire is thicker, a little longer than the other two, and it's coiled if you need to stretch out a bit more. That's a HUGE bonus, IMO. It's easy to plug into your computer, and roll around on your chair a bit if you need to reach something without taking your headphones off. You can swap the cord from one ear cup to the other. And with the open ear cup wire port, you plug in a second set of cans, and share your music with someone else. Pretty cool. You can't do any of that with the B&W P5 S2 Wired set.
The B&W P5 S2 (wired): These literally sat right in the middle of the Bose and Marshall - and that was rather disappointing, considering the reviews I had been reading. The overall signature was brighter - the bass was boomier - and there a was a little more middle tones than the Bose AE1. So they definitely sounded better than the Bose - but they still sounded rather hollow - certainly not "accurate to the original source", as the description would indicate. The highs were bright and clear. In some cases, depending on the source/recording, too much? I was however, disappointed in the middle frequencies. They just didn't seem to be there. ...that was until I switch from the Bose to the B&W - then they elevated a bit - you could definitely hear it. But if I switched from the Monitors to the B&Ws, poof! Gone.
The metal build quality is fantastic, though the wire felt thin and cheap and it was a bit short. It barely reached my head from my floor standing computer, and I certainly had no room to move once the headphones were on. I couldn't lean anywhere - I felt stuck.
If you like Big Bass and Bright Highs, with a kiss of mid-tones. You will likely enjoy the B&W P5 S2 Wired. And for $150, if this is your preferred sound signature, you can't go wrong. Holy cow. Grab them while you can. If I hadn't bought the Monitors first, I would have probably been pretty happy with my purchase, as I had nothing to really compare them to, beyond my Bose AE1 - and these B&W are definitely a bit better in all aspects.
That said, there's no way I'd spend $300+ on these. Especially knowing what I know now.
If you want a sound with a richer feel, with more depth than just super bright highs and boomy bass, then these aren't for you. I returned these B&W P5 S2 (even at this price) because they were just too hollow for me. ...There is definitely better for not much more money.
