Gadgetory

I'm David Conaway executive editor for cnet.com and I'm going to give you a quick video tour of the Bowers and Wilkins p3 headphones which are among the slicker on ear models I've come across these are BMWs third pair of headphones in the first two models the on ear p5 and the in-ear c5 have earned strong reviews from CNET compared to the p5 the p3 is a more lightweight and affordable model that features a fold up design and a hard shell carrying case I can't say I like the case design as much as the headphones design the clamshell can snap shut on your finger and since the case is made out of hard plastic it's going to get scuffed up over time but it is very protective along with the carrying case you get one cable with an integrated microphone and remote that's designed to work with the iphone microphone will work with other phones including android models but the rope features are hit and miss with non Apple smartphones if you're an audiophile who wants to eliminate the switch for quote unquote straight wire with gain performance BMW provides a second cable that leaves off the microphone and inline remote and is easy to swap in the p3 headphones are made out of aluminum and durable rubber and feature custom-made ultra light acoustic fabric on the ear pads these headphones are very comfortable for a non ear model but they don't feel quite as comfortable as the P 5s which costs $100 more and have bigger plush or leather ear cups the ear cups on these guys breathe a little better than the P 5s but they'll still get your ears a little steamy on warmer days as for performance the p3 sound really good and like the p5 have detailed well balanced sound and good bass the p3 can press on their own but my view of them changed a bit once I compared them to the p5 s the p5 just sound more detailed open and more refined in other words that extra hundred dollars you pay for the p5 s does get you better sound in the end the p3 is a strikingly designed headphone that also sounds very good I can't say this is a great deal at $200 but it's about what you should expect to pay for a headphone that features this level of industrial design sound quality and feature yes you can find headphones that sound a bit better in this price range but few look as good I'm David Carr know and that's the Bowers & Wilkins p3 headphone thanks for watching