Ear bud and in-ear style headphones can be found just about anywhere ranging from around $10 to upwards of $1,000. It doesn’t matter if you’re exercising, working, running errands, or just passing the time, you want your music on your MP3 player, phone, or tablet to sound good.
Introducing yet another amazing innovation in sound from Bowers & Wilkins, the C5 in-ear headphones are truly an awesome experience. The Bowers & Wilkins endeavor to deliver true sound is truly not lost on these headphones. They are priced a little higher than average at $179.99, and I know what you’re thinking: $179.99 for a pair of ear buds? Normally headphones in that price range are large studio-looking headphones that are capable of pushing out some major sound. I have to tell you that the look alone won’t convince you to spend this kind of money for these ear bud style headphones. Your first time listening to them will seal the deal though. Believe me when I say that they are well worth the additional cash.
Style
The C5 in-ear headphones boast a unique design that features the Bowers & Wilkins “Secure Loop” design that is composed of a loop of cushioned wire that actually fits into the inner ear as opposed to looping around the outer ear with a rubberized plastic attachment in the way that other brands of headphones do. The C5s are black and a semi-transparent silver color giving them a unique and fashionable look. The Bowers & Wilkins name appears on each earpiece and on the wire at the beginning of each wire loop connecting to each earpiece. If you’re like me and you take your headphones EVERYWHERE, because you can’t seem to perform daily functions without listening to something, you can appreciate this next part. A very stylish black velvet carrying case is also included to protect the headphones, so when you need to toss them into a book bag, suit case, or a purse they do not get damaged.
Tech
A major factor in the C5’s ability to produce high quality sound is the way that it fits in the ear. The inner ear loop enables the headphones to fit deep in the ear and be held relatively secure. The fit in the ear is crucial to experiencing optimal sound quality. Bowers & Wilkins includes four different sizes of rubber ear pieces the headphones to make sure everyone has a perfect fit.
The design and tech that goes into the C5s work to create dazzlingly natural sounding audio. The control button that is located on the wire for the left ear headphone about six inches below the earpiece is an added convenience. Pressing the groove in the middle of the button answers calls and serves to pause and play music. The opposite ends of the control piece can be used to skip forward or backward between music files and control volume.
Experience
I can’t stress enough that the fit makes the difference, if the headphone begin to slip out of your inner ear even slightly you will notice depletion in the sound quality. The C5s fit deep enough into the inner ear to block out anything going on around you, but they are not at all uncomfortable. They simply are not designed to fit loosely as other headphones do, but with that being said, I was, and still am, truly impressed with these headphones. I have to confess that it took me a little bit to figure out the inner ear loop design, but once I figured out how to wear them properly I was quite thoroughly blown away. Bass is very important to me in the music I listen to, but I never really expect much bass to come out of a small pair of ear buds. I have only expected good quality bass to be produced by giant studio-style head phones with the big cushioned earpieces, but the C5s produce a nice clean sounding bass that still baffles me a little given the small size of the ear buds.
