In the comparison, Hifiman Edition S and B&W P5 S2

Although market trends come and go, high-quality basic headphones are still a profitable investment. We took a comparison of wired headphones from Hifiman and B&W, which follow a traditional style.

The downside of wireless headphones is that the batteries slowly run out, and even the best budget models will eventually wear out over time, and the long list of features on the big-screen shopping list may not offer the desired basic sound quality. What advice? Your best bet is to turn to traditional passive headphones made from good materials with the right knowledge and skill. Headphones made with good materials, with the right information and craftsmanship, are a natural choice for long-term use regardless of the conditions. When you focus on the basics, you can go a long way. A good example of this is the relatively new headphone manufacturer Hifiman and the long-standing audio pioneer B&W. Both manufacturers have also included headphones that are well suited to the average consumer’s ear and ears, which we were able to test.

Hifiman Edition S

The Hifiman catalog, known for its in-ear headphones and heavy-duty electrostatic headphones for the high-end market, has long lacked an in-ear model called the on-ear model. The manufacturer has indeed brought to market the Edition S-named headphones, whose design made a bold but successful decision to combine both closed and open headphones in the same body. In practice, this works as follows: the exterior sides of the earcups are adorned with handsome Hifiman logo-bearing metal plates that are held in place by magnets in the body. They can therefore be removed from their places at the flip of a hand, revealing a dense metal mesh, and voilà, the closed headphones have transformed into open ones. The ease of customization is especially useful when listening conditions change. With the headphones closed, they work better outdoors or in a slightly noisy environment, while with the headphones open, listening in a quiet place is even more comfortable and slightly gentler on the ears – although at first glance it might not seem like there is a big difference in actual comfort. The open design adds a hint of air and distance to the sound, while with the headphones closed, the sound is more focused and physical. In terms of sound quality, the Edition Ss fall neatly into the so-called premium category. The level of overall liveliness and ease of listening suggests that the headphone designers have achieved their goal with more expensive models. There are hardly any accentuates that add extra noise, and the music comes through clearly and effortlessly. The headphones fit quite tightly around the ears. This is useful, for example, when walking, but on the other hand, the slightly larger clearance for the earbuds’ sides could have made them even more comfortable for longer listening sessions. However, with the Edition S in the ears, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the music for even longer periods, and especially when closed they isolate external sounds quite reasonably.

B&W P5 S2

Our comparison of the other headphones is a revamped version of the P5 model, which has already achieved great popularity in the industry since 1966. The headphones made by the British company B&W, which has been in the business since 1966, convey a very unique, uncompromising quality effect with their elegant design made of genuine chrome and sheepskin. There is no innovation like the structure design of the P5 S2, but even in these cases, things have been thought through to go even further than the basic level. The ear pads of the headphones stay in place with magnets, so they are easy to remove. This also allows you to replace the headphone cable with a new one if it happens for some reason to break down. This is not necessarily a rare but extremely important and good feature, as this is the cable that most often has to withstand the strain, especially when handling a person on the go. And for a mobile person, the P5 S2s are perfect: they are surprisingly lightweight, flexible, and comfortable to wear, although their positioning is quite precise: the cantilevered headband immediately conveys the feeling that the headphones are poorly fitted. On the other hand, when worn in the right way, the headphones sit comfortably in place and isolate the ambient noise. Overall, the B&W P5 S2s are impressive. Their airy feel is exceptionally exceptional compared to other closed headphones, the closest comparison being the Hifimane headphones. This can be partly attributed to the technology inherited from the more expensive P7 headphones to the P2. The sound is lean, rhythmic, and engaging, with a touch of the manufacturer's self-assured linearity. In all respects, a good implementation really only lacks the ability to fold the headphones into a slightly more compact package for transport, but instead, it offers a long-lasting look and first-class sound quality. It’s not hard to determine which of these features are the most important.

Summary

Our comparison of headphones is difficult to decide on a winner, as both deserve their reputation for their well-designed looks and excellent sound quality. However, a prospective buyer should consider the connection between the headphones and the device they are intended for. On the other hand, Hifiman’s clever design works both inside and outside to benefit the sound quality, while the slightly more compact B&W headphones would seem to be more suitable for a mobile user. Both headphones also sound surprisingly well with the smartphone connected, with a powerful output that extends well beyond the treble range, so they are not a problem for the source of the sound – whether it is a smart device or a separate amplifier. Either way, both are easy to use both on the move and at home, as they manage to bring the basics of music to the fore in a concrete yet pleasant way. The fact that they are also designed with a thoughtful and eye-pleasing form factor is not going out of style yet.

Text: Heikki Kivelä, photos: device manufacturers
The story was published earlier In the preview issue of AVPlus magazine, NN/2017