hello!

well, to my surprise, i found that the b & w p5 speaker is on eopinions! i have had these speakers for a few years now and what a better review than a long term users view!

the taste for excellent sound quality initially came from my love for classical music and the uncountable times i have attended the symphony. i loved the complex blend of the orchestra in the hall and the attention that the soloist commands during a performance.

i wanted to capture this same feeling with a stereo set-up. i looked high and low and basically exhausted probably every audio store in the city. this was when i was in undergrad and funds (like any university student) were low.

i had to leave my original system consisting of akai reference master series integrated amp and cd payer (in the late 80's, this was the highest end i could afford) with energy speakers. the energy's were very clean and responsive with sound being on the bright side. this was the sound i loved in my 'early' days of 'high end' recorded music.

when i left home to go to professional school, i could not take my behemoth of a system with me. i left it with my best friend who had the pleasure of using it for seven years before i got it back and gave it to my parents.

during my residency, i finally got sick of listening to my little boombox that occupied my student apartment. when i started my residency, one of the first things that i got was a decent stereo system. oh yeah, i got my first all-clad cookware at the same time too!

i still didn't have a lot of money but it was more than i made while working part-time while in school. i decided to get a marantz integrated amp and cd player with b & w p5 speakers.

the speakers have connections for 'bass' and 'treble'. it's a nice audiophile feature but i don't know if it makes a difference. someone totally into equipment with their almighty scope will probably 'see' a difference.

after 'breaking the speakers in', i sat and listened to them with an attentive ear of a musician and a music lover. the speakers are warm with natural sound reproduction. instrument placement appeared to simulate where they would be on the orchestra stage. i loved the imaging that the p5's reproduced. the sound was not 'bright' like my old energy's. the energy's were power thirsty, requiring what seemed like a lot from the amp to get a decent loudness. the b & w's appear to be also 'thirsty' speakers but it is not important to me because i don't listen to my music at ear drum splitting volumes.

the b & w p5 sound reproduction appears to be natural and on the warm side. in my 'old age', i prefer this over to the bright and driving sound of other speakers i 'auditioned'.

now, in my married life, i do not have them hooked up as an audiophiles project anymore. they sit beside the hdtv with it reproducing sound effects and dialog rather than pure orchestral sounds. none the less, i still love them for the sound reproduction.

yeah, its overkill for an entertainment center but, wow, they sure sound great when listening to the battle scenes of 'gladiator'.

hope this helps. take care!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1200.yrs ago