B&W P3 Series 2

The fashion brand B&W keeps delighting fans with exclusive models, refining them year after year. In the open on-ear P3 Series 2 headphones, compared to the previous P3 model, the fabric earpads have been replaced with leather ones, giving the whole design a more grown-up, solid look.

Premium design

Otherwise, the construction parameters and design remain unchanged. The elastomer headband on aluminum sliders with generous adjustment, foldable compact earcups, and a light weight of just 130 g deliver excellent ergonomics. The foam earpads are held by two magnets, making them easy to remove and clean, and you can also replace the cable, which runs inside each cup and plugs into a 2.5 mm jack.

What’s in the box

The headphones come with a semi-oval case that’s easy to carry in a bag or backpack, plus two cables: one with a remote and one without. The first is suitable for controlling Apple devices. You can skip tracks, answer calls, pause, and adjust the volume. The cables are sturdy, pleasant to the touch, and don’t tangle.

Sound

There are no major complaints about the sound. It’s full and clear across genres—from hip-hop to jazz—though the bass may not feel deep enough, and the highs can get slightly smeared at higher volumes. Keep in mind the headphones have an open design, and passive noise isolation is fairly modest, so don’t expect great depth and clarity in the soundstage. Those with higher demands for sound can consider the higher-tier, and accordingly more expensive, B&W P5 Series 2.

As for the P3 Series 2, we recommend them to all fashion-forward listeners who first and foremost value beautiful, comfortable, well-built headphones—and only then how they sound.