Bowers & Wilkins' new P3 Series 2 headphones bring updated sound, refined look

By Kris Wouk September 6, 2016

IFA might be all but wrapped up at this point, but that doesn’t mean companies are done announcing new products. Bowers & Wilkins is following up on last week’s announcement of the P7 Wireless with another update of a well-loved product.

The new and improved P3 Series 2 headphones retain much of what listeners loved about the award-winning P3 by keeping things light and portable. The Series 2 adds a black leather finish that should fit quite well with the rest of the materials used in the crafting of the headphones, including aluminum and sheep leather, which are also found in the company’s P7 series. A hard shell carrying case is included to keep the headphones protected while you’re on the go.

While the look might be relatively unchanged from the original P3 headphones, the Series 2 have seen multiple improvements when it comes to sound. The updated model uses an updated drive unit that features a damping system, which Bowers & Wilkins says makes for increased precision as well as enhanced bass, another feature that the P3 Series 2 headphones share with the new P7 Wireless.

Aimed at listeners on the go, the P3 Series 2 headphones feature two cables, allowing use with several different devices. One cable features an integrated mic and remote meant to work with the iPhone and other iOS devices, while another “universal” cable works with other mobile devices and MP3 players. Unlike many headphones, changing the cable requires removing the ear pads — which happen to be replaceable — but this shouldn’t be much of a problem for listeners, as they likely won’t need to swap cables regularly.

The Bowers & Wilkins P3 Series 2 might look expensive, but considering the features and materials used, the price doesn’t seem artificially high. The headphones sell for $150, and are available now via the company’s website. If you’d rather try them on first, models are expected to arrive in stores by September 15.

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Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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