How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight, pocketable everyday on-ear with a refined, natural tuning and a hard-shell carry case, choose B&W Bowers & Wilkins; if you need a closed-back studio monitor with a flat response, swiveling cups, a detachable coiled cable and swappable ear pads, choose Rockville PRO-M50.
• B&W Bowers & Wilkins — biggest strength: a genuinely portable, foldable on-ear design built around bespoke fabric ear pads and heat-sensitive memory foam that keeps improving fit and isolation as it warms to your ears.
• B&W Bowers & Wilkins — biggest trade-off: a wired-only connection with a fixed cable and a narrower 20 Hz–20 kHz range, so you give up the flexibility of a detachable cable and the low-end extension a studio set offers.
• Rockville PRO-M50 — biggest strength: a proper closed-back monitoring tool with 40 mm neodymium drivers, a flat frequency curve, 32 ohm impedance and a detachable 51-inch coiled OFC cable that stretches to 158 inches.
• Rockville PRO-M50 — biggest trade-off: it's the heavier, more studio-oriented option — stainless steel frame, coiled cable, swiveling cups — and it isn't built to fold into a jacket pocket the way the B&W is.
• Choose B&W if you want one pair for commuting, travel and casual listening that disappears into a bag.
• Choose Rockville PRO-M50 if you record, podcast, mix or monitor and need accuracy plus cable and ear-pad flexibility.
The B&W Bowers & Wilkins P3 is, at its core, a portability story. It folds down small enough to slip into a jacket pocket, and it ships with a dedicated hard-shell carry case, so the design assumes you're moving around with it rather than parking it at a desk. That's the whole point of this set: it's the most pocketable on-ear in the brand's lineup, and every engineering decision follows from that constraint.
Where it gets interesting is the ear pads. The bespoke fabric covering is acoustically transparent in the center while sealing at the edges — a dual-purpose trick that gives you better bass and better noise isolation than the size would suggest. The pads themselves are heat-sensitive memory foam that molds to your ears over time, and they're removable for cleaning or replacement. The driver was redesigned from the ground up, including the diaphragm, with a unique damping system to control cone movement. The result, per the spec sheet, is a natural and spacious performance with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range — respectable, though not the widest here.
Who should buy it? Someone who wants one wired pair for daily life: commuting, walking, working in a café, throwing it in a bag. The wired 3.5 mm connection with an included Apple remote and mic cable plus a universal cable makes it a straightforward plug-and-play companion, and the 4.64-ounce weight keeps it comfortable for long stretches.
Who should skip it? If you need a detachable cable, a flat monitoring response, or low-end that reaches below 20 Hz for critical studio work, this isn't the tool. It's tuned for enjoyment and portability, not for hearing a mix exactly as it was recorded. And if you want wireless freedom, note that this is a wired headphone — the spec sheet lists Bluetooth under wireless technology, but the product is wired by design with a 3.5 mm jack.
The Rockville PRO-M50 SR is unapologetically a studio headphone. The headline is the driver: a 40 mm neodymium unit with a flat frequency curve, tuned for accurate reproduction rather than color. If you're monitoring a recording, tracking vocals, editing a podcast or just want to hear a song the way it was mixed, that flat response is the feature that matters most. The frequency range runs 10 Hz–25 kHz, which extends past what the human ear can hear at both ends — useful headroom for checking sub-bass and air.
The closed-back design and tight-sealing ear cups are the second half of the studio equation. They minimize bleed, which is exactly what you want when a microphone is open in the room, and they isolate you from a noisy environment when you're listening critically. The cups swivel, and Rockville includes two sets of interchangeable cushions — leather and suede — so you can pick the feel that suits a long session. A soft leather headband rounds out the comfort story, and the spec sheet explicitly frames this as comfort for extended wear.
Build and connectivity are where it separates from the B&W. The headband and arms are stainless steel, which is a durability statement, and the cable is detachable: a 51-inch coiled oxygen-free copper cable that extends to 158 inches, with a gold-plated 3.5 mm plug and a gold-plated ¼-inch adapter in the box. If you've ever had a cable fail on a fixed-cable headphone, you understand why this matters. A hard leather travel case and an extra ear pad are included too.
Who should buy it? Home recordists, podcasters, streamers, DJs and anyone who wants a monitoring set that can take some abuse and be repaired rather than replaced. At 32 ohm it's easy enough to drive from a phone or laptop, so it isn't strictly a studio-only tool.
Who should skip it? If you want something that folds into a pocket for a commute, the coiled cable and stainless steel frame work against you. And if you prefer a warm, forgiving, consumer-style sound, a flat monitor will feel clinical.
• Best for portability and travel → B&W Bowers & Wilkins. It folds into a pocket and comes with a hard-shell carry case; the Rockville is a studio-first design with a coiled cable.
• Best for studio monitoring and recording → Rockville PRO-M50. Flat frequency curve, 40 mm neodymium drivers, closed-back isolation and minimal bleed.
• Best for cable flexibility and repairability → Rockville PRO-M50. Detachable coiled OFC cable, 51 inches extending to 158 inches, gold-plated 3.5 mm plug plus a ¼-inch adapter.
• Best for long-session comfort with fit that adapts → B&W Bowers & Wilkins. Heat-sensitive memory foam pads that mold to your ears, with removable pads for cleaning.
• Best for two cushion feels in one box → Rockville PRO-M50. Interchangeable leather and suede ear cushions are included.
• Best for frequency extension → Rockville PRO-M50. 10 Hz–25 kHz versus 20 Hz–20,000 Hz on the B&W.
• Best for casual everyday listening → B&W Bowers & Wilkins. Natural, spacious tuning and a light 4.64-ounce build.
• Best for durability under heavy use → Rockville PRO-M50. Stainless steel headband and arms with a leather hard case.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Rockville PRO-M50 for anyone doing anything creative with audio — recording, podcasting, mixing or just wanting an honest, flat listen. The detachable coiled cable, swappable pads, stainless steel frame and wider 10 Hz–25 kHz range give it more jobs it can do well, and the flat curve is the quality I'd personally want in a primary set. I'd choose the B&W Bowers & Wilkins P3 instead if my priority is a light, foldable pair I can carry everywhere and wear for hours on end. Two different tools, and the right answer depends entirely on whether you're working at a desk or living out of a bag.
For studio work, the Rockville PRO-M50 is the more suitable design. Its closed-back cups minimize bleed into an open mic, and its flat frequency curve is intended for accurate monitoring. The B&W P3 is built for portable everyday listening rather than critical monitoring.
Yes. It ships with a detachable 51-inch coiled oxygen-free copper cable that extends to 158 inches, plus a gold-plated 3.5 mm plug and a gold-plated ¼-inch adapter. The B&W P3 uses a fixed wired cable with a 3.5 mm jack and includes an Apple remote/mic cable and a universal cable.
Both are designed for extended wear, but differently. The B&W P3 uses heat-sensitive memory foam pads that mold to your ears over time and are removable for cleaning. The Rockville PRO-M50 pairs a soft leather headband with interchangeable leather and suede cushions, and its spec sheet specifically calls out comfort for long studio sessions.
The B&W P3's bespoke fabric pads seal at the edges to improve bass and noise isolation despite their small size. The Rockville PRO-M50 goes further on isolation with a closed-back, tight-sealing design and reaches lower on paper, down to 10 Hz versus 20 Hz. If deep low-end and maximum isolation matter most, I'd lean Rockville. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide.
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