Battery life: 30hrs
Bluetooth: Sure, 5.2
Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Finishes: x 4 (Black, Inexperienced, Blue, Gray)
Weight: 307g
With a full, lush sonic character and a brand new normal in sonic perception, the Px7 S2e are rubbing shoulders with the perfect. They’re additionally extraordinarily well-specced out, and need to be a few of the best-looking headphones available on the market at this time.
For
- Pretty full, lush sonic character
- Benchmark perception
- Extra entertaining than earlier than
- Stable all-round specification
In opposition to
- Robust competitors
- Don’t fold
Battery life: 30hrs
Bluetooth: Sure, 5.2
Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Finishes: x 4 (Black, Tan, Royal Burgundy)
Weight: 320g
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 would possibly go for the large bucks, however they’ve the sonic chops and luxurious aesthetic to match. In case you’re available in the market for a pair of wi-fi over-ears at this premium degree, we would suggest them in a heartbeat.
For
- Excellent readability
- Quick and punchy sonic presentation
- Pretty construct and spectacular consolation
In opposition to
- Limp sound at decrease volumes
- Put on on/off perform will be erratic
- Lack of low quantity adjustment when listening by way of USB cable
Bowers & Wilkins continues to be one of many greatest names in audio. The British manufacturers’s headphones are sometimes a few of the best the market has to supply, and whereas their premium costs might put them out of attain of many, they ceaselessly seem on our lists of the very best wi-fi headphones.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 are one of many best examples of B&W’s dedication to high quality, albeit at a moderately inflated value level. Examined at £599 / $699 / AU$1150, the posh pair go for giant cash however have the efficiency to match, providing up excellent readability alongside punch, dynamism and a eager sense of musical comprehension.
Now, although, there is a newer, cheaper various to the Px8. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e wi-fi headphones “goal to finish Sony’s dynasty as soon as and for all”, with a value (£379 / $399 / AU$599) that places them in an identical bracket because the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the brand new Bose QuietComfort Extremely over-ears.
Our Px7 S2e assessment reveals one other five-star performer able to competing on the very hardest finish of this extraordinarily aggressive market, however the S2e should above and past in the event that they’re to beat the Px8 to grow to be our final advice. Time to search out out which pair is best for you.
B&W Px7 S2e vs B&W Px8: value
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 are definitely conceived as a pair of premium wi-fi headphones. Whereas that hefty tag of £599 / $699 / AU$1150 is perhaps a substantial sum, they definitely do sufficient to justify it by way of efficiency. That is simply as effectively, as a result of we have not actually seen the Px8 budge a lot by way of value, which means reductions and offers are comparatively few and much between.
The Px7 S2e, in the meantime, are designed to be a extra reasonably priced set of cans, however that affordability could be very a lot relative to the Px8. A value of £379 / $399 / AU$599 sticks the trendy cans firmly into what we often think about to be the extra premium finish of the wi-fi headphone market, roughly matching the Sony WH-1000XM5 (£380 / $399 / AU$550) however not reaching the degrees of both the Bose QuietComfort Extremely over-ears (£449 / $429 / AU$649) or the expensive Apple AirPods Max (£549 / $549 / AU$899).
In case you’re merely searching for the bottom value, the brand new Px7 S2e might signify higher worth for cash proper now.
**Winner: B&W Px7 S2e**
B&W Px7 S2e vs B&W Px8: design
Effectively, we are able to definitely award excessive marks for each of the rivals on this class. Each the Px8 and the Px7 Se are a sight to behold, providing an aesthetic, luxurious aesthetic that screams class and good style. In case you discover the Apple AirPods Max a bit gaudy or the XM5 somewhat boring, we would direct you straight over to Bowers & Wilkins any day of the week.
The Px8, particularly, actually look the half, sticking to the corporate’s trademark elegant aesthetic that balances showy and splendid with ease. They’re such top quality, too, utilizing premium high quality supplies which have taken an enormous step up over rival cans, and we’re significantly eager on the superbly completed solid aluminium arm construction which gleams alluringly in the suitable gentle. As one thing to easily take a look at, maintain and admire, we won’t consider something extra fashionable and engaging at this value.
The Px7 S2e, although, aren’t precisely far off. That includes those self same raised earcup sections and the kind of elegant, swish curves you’d usually affiliate with a traditional British racing automotive, the most recent B&W headphones are as modern and trendy as a racing inexperienced Aston Martin. Fairly fittingly, they’re now obtainable in a moderately fetching ‘Forest Inexperienced’ colourway, so the metaphor stands up.
With our assessment nonetheless scorching off the press, we are able to attest to simply how nice the Px7 S2e appear and feel, each within the hand and on the pinnacle. They are not fairly on the extent of the dearer Px8, and lack these additional thrives which make these premium cans actually pop aesthetically, however on no account do they really feel like they are not incomes what continues to be a considerable £380 price ticket.
Each pairs are beautiful, however some are simply extra beautiful than others.
**Winner: B&W Px8 **
B&W Px7 S2e vs B&W Px8: options
Regardless of the value hole, there’s a number of overlap by way of what these high-class headphones can do. They are not worlds aside by way of construct and design, and people superficial similarities lengthen considerably to options, too. Each pairs provide ANC and high-end voice calls, with the S2e utilising six microphones to dam out noise to match the six provided by the Px8. Battery life for each is a really respectable 30 hours, as is every pair’s providing of Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec as normal.
The Bowers & Wilkins Music App is widespread to each fashions, providing customers the possibility to regulate their cans’ EQ, activate the noise-cancelling transparency mode to let in roughly of the surface world, and supply direct entry to music streaming companies akin to Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal and TuneIn.
Within the Px8’s field, you are supplied with a USB-C to USB-C cable for hooking up on to your laptop and likewise a USB-C to three.5mm various for plugging into your music participant or different suitable system. Equally, you will obtain those self same cable choices if you decide up a pair of the Px7 S2e.
As you’d count on, the Px8 simply take issues to that additional degree. The extra premium headphones are as lavishly furnished with options as they’re luxuriously appointed with high-grade building supplies, providing up Ambient Cross-By means of (permitting exterior noise out of your surrounding atmosphere, e.g. practice bulletins, to be heard with out eradicating your headphones), in addition to on/off head detection for automated pausing when the Px8 are eliminated out of your noggin.
A detailed-run factor, however the Px8’s actually premium extras simply nudge them forward.
**Winner: B&W Px8 **
B&W Px7 S2e vs B&W Px8: sound high quality
In our unique assessment, we lauded the great Px8 over-ears for being “massively succesful performers that justify their value with a mixture of construct and sound high quality that cheaper options simply can’t match”. It is reward that is still well-earned, with B&W serving up a pair of performers with a sonic profile that treads the tightrope between readability and dynamism with complete ease. They’re an actual sonic delight.
Sure, there are a number of niggles, we are able to admit. The Px8 will present up shortcomings in additional flawed recordings or sources, for example, so that you’ll want to ensure the sign feed into them is sweet sufficient to permit them to shine, as they will not absolutely easy out the tough edges inherent in a barely wonky monitor. Not a deal breaker, however one thing that is value being conscious of.
Conversely, Bowers claims that its newer, cheaper headphones boast “vital advances in total sound high quality” in comparison with the outgoing Px7 S2, a lot of which is due to an “extensively upgraded DSP”. Improved processing has allowed B&W to retune the acoustic platform, which is as soon as once more constructed round customized, barely angled 40mm drivers, for an enhanced, extra dynamic listening expertise.
To our ears, the Px7 S2e are definitely an invigorating hear, and whereas it may be robust to match the passion and dynamic vary of Bose and Sony, you will discover a lot to love concerning the elegant cans as quickly as you pop them over your ears and get listening. With an acute sense of timing and organisation, the S2e are adept at crafting a convincing musical soundscape that feels ordered and cohesive with out falling into the dreaded realm of turning into chilly and scientific. They’re additionally astonishingly insightful, setting a brand new benchmark at this degree with class-leading evaluation and a way of musical understanding that calls for to be heard.
In the end, although, we’ve to go along with our established five-star favourites. The Px8 are a razor-sharp, refined and deeply musical hear, and with the additional money spent on refining them to grow to be the very best they are often, they simply about take the win right here.
**Winner: B&W Px8 **
B&W Px7 S2e vs B&W Px8: verdict
Each the B&W Px7 S2e vs B&W Px8 are actually high-grade headphones, boasting beautiful designs crafted from premium-end supplies, spectacular characteristic units and the kind of elegant, intuitive sound that has made Bowers such a revered identify throughout the audio world.
With that in thoughts, we would haven’t any hesitation in recommending the superior Px8 if (and it is a huge if), cash is not any object. They’re clearly an amazing deal extra expensive than the Px7 S2e, but there is not any query the high-end cans justify their sizable asking value with some actually exceptional sonic capabilities. If we had a spare £599 / $699 / AU$1150 knocking round, we won’t consider significantly better we might find yourself spending it on.
Do not disregard the Px7 S2e, although. In case you do not wish to stretch to the sizeable asking value of the Px8, the S2e are a five-star various, particularly in case you crave the cautious building, tasteful aesthetic and supreme sound profile that has helped B&W make its identify.
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Learn our B&W Px8 assessment and our B&W Px7 S2e assessment
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Our decide of the greatest over-ear headphones
