Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review

Bowers & Wilkins, a company that is considered a heavyweight in the field of hi-fi, is one of the rare manufacturers that has no problem launching two pairs of headphones with very identical designs so close together in time. The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are wireless, over-ear, noise-canceling headphones that bring higher sound quality than its stablemates wrapped up in an even more luxury design.

These headphones came quick on the heals of its PX7 S2 headphones, which were given a rating of five stars by customers. They are the most logical option to go with if you are looking for the best wireless headphones the British audio company offers.

However, with a price tag that is £220 more than the PX7 S2, they are intended for a market that is exceedingly niche. It’s possible that wealthy audiophiles will believe they are worth the additional cost, but the PX7 S2 are more than adequate for the vast majority of people.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Design

First of all, the Px8 looks like it belongs. They stay true to the company’s signature classy design, which strikes a great balance between flashy and expensive. The high price of these headphones is definitely justified by the high quality of the materials.

Which are a big step up from the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones we reviewed a few months ago, which looked the same but were much cheaper. The headband, earcups, and earpads are all made of soft Nappa leather that feels great to the touch. You can get it in black or tan, and both colors look good. Aside from that, the cast aluminum arm structure has a beautiful finish and feels like it was made with great care in how it slides and turns.

But unlike some competitors, all of this high-end goodness doesn’t add much to the Px8’s weight, which is a very reasonable 320g. That is about 60g less than Apple’s competitor. When you combine this reasonable weight with the well-shaped headband and nicely designed earpads, you get a pleasing level of comfort, even after long periods of use.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Comfort

Even though the padding on the earpads is not as soft as it is on the Master & Dynamic MW75, the Px8 set is still comfortable to wear. The B&W headphones, on the other hand, fit tighter and are soft enough to bend around the head. This clamping force is strong, but it isn’t annoying.

I’ve worn these headphones for several hours at a time and never felt like the pressure was too much. They can’t be folded inwards, but there’s a good reason for that. It simplifies the design of the arm linkages, making it less likely that wind will affect how well they cancel out noise. You can buy this headphone from its official website.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Connectivity

As a comparison, the M&D MW75, which costs the same as the AirPods Max, has a battery life of 28 hours. If you want more, Sennheiser and Technics make headphones that last longer and cost less, but the Px8 is competitive in its price range.

Standard SBC and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs are both supported, but the Px8 set came out before aptX Lossless and the Snapdragon Sound platform. With the aptX Adaptive codec, the headphones have been very easy to connect. Other than a few brief glitches, nothing has made them stop working.

We have worn them in busy train stations and in crowded parts of central London, and they’ve always done what they were meant to do. Now let’s talk about call quality. This pair also does well in this area. They’re not as good as the Sony WH-1000XM5, but they’re still some of the best headphones I’ve used this year.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Noise cancelling

At the top of the screen, some icons and pictures show which noise-canceling mode the headphones are in. In the app section for devices (headphones or wireless speakers like the Zeppelin), you can change the headphones’ EQ (treble and bass from -6dB to 6dB).

Manage connections, and customize the Quick Action button on the left earcup (Environment Control, or noise cancellation, and Voice Assistant). The streaming quality of the built-in apps can now be changed from “Reduced Data” to “Highest.” This can be done for both mobile and Wi-Fi connections.

Like with the Px7 S2, B&W has decided that audio quality is more important than noise cancellation. This is why the ANC is strong enough to block out sounds without hurting the quality of the audio. That doesn’t mean, though, that the Px8 is a shy pair – far from it

Even though it has the same microphone setup as the Px7 S2, it is a clear improvement (four for ANC and two dedicated to call quality). I think this is mostly because of how the Px8 fits. The seal around the ears is much tighter on the Px8 than on the S2, so it blocks out more noise.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Audio performance

The second one has two 40mm bio-cellulose drivers, while the first one has two carbon units that are the same size. I’ll admit that I don’t know enough about how headphones are made to say which is technically better, but I know that the Px8 sounds great.

The sound quality of the Px7 S2 was already very good, but Bowers & Wilkins has found a way to make this model even better. No matter what genre you like, the sound profile makes you want to stay and listen for a while. The sound is so clear that even the most chaotic metal is perfectly put together, so you can pick out each instrument.

And in Underoath’s “Voyuerist,” it’s easy to pick out the backing synth even when it’s very quiet or layered on top of the whole band playing at full speed. The Px8’s bluegrass and jazz tracks have so much detail that it makes you feel like you were in the room with Béla Fleck when he recorded My Bluegrass Heart.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Call performance

Bowers & Wilkins says that it moved two of the six microphones on board closer together and changed their angles to improve the sound quality of the voice. The company said that these changes should also reduce the noise from the wind.

The Px7 S2 already had good call audio for the person on the other end, but because it didn’t have a natural-sounding transparency mode, I felt like I had to shout during voice and video chats. The pass-through audio on the Px8 is good, but not great, and it doesn’t sound as natural as it does on the AirPods Max.

But the Px8 does a great job of cutting down on background noise, so the headphones will help the person on the other end focus on your voice. But the overall quality of your voice isn’t great, as you’ll still sound like you’re using a speaker phone instead of a good mic close to your face.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Battery and charging

When it comes to battery life, Bowers & Wilkins headphones usually last longer than they say they will. The company always does a lot better than what is said, and the Px8 is no different. At the 30-hour mark, like the Px7 S2, this model still had 40% left in the tank, which is the official rating from the company.

Yes, that’s with active noise cancellation turned on for a few days and the occasional use of transparency mode for calls. The Px7 S2 still had 33% of its battery life left after 30 hours, so the Px8 seems to be slightly more efficient than its cheaper sibling, or maybe it just has a slightly bigger battery.

The company made a quick-charge feature that lets you listen for seven hours after only 15 minutes of charging. That’s great if you’re in a pinch, but since the Px8 has more than 30 hours of ANC use, I only charge it once a week, even though I use it for a few hours every day. The battery life of these headphones is on par with the best you can get right now in noise-canceling headphones.

Bowers and Wilkins PX8 review: Conclusion

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones are made very well. The sound is very good, and the creamy, warm midrange and lush bass are especially appealing. The music has a glow that few other things have. Noise reduction is good, but there are better ways to do the same thing.

Few things can beat them when it comes to comfort, and the fact that people with smaller heads can also use them is a good thing. Even people who wear glasses can wear them for longer periods. The Px8 has several competitors in its price range.