It’s been nearly three years since Bowers & Wilkins released their flagship PX8 over-ear headphones. One of the best sounding headphones on the market, I was eager to see how they would improve them, since it’s been a while. We checked out the B&W Px7 S3 headphones earlier this year. With an $800 price tag, I tried to find the differences between the Px8 S2 and the Px7 S3.
DESIGN AND BUILD B&W Px8 S2 HEADPHONES
Love the design on these. It’s just luxe! These headphones are a beautiful statement in design. Unboxing was simple but impressive. I love the color. They are available in two colors, Onyx Black and Warm Stone. I reviewed the Warm Stone which is like a muted tan. You will definitely recognize the familiar Bowers & Wilkins design. It looks very similar to the original Px8 headphones. As expected, the nappa leather material earcups are not as thick as before. They are still firm but soft. The corners seem a bit more rounded off. Still a very premium feel. As it should, for the price point. The headband is also cushioned. Tying it together are the sturday aluminum arms. The attention to detail is nice with a tight braided cable embedded in the arms. The earcups swivel on arms nicely but too loosely. The Px8 S2 have eight microphones, 4 on each earcup.
These headphones are about the buttons instead of gestures. You have your separate volume buttons, a multi-use button, and your power/pair slider button. The buttons aren’t on the larger part of the earcup, rather on the metal plate that attaches to the arm, making it look cleaner than the previous model.
SOUND AND EXPERIENCE Px8 S2
The Px8 S2 has updates to the sound too. The 40mm custom carbon fiber drivers have a streamlined chassis. When it comes to connectivity, you have Bluetooth 5.3, aptX lossless and AAC for high resolution audio. While older Bowers & Wilkins headphones weren’t bass heavy, that changes with the Px8 S2. The bass is nice and punchy without overdoing it. Very full sound. More bass than the prior model. I used my usual streaming services for music, Apple Music, Tidal HiFi, YouTube Music and Spotify. I mostly used the headphones wirelessly and the sound hits. It’s immersive and detailed. Highs are more noticeable, with much more bass. If you don’t want to use them wirelessly, the Px8 S2 come with usb-c to usb-c cable and a usb-c to 3.5mm cable.
ACTIVE NOISE CANCELING (ANC) AND EQ ON PX8 S2
As with others in the Bowers and Wilkins lineup, active noise canceling is good enough but it can still be better. The wear sensor feature is working better for me, which is great because I used to disable it. It has gotten better over time. You can use transparency/ambient mode, which Bowers and Wilkins call “environment control” which can be toggled on with the multi-use button.
I use the Bowers & Wilkins app to adjust those settings like enabling the “wear sensor” feature. You can also use it to update firmware, adjust the equalizer, control the button settings, and finding your headphones.
BATTERY LIFE ON THE PX8 S2
Bowers and Wilkins doesn’t have a problem when it comes to battery life. Same can be applied to the Px8 S2. You can get up to nearly 30 hours of battery life with active noise canceling activated. I highly doubt that many will use the headphones for such a long period of time. If you forgot to charge them, charging them for 15 minutes will give you a couple of hours of battery life.
VERDICT
Available in two colors, Onyx Black and Warm Stone at $799, these are up there in the luxury headphone category. They live up to the standard they set. Luxury design and build, along with an open soundstage and long battery life.
Who are these for? These are for those who want luxury headphones with great active noise canceling, amazing design and stellar, dynamic sound. If these are out of your price range, the Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3 offer a similar look at $449.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Over-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones
$799
Pros
- Luxurious build
- Loud, immersive sound
- Great battery life
Cons
- Carrying case doesn't have a loop or handle
- Very pricey
- ANC is better but there is still room for improvement
