At a glance
Expert's Rating
Pros
- Superb sound quality
- Great bass sound
- 30 hours battery life
- Bluetooth and wired modes
Cons
- Expensive
- Noise-cancellation could be stronger
- No Spatial Audio (yet)
Our Verdict
The Px8 S2 is even more expensive than Apple’s AirPods Max, but the sound quality is the best we’ve heard from the Hi-Fi experts at Bowers & Wilkins. The design and build quality are luxurious, and backed up by impressive battery life too. However, there’s still room for improvement on the noise-cancellation features.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Best Prices Today: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
It was pretty expensive, but the original Px8 from Bowers & Wilkins wasted no time in grabbing a spot in our list of the best over-ear headphones when it was launched back in 2022. The new Px8 S2 does arrive with a slight price increase, now coming in at a hefty $799/£629, which makes it even more expensive than Apple’s AirPods Max. It works hard to justify that price, though, with a luxurious and updated design that provides even better sound quality.
It’s worth noting, though, that quite a few online stores are currently selling their remaining stock of the older Px8 for around $500/£500. The company’s mid-range Px7 S3 also got a recent update and now costs $479/£399 if you’re looking for Hi-Fi headphones that are a little more affordable.
At first glance, the Px8 S2 looks very similar to its predecessor, with B&W’s trademark rectangular earpieces with rounded corners and gleaming, curved aluminium armature. However, the earpieces have slimmed down a little for this new model, and the weight has been reduced slightly to 310g (compared to a weighty 386g for the AirPods Max). It doesn’t cut any corners on build quality though, with the earpieces and headband padded with foam and wrapped in soft Nappa leather (“very premium, but not vegan-friendly”, according to B&W).
The Px8 S2 certainly feels light and comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time, and B&W has even redesigned the button controls on the earpieces to provide a firmer response when you’re adjusting the volume or other settings. The sturdy aluminium armature ensures that the headphone is tough enough to cope with life outdoors, and there’s a hardshell carrying case included for when you’re travelling as well.
The Px8 S2 has B&W’s familiar design, but there are new features both inside and outside.
Wired And Wireless
There have been changes on the inside too, with B&W stating that it has fine-tuned the 40mm carbon-fibre drivers to reduce distortion and improve bass performance. Wireless audio has been updated with Bluetooth 5.3 and aptX Lossless, along with the existing AAC for Apple devices. If you prefer a wired connection for listening to high-res audio then there’s a USB-C port along with a USB-C cable and 3.5mm-to-USB-C cable so that you can use the Px8 S2 with most analogue or digital devices straight out of the box.
There are now eight microphones built into the earpieces in order to improve noise-cancellation and clarity on voice calls. Battery life hasn’t changed, but it’s still pretty impressive, lasting for 30 hours when using noise cancellation (compared to 20 hours for the AirPods Max). There’s also a quick-charge feature that will give you seven hours of music after just 15 minutes of charging time.
Even the B&W Music app has been updated, now providing a five-band equaliser with the option to save your own custom presets, which was an irritating omission from previous versions of the app.
One feature that is missing, though, is support for Dolby Atmos or any other form of spatial audio. However, B&W has stated that it’s planning a future software update that will introduce the company’s own form of spatial audio, as well as the new Bluetooth Auracast feature for public broadcasting systems.
Premium price means premium design, with leather coated earpieces, and sturdy aluminium armature.
Sound Quality
Any set of headphones costing this much obviously needs to provide excellent sound quality, but I was impressed to find that the Px8 S2 lives up to the claim that it is “the best headphone B&W has ever made”. To test the claim of improved bass performance, I fired up the lossless version of Max Richter’s Shadow Journal from Apple Music on my iPad.
There’s no spatial audio, but the Px8 S2 conjures up a hazy, ambient sound for the track’s electronic loops, and there’s a piercing clarity to the violins and violas as they cut through the air. The real challenge, though, is the deep electronic bass that Richter uses on this track, which is often out of reach even for many expensive headphones and speakers.
The Px8 S2 surprised me, though, and was able to dig right down and embrace the reverberating bass rumble more effectively than any set of headphones that I’ve come across.
This delicate ambient track also highlights the improved noise-cancellation. The Px8 S2 is very effective at blocking the low-frequency drone of an aircraft engine, although it does still let in a noticeable whisper of higher frequencies with our second test that simulates the sounds of a busy airport.
The AirPods Max and Bose’s QuietComfort headphones still have the edge when it comes to noise-cancellation.
That impressive bass performance also works well with the rock/dance mashup of Sing Along by Sturgill Simpson. The collision of grinding rock guitar and wailing electronic keyboards needs a firm hand, but the Px8 S2 finds room to keep each instrument distinct and separate. It manages to pull out the precise ticking percussion that holds the track together, and the swooping bass drop towards the end of the song is worthy of an Ibiza dance party.
Should You Buy The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2?
If noise-cancellation is your main priority then rivals such as Apple and Bose are still the best options. However, the Px8 S2 wins in all other areas. It provides the best sound quality of any Bluetooth headphones that I’ve used so far. Its wired connectivity also allows hi-fi buffs to enjoy the best high-res music on Apple Music and other services. And, with 30 hours of battery life, the Px8 S2 can outlast most of its rivals too.
Best Prices Today: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
Author: Cliff Joseph, Contributor, Macworld
Cliff Joseph is a former editor of MacUser magazine and a freelance editor with 30(ish) years experience of Mac and PC technology. He first used a Mac working as a magazine sub-editor and found it so much better than using scissors and a pot of glue to make the words fit on the page that he become a convert to the Mac overnight. He has spent the rest of his career following the ups and downs of Apple (and is old enough to remember the time Apple came close to going bust). Cliff writes many of MacWorld’s games reviews - and is currently exploring options for getting Diablo IV to run on a Mac…