Bowers & Wilkins - B&W Px8 S2 Over-Ear BluetoothHeadphones - Warm Stone

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• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Possibly the best wireless headphones in the game

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  PROS: Sound quality is superb (maybe the best wireless Bluetooth cans) Comfortable and lightweight Premium build quality Fleshed out app that makes connecting easy Transparency mode sounds fantastic SO-SO: price ($799) CONS: Call sound quality I admit it: I'm a headphone snob. Every year or two, a new pair will enter my collection that blows me away. I often have a favorite that I think cannot be topped, only to discover something even better. Currently, among my favorite wireless ANC headphones are the Mark Levinson "No. 5909s," the Dyson "OnTracs," as well as Bowers & Wilkins' Px7, Px7 S2, and Px8 models. Out of these, the Mark Levinson's still retail at $999, almost four years after they debuted. Those were my favorites, but not anymore. When I first put on the Px8 S2, I immediately felt the difference between the S8 and the new S8 series 2. They feel lighter and are more comfortable to wear. The earcups sit perfectly on my ears in relation to the band on top of my head. To achieve a lighter design, some metal was removed, resulting in "exposed" braided wires where solid components once were. Not only do they make them very lightweight and comfortable, but they also look more modern and sleek. A notable improvement is that the auto-play/stop feature now works perfectly when you take your headphones off. That's been an issue for me in the past, not just with Bowers & Wilkins, but with the majority of them. I usually toggle that feature off because it's so temperamental. Yet, with the Px8 s2, the feature works flawlessly. The smaller size also means that the carrying case is more compact, though not as small as some. This is mainly because the Px8 S2 can't fold. I'm not too bothered by that. Fewer moving parts generally mean less wear and tear. Inside the case, a small magnetic hatch neatly conceals a USB-C to USB-C cable and a 3.5mm to USB-C cable. The controls have been relocated compared to the original Px8. They've been moved closer to the hinges and away from the ear pads, which I'm not thrilled about. I can't recall anyone else arranging buttons in this way. Every time I go to adjust something, I find myself fumbling around, as it doesn't feel like a natural position. While I'll likely adapt over time, I still prefer the control placement on the original Px8. But what's the most essential part of a headphone? You could argue comfort, but I am 100% about the sound. The Px8 s2 completely surpassed everything I had previously encountered with wireless ANC headphones. I read the reviews and watched the YouTubers praise them, but I didn't know what I was getting into until I tried them out for myself. The Px8 s2 is definitely an upgrade. Everything is clearer, the bass is more pronounced and evident, and the vocals really shine. Nothing sounds muddled at any point. It's crisp, punchy, and for my ears, perfect. The stereo soundstage is narrower than wide, but that is the point in these. There are no gimmicks with the sound. No Dolby Digital surround or 360 claims. They just sound excellent, no matter your preference. On the other hand, the PX8 s2 comes packed with high-end features, including multipoint connectivity, smooth app support, and advanced codec compatibility. As a note, there are rumors that they may add "Spatial Audio" in the future through firmware updates, but we'll see. I am impartial to that kind of sound manipulation, as again, I prefer all those off and can immerse myself in stereo sound. If the original Px8 had a weakness, it was the transparency mode. While it functioned, it couldn't compare to what Bose and Sony offer. The transparency mode in the Px8 s2 has seen significant improvement. It's much more effective at letting you hear your surroundings, but keeps sound quality intact. Although it's not quite at Sony's level yet, it is definitely getting closer. What I love about Bowers & Wilkins is that they prioritize sound quality first, and ANC second. While Bose and Sony put most of their effort into the opposite, their sound suffers as a result. Bowers & Wilkins has given ANC and transparency fans what they want; however, I prefer the sound without ANC or transparency on. The ANC on the original Px8 was adequate but not impressive. Bowers & Wilkins has been aware that competing with Sony and Bose's ANC is a tall order, as achieving similar performance often compromises sound quality. Bowers & Wilkins stands firm on their commitment to prioritize audio quality. Nevertheless, the ANC in the Px8 S2 has improved considerably, likely due to better noise isolation. The thicker foam helps reduce low-end noise substantially, though higher frequencies can still be heard. The app has also expanded its offerings for the Px8 s2, increasing the EQ presets from three to five. However, this doesn't impact me much since I generally just set it to the "True Sound" feature and call it a day. The sound quality impressed me right out of the box, so I rarely feel the need for adjustments. Sound can be subjective, so it's nice to be able to tweak it to your liking. The only con I can find with these headphones is call quality. If that's important to you, then you shouldn't be looking at $799 headphones and go for a set built more for calls. These will work for those of us who rarely use them for calls, but if you're using them for work calls all day, I'd look to the Bose or Sony offerings. These are built for music and entertainment sound. If you're not used to premium headphones, you might be taken aback by the price of the Px8 s2, and I wouldn't blame you. They are indeed expensive, coming in at $799. But for those who listen to a lot of music every day, the investment is justified. These truly stand apart from Sony and Bose, and even rival more expensive offerings. I have no concerns about the quality of Bowers & Wilkins. This is what they do. They're sound experts at this point, and lean into their high-standard reputation. The Px8 S2 could very well be the best wireless headphones on the market. They not only exude luxury, but more importantly, they take sound to levels I didn't know existed with wireless sound. Compare these headphones to first-class and economy seats on a flight. Economy might get you to your destination comfortably with some snacks, but first class offers an entirely different experience—albeit at a price.

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  This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - B&W Px8 S2 Over-Ear BluetoothHeadphones - Onyx Black

  Bryan Posted 3 months ago

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Px8 S2 - The New Standard in Wireless Headphones

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 headphones represent a decisive and deliberate move into the premium audio headphone market. This is not just an incremental update from the previous model. This is a statement. The Px8 S2 headphones have reached reference grade status with build quality, and most importantly sonic excellence. I'll admit, I have had a lot of the popular consumer headphones that I thought sounded great. I've never made the leap into premium audio and I'm glad I did. I feel like I've entered a whole new world of sound and music, and these headphones are worth every penny. The Px8 S2 have brought the recording studio to you, and they've done it wirelessly. - Unboxing - The packaging is a standard box, nothing special. Once you get to the carrying case you will notice it's small and easy to carry, wrapped in a premium, sturdy black fabric. It's tough enough to travel, and small enough to fit in your carry-on or backpack. Once you open the case you will notice the Px8 S2 are folded flat placed neatly into the case. There's a central magnetic compartment that holds a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging, and a USB-C to 3.5mm stero jack cable. The presentation is minimal and clean, but perfect. - Design & Build - Picking up the headphones, you will notice they're light but substantial. They feel like they weigh a little over half a pound. There's no plastic here. It's premium diecast aluminum arms and movement is fluid. The engineering precision is clear. There's an exposed cable that runs along the arms to add a touch to the design. The leather is premium, it's a high end soft Nappa leather. You will have to take good care of it, but it will definitely add to the comfort level during longer audio sessions. The headphones only fold flat, so they will take up space, but as I mentioned before, the case is designed to be as slim as possible. There are hidden buttons on the earcups (2 on the left and 3 on the right.) - Specs & Features - Drivers - The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 have 40 mm dynamic full range Carbon Cone Drivers. Carbon has exceptional stiffness-to-mass ratio, reducing distortion and improving the driver's ability to start and stop cleanly. The S2 model has a stiffer chassis that allows the bass to hit even tighter and perform clean transitions with rapid changes in audio, instead of blending into the next. Simply said, you will hear music as it was intended to sound straight out of the recording studio. Signal Processing - High Performance 24-bit DSP Battery Life - These headphones provide 30 hours of playback with ANC. You can also quick charge for 15 minutes and get another 7 hours of playback, which is great while traveling. Connectivity/Codec Support - Bluetooth 5.3, A complete high-resolution wireless suite (aptX Lossless is a huge play for the Px8 S2 headphones, IMPRESSIVE!!), Multipoint connectivity (for me this is my laptop and my phone), and wired listening via USB-C/USB-C or USB-C/3.5mm cable for traditional analog sources. If you have an iPhone, to get the most out of AptX Lossless, you will want to run the USB-C to USB-C. I think it sounds great without, but this will give you optimal sound. Microphone - 4 mics per earcup (total of 6 used for ANC, all 8 are used for calls) Controls - There are subtle buttons on the earcups that you will need to learn to locate. On the left side you have the power/bluetooth button and an environmental button. On the right side you will have volume up & down, and a multi function button for play/pause/call. Active Noise Cancellation ANC - I think the ANC is great, but Bowers & Wilkins did something really clever here. The more effective ANC is the more it compresses the dynamics of the music and the energy. Bowers & Wilkins has deliberately tuned ANC and DSP to be less aggressive to preserve the purity of the sound. There is only so much ANC you can add before it compromises the sound. This is what makes these headphones unique, everything is geared towards reference grade sound. Software - The app allows you to update software, link a variety of music services (I discovered a couple through the app that offer high quality music streaming built especially for these headphones), set your environmental controls (ANC, Pass-Through), or even set a custom EQ. I chose to leave the EQ flat so that I can hear the music just as it was intended. You can adjust the sensitivity of the sensors that can detect when you take your headphones off. Additionally you can link in your music service and choose different artists to place in your library. The app is simple, but focused and organized. - Performance/Comfort - The ANC works very well at dulling the environmental noises around you. There were a few times I had to turn ambient noise on to hear what was going on around me. It's effective at allowing you to focus on the music even while sitting in a noisy environment. The call quality is clear and the mics deliver the clarity required while having a conversation. My wife and I switched back and forth and everything was crystal clear. The Nappa Leather and cushion makes the Px8 S2 wireless headphones the first pair that I can truly wear for hours. I can't even feel the band on my head after about 15 minutes. The design team did a remarkable job here. The sound is the entire reason we buy these headphone and all I say is WOW! Bowers & Wilkins have made sound their top priority and it shows. The sound is balanced, tight, and full of energy. Every sound is just full of depth. The Bass is powerful, low, and it can stop and start cleanly. It can be punchy and tight when it needs to be. I listened to everything from Rock to Hip-Hop to Country to Instrumental and it keeps you playing just one more track. I kept searching for my old favorites because music just sounds different on these headphones. The mids are natural and full. You can hear every note in its entirety. They can also sound emotional and rich. The treble is clean and smooth while still retaining all the detail. There's nothing artificial coming through the headphones. I could go on and on, the sound is just Amazing. I haven't listened to this much music in years. These headphones will just consume you. I'm telling everyone I know, experience these headphones. Honestly, these are the best headphones I've ever had. Highly Recommended! - Pros/Cons - - Pros - - Reference grade sound quality: Dynamic, Detailed, Spacious, Deep - Exceptional Build Quality - Codec support is excellent including aptX Lossless - App has add the 5-Band EQ if you want to dial in your own sound - Quick charge gives you 7 hours in 15 minutes - Great fit and comfortable for hours - Suggestions/Needs Improvement - - Physical buttons can be improved to match the rest of the premium design - Headphones don't fold in

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  This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - B&W Px8 S2 Over-Ear BluetoothHeadphones - Onyx Black

  NanoEthan Posted 3 months ago

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Endgame Bluetooth Headphones

  • Tech Insider Network Member
  • Top 1000 Contributor

  Rarely does a product come along that shatters all of my expectations. This was the case with the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2s. From the impeccable build quality to it's premium sound quality, these are hands down the best Bluetooth headphones that have ever graced my ears. In terms of build quality and design, the PX8 S2s are as good as it gets. I love the minimalist design approach that Bowers & Wilkins continues to embrace. It's such a nice departure from other bulky and weighty premium headphone offerings. Being their top of the line flagship headphones, it's no surprise that the headband and earcups are constructed from real leather. The leather earcup cushions are extremely comfortable due to the supple memory foam. The retractable gun metal earcup bars are the most premium I've seen on any headphones. I love the tastefully designed center cutouts in each of the metal bars. This exposes the braided audio cable and allows for a design cue that you won't find on any other model. The outer earcup shells are constructed from this beautifully brushed dark grey aluminum with polished beveled edges. The earcups gracefully pivot in a 180 degree fashion in case you want to rest the headphones around your neck or lay them flat on a table. The clamping force is the best balance I've experienced yet. The clamping force is slightly less than the PX7 S3s. This translates to a slightly improved ANC experience on the PX7 S3s (due to the better seal), but a more comfortable fit on the PX8 S2s. If you're someone who enjoys really long listening sessions, you'll really enjoy the fit and comfort of the PX8 S2s. The audio quality is of course the star of the show here; especially considering that these are bluetooth headphones. I have several open and closed back headphones that I typically pair with a dedicated amp/dac combo for regular listening sessions at home. In my opinion, the PX8 S2s have achieved premium wired sound quality. I don't know how much of that is due to their 40mm angled carbon cone drivers, their integrated dac/amplifier, their aptx lossless Bluetooth codec support, or their specific tuning, but I do know that they are easily on par with some of my higher end wired offerings. The stock sound profile is fairly neutral with a hint of warmth. To me, the bass is definitely more pronounced on the PX8 S2s over the PX7 S3s. The bass punches a bit deeper and cleaner. The soundstage feels very spacious. Whenever I listen to tracks on the PX8 S2s, it almost feels like I'm watching a live performance because of that spaciousness. The instrument separation when listening to jazz, classical, or reggae was phenomenal. The stock sound profile really complimented my more vocal tracks as it made them sound accurate and organic. Since I also tend to listen to metal and EDM, I used the Bower & Wilkins mobile app to bring up the lows, mid highs, and highs to my liking. This helped add more presence and excitement in my metal as well as made my EDM tracks sound a bit brighter. I can't stress enough how impressed I am with the superior separation and layering on the PX8 S2s over the PX7 S3s (and the PX7 S3s are already very good!). While Bowers & Wilkins exciting sound profile is exactly to my taste, custom fine tuning my custom profiles to each genre brought out the magic in these headphones even further. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that these PX8 S2s get plenty loud too! My hats off to Bowers & Wilkins for really nailing the sound quality on these headphones. The ANC performance on the PX8 S2s is very good but they're not the absolute best I've experienced. With that said, for all of my testing and current needs, it's been more than adequate. I work in a very noisy office floor and the ANC easily drowns out around 95% of all external noise. During a quieter track, I can sometimes just barely hear a loud co-worker, but on more pronounced tracks, I don't notice them at all. When using the PX8 S2s outdoors, it was also rare for loud noises to leak in. For me, these are easily travel approved. The built-in microphones are also solid. I've had countless conversations with friends, family, and co-workers. They've all confirmed that I sounded crystal clear with no distortion or cut-outs. The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2s earn a perfect five star review from me. They use top-quality components, backed by premium sound usually found only in high-end wired headphones. Bowers & Wilkins also nailed the sound profile by providing mostly neutral and accurate sound with a bit of excitement to it. The ANC performance was also executed to a high standard. To top things off, the hard shell travel case was a nice inclusion. I love the velvety soft inner lining with the small storage compartment. Overall, the PX8 S2s truly are the full package. I highly recommend them to anyone who doesn't make any compromises when it comes to their wireless audio.

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  This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - B&W Px8 S2 Over-Ear BluetoothHeadphones - Onyx Black

  k1zit Posted 3 months ago