Customer Ratings & Reviews

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.

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

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.

For lifelong audiophiles, like me, there are several stand out high end manufacturers that have always gone beyond normal consumer expectations, more advanced audio quality and consistently set the bar for others to achieve years from now. One of those brands that is synonymous with these characteristics is Bowers & Wilkins (B&W). They consistently produce some of the highest quality audio products I have ever had the pleasure of owning; in fact, I still own some of their audio products that are over 40 years old and still sound incredible even by today’s standards. For the better part of a decade, I feel as if the headphone industry has somewhat plateaued with companies continuing to produce near similar products year over year with very minor tweaks or upgrades but nothing that has really stood out to me recently. My main gripe has usually been they are all underpowered even though some have the drivers to handle more wattage. Well, let me tell you, after experiencing the latest headphone innovation by B&W, the new Px8 S2 wireless noise cancelling headphones, I can no longer gripe about underpowered headphones and I have finally found headphones worthy of shaking my brain and destroying my eardrums. Once you remove the Px8 S2’s out of the box you can see and feel the quality of the build made with premium materials, including fine Nappa leather on the earcups and headband and a durable aluminum frame. They have a slimmer profile and weigh less than the original Px8 making them more comfortable for long listening sessions. The control buttons are conveniently located on both sides of the headphones allowing you to turn up/down the volume, play/pause, skip tracks and change listening preferences such as activating/deactivating the noise cancelling feature. They include a protective carrying case that also stores the included USB-C cable and USB-C auxiliary adapter cable. Once I fully charged the headphones and downloaded the Bowers & Wilkins smartphone application, I was ready to see how worthy the sound is with the new Px8 S2s in comparison to my previous headphones. Using the app, I was able to adjust the sound equalizer to my personal preferences which included turning up the bass and treble. I turned the volume up about halfway when I realized the volume compared to some of my other headphones at maximum volume. The sound was crisp, clear, balanced and, did I already say, LOUD across the entire frequency range, including punchy, deep bass and clear, smooth treble. The active noise cancelling was decent but not the best I have experienced in headphones at a lower price point. The transparency feature was better than others I have experienced making it much easier to hear conversations and things in your surroundings. Obviously, their main focus was for music which is what they are known for. They support aptX™ Lossless Bluetooth which provides high-resolution audio (up to 24-bit/96kHz) with a compatible source and has multipoint connectivity so you’re able to switch between two Bluetooth devices at once. The headphones offer a battery life of up to 30 hours with ANC enabled, and a 15-minute quick charge provides an additional 7 hours of playback. For many consumers the high price may scare them away thinking they can get a near similar experience with headphones half the price however, let me assure you, you are getting much more literal bang for your buck. If you are an audiophile and seek the most premium experience in wireless headphones, you will not be disappointed and the new Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2s are exactly what you need in your audio arsenal.

This is probably my 8th set of wireless headphones (excluding earbuds). Why, because they keep getting better. My current favorites are Sony, Bose, Soundcore and Sennheiser. Among these Bose have the best noise reduction, no one else is that close, but they lose musically to the others. Years ago I had the B&W P3's and P5's, I loved them but as I said things keep getting better (neither had noise cancelation). First the packaging of the​ Px8 S2 is most excellent, they come with a semi-soft carrying case. In the case is a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable. The USB-C to USB-C allows the headphones to be used as a wired headphone to either an iPhone or Android phone (I tested with both an iPhone 17 pro and Google Pixel 10). The new Px8 S2 supports Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless (not sure why they don't support BT 5.4). They include 4 microphones per earcup for ANC and telephony. They support 30 hours playback with a 15-minute charge providing 7 hours of playback. When I first listened to Px8 S2's I immediately noticed how loud the headphones were. The sound is quite precise with the image being more frontal but still having a decent sense of space. I installed the B&W Music App. The headphones were immediately recognized, and my battery level showed 100%. The headphones did not need a firmware upgrade, but I could tell what version was running and how an update would be done. I had no problem pairing them with my iPhone 17 pro and my Google Pixel 10 (Android 16 Phone). The B&W app allows you to pair the headphones with up to two sources. I proceeded to break in the headphones using the headphone burn in the app: SQZSoft. This also allowed me to test the battery life (to some extent). I set SQZsoft to run for 24 hrs, after that the B&W Music app showed the battery life had dropped from 99% to 25%. Given that this software plays continuous random white noise data to burn in across the full frequency range this seemed pretty good (I had output level at about 60%). The software provides a ​rudimentary equalizer (with 5 eq bands, just labeled: LO, MID and HI that you can adjust +-6db), you can save your own curve to a custom profile (which you can rename). My next overall impression was that the bass was punchy with a nice tight sound. Deeper bass has great clarity that you can actually feel the rattle/thump of. The bass to midrange transition is full and effortless. Horns, piano and vocals are all pushed forward with bright detail and exceptional midrange clarity. The high treble frequencies have a nice ring to them, with really exceptional precision. Their ANC uses 4 microphones in both headsets to best determine where ambient sound is coming from. In my opinion the headphones work best with ANC enabled. You can turn it off or enable the passthrough mode to better hear the external sounds. The app also has a 5 band graphic equalizer with 1 preset and any number of user settable custom curves. I did a test with a few phone calls and these are clearly the best headphones I've tested for phone calls, they felt and sounded very natural. Callers were quite impressed. The headphones felt comfortable to me, the pressure on the side of the head was just fine. The weight of the headphone was noticeable but comfortable, maybe a tad on the heavy side. More time would tell. Now to the music, I started using the headphones wired (USB-C to USB-C) to my iPhone, Pink Floyd's classic; DSOTM. Speak to Me sounded tremendous, I knew I was in for a treat. The volume level was wonderful, the bass had a bit too much punch, which I dialed back from the EQ settings. The subtle sounds in the opening of the song were perfect now. I had the headphones at 60% volume and that was fine (for now), but knowing they could drive them higher later. The subtle tones were absolutely superb as the song builds; it had real oomph that you could feel, that higher volume went. The highest notes in Time were all encompassing sounding most excellent, these headphones provide a sharp, crisp, clear airy high end. Then came the "Great Gig In the Sky" ethereal voices, wisp around the soundstage, with highs higher than I'm accustomed to hearing and with the bass building as it should have, it was just superb, a most fantastic soundstage. "Money" got me drumming, it sounded so real, the tom-toms had a real kick to them, and it was even a little louder. "Us and Them" was tremendous, it literally had me turning my head, like I could tell where each of the different instruments were coming from, with a real dynamic sound stage. The music came from all around. As we ended with "Eclipse" I felt like the little voices in my head would persist, and there would be more. Wow! Then I quickly listened to Genesis Live (Seconds Out), with "The Musical Box"; the vocals all came from different locations, and I could literally visualize the guitars moving in front of me. Again the sound stage with live music is much better than I expected from headphones. I then moved to Boston's first album; "More than a feeling" was very, very crisp, and the bass had a real thump to it with very crisp highs. On "ForeplayLong time" the fade in​/out fade had great separation; it was completely surreal. The subtle build up was better than I expected. The bass was very deep, perfectly boomy. Here I changed to Bluetooth vs wired. The change was subtle but noticeable. The volume dropped, maybe 10%, which I could easily dial back​-up (from 60% to 75% seemed to be about the same). I also disabled ANC; and quickly determined that I liked the headphones much better with ANC enabled. I double tapped to advance the song, it worked as I expected. 1,2,3 taps and double tap and hold, so 4 different options. Outside I could barely hear my pool pump running with ANC on, and it was noticeable with it off. A big difference, so it works pretty well. But it's not as good as Bose is in doing the cancellation. When you remove the headphones anything playing is automatically paused. I then listened to Yes's Roundabout, I had a feeling it would sound excellent and it did not disappoint. I also listened to the symphonic live version, and the sound stage was truly impressive. The range of the orchestra was quite impressive. I wanted to compare my iPhone 17 Pro to the latest Android 16 release (both with BT 5.3). I used PowerAmp Pro on the Android and Apple Music on the iPhone. I listened to the live version of Deep Purple Smoke on the Water (FLAC-BT) on both, as synchronized as I could get them, with very similar volume levels. As I went back and forth the iPhone had a generally smoother overall tone. The android was a little kickier on the low end. Both sounded very good; I'd have expected the iPhone supposably with a better DAC to clearly sound better. But the Android Phone held its own, I like the PowerAmp features much better. I also listened to some Kansas Live (FLAC-wired) and thought the Android might have had an edge in presenting better highs. I could go and tweak either the EQ, but I was content to say that the latest Android phone was just as good as an iPhone's audio. All told, I think that these are the best headphones I've ever heard (at any price) musically. After listening for several hours, I found them comfortable (still a tad heavy). I just spent over 5 hours with them, and rarely thought about it (other than how good they sounded). My complaints: I do think they can improve their ANC further (Bose & Sony both better (IMHO))​. I do wish they supported BT 5.4. I do wish their software had a better Equalizer (8 or 10 band). I do wish their software supported more streaming services (Apple and Amazon NOT supported). I do wish their software could play music stored locally on the phone directly (my biggest complaint). I do wish their software supported Spatial Audio (to be added I understand). B&W has a real winner. I have to say I did not expect to be so impressed. These are clearly one of the best sets of headphones that you can acquire today. They are what I've been looking for, but I doubt it will stop me from further research, but the bar has been raised.

From the iconic British brand that brought the world the Nautilus speaker, the new Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 class leading Bluetooth headphones are simply a joy to wear in every way. From the highly detailed and expertly crafted aesthetic, to the full crystal clear high fidelity sound, these headphones do not disappoint. *** SOUND *** Bowers & Wilkins have been at the forefront regarding speaker innovation, since the 60’s. They have produced some extremely unique designs over the years that have been placed into world class recording studios all over the world, including the legendary Abbey Road Studios in North West London. Without getting into their history too much, needless to say, Bowers & Wilkins is a name you can trust regarding the quality of speaker design. These headphones are the epitome of pure, clean, sound. As a lifelong musician, I have well trained ears from years of making music and I can honestly say, up to this point, these are the best sounding Bluetooth headphones I have had the pleasure of wearing. Combining 40mm carbon drivers with 24 bit DSP, these headphones deliver the goods to your ears with distinct focus and power. The first track I load when I want to do a speaker test is called “Brushstroke: An Elephant In The Delta Waves.” For this instance, I turned all of the lights off, laid down on the couch and let it rip. It sounded so good that I listened to it a few times in a row, and then tried another incredibly well mixed track called “Planting Seeds.” Both tracks are by the great band Dredg from Los Gatos, CA. These tracks are a great way for me to hear the separation of highs and lows, as well as the overall mix of instruments, and how they are all present, all while leaving room for the vocals to stand front and center. It all comes together so beautifully. Every small nuance in the mix is clearly distinguishable. If you are into clean mixes, you should also listen to Mammoth WVH. Try the track “Take A Bow,” for starters, it’s a banger! I digress. If you are looking for a truly premium listening experience no matter what genre of music you prefer, the B&W Px8 S2 headphones should be at the very top of the list. Step outside of the mainstream box, you’ll be happy. *** DESIGN & BUILD *** Just like the sound quality, the design and build quality of these headphones is among the best. From the extremely comfortable Nappa leather ear pads, to the premium die-cast aluminum metal parts, these not only look great, but are also built with longevity in mind. The leather crown pad and ear cups are very comfortable and easy to wear with no fatigue for long periods of time. The era cups fold flat for storage in the included clam-shell case. This also makes them easier and more comfortable to wear around your neck when not in use. The included carry case is slim and the perfect fit for the headphones. It also has a magnetic flap in the middle that houses the cables. The zipper feels strong and when fully zipped there is no zipper visible, which makes the case even more resistant to dust and moisture. The package includes both a USB-C to USB-C cable, as well as a USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable. Both cables are thick and well made and include velcro straps to keep them tidy inside the travel case. The buttons on the side of the headphones are kept minimal on purpose, to keep them easy to use, and locate when needed. There are no swipe actions, only a few buttons on each side that are easy to remember for functionality. When you first connect the headphones to the app, it will give you a short tutorial on the button layout and how they can be used to play, pause, skip tracks, answer or reject phone calls, etc. Another thing I really like about these headphones, is when you lift an ear cup off of your head to talk to someone, the music automatically pauses, then resumes once you place it back on. Lastly, these headphones are lower profile than most of the other Bluetooth headphones I have, which I prefer, and appreciate. *** THE APP *** Almost every device these days comes with a companion app. These also include an available app, which gives you access to additional features, such as, firmware updates, a custom EQ, and the ability to link compatible streaming services for music control within the app. As of this review, YouTube Music is not supported, which is the service I use, so I could not try this feature. I would like to see it added in a future update if you are listening B&W! Otherwise the app is straight forward and a great way to check if there are any available updates for the headphones. *** IN CONCLUSION *** Bowers & Wilkins are a top tier name in speaker innovation that have been around for decades. When I hear the word audiophile, they are a brand that comes to mind. Their main goal is to create speakers that deliver the sound the creators and producers intended, and they have achieved this in every way. To me, this is worth the price when considering speakers and headphones. If you are into premium sound quality and filling your ear holes and head with the delicious sound quality you deserve, and as intended, consider the B&W Px8 S2. *** PROS *** Rich, highly detailed, uncolored, audiophile sound Premium robust build Gorgeous aesthetic Very comfortable Included cables and zipper case *** CONS *** N/A

I was on the hunt for a new daily driver over the ear bluetooth headphone, so I was very excited to try out the Bowers and Wilkins Px8 S2. Initial setup was a breeze, I paired to my devices and installed the companion app "Music | Bowers & Wilkins" which allows control over features such as Active Noise Cancellation, Passthrough, Advanced EQ, etc. It also aids in switching between connected devices more easily. On Android, this also added the headphones to Google's Find network but did not do the same on Apple's Find My when pairing to iOS. I found the particularly odd since the box says "made for iPhone". The Px8 S2s are extremely comfortable with minor pressure against the head, very comfortable cups (though they do not have any ventilation to assist with ANC, so they may sweat a bit) and the weight was noticeable but not an issue. The headband comfortable rests on top of the head. The cups sit slightly forward compared to the headband, so the headband rests a bit toward the back of the heard vs the normal center. Power buttons on the left and volume controls along with the "action button" on the right. The action button can perform many things by pressing it different number of times or length of press. The B&W app walks you through what all of these can do. I found the overall sound quality to be great. With ANC turned on I found it a bit too bass heavy, but, the ANC was fantastic and in noisy situations I was fine with a bit more bass to block out the noise. With ANC off and in standard mode, the audio was much more balanced and I found the soundstage to be typical B&W warmth with a touch of a sharper register. Mids were exceptionally clear, especially when hard wired and listening to lossless tracks. I found lossless did get a bit muddy with ANC on. With passthrough sound was also a but muffled as background noise was pouring through, but that is the intention of this mode anyway. Charging the Px8 was quick and I went from 20% out of the box to 100% in about 30 minutes. I was able to use the Px8 for multiple days, including an 8 hour session without having to charge them again, so battery life is excellent. I had ANC off most of the time during this window. The audio from the mic appears to be adequate, through not the best I've used. Phone calls work as they should, but I am not sure I would consider these for that as a main purpose. The primary reason for B&W Px8 S2 is for audio listening, music, movies, etc. The included case carries all of the necessary things except for a wall plug, you need to bring your own here. It is compact and easy to fit in a backpack for travel. The headphones do not fold up, but the case is just big enough to support the headphones without being too large. I would highly recommend these to anyone familiar with Bowers & Wilkens sound, or for someone who's top priority is sound and comfort over talking and collaborative work. The ANC is plenty good to block out noise, though not best in class, it is easily top 3. I believe I've found my new daily drivers and will be enjoying these for years to come.

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones are the best sounding headphones I have heard to date. The sound signature is perfect for my listening preferences, which is mostly alternative, rock, metal, and some hip-hop/rap. I didn't need to adjust the EQ at all. The default "True Sound" setting, which is just a flat EQ, sounds amazing. I tested these using mostly my Spotify playlists using the Lossless option, and trying both wired and Bluetooth modes. I was using the APTX adaptive mode codec Bluetooth, because I don't have access to the HD or Lossless options on my PC or phone. I did not notice any differences between wired and Bluetooth mode. The only issue I ran into, and it was expected, is an ever so slight delay while gaming using Bluetooth. These headphones also have a wear sensor, and thankfully it can be adjusted or turned off. The ANC works phenomenally. You can also have it off or have it set to pass through, which allows you to be more aware of your surroundings. Using the Px8 S2's for calls was a pleasant experience. The call quality was excellent for me. I was in some fairly noisy areas, and there wasn't an issue with others hearing me, so my impression is that the mic's work well, and of course I could easily hear who I was talking to. Also answering the calls was very easy to do using the controls on the headphones. The Px8 S2 are super comfortable, even while wearing glasses. I didn't experience any pain or fatigue while having them on for a few hours while testing. Testing was basically watching YouTube, listening to music, and playing some games on my PC. Everything just sounded right. The build quality of the Px8 S8's are amazing. Everything about them feels premium. From the ear cups, head band, controls, just everything. Even the case and the cables that come with the Px8 S8's have a premium look and feel to them. The Bowers & Wilkins Music app is easy to use and navigate, and made setting up and even updating the firmware a breeze. You also get easy access to some of the more popular HD/Lossless music services. I can't say enough good things about these headphones.

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 over-ear Bluetooth headphones deliver a listening experience that feels sophisticated from the moment you put them on. As someone that has used the original Px8’s in the past, the S2’s looked slimmer and they felt noticeably lighter, which resulted in a more comfortable fit on my head. I didn’t feel as weighed down as before. Also, after 2 hours of listening to music, I noticed that my ears did not get as warm as before. The build quality stands out immediately with brushed aluminum accents, soft Nappa leather, and a perfectly balanced frame that feels premium but not heavy. Sonically, the Px8 S2 refines the company’s already strong tuning with more spacious mids, tight and controlled bass, and a cleaner overall presentation. Active noise cancellation is effective without dulling the soundstage, while transparency mode feels natural enough for quick conversations. Answering phone calls that came on my connected iPhone was easy to do and the conversation was clear. Battery life consistently hit around 27-30 hours per charge for me, and the quick-charge feature was handy when I forgot to charge overnight and I needed to go to the gym with the headphones. Bluetooth 5.3 ensures connection stability with aptX Adaptive support, though there’s also a USB-C wired option for lossless playback. The included carrying case is elegant, slim, and easy to use. I know I will get some admiring looks on my next flight when I pull these headphones out to watch a movie on my laptop. The Px8 S2 sets a new bar for luxury wireless audio both in terms of looks and sound quality; this is the new king of the hill in premium over the ear headphones.

The Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2 are the very best wireless headphones I have ever had the pleasure of listening to thanks to its clarity, precision, resolution, tight bass, and meaningful EQ flexibility. This headset has exceptional sound quality. They simply took my breath away. I was halfway through my demo playlist before I fully actualized how much fun I was having. ANC is better than the originals. Ergonomics are improved over the original. And comfort is still top notch. Finally, the hidden gem for the PX8 S2s is the 5-band EQ found in the B&W app. Sound Quality: The vocal clarity, resolution, and precision is only second to my Bowers and Wilkins 703 S3 tower speakers. Yes, you read that correctly! The PX8 S2 has more in common, sonically, with the 700 Series speakers than they do with the original PX8 headset. I love my PX8s. I listened to them daily over the last two years. The differences between the original and the S2 are obvious and immediate. I simply could not stop listening to my PX8 S2 once I started. I just kept jumping from track to track on a missing to extract every last bit of detail out of them. I finally had to take them off so I could get a few hours of sleep before work the next morning. Bass is punchy and clean. Mids are exceptional, rich, and full. And Highs are clear, precise, and highly resolving. For example, I am a big fan of Lindsy Sterling’s fusion of classical violin and modern pop. I can literally hear every string on the violin with plenty of space between each string. Add a targeted EQ to her music and the violin jumps out of the headphones and takes on a life of its own. Some notes were so high and long that I thought the drivers would distort or clip before completing the passage. Instead, the PX8 S2 breezed through the passage effortlessly without any indication of distortion or strain. The PX8 S2 handled everything effortlessly. The PX8 X2 captured the lonely violin solo, and the emptiness around it, from the overture from the cartoon series “Space Battleship Yamato.” It was simply a magical rendering. The trumpets from the Overture from Wing Commander the Motion Picture Soundtrack were loud, present, and large with authority. The vocal harmonies and layering from songs like Megan Trainor’s acapella version of “Made you Look” and “Sweet Morning Heat” are breathtaking. The harmonies from Wilson Phillips’, “You’re in Love” were uplifting, effortless, and full of emotion. Air Supply’s Russell Hitchcock’s vocals in “I Can Wait Forever” soared. Piano performances such as Alexis Ffrench’s, “The Heart Asks Pleasure First” sounds and feels like a live performance. I could even hear the annoying brushing sound in Ffrench’s “Blue Bird” which is a subtle detail typically picked up by highly resolving speakers. Never with any of my other headphones. And dance/party music such as Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” is fun, poppy, and will keep you toe tapping all day long. App features - EQ: The B&W app checks a few boxes but is still basic when compared to what is offered by other manufacturers. For me, the most important feature of the app is the 5-band EQ. The default sound signature of the PX8 S2 is excellent but leaves performance on the table. If the PX8 S2s are a 10 out of the box, then adding proper EQs will take them to 20. First, B&W includes zero genre specific EQ Presets. Why? No idea. But they did the same with their Pi8 earbuds. B&W must assume that all of their customers are expert sound mixers or something. So…I turned to my MS Copilot assistant and asked to help me build some genre specific EQs. And, to my surprise, it did a great job! It even built me a matrix of what to use and with what content. For example, Copilot suggested an EQ for Lindsey Sterling and similar classical/fusion type music. As God is my witness, the EQ settings were like adding glasses to the PX8 S2’s sound signature. Seriously, everything including my enjoyment and immersion went from 10 to a 20 with the application of 5 settings. I did the same for Classic Rock, Classical, Movie Scores, Modern Pop, Dance, EDM, and the list goes on. I have no idea why B&W left this performance on the table. The PX8 S2s are simply out of this world with proper EQ application. I have one other gripe with the EQ system that I hope B&W addresses. The organization of custom EQ presets is awful. The developers suffer from Bottomless Basement Syndrome. Custom EQs are organized, in the order in which they are created, in a single horizontal row at the top of the screen that goes on forever and ever and ever in one direction. The only management option provided is to delete the EQ. Meaning, you cannot group your EQs as you find out which ones you use the most often. Nor can you reposition a new two EQs next to each other to perform A/B comparisons. It is clear to me that the EQ system is important to extract the very best performance from these headphones. And not every screen needs to be the simplest screen ever created in the history of screens. A quality of life pass is a necessity here. Call Quality: Two items I want to cover here. First, call quality for the recipient is excellent. I was described as clear and natural sounding. I did not, however, hold any calls outdoors with traffic or wind. I will always be in a quiet room or office environment when using these for phone calls. I did, however, place some calls around a bathroom exhaust fan, air purifier, and noisy TVs and external phone conversations. They did a pretty good job. But, as mentioned earlier, there is room for improvement. My call partners did not indicate any disruption or defect in my voice reproduction. Second, on my end, voice quality falls into the “It Depends” bucket. Voice quality is 100% dependent on the last EQ I set for my music. You read that correctly. For example, a call with a male friend of mine was bassy and bloated. It turned out that the EQ I set for Chappell Roan, which I was listening to at the time the call came in, was being applied to the call. Switching to the default, “True Sound”, EQ also applied too much bass. I was forced to create a custom EQ just for phone calls. I would have preferred that the PX8 X2 would auto switch to a natural human voice setting whenever a phone call was detected. As it is designed today, I need to open the app at time of call and then hunt for my custom “Phone Calls” EQ buried somewhere in the infinite horizontal custom EQ list. Comfort: These are very comfortable. The headband is wrapped in soft, pliable leather that comfortably conforms to my head. The ear pads are also covered in the same soft leather with a plushy filler that easily forms to my head and around my glasses. The ear cups rotate 180 degrees front to back. And rotate again about 10 to 15 degrees along the vertical axis at the ear. The ergonomics and flexibility are excellent in my opinion. The only manual adjustment I needed to make was how far to extend the arms from the headband. Noise Cancellation: Noise cancellation is ok. For example, I typically test new headphones in my bathroom with either the exhaust fan running or the with the shower running. The ANC softened the ambient sounds but did not eliminate them. During my workday, there is typically ambient TV and conversation noise outside my office that the PX8 S2 helps block but does not eliminate. If my goal were perfect silence, then there are better options including closing the door to my office. However, background noises simply melt away once I turn on the music, a podcast, the news, or play a video. The other night, I had 50 MPH winds and down pours outside my window that left me undisturbed because I was listening to the PX8s. I had no idea. I couldn't hear it! My wife told me about it later. Conclusion: The PX8 S2s may not be perfect on every front. If you prize pristine sound with the flexibility to optimize your musical experience via custom EQs, then you will fall in love with the PX8 S2s. And the ergonomics and comfort allow for all day wear without fatigue. The app is short on features and flexibility all save for the Advanced EQ feature. All in all, the PX8 S2 headphones are my new favorite musical headset. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. If you found this review useful then please consider hitting the “Helpful” button below.

I’ve been trying out a lot of new audio products recently as I’ve been diving down the audio rabbit hole. Which lead me to hearing about Bowers & Wilkins, with their Reference sound standard and amazing build quality. Which lead to me picking up a pair of the recently released Px8 S2 Headphones. Pros: - Amazing Sound. - Solid Build Quality. - Comfortable. - Convenient carrying case, with space for cables! Cons: - Call quality is underwhelming. - Noise Canceling comes second to sound quality. Setup: Right out of the box, you can tell that Bowers & Wilkins is a Premium product, the Px8 S2 comes in nice zip carrying case that holds the headphones and included cables. You might miss the cables initially as they are in a little compartment in the carrying case, both an USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to Audio Jack cable is included. Pairing is straightforward, just download the Bowers & Wilkins app from your app store. Create an account, then add a product, you will then get instructions to power on the Px8 S2. Once paired to your device, you can add additional paired devices from the app, which just helps trigger the pairing mode of the headset. After pairing you can manage the currently active devices and paired devices in the app, incase you want to add or remove devices later. It is worth noting that the Px8 S2 supports Multi-Point connections for up to 2 devices at the same time, though audio and calls can only come out of one device at a time. App: The Bowers & Wilkins app is very simple, which I really appreciate in a high-end product. The Home page for the app has the currently paired devices at the top then Noise Canceling mode controls below. Below that are quick links to streaming music or curated playlists. That’s it. There are EQ settings under the Settings Advanced EQ option but as this is a Reference Audio product, I’d recommend trying it without EQ settings first as you probably don’t need them. Beyond that, there is a helpful feature that will detect when you take the headset off or put it on, pausing or playing your currently playing media with the action. It’s very convenient, but you might need to adjust the sensitivity if you encounter your music pausing randomly while wearing the headphones. Build & Feel: The Build quality is top notch, from the frame to earphones to earpads. The Px8 S2 just screams premium product. The headband is covered in Leather with a solid but flexible band at the core, allowing the headset to snuggly fit any size head. The earphones are made of a beautiful aluminum including the buttons, which are set along the edge of the earphones. The feel of the aluminum finish is just so good and solid. The earpads are made of leather with plenty of room for your ears on the inside. I’ve got big ears, which means I usually have issues with my ears rubbing against the insides of the earphones. But this is not the case with the Px8 S2, my whole ear fits inside the earpad area. The leather is soft and cool to the touch, so even after wearing the headphones for hours, you don’t have any discomfort. These are the most comfortable over-ear headphones I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting on my head. Sound: Sound quality comes first for Bowers & Wilkins, you can tell that with the first sounds from the Px8 S2. It’s very noticeable how good the sound is, the lows and highs are very crisp yet full, with no distortion in sound. I’ve been into rock and metal remixes lately, with many of them having wide ranges for vocals from soft whispers to full on screams, with the Px8 S2 I can hear it all crystal clear. I don’t have the best words for describing the sound, but the sound is fuller and louder. Calls: The call quality is good enough, the caller can hear you clearly on the other side of the call but the microphone volume and clarity aren’t anything spectacular. I would love to see some enhanced features for increasing the microphone volume (gain) or additional noise isolation for your voice but again, the Px8 S2 focuses on Sound Quality and everything else comes second. Noise Canceling Modes: The Px8 S2 has 3 Noise Canceling modes: Noise Canceling, Pass-Through, and Off. The Noise Canceling is Active Noise Canceling, using the built-in mic to cancel out the surrounding environment. Pass-Through is Ambient, allowing the surrounding noise to pass-through into the headphones but a bit dampened. And off is just that, you will only get the noise reduction of having the headphones on your head, which is a bit but doesn’t do much. Now about the Noise Canceling, it’s good but not the best. It cuts out most of the sounds, walking down a busy street or working in a noisy café will sound like a quieter place, but you can still hear the background bleed through. The one thing that get bonus points is that Bowers & Wilkins specifically call this out in their features that they do not over do it on the Noise Canceling because it can have impacts on the sound quality. This is a very small attention to detail, but for those who appreciate sound quality, it will land well. Battery: Px8 S2 comes with 30hrs of playtime, which is more than enough to cover most people for the week, if not most of the week. Even better is the quick charge that provides 7hrs of playtime on a 15min charge using a Fast-Charging charger for those who forget to charge up before use. Multi-Point Connect: Another great feature is the multi-point connect, which allows the Px8 S2 to connect to 2 devices at once. But you can only play audio from one device at a time. This is convenient if say you want to connect to your phone and your laptop at the same time to listen to media but be able to take a call if needed. Support: One small but huge impact on a product is the support behind it. I can say that so far, I’ve been very impressed with Bowers & Wilkins support and documentation. I was trying to dig into the technical specifications on the website when I found different channels for questions, such as Pre-Purchase to Repair questions, along with a helpful guide on how to repair different devices or chat help to solve issues. I was very impressed by the easy to find different avenues for support along with provided documentation. Conclusion: If you are looking for one of the BEST sounding premium headsets, look no further. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is the best Bluetooth headset I’ve ever put on my head. The sound quality is mind blowing, not to mention the level of all day comfort with a 30hr battery and quick charge to keep you going. Call quality could be better along with Noise Canceling, but both come second to the sound quality. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 very clearly lands in the best headset I’ve ever tried and will probably hold that place for a while.

This is my first chance to experience a Bowers & Wilkins product, and I have to say I am very impressed. The headphones scream quality. From the Napa leather headband and ear cups to the smooth operating aluminum arm (no “clicks”) as well as the, I believe, brushed aluminum ear cups. Understated elegance wrapped in black and at less than 1 lb. are extremely light and comfortable. The small hard sided carrying case is a huge plus for traveling and has a “cubbyhole” with magnetic closure to store the provided cables. I much prefer buttons to touch controls, and these have very nicely finished aluminum buttons. On the left earcup is a separate on/off/Bluetooth pair button as well as a “quick action” button to step thru the 3 levels of ANC – on/passthru/off. The left earcup also has a USB-C connection which is used to charge and/or listen. On the right earcup are 3 buttons – volume up, phone/pause/play volume down. Easy peasy. Using the provided 47-inch USB-C to USB-C cable the ANC is operable as well as the volume controls. Using the 47-inch USB-C to 3.5 mm stereo jack the ANC does work but volume controls do not – I don’t think I would use this option unless no other alternative as its analog only. It seems that headphones must be on to use either connection – no “passthru” sound even when using stereo jack. There is an app that I downloaded using the provided QR code. I guess there was a separate app for headphones but now all are included in this music app. It was easy to pair as app walked me through the process. App provides usual info as battery level, ANC level(s), list of paired devices as well as a much-appreciated equalizer as well as settings for standby and wear sensor. Technical specs; High performance DSP with dedicated amplifier/DAC True 24-bit audio connection 5 band customizable EQ + TrueSound™ mode Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX™ Lossless technology Multipoint connectivity Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) USB-C charging and audio interface Fast charging support Apple MFi Made For iPhone support Google Fast Pair Bluetooth codecs; aptX™ Lossless aptX™ Adaptive aptX™ HD aptX™ Classic AAC SBC 8 Microphones total – 4 per earcup Battery life & charging. Estimates 30 hours playback as well as 15-minute charge for 7 hours playback. I confess I did not use them for that extended period. After 4 hrs. app indicated 90% battery left. 2-year warranty Use and impressions. As mentioned, headphones are nicely designed and seem very sturdy with well cushioned headband and earpads that are replaceable. Extremely comfortable. Easily synched to my devices. Used while on treadmill and could tell the difference in ANC modes – extremely quiet when fully on. Headphones stay “planted” when using vertically but they tended to slide around when used horizontally - while I was lifting weights. Also, any loud noise such a closing a door or when weights hit bottom of movement you get unpleasant “thud/feedback” though headphones. I have experienced the same with other ANC headphones so probably inherent in that technology. The overall sound to me is exceptional whether watching a movie or listening to music. Using the app I was able to get the sound exactly as I liked it. Great bass/middle and high ranges. Nothing tinny about these headphones. There are function alerts using varying tones while using headphones such as on/off, pairing, change in ANC, etc. I would have preferred a voice. If you should happen to forget to turn off, headphones will go to a power saving mode after 15 minutes. Overall, the best headphones I have used and they look great too. In my opinion, surpassing my Bose 700s and my favorite, until now, my Shure AONIC 50 over ear headphones. I highly highly recommend them.

From the unboxing to the feel and look of the headphones it’s a complete premium experience. It comes with a premium case and it holds the cords in a hidden compartment. The ear cuffs and headband is made from Napa leather and feels soft to the touch. The build of them are solid and flat out sexy with its detailing that surrounds the ear cuffs. Immediately I did feel like they were a bit heavier than my other set of headphones but I feel like there is no comparison as this is in a different class of headphones. I could feel the pressure on my ears and top of head, but I am sensitive to feeling the weight of anything sitting on my head or surrounding my ears, like eyewear. So maybe it’s just a me thing, but I would’ve liked a lighter weight. They do completely cover my ears so that’s great. The sound is fantastic. Clear, crisp and spot on. The ANC is pretty good. I can still hear conversations around me, as in, I know they are happening but, I at times, couldn’t clearly hear what is being said. The transparency mode is great. You can even hear yourself breathing, it’s that clear and allows every sound available to man inside of the headphones. Now, I’m not sure if this is a safety feature but if I bend over it turns off noise cancelling and the rush of sound floods into the headphones until I stand back up. Also, they should stop any audio if I pull a headphone away from my ear, but I don’t find that to happen unless I remove the headphones completely. You can change that sensitivity and I still didn’t experience a difference. So I didn’t like that. There is an app of course. You can balance the sound how you like and other things through the app, as well as edit a few setting, but again it’s not necessary to operate the headphones. You would need it to update the headphones however. The call quality is very clear. Others said that they haven’t experience any background noise and distractions. I can even tether or connect the headphones with the 3.5mm to stereo audio. Overall, this is a fantastic premium headphone and if you’re in the market with the budget, I would recommend.

I have had many over the ear headphones, my prior pair I thought sounded really good, but then I put these on and now they sound just okay. I was surprised at how good these Bowers & Wilkins headphones work. Setup was easy, just paired them with my iPhone 14 pro running IOS 26 and downloaded the Bowers & Wilkins application. In the app you can change the equalizer from the preset to a custom one. You can also select noise canceling, pass through, or off and customize the action button. The headphones have a setting that when you take one off your ear it will pause whatever you are listening too, you can adjust this as well. I play a ton of different music from rap to dance, to classical (through amazon music using Ultra HD) and these headphones sounded fantastic listening to all of it. Usually with headphones bass can be weak or fake sounding, these actually sound like a high-quality subwoofer hitting the lows. In some of my favorite songs that I have listened to many times; I heard things that I never heard before with the Px8 headphones. For example, a guitar solo, I could actually hear the guitar stings being strummed along with them hitting the acoustic guitar. I also watched an action movie and was very impressed with how it sounded and how good it could produce surround sound channels. The headphones I received are black but have nice brownish accents. I really love the way the look, not super flashy but just enough to look nice and classy. The leather on the is a very nice soft touch leather and was very comfortable against my ears. I wore these for a few hours and had not issues with comfort. Bowers and Wilkins included a very nice, zippered case that can hold the headphones, charging cable, and the included USB C to headphone jack cable. Even the inside of the case is a nice suede fabric. Since receiving these I gave away my other headphones as there is no need to ever go back to them. I sometimes just wear them around the house while doing housework instead of using my speaker system. These are well worth the price if you appreciate great sound quality.

I have the pleasure of owning multiple Bowers & Wilkins headsets – first the PX7 S3, and now the PX8 S2. Initial impressions are that the PX8 offers superior sound and luxury materials, while my older PX7 S3 delivers excellent performance at a more accessible price. I look at it like the PX8 S2 for audiophile-grade refinement, or PX7 S3 for premium value. SOUND QUALITY The PX8 S2 builds on Bowers & Wilkins’ legacy of studio-grade sound reproduction. Its 40mm full-range carbon cone drivers are angled for optimal stereo imaging, delivering a soundstage that’s both expansive and intimate. • PX8 S2: Features redesigned 40mm carbon cone drivers with angled positioning for improved stereo imaging and clarity. It’s touted as B&W’s best-sounding headphone to date. • DSP & DAC: Equipped with a dedicated 24-bit/96kHz DSP and DAC, the PX8 S2 ensures minimal distortion and high-resolution playback across all frequencies. • Codec Support: Includes aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, AAC, and SBC, ensuring high-quality wireless transmission over Bluetooth 5.3. • EQ Customization: A 5-band EQ via the B&W Music app allows users to tailor the sound to their preferences, rivaling customization options from Sony and Sennheiser. NOISE CANCELLING - SOLID BUY NOT LEADING CLASS Noise cancelling is a very important feature to me – as I often have background noise/tasks/events happening while I take conference calls. The PX8 S2 features adaptive ANC powered by eight microphones—four per earcup—designed to block ambient noise while preserving audio integrity. • Performance: While ANC is effective for general travel and office use, it’s not as aggressive as a few competitors out there today. However, it excels at reducing low-frequency hum but lets in more mid-to-high frequency chatter. • Transparency Mode: Offers a natural-sounding ambient pass-through, useful for conversations or situational awareness. • Call Quality: The mic array also supports clear voice pickup for calls, though wind resistance and background suppression are average compared to competitors. Tested with a couple of my pickiest callers – they said the quality on there end was very good. AUDIO FEATURES • Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless, Adaptive, HD, and Classic • 24-bit/96kHz DSP • 5-band customizable EQ via the Bowers & Wilkins Music app • Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with 8 microphones • 30-hour battery life with 15-minute quick charge for 7 hours COMFORT • PX8 S2: Premium Nappa leather earcups and aluminum arms offer a more luxurious feel. Slightly heavier at 310g than my older Px7’s but not noticeable. • All my Bowers & Wilkins products really do have a solid premium feel. They just feel built well and have held up well even with a bit of abuse! DESIGN • PX8 S2: Available in Onyx Black and Warm Stone with a sleek, minimalist look. • I love the cases provided with these products. Again - a solid, well-built case with a built-in compartment for holding the charging cable. could it be better? Sure - maybe a charging case so you could keep them charged just by placing in the case! SUMMARY As the Px7 S3 headphones quickly became my go-to headphones, these Px8 S2’s have now moved into my number one spot! Why only 4 stars? Well, I find it hard to remember all the button presses on the multi-function button - like Pause/Play, Next tract, Previous Track, Answer Call, Decline Call, End Call, etc all from a single button. Seems like there should be a better way, just nobody's thought of it yet!

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2’s are without a doubt the nicest Bluetooth headphones I’ve ever used. The materials especially are a step above the Px7 S2e’s and Sony WH1000’s I’ve used previously and the sound quality is again a step above the already excellent-sounding Px7’s with support for all the latest AptX codecs. Noise cancelling and transparency are good, but not the best compared to counterparts from Sony and Bose, but the 30-hour battery life is on par. At this price point though, it starts to become a situation of diminishing returns. While I think these are fantastic, I think most people would be happier saving the money and going with the Px7 S3. If you want the best Bowers & Wilkins has to offer though, this is it. The box includes the headphones, a hardshell case, a USB-C to 3.5mm cable, and a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging and wired listening. The headphones are made up of a combination of metal and leather that feels great against the skin. Swapping what would normally be plastic components for metal does give them more of a weighty feel, but they don’t feel heavy on my head. The clamping force is relatively light, but it’s firm enough that they don’t slide off when I lean my head back. The case exterior is made of a nylon material and the interior is a very soft felt. The headphones fold flat to store and there’s a compartment between the earcups and headband that stores the cables. For buttons, there are volume and play/pause controls on the right earcup and a power/pairing switch and listening mode button on the left earcup. The play/pause button has a textured finish on it to help differentiate it from the volume buttons above and below it and in general I found all of these buttons easy to find by feel. The Onyx Black color looks the best to me compared to the other ‘Warm Stone’ option, though I would have liked to see at least one more color choice. The Px8 S2’s support the latest AptX codecs up to AptX Lossless. I’m using them with my Pixel 10 Pro XL that does not support AptX Adaptive or Lossless, but it does thankfully fall back to AptX HD, so I’m still getting a higher bitrate connection. The Bowers & Wilkins Music app lets you configure a few settings and update firmware. There’s also a 5-band EQ for adjusting the sound. The sound quality, like the Px7’s and other Bowers & Wilkins headphones I’ve used before, is fantastic and outside of the nicer the materials it’s one of the Px8 S2’s best features - though I’d say they only sound marginally better than the Px7’s I was previously using. Again, diminishing returns. It’s easy to get wrapped into whatever I’m listening to on these and listening to it was really easy to hear the individual layers of tracks come through. The Px8’s get plenty loud and I typically left that at about 80% max. In addition to Bluetooth, the Px8’s also support wired listening through either USB-C or 3.5mm. On my PC through USB-C, I was able to set them at 24-bit/96 kHz and playback controls work the same over the wired connection. I like having the option of going wired, especially for situations where I need lower latency like gaming. Like most high-end headphones, the Px8 S2’s support both ANC and transparency modes. I would call both modes good, but not the best. The ANC mode works well and blocks out most ambient sound, but not at the same level I’ve heard from Sony or Bose. Transparency mode is good and it’s easy to have a conversation while wearing them, but the sound it lets through does not sound very natural. One area where I felt the Px8 S2’s fell short was with the wear sensor. I could not get the headphones to reliably play or pause using the sensor. The app allows you to adjust the sensitivity of it, but I could not find an option that really gave a consistent experience and just ended up turning the sensor off. This has been an issue with every pair of Bowers & Wilkins headphones I’ve used, so it was no great surprise to see it’s a problem here, but I’m disappointed it hasn’t improved. The battery is rated for 30 hours. I haven’t had a chance to run these all the way down yet, but so far with ANC enabled I think they’re going to hit at least the 20-something hour mark if they don’t make it all the way to 30. It’s definitely long enough to get through most of the work week and any long flight. So overall I’m really happy with the Px8 S2’s. Again, I’d really call these the luxury pick and Bowers & Wilkin’s own Px7’s deliver almost everything the Px8’s have in slightly less-nice materials, but if you’re prepared to spend the extra money I don’t think these will disappoint.

First Impressions: A Premium Experience from the Start Unboxing the Px8 S2 feels like stepping into a world of refined audio craftsmanship. These aren’t just headphones — they’re a showcase of Bowers & Wilkins’ obsession with detail. From the premium materials to the sturdy build, everything about them says “high-end.” You immediately sense that this is gear designed not just to perform, but to last. The included hardshell case is no throwaway accessory either. It’s sleek, protective, and thoughtfully laid out — with compartments for charging cables and adapters for both wired and wireless listening. It’s the kind of detail that reinforces the Px8 S2’s reference-grade status. Design & Comfort: Elegance Meets Everyday Usability The Px8 S2 walks a fine line between luxury and practicality. The materials — metal, leather, and high-grade composites — feel exceptional. The headphones are solid without being heavy, and the finish is understated but undeniably premium. - The earcups are plush and comfortable, though slightly compact. If you’ve got larger ears, you might notice the snug fit — but it’s never uncomfortable, even during long listening sessions. - Button placement is intuitive, making playback control and volume adjustments feel natural. - The overall ergonomic profile is impressive: secure, balanced, and designed for real-world use. Sound Quality: A Masterclass in Acoustic Precision This is where the Px8 S2 truly earns its stripes. The sound is rich, detailed, and immersive — whether you're diving into orchestral scores, jazz improvisations, or bass-heavy electronic tracks. - Highs are crisp without being sharp, mids are warm and expressive, and the bass is deep yet controlled. - Active noise canceling is excellent — it blocks out distractions without compromising fidelity. - Multiple microphones ensure your voice comes through clearly on calls, even in noisy environments. And for those who love to fine-tune their sound, the companion app offers a customizable EQ that lets you shape your audio profile to match your taste. It’s a subtle but powerful tool that elevates the listening experience. Battery & Connectivity: Built for Real Life With up to 30 hours of battery life, the Px8 S2 is ready for long flights, workdays, or weekend binges. And if you’re in a rush, a quick charge gives you hours of playback in minutes. - Bluetooth connectivity is rock-solid, with impressive range and stability. - The auto-pause feature when you take them off is a small but thoughtful touch that quickly becomes indispensable. Value: A Serious Investment in Sound Let’s be honest — the Px8 S2 isn’t cheap. But it’s not trying to be. This is gear for people who care deeply about sound quality, build integrity, and design excellence. If that’s you, the price starts to feel like a fair trade. These headphones aren’t just about listening — they’re about experiencing your music in its full glory. They’re a statement piece, yes, but also a serious tool for anyone who values audio fidelity. Final Verdict: Reference-Grade, Emotionally Resonant The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. It’s unapologetically premium, laser-focused on delivering stunning sound and a refined user experience. If you’re looking for headphones that combine technical brilliance with emotional engagement, this is it. Recommended.

Absolutely love these. Extremely comfortable, great sound quality, fantastic app. The batter duration is better than many other in the industry. Would definitely recommend these.

Mostly use this for airplane travel. For me, it is a good balance of decent ANC vs quality of sound for music and movie. The ANC is preferred by mean becuase it feels more natural.

These sound amazing!! Super clear, rich, and immersive. They’re really comfortable, feel high-end, and make everything I listen to sound better. Definitely premium headphones