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

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.