My review is imminent, but I’m already a huge fan of Bowers & Wilkins’ newly-announced range-topping noise-cancelling headphones, the PX8 S2.
Now, if you’re thinking that Bowers’ have only just released a pair of high-end headphones you’d be right. Earlier this year the PX7 series got their third iteration, the $399/£399 PX7 S3.
And in a word, they were brilliant, with a five-star review and our top Editor’s Choice logo. At the time Sony’s WH-1000XM6 were imminent and Bowers had already announced that the $799/£629 PX8 S2 were coming at some point this year to join the lineup too. That point in time is right now. And I can tell you they do up the ante on the PX7 S3 when it comes to audio quality – and in several other ways too.
In many ways, the PX8 S2’s are similar to the PX7 S3, with the same noise cancellation tech and more compact design (much more compact than the original PX8s) and overall look, but there are several touches that are unique to the PX8 S2.
There are shiny aluminium arms holding the earcups firmly with an exposed braided cable. Napa leather has been used for the headband and earcups instead of a substitute. Two finishes are available; onyx black and warm stone.
40mm Carbon Cone drivers are again used in the PX8 S2 just as in the original PX8s, but there’s an upgraded chassis and motor -each with a dedicated amplifier. There’s also now support for aptX Lossless as well as aptX adaptive, meaning you can listen in supreme 24bit/96kHz quality if streaming from a Snapdragon Sound device or over a wired USB-C connection if not.
You can also use an included USB-C to 3.5mm cable should you wish to use that instead. And as with previous Bowers products there are plenty of physical controls on the headphones themselves (now refined and more tactile so easier to locate) so while there are plenty of features available in the bundled Music app, you don’t need to use it a great deal.
There are plenty of fine-tuning options in app though, including the sensitivity of the wear sensor that detects if they’re on your head (and so pauses your music) and define what you want the physical ‘Quick Action’ button on the headphones to do, though I always keep it to switch ANC on, off, or into transparency mode. You can also adjust the audio via a five-band EQ or select the True Sound mode, which is the preferred setting of Bowers & Wilkins’ engineers.
There are eight mics located around the device to measure the output from each drive unit, monitor ambient noise and provide great quality for calls.
The headphones offer 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation (ANC on) – not the best around, but enough for most – and a 15 minute fast charge will get you seven hours of additional use.
Additional updates to the PX8 S2 will roll out later this year with spatial audio support and Bluetooth LE Audio, complete with Auracast broadcast support.
It was also announced yesterday that Bowers & Wilkins is now officially part of US audio giant Harman, which itself has been a subsidiary of Samsung since 2016.
Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 key specs
• Carbon Cone drive units with dedicated headphone amplifier
• aptX Adaptive 24/96 and aptX Lossless compatible
• Proprietary high-performance ANC, with eight-microphone array
• Bowers & Wilkins Music app provides set-up and control
• 30 hours’ battery life from a single charge, plus 15-minute fast recharge for seven hours’ listening
• Spatial audio upgrade will be released later this year, with LE Audio to follow
• Available in Onyx Black and Warm Stone
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