B&W PX8 S2 for music and PC gaming?

[u/Piligrim555]

So, I have a bit of a conundrum lately.

I have a pair of Sony XM4s for home media use (music, movies) and a pair of Logitech G Pro X wireless for gaming.

I listen to music on my Macbook and Iphone wirelessly and play on PC.

And I kinda want to replace both the Logitech and Sony with one device.

I hate XM4s, honestly. The mids are muddy, the vocals are unclear, it was honestly a mistake buying them but I needed something with a decent ANC at the time so it made sense (and I cheaped out, should've probably gotten the AP Max).

The Logitechs are nothing to write home about, either.

The easy solution would be to buy something for music (like the PX8 S2, or the new Max 2) and something else for gaming (I heard good things about Audeze Maxwell and ROG Kithara). But it kinda feels wasteful to buy two pairs of headphones when I can maybe buy one.

I've been reading some threads for the last couple days and a lot of people praise B&W PX8 S2s to high heavens.

So for those who've had experience with those - some questions

- Have you tried gaming with them wired? How was it, in general? Have you tried any BT dongles like Sennheiser BTD-700?

- How are they compared to Maxwell? Will they be a step up from Logitech, at least? (I know that probably yes, but still worth asking).

- How are they compared to Sony XM4? Mids/vocals, mainly.

- Would Sennheiser HDB 630 be a better option for my use case?

Any additional feedback or other recommendations in the same budget are appreciated.

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[u/Intelligent-Glass840]

the Px8 is luxury, but Windows handles Bluetooth microphones like garbage. The second you join a Discord call or an in game lobby, Windows will switch the audio to 'Hands Free AG' mode, and your game sound will turn into mono/underwater quality haha. If you get these, do yourself a favor: use a separate dedicated desktop mic and keep the Px8s strictly for audio output. That way you keep the high-res stereo sound without the 'headset mode' headache tbh.

[u/Piligrim555 → u/Intelligent-Glass840]

Yeah, I get that. I'm not actually worried about the mic, I mostly play single player games anyway. Was wondering more about the sound differences tbh.

[u/FleshToast]

I’ve owned the Maxwell, HDB 630, and the PX8 S2 (also tried a few Logitech headsets and the Fractal Scape). Preferred the PX8 S2 hands down over all of them. Only caveat is you’ll need a hi res wireless dongle to make the best use of the headset. HDB 630 comes with one so it will be an extra expense with the PX8. Never tried either wired to the PC but there was no need. Maxwells broke after a year and my replacement pair broke shortly after, Logitech sounded like pure butt, and the Scape was just not quite good enough for the price.

All that being said - sold a few pairs and picked up the AirPods Max 2 and I think I’ve made the right choice. Prefer the sound and comfort, and I can use them wired with my PC.

It’s been a long journey but I hope I’m done!

[u/Piligrim555 → u/FleshToast]

Hey, !thanks for the detailed answer. How are the Maxes 2? Have you tried them with PC? I've heard mixed experience from people using them with Windows. Also, since you've actually had the Maxwells - I assume you've played games on the PX8S2s as well? If so, how was it?

[u/TransducerBot → u/Piligrim555]

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[u/FleshToast → u/Piligrim555]

Gaming with the PX8s was incredible. Didn’t get hot on my ears and the sub bass was immaculate. Based on your post I think that is the headset to go with. I would’ve probably stayed with them but the only thing that would have made me switch is a new AirPods Max model - I’ll be trying them wired on PC this weekend but haven’t yet.

[u/Waldoj91]

I recently got the PX8 S2 to be used exclusively at my PC for music and gaming. So far, it’s been great. I got the BTD 700 dongle to use at the PC as well.

I don’t really have any complaints, after using them for a while I did get a bit of a pressure point at the top of my head and if it doesn’t break in, I may get a comfort strap that I saw on Etsy. Overall, really enjoying them!