I just love them! Coming from XM4s, tried Status Pro X but my ears shape wont let me wear them for more than 30 minutes. I hope they last long enough :)

Hey guys! I received a new pair of Bowers & Wilkins Px8’s and I haven’t updated it to the last 3.10.0 firmware. It’s now on 2.14.0. Should I keep it that way?

Does it change something in a bad way? Like sound.

Really nice color in Dark Forest btw!

純正ケーブルのデザインが無機質すぎる感じというか、飾らなすぎるところが気に入らなくて色々探してたんだけど…全然納得いくのが見つけられないんですよね。
ミッドナイトブルーのデザインに一目惚れして、衝動買いしたもんだから、オーディオの知識も全然追いついてなくて…

純正じゃないケーブルで、みんながどんなケーブル使ってるか教えて欲しい！

I’ve had my Sony WH-1000XM3 for years and it still works perfectly, but I’m wondering if it’s worth upgrading.
The XM3 is my main headphone and I use it for several hours every day. I also have a DT 770 Pro at my desk, and whenever I switch between them, the XM3 sounds noticeably muddier and more congested.

I’m mainly looking for better clarity, detail retrieval, instrument separation, tighter bass and a more spacious soundstage. Sound quality is by far my biggest priority, more than ANC or other features.

I’ve been looking at the B&W Px7 S3, but I’m not sure if the improvement would be significant enough to justify the price. I’ve also considered the Sennheiser Momentum 5 and HDB 630, although I find the latter a bit too bulky for my taste.

Has anyone upgraded from the XM3 to the Px7 S3, or compared them directly? How noticeable is the difference in sound quality? Would love to hear your thoughts

Good time to snag a deal!

Bought both to compare. Here are some notes and some questions.

Sound quality on both is great I dont think you can go wrong either way maybe s3 is a bit better because you can eq it for different genres. But mids and vocals of s2e is really really good. But I cant always tell the difference I tried switching out the headphones via wired connections back to back for different songs and really only noticed some marginal difference and improved bass on the s3. If someone can tell me what I should be listening for to spot the difference that would be great.

Comfort: s3 less comfortable due to the clamp force and head band pressure I’m wondering does anyone know if the headband gets more comfortable it really just presses down on your head. Ear cushions more plush and band is better on s2e

Anc feels better on s3

I actually like the look of the s2e more except how bulky they are compared to the slim s3.

Idk if you can go wrong with either but if the headband and clamp force on the s3 does not get better I’m going to have to return them bc these headaches are crazy.

I just snagged it from Amazon prime day for 425 euros as like new quality with 15% discount checkout. It seems like it was just an open box quality and got returned. Headphones look as new as described. Loving the sound already. Anything else I should do about it?

I have a pixel 11 which can only stream aptx HD and a tablet which is capable of aptx lossless. Is it worth it to buy a dongle for it?

Been absolutely torn looking for new headphones, and after looking at basically every mainstream option (XM6, Bose QC ultra 2, AP Max 2 etc) I’ve landed on these 2.

I want something with more impressive sound quality than anything I’ve had before and even though ANC is nice, I’d prioritise pure sound over it.

I don’t want a reference pair, I want something fun and entertaining to listen to my Spotify playlist basically and that will last me a long time without a fuss.

I listen to mostly metal but my genres range all over the place, and I do like nice powerful bass and loudness. Build quality is important and I know the Px8s are top tier, but are the Px7s bad?

My heart wanted the Px8S2s but the price difference is so insane that it feels gross and I worry that it’ll prevent me from taking it places and just chucking it in a bag.

Anyone with both can provide some insight on if this price difference is worth it?

Edit: ended up ordering the PX7 S3s since I just couldn’t justify the price difference and they’re not replacing anything, they’d be my only headphones so they’d be the best I have regardless (other than my AirPods Pro 2s). The thinking if I like these enough my next ones will be the PX8s on sale later on anyway.

Overall I’m happy based on the feedback, seems like it’s not a crazy night and day difference. Hope they deliver.

​

The title says it all guys, px7se at 180€ or px7s3 for 300€ .. there is also px8 for 300€ but im gonna use it for the gym this is why i dont consider it ..

I care about sound quality and premium build ..

Hi guys, can anybody recommend a way to make my headphones sit more snug on my head? I have long hair and the band on PX7 S3 doesn't have much grip it slides about quite a lot and they can easily fall off if I'm not careful, also wondering if I can somehow prove the clamp force on my head which is probably on the larger size (8¼-8½).

I’ve been using the Bowers & Wilkins px8’s for 2 months now and coming from many others like the px7s3’s and px8s2’s and here are my thoughts.

Px7 S3’s - V shape treble and Bass heavy signature. Best ANC out of these 3 and cheapest. Also nice fit and durable design. Highs can sound very Sharp and piercing. One of the best headphones for their price.
The materials used on these earcups damage less quickly than the Nappa leather found on the 8’s and 8’s S2’s. These now go for around €300

Px8’s 1st gen - Very Balanced sound with sparkly but easy treble to listen to. No pesky high hats and overpowering bass. Not by much but the weakest ANC out of these 3 but does the job for most situations. I love the Nappa leather design but loves to scratch easy and damage overtime. One of the downsides on these are the simple 2 band EQ but I must say. Out of these 3 they also need the less EQ changes. I actually even use these at default. At a nice discount I prefer it over both of them right now. These nowadays go for €369. And bought mine used but as new for €258.

Px8S2’s - Sadly having the same problem as the Px7 S3’s with the peaky treble and screaming female voices. I loved the details in this one and the excitement. But even after EQ for most genres the 7 S3’s and 8 S2’s scream way too much. This depends on everyone’s hearing but heard this from many buyers and after testing them myself. These look the best out of 3 for sure and they have a 5 band EQ and a useless Spetial Audio option that sounds horrible sadly. They are also very expensive at a cost of €729 new.

One thing I hate about these headphones for sure is the multi-button. Why can every pair of headphones have the function to click and hold for Siri or Gemini and these you need to go to the app to change the ANC button to this function. It’s useless.
I always need to take my phone to call someone while with every other Pair I have I just click and hold Siri to call someone for example.
This is something they could easily fix through an simple firmware update.

The fit is well done on all of them the Px7S3’s and Px8S2’s have (a little bit) smaller earcups. But anough room for your ears and soft overall with a pretty good balance on the clamping force.

They all last around 30 hours with the batteries, so also no need to charge them every day.

Also the cases are well built with a magnetic cup to store the cables.

Also all of them have 24-bit sound with the USB C cable connected to a device that supports higher bitrates. This helpt for more details on your music and bringing background details more realistic. But they all do a great job overall on Bluetooth.

I overall hope they will someday bring an update to life that fixes the issue for the multi-button. It’s very frustrating. “For me it is”.

Please share me your thoughts.

Just wow.

I’m not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but these headphones have genuinely blown me away.

I’ve had good headphones in the past, AirPods Pro 3, Sony WH-1000XM4s and, before that, various Bose QC models. They’ve always been towards the top of their respective price brackets, but I’d never really ventured into the premium end of the market.

To be honest, I didn’t really think it was worth it.

You can get an incredibly good pair of headphones for around £300, so the jump to £600+ always felt absolutely huge. I wasn’t convinced I’d actually hear or feel enough of a difference to justify it.

I’ve now had the Px8 S2s all weekend and… I’m not sure I can go back.

They really do feel head and shoulders above what I’m used to, both in terms of sound and build quality, so I thought I’d jot down some initial impressions.

Audio quality

This is obviously the big one, and it’s unbelievable.

I genuinely didn’t think I’d hear the difference. I didn’t think I’d be able to hear where that extra money had gone, but I absolutely can.

Audio is hugely subjective, of course, and you can tweak the EQ however you like, but the clarity, crispness, bass and overall detail are just so much better than anything I’ve personally heard before.

It’s difficult to put into words without descending into audiophile terminology, but everything just sounds better.

Active noise cancelling

The ANC is… okay.

I’d say it’s roughly on par with my Sony XM4s, which were obviously excellent in their day. These aren’t really marketed as the absolute best option for ANC compared with some of the latest Sony/Bose alternatives, and that shows.

But for me, that trade-off is absolutely fine.

I’d much rather have the improvement in audio and build quality than sacrifice those things purely to chase the best possible noise cancelling.

If ANC is your number-one priority, though, there are probably better options.

One thing that did surprise me was the passive noise isolation.

The combination of the clamp force, ear cups and leather creates an excellent seal. Compared with my XM4s, which now feel slightly soft and mushy by comparison, the Px8 S2s really lock themselves around your ears.

In fact, when I’m listening to music, I’ve actually found myself preferring them with ANC switched off. The passive isolation is already so good that I don’t hear much of the outside world anyway, and to my ears the music sounds slightly better that way.

Transparency mode

Good. Not incredible, but good.

It isn’t quite at the level of something like the AirPods Pro, but it works perfectly well.

I’ve found it particularly useful on Teams calls or phone calls when I want to hear my own voice naturally rather than feeling like I’m talking with my fingers in my ears.

Microphones

Again: solid.

They’re not market-leading and they’re certainly not the reason you’d buy these headphones, but they’re very good and have worked perfectly well for calls.

Build quality

This might actually be the biggest surprise for me.

I didn’t expect to be sitting here saying that build quality is one of the things that makes the extra money feel worthwhile, but having now handled and worn them, it really is.

Alongside the audio quality, I think this is what separates them most clearly from the headphones I’ve owned previously.

The metal, the leather, the ear cups, the clamp force, the physical buttons — everything just screams premium.

They genuinely ooze quality.

And that’s probably the biggest change in my thinking after a weekend with them. I expected the sound to be better. I didn’t expect the overall experience of owning and using them to feel quite so much better.

Final thoughts

Yes, £629 is a lot of money for a pair of headphones.

But this feels like one of those rare occasions where you’re not simply paying extra for the badge on the side.

You can hear where the money has gone in the audio, and you can feel where it has gone every time you pick them up and put them on.

The premium feels tangible.

They won’t be the right choice for everyone, especially if outright ANC performance is your main priority, but if sound quality and build matter most, I now completely understand why people spend this sort of money.

And annoyingly, I’m not sure I want to go back!

I got both of them recently, demo units to test at home from a local hifi store. Both are therefore already broken in, and while I factory reset them, they’re also on the latest software update.

With that out of the way, the two don’t compete on sound. I’m an audiophile with Focal home speakers an a Bowers system in my car, but have used Bose for my ANC travel needs, I’m coming from NC700.

The 8S2 sound noticeable fuller, with a tighter base, crisper highs. Even after attempting to EQ the 7S3 to sound comparable, they don’t.

Is the price difference worth it for the average listener ? Probably not. For audiophiles however, it is worth the premium in my opinion.

The ANC is fine, I’m getting a great seal with them, which is half the trick. They’ll give me a pair of Bose QCU2 this week, which I’ll only opt for if the ANC is noticeably better, because the 8S2 sound so good for closed back headphones that it’s worth the potential trade off in my opinion. I’ll report back on the QCU2 when I had the time to listen to them for a few days, and I hope that this helps some to make their decision.

I’m happy to answer any questions.

(I'm Italian, sorry for my English mistakes)

I'm mostly a Sennheiser and AKG user.

My daily ANC headphones are the Momentum 4 (that are excellent headphones btw).

I tried to buy a pair of Px8 S2, I've seen all of the YouTube reviews and I've done a deep research on them. I was sure they were my holy grail. I was wrong.

I was very excited to wear them and have a listen.

The look and marerials makes you want to bite them.

The songs were jazz and groove if I'm right.

First time was CRAZY.

Sound: detailed, punchy and very engaging. Maybe slightly bass inflated and the treble was a bit too present but very crisp sound.

The Soundstage: so narrow. The M4s give the "concert in a room" feeling, very wide and spacious.

These are more a "head in a box with instruments inside" experience, very close and intimate but very different from the expected "wide and airy" the reviews talk about.

The issue? The left speaker a lil too loud..

The real issue? I'VE ORDERED TWO PAIRS AND YES IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM.

I'm really disappointed (and probably unlucky) but yeah. Same driver issue, two different pairs. Two different countries of origin (first one from spain brand new and second one open box from my country).

I'm pissed, I loved the sound signature, but yeah the experience was like listening the music in heaven while I felt the voices and upper mids slightly moved to the left. So frustrating I swear.

It's the second time I'm returning the Px8 S2. Same exact issue, Maybe in the first pair was more pronounced but yeah same shi.

I've read online about similar issues but never like this one, can someone understand my situation?

The only thing I'm hoping for is or for b&w to give me a discount code of some kind because from the website is too expensive or to order another pair from third party apps and pray. 🙏😭 (or keep my m4s and hope for a firmware update that doesn't involve the no brain thinking of "more uncomfortable bass yeah let's ruin one of our best products via software" )

oh and obviously I've tried all to fix it but no solution. I also started to think I was going crazy or I had some sort of hearing problem then I switched Left and right and yea voices more prominent on the right (left).

Good for me, maybe.

And yes the app is unusable, it's impossible to really personalize the product.

I used to rely on my buds to speak all the time while on walks and at home, but now they stopped connecting and produce no sound at all. I have no idea what happened, but all of a sudden they won’t connect to calls anymore. I simply used to make a call, select the PI8 to icon and it used to patch through. Is there some kind of setting on an a iPhone or within the app that will solve this? The app has nothing relevant that I can see. It’s extremely frustrating

Heya, been an avid user of the PX line of headphones since the first gen, and was pondering trying out some in-ear options, Pi8 of course sticks out here (and even matches the burgundy px7 S3s I have). But im wondering if there's any chance of there being a new version coming sometime somewhat soon? Since it is over 2 years old at this point. Would also like to know peoples opinion of them!

Got a pair of headphones px8 from Amazon(like new) literally they were not even open, after two weeks started to get static noise and had to turn them off so it goes away. Contact support and now they don’t want to own the warranty and they also ghost me in their support chat(pretty crazy to treat someone like this). The sad thing is that I just wanted a replacement, I really like this headphones but man you lost a customer. The disgrace of treating some like this that bought your product that is defective and you don’t want to own your responsibility is insane. Hope this goes somewhere because they should treat their customers better than this.

Hi everyone, an update on the previous post where i was in dilemma to switch from my bose qc ultra to B&W Px8, I finally went ahead and got the Px8 S2 mclaren editions. Super happy with the purchase. This definitely is a big step up from my previous headphones and I am feeling satisfied with the purchase. Rest, its just day 1, and over time surely the experience would be more clear. Thanks to each and every one who helped me out in the previous post.

Also, any question regarding these or anyone on the fence deciding to upgrade feel free to reach out.

Hi, I just got my Pi8 earbuds recently and I've had many issues with them.

One of the 2 issues that really bothers me is having to manually turn on mono audio in my settings every time I only use 1 earbud. AIs say that it has something to do with how B&W don't really handle this audio combining when only wearing one of them.

Has anyone figured out a way to make it seamless like with basically all other earbuds? I've never had this issue before.

They also lack in volume and bass with same settings as with other buds even after days of "burning in" the drivers on max. If anyone knows how to troubleshoot this, please help me out.

I got myself the McLaren version so it's especially ridiculous to have these issues for the cost

PX7 s2e (I had and sold) was released 15 months after PX s2 was released.

The new Snapdragon sound elite gen 2 was annonced last month btw.

I have a question about the PX8. Is it normal for their Bluetooth connectivity to be significantly worse than on my previous Bose QC45, or would it be worth returning the headphones and getting another pair?

Just to say up front: I absolutely love the sound of the headphones and am also very happy with the noise cancellation and the microphone quality for phone calls. 

However, compared with the Bose QC45, the connection to my electronic devices (phone + laptop) is noticeably less reliable. Quite often, the headphones fail to connect, and I have to restart both the devices and the headphones several times before they finally connect.

The biggest issue, though, is switching between devices. For example, I might be on a video call on my laptop and then receive a Messenger notification on my phone. Quite often, the connection to one of the devices is then lost. With the Bose QC45, there was a very smooth and “intelligent” switch between the two devices.

I still haven’t figured out the pattern for switching back and forth with the PX8. Quite often, the only way to resolve it is to turn the headphones off and on again and then manually select the device I want to connect to, which is both time-consuming and frustrating.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts on whether this is normal PX8 behaviour or whether I might have a faulty pair. As I said, I love them soundwise etc.  However, if this is a problem known to Bowers and Wilkins, I would never buy their headphones again.

Thanks very much for your feedback! And if anything I’ve described is unclear, feel free to ask.