r/BowersWilkins

So I just bought the px7s3 for only £197 from John Lewis. I got the white ones as they were the cheapest, and used £70 e-gift. I've been really excited about them after watching numerous videos on them.

Just picked them up this morning from the post office and am using them now. Amazing beautiful premium build quality. Love the smell haha.

But, I'm absolutely devastated by how normal they sound. Was expecting to be blown away by something. Nothing is happening. They don't sound like they warrant that price tag whatsoever. I have a pair of Tozo ht3 which I really love and just comparing both back to back with the same songs.

Honestly, my Tozos are "blowing" them out of the water. Can't believe I'm saying that, but it's what I'm hearing. The Tozos sound is much more immersive, louder, more bass (which I kinda expected), and simply has a better soundstage.

Not sure what else I'm supposed to be looking for in the px7s3, but I'm really not impressed. There is no way I'd drop the Tozos over the px7 for a music session. And that's exactly what I'm doing now.

I've read others saying how after many uses, the px7s3 does start sounding better. Not sure what to make of this.

I was looking at the momentum 4's, but really don't like the touch buttons and also heard that their max volume isn't so great.

I just fancied something alongside what I already have. By no means am I looking to replace the Tozos.

I've played around with the EQ and even though it worked better with them, it's just not giving me anything better than the Tozos.

I'm desperate to like these, but not sure that'll be the case.

They just sound like normal cheap loudish headphones. Desperate for them to give me what the guys on YouTube were raving about. But it's not giving anything close to that.

These headphones are definitely the best in premium build quality I've ever had, but that will never be enough. I need the sounds to match that hefty price tag. It really isn't there. I think it's the build quality that justifies the price. But I ain't buying it to look good in lol. Really not sure what all the fuss is about over these. But am trying hard to find what the fuss might be.

Am I doing anything wrong guys? Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks.

Edit: Unfortunately I'm definitely sending these back. They simply aren't worth that much money for what it gives you. They sound terrible compared to the Tozos. Even my older Soundcore Q30s were better. These px7s3 just sound like a normal pair of headphones. You can hear the music separation (great 🤦🏻), but is that it? This needs to be giving much more!!!

I’ve been using that cheap headset for a long time, so this feels like a massive jump for me. I honestly don’t expect “magic”, but I’m curious how big the real difference in sound quality will be in daily use.

People say the Px7 S2e is one of the best in its price range.

So I'm asking, will it match the quality of flagship headphones?

Hi everyone,

I’ll get straight to the point. Lately, I’ve been struggling to enjoy listening to music on my PX8 S2 because the sound has started to feel harsh and ear-piercing. When I first bought them, I was extremely satisfied with the sound quality and had no complaints at all.

I’m not sure what’s changed. Maybe I’ve developed some sensitivity to higher frequencies, or maybe I’ve simply become accustomed to listening through my soundbar, which sounds more open and spacious.

My question is: does anyone have an EQ setting that helps reduce the harshness without ruining what makes the PX8 S2 special?

The best way I can describe what I’m hearing is that the entire track feels congested, almost as if everything is sitting in the same frequency range. The sound becomes fatiguing very quickly and can even trigger headaches. The treble feels piercing, while vocals often sound overly forward and sharp. At the same time, instruments seem less prominent and get overshadowed by what I can only describe as “knife-like” vocals.

I’m hoping this description makes sense and gives those with more audio knowledge an idea of what might be causing the issue. If so, I’d really appreciate any advice on which frequencies to adjust and by how much.

I genuinely want to enjoy these headphones again the way I did when I first got them.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I updated to the new beta of Poweramp which now supports bit perfect output of USB audio but discovered that when playing 24/44.1kHz tracks, that it's playing as 16/44.1 on my headphones. Bowers why would you not support that bit depth & sample rate????

EDIT / UPDATE:

https://preview.redd.it/bhk92iytzfah1.jpg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=124d5e02fc44adc68eacf3dd0277b8f66e2b5211

I am based in Dubai/UAE, so in-person auditioning is not very practical for me. Availability is uneven here, some models are hard to find locally, and I am also busy with work, so ordering online is the easiest way for me to test them.

I added a photo of the headphones I have received so far in the comments.

I ended up ordering several of these because there were good Prime deals.

Ordered / received so far:

- Focal Bathys MG — received

- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) — received

- Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) — received

- Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless — received

- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 — arriving July 4

- Écoute TH2 — expected September

I am still tempted to test the DALI IO-12, T+A Solitaire T, and Noble Audio FoKus Artemis, but I am trying to avoid chasing tiny sidegrades if I am already close to the top of the Bluetooth ANC category.

Very early impressions after a few hours of listening:

1. Focal Bathys MG

So far, these sound the cleanest to me. Instruments have more weight/body, and the overall presentation feels the most refined. I did not like the personalized hearing-tuning result because it increased the treble too much for me, so I am currently using the Dynamic preset.

2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

These surprised me. To my ears, they give me maybe 90% of the Bathys MG’s overall enjoyment, while being much lighter and more comfortable. I reduced the bass to -3 in the EQ and like them much more that way.

3. Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)

They sound good, but the presentation feels too forward/upfront for me. I normally like an upfront sound, but this is a bit too much. They are also heavy and clamp more than I prefer. On some songs, they feel less emotionally engaging than the Bathys MG or Bose.

4. Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless

Very boomy/bassy to my ears in stock form, and currently my least favorite of the ones I have tested. That said, I could still live with them if I had to. They are not bad; they just do not sound as refined to me so far.

What surprised me most is that the differences are smaller than I expected. I know Bluetooth ANC headphones have diminishing returns, but I expected a bigger gap. My wife and I did some informal A/B listening and came to similar conclusions, even though she has not been reading reviews, measurements, specs, and Reddit threads like I have.

My question now:

Based on these early impressions, should I stop testing and just choose between the Bathys MG, Bose QC Ultra 2, and Px8 S2 once it arrives? Or do the DALI IO-12, T+A Solitaire T, Noble Audio FoKus Artemis, Loewe Leo, B&O Beoplay H100, or HDB 630, offer something meaningfully different enough that they are still worth trying?

What I care about most is sound quality, long-term comfort, ANC (last), and choosing the lowest-regret blind buy. Price is secondary, but I do not want to waste time and energy chasing tiny sidegrades.

Original Post

I’m new to the Bluetooth ANC headphone market and would appreciate expert advice from this subreddit on which one to purchase. I can’t audition them, so I’m looking for your recommendations.

Here are some options I’m considering:

- Focal Bathys MG
- Dali IO 12
- B&W Px8 S2
- T+A Solitaire T
- Loewe Leo
- Ecoute Th1/Th2
- BO BH100

Please let me know your thoughts on these options.

My PX7 s3 has recently started acting up when connected via bluetooth. I have noticed that the audio is very delayed when using aptX Adaptive. Very noticeable when watching videos. This has become a constant issue. Never had this problem the past 7 months or so when using the same bluetooth codec and devices.

There are also very frequent connectivity issues where the audio stutters like crazy and I have to restart the headphones. This happens often enough that it's really annoying even though it is easily fixable in the moment.

I'm mainly using the headphones connected to a Oneplus 13 but also with apple laptops as well as a samsung tablet and the BTD 700 dongle.

Hi, I am interested in purchasing a BW Px7 s2e or a Px7 s3 and was wondering how good the ‘transparency mode‘ is. I am very impressed by the transparency mode of the AirPods Pro 3 for example but don’t expect this level of the B&W. I was just wondering if they are much better than $70 Sony WH-CH720N when it comes to the transparency mode or if they are lacking in that department. The reviews I have seen have criticized the weak ANC but mostly left out the transparency mode.

The conclusion of the 3-day trial

This is a sooner-than-expected update to my previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/BowersWilkins/s/CJ7GaOhhpm

How soon?

I only lasted 3 days before I got major price remorse. For context, I paid $1,128.87 CAD (all in).

I really tried justifying the cost, but for my single-use case (sound output for PC only), it wasn't a smart financial choice, not at all.

Once returned, I went online shopping for a similar but more wallet-friendly replacement headphone. I turned over every headphone rock, including consumer headphones. Everything wireless was under consideration. I've spent my evenings this week just in some sort of heavily research-induced dilemma about not being able to find the right headphones.

I only realized today why I couldn't pull the trigger on a replacement.

The realization at the top of the mountain

I realized I wouldn't be able to find a replacement because I had already reached the pinnacle, the summit (for me, anyway) of the wireless headphones mountain. Standing on the peak, for 3 days, I drank from the nectar of the ultra-premium, flagship end-game, headphone gods.

You don't drive a Lambo and then go back and get a hankering to drive a commuter, Honda. Once you've had a taste of the endgame, it lingers in your thoughts and in your heart. In the end, I couldn't find a replacement simply because in my mind, there was none that came close. Not even a Prime Day deal for the PX8 at $607 CAD was enough to sway me.

So, today, I purchased them again. Same price. I thought I was done. I had the justifications made. But then I got price remorse again, and I cancelled the order, luckily before Amazon could ship it. I realized I simply couldn't justify spending over $500 on headphones.

So in the end, end, I decided to be fiscally responsible and pocket the cost of these PX8 S2's and make Louis Rossman smile for today by $30 buying replacement pads for my QC45, which have no real defects and just need a tuning.

The begrudging descent down the mountain

The PX8 S2, in absolutely gorgeous in Midnight Blue (a colourway I was willing to pay $441 more for, compared to the PX8 prime day deal for $607 CAD ), immediately fit on my head the way Cinderella's slippers fit before the stroke of Midnight. The fit was immaculate, delicate, and it was just a joy to put on and take off. Zero complaints, all the praise. It was like a caressing hug for my ears every time I had them on.

The build was why I paid so much for them in the first place, and they lived up to the expectations. Interestingly, about the colourway, one takeaway I had was that you really don't get a chance to view them because they are on your head 90% of the time you're using them, so in the end, does colourway really matter?

To my untrained ears, was the sound breathtaking? No, it just was. I spent most of it wired via the USB-C cable hooked to my PC. I didn't mess with the EQ, but I'm sure I would've gotten used to the sound or found what I liked with some tuning.

The app was a major let-down. At this price point, it should be as every bit as good as the headphones themselves and an extension of the premium experience. It felt very barebones, something you would see on $300 headphones.

In short, I loved my time with the PX8 S2 and would purchase it again in a heartbeat, but for around $500-$600 CAD.

Good morning everyone,
I am after a one and only wireless headphone. Budget is the main factor. At the moment, momentum is 250$ and px7 s2 is 299$. I am after comfort, reliability and sound. Which one should i go for? Thank you in advance

I ordered PX7 s3 on Amazon through their warehouse returned goods deals with an enormous discount. Condition was stated as Used - Very good. But when I received them today and inspected, they were pristine. In the original box, with the case and all the cables, user manual still unpacked and firmware not updated. No signs of wear whatsoever.

But I noticed a strange issue and I’m trying to figure out if this is normal or a defect. I wouldn't want to return them because they sound amazing and feel very premium. And return/refund is the only option in my case because few Used ones are sold out already.

The issue: From time to time I get this very subtle rapid “tktktkt” type sound in the left earcup. It’s very faint, almost like static or tiny clicking, and it only happens when I move my head.

What I’ve noticed so far:

• It only happens in ANC or transparency mode
• Completely gone when ANC is off.
• It’s only left earcup, never right.
• It’s not constant, comes and goes.
• If I fiddle with it, shift and adjust how the left cup sits on my ear, it often disappears.
• Clicking frequency increases when I move and turn my head.

My guess is that it's almost certainly has something with the ANC mics. Seems like they are picking up micro friction (glasses arm / beard / hair), or some slight hardware/mount defect in that earcup. But I’m not 100% sure.

I already contacted B&W support and they said it could be hardware related and suggested returning it while I still can, but they probably just playing it safe.

Has anyone here experienced something similar on PX7 S3 (or PX7/PX8 in general)?

Update: I think I figured out what the sound is. It's my ear rubbing against the microphone inside the earcup. I'm wearing glasses, so they push my ear outward, and since the padding is not very thick, one ear is rubbing because they are a bit asymmetric. When I push my right earcup with my hand so the right ear touches the inner fabric, there is the same sound from the right.

Years of s2e and then px7 S3. When I sold and bought my S3, I didn't think it was going to be so loud and banging bass for me silenced all other details. More importantly it started to discomfort me after an hour or so; it's the over powered bass and uncontrollable treble messed things up for me. Don't get me wrong, I love bass, I love some good Radiohead bass on my ears.

Then I switched to Sennheiser HDB 630s. Finally. I'm sad. I'm sad because S2e wasn't like S3. 630 brought back the delicious balanced music. I can bang the sound or bass, but out of the box both bass and treble are strong at right places, not animals I try to leash by a not-so-flexible EQ. It's the music with all instruments and frequencies, not only bloated bass and treble of S3 no matter what EQ I tried. I was listening to Little by Little (live) on HDBs, and whoever says HDBs have no bass must have a hearing problem. I had to turn off the bass boost.

I know many of you asked before. And I thought I would share my experience. I'm not an audiophile. But one doesn't have to be an audiophile to appreciate the balanced music and vocals. If you are in between HDB 630 and s3, If you are not a banging bass head, give 630s a chance. Or don't ever leave your S2e for S3. Ever. In neutral parametric EQ mode (out of the box), 630 sounds amazing with details and strong but right amount of bass. It's relieving to know I don't have to spend countless time on EQ to fix the sound, I can now play with parametric EQ just to experiment and have fun!

Also, the parametric EQ and the endless configurations in Sennheiser reminded me how poor Bowers and Wilkins treating the customization side of the things.

Anyways, I'm a fan of BW design language and s2e. But S3 wasted my time (my time, I know music taste is subjective). I bow in front of HDB630s, and I really hope BW comes back with a real music in next iteration.

In case you ask, to me ANC is very similar between these three headphones. One thing that sucks about 630 is the touch controls. Just stupid.

I just bought my Px8 S2. When I am using my iPhone 17 Pro, any time I use a service that activates the microphone, such as talking to Siri or answering/calling a phone call, the ANC turns off for a second and then turns back on. Then when the microphone is deactivated after I complete my action, such as hanging up the phone or completing my Siri command, it does the exact same thing; ANC turns off then back on for a second.

I just want to know if this is normal behavior for these headphones or if I should return/warranty them. It is a bit annoying especially for the price point.

Does anyone else experience this with their px8 s2?