Bowers & Wilkins has been making headphones from beautiful materials for years, which feel slightly more expensive and ‘premium’ than the competition. However, that competition is not standing still; Apple gives with its AirPods Max a similar premium feel with slightly heavier headphones. Meanwhile, Sony continues to push the boundaries with its 1000Xseries that scores well on comfort, sound and active noise cancellation.
The Px7 S2 proves that the Brits from Bowers & Wilkins have certainly not been sitting still. The S2 in the title might suggest that this is a small update compared to the Px7 from the end of 2019, yet these are new headphones in all areas.
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To start with the most important thing: the sound quality. It is, as you would expect from Bowers & Wilkins, excellent. Well-balanced, with a standard present but not dominant bass, clear highs and above all a present middle pallet.
In less vague terms: these Bowers & Wilkins lend themselves to everything for which you want to use pricey headphones like these. For music of any genre, for movies and series, as well as for phone calls and video conferences. With music, the Px7 S2 sounds less bassy than, for example, the headphones from Beats, or the latest high-flyer from Sony, the WH-1000XM5.
However, the mids really take the main stage on this B&W. This ensures a wide, spacious sound, also thanks to the placement of the speakers in the ear cups. They are at a greater angle to the ear than with previous B&Ws, which indeed provides a more spacious sound.
Auditory all-rounder
These headphones bring out the best in film scores and other instrumental tracks. But anyone who listens to Adele’s latest album also gets the feeling that she is sitting right next to you while the music fills your ears. In terms of bass, however, the headphones really don’t fall short. All in all, the headphones sound warm, spacious and detailed; we’ve heard details in songs again that are inaudible with other headphones.
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In the meantime, telephone conversations also sound fine, although you sound relatively soft to the receiver, but well intelligible. Bowers & Wilkins also has an app for the first time that allows you to adjust the treble and bass via a simple equalizer. This makes the Px7 S2 just as bassy as, for example, the headphones from Sony.
Subtle but distinctive
Then there are the materials, because that is how Bowers & Wilkins continues to distinguish itself. In addition to the equally expensive Sony WH-1000XM5, the Px7 S2 looks and feels a bit more refined. The Sony is made of plastic and leatherette, while the top headband of this B&W is covered with a material that looks and feels like woven fabric. That material is found on the outside of the otherwise light metal ear cups.
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A chrome edge accentuates the comfortable memory foam edges, which are also comfortable for spectacle wearers and close well. With 307 grams, the Px7 S2 is on the weighty side compared to the Sony of 250 grams, but it can always be heavier: the Apple AirPods Max can tire out with its 386 grams and that also applies to a slightly lesser extent for this Px7 S2 .
Because of the weight and the materials, these Bowers & Wilkins really do feel like 400 euro headphones. Unobtrusive yet distinctive, it is available in black, light gray and dark blue. The buttons on the edges feel just as solid as the rest of the device: power/pairing, volume and play/pause on the right, each with its own button with enough space around or a distinctive structure.
Prima active noise cancellation
On the left is the button for switching the mode: active noise cancellation, transparency mode or off. You can also designate that button as an activation button for your phone’s smart assistant. The Px7 S2’s active noise cancellation is fine; the technology has actually been strong with every pair of headphones in this price range for the past two or three years.
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According to Bowers & Wilkins, the active noise cancellation reduces the ambient noise by about 30 decibels. In a busy train or a noisy coffee shop, that is more than enough to completely shut you down. The Sony WH-1000XM5 performs slightly better by comparison and excludes more noise, but not to the extent that it is a point of contention. In the transparency mode you hear the environment through the microphones, which also appears somewhat plastic and amplified with Bowers & Wilkins. That shortcoming has the function on every headphone except Apple; with AirPods, the transparency mode sounds as if the environment is being let through unamplified.
The battery life of the Px7 S2 is 30 hours on paper, very competitive and approachable in practice with active noise cancellation on and the volume around 50 percent. Fortunately, the headphones also have a quick charge function: 15 minutes on the USB-C cable is enough for up to 7 hours of extra listening. Charging is also really necessary: a mini-jack connection is missing, although a USB-c-to-mini-jack is included. Passive listening is no longer an option: the Px7 S2 only works when it’s turned on.
Conclusion
The B&W Px7 S2 are headphones for the connoisseur, both in terms of sound and design. In all cases it sounds strong, feels high-quality and is pleasant to wear and has all the functions in house, but not too much. In terms of adjusting settings and equalizer, the B&W is somewhat limited and there is no touch control, or a fast speaking function as with the Sony’s.
Those are choices: the Px7 S2 puts good sound first, followed by a beautiful design and there is no room for empty frills. And with that recipe, Bowers & Wilkins is holding its own in this rapidly changing market.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 is available in black, gray and blue for a suggested retail price of 420 euros.
Floris Poort
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