Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Flagship Noise Cancelling Wireless Over-Ear Headphones with Bluetooth 5.0 & Quick Charge, 30 Hours of High-Resolution Playback and Built-In Microphone - Royal Burgundy

Simply incredible sound. It’s so rich and deep. I had B&O Beoplay EX and thought they were great, but returned them due to the terrible noise when wearing outside - even a gentle breeze caused considerable interference even with the wind guard feature activated. These, on the other hand and despite not having a ‘wind guard’ feature, have little to no interference in comparative external environmental conditions. I’m really impressed with the depth of sound and immersive acoustics - pricy but defo worth the money. They are lightweight and really comfortable even if worn for extensive periods of time. The ANC is also pretty good in my view (and better than B&O). The ability for the case to tether them to devices is a cool feature, e.g. TVs and other audio devices or laptops. Downside: one earbud seems to lose Bluetooth link every now and again and needs to be re-paired. Whilst annoying, I can live with it because the immersive sound quality is so outrageously good. [Update: a later software update cleared this issue]. I’m not sure the McLaren edition ones are worth the large additional cost just for the superficial difference - unless you are a massive McLaren fan with deep pockets. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that you’re getting the Bowers and Wilkins research and development (R&D) packed into these little nuggets. Other iconic products include their Zeppelin, and Nautilus, of which a pair of the latter will set you back £90k! So, there is a rich history of sound engineering, R&D, and expertise getting squeezed into the Pi8. Expensive but worth the investment. If you’re not an audiophile you soon will be!

So this might be a long review. The tl;dr is these are unbelievable sounding headphones. Every few years I become obsessed with buying some form of high-end audio equipment. My last headphone mania was a few years ago with the original P5 and P7, then the wireless version of those headphones. And I have long been a fan of the Bowers and Wilkins sound having come from the DM601 s2s. I wasn’t even in the market for earbuds. I have a pair of AirPods Pro and have never found the sound particularly good, nor have I ever felt entirely comfortable with the feel of the earbuds experience. I was fully looking for a great pair of over ear headphones. After a lot of research, visually dismissing the Sony’s as too plasticky, and the AirPods Max as too showy, I knew B&W would be the brand again to deliver the looks, but more importantly the sound. Sound is incredibly important to me. I have studio monitors as my HiFi system in my lounge. I can be prone to relentlessly A/B testing new equipment until my brain can’t take it any more. I originally was set on the Px7 s3, but then noticed I could get the s2 for less than half the price on sale and so thought I’d get both to test. The s2 absolutely fit like a glove, so comfortable. But the sound, whilst decent, just didn’t have the detail and separation I was after. The s3 initially sounded phenomenal, so detailed, spacious, and confidently tuned. Definitely V-shaped tuning, different to the usual house sound. But there was something a bit fatiguing to the highs, certain cymbals and hi hats felt over-hyped to the point of being uncomfortable. Plus the clamping of the headband itself I felt was so tight it became unpleasant after not too long. And my ears were a sweaty mess. I was stuck with the s2 it seemed, and sent the s3 back. But damn, once you’ve heard that kind of sound, and you know there’s detail that you’re missing, I ended up not even listening to the s2. I started researching the Px8, could its carbon cone offer s3 sound but with more comfort? The more I looked into that model though, the more I started seeing issues with the headband peeling apart and didn’t want to take my chances with something of such high value. But in this search I noticed Pi8. I looked into it and saw they were earbuds. The reviews were glowing (from review sites, I have no idea how these aren’t rated higher here) and so I ordered a pair just to try out. MY. GOD. I had no idea that earbuds could sound like this. The detail, soundstage, instrument separation and accuracy across all the frequencies was just jaw dropping. I literally could not believe I didn’t have over-ear headphones on. For a week I was in utter bliss, listening to all my old albums, hunting for new music, revelling in the exquisiteness of these earbuds. Then my brain kicked in. These can’t possibly be this good. There must be something they are missing… On the Max Cooper track ‘Order from Chaos’, I became convinced that in the intro there was a sub-bass extension that just wasn’t being reproduced by the Pi8. There it is I thought. I can’t be happy with headphones if I know they are missing something. In order to prove it to myself I reordered the s3. (I can’t listen to my monitors in my new flat due to neighbours, hence needing headphones). The s3s arrived and eagerly I put them on, put the track on, and waited for that sub-bass extension… Except it didn’t exist. My brain had made it up. But then came the truly astounding part…I A/B tested the Px7 s3 to the Pi8, and to my ears, the Pi8 actually sound BETTER. All that glorious detail and separation and soundstage is there. But where the s3 hypes the treble somewhat, the Pi8 delivers it perfectly. And also delivers the most gorgeous bass. Everything is there. So yes. If you’ve made it this far you’re probably as crazy as me. And in that case you are going to absolutely love these headphones. Extremely comfortable, app is decent, connectivity is great, ANC is easily good enough…but that sound… Truly astonishing.

These headphones are amazing and easily the best headphones I've ever used! To start with the audio quality is amazing, I've tested them using a range of devices with multiple codecs, AAC, AptX HD and AptX Adaptive. Now for the best quality possible, your going to want to use AptX Adaptive. If your devices don't support it you can buy a Bluetooth dongle with support for the codec on Amazon (such as the Sennheiser BT 600). I've had no issues with the Sennheiser after updating the firmware, and there is a substantial jump in quality so I'd say the extra £30 is well worth it! (Compatible with Mac, PC, iPhone, Android) Also a little tip if you get the Sennheiser do make sure to update the firmware using the utility on there website, I had some artifacts prior to doing so. And you can also store the dongle by plugging into the PX8's USB C port :). That being said the headphones still sound amazing even using basic AAC, the audio clarity is amazing and you can make out each individual instrument with the wide soundstage. It really seems Bowers and Wilkins put a lot of effort into the design of these headphones, from the moment you pick them up they scream quality. From the soft nappa leather, to the smooth action of the hinges and the way the drivers are angled to more closely fit your ears natural shape, no stone was left unturned during the design of these. They are what I'd say is the perfect weight. Not too lightweight to the point they feel flimsy and could be easily broken, but definitely not heavy to the point where wearing them for extended periods could cause pain. The battery life sits at an impressive 30 hours, with 15 minute quick charging via USB PD. They are very easy to use with a switch to power them on and they then automatically connect to your saved devices. (You can also connect them to multiple devices at once which is a plus) The active noise cancellation functions beautifully and really blocks out external sounds so you can focus in on your music or work. And the transparency mode is amazing for if your out and about and want to be aware of your surroundings. I can't really recommend these headphones enough if your in the market for a new pair. With the frequent sales on Amazon they really are a bargain for this level of quality, functionality, ease of use, and audio quality.

I have bought and sold numerous earbuds ranging from the Google Pixel Buds 2, Sony WF-1000XM5, and many more. I am no audiophile, I just want earbuds that fit well and don't fall and have decent sound. After watching many good reviews about these earbuds, I decided to give them a try although the price is REALLY expensive for a pair of earbuds. I was surprised by how well they fit, part of that is because they fit deep into the ear canal so they sit in your ear tight and snug. The medium sized eartips that came fitted was good for my left ear but were not so tight on the right ear so I swapped the right one for the large sized eartips and it was perfect! The Bowers&Wilkens app is very easy to use. I had them setup in about 1 minute literally then did a firmware update which took about 5 minutes and I was ready to go. Another positive thing is how you control actions with the earbuds. With other earbuds, it is not as easy to tap the part which activates them but with these earbuds, they have a flat surface so you never miss any tap/double tap to activate any action (which are all customizable). The sound quality is insane, you feel like you are in a club with very rich and deep bass.

Fantastisk ljud!

Premium build quality and perfect for an audiophile enthusiast! Balanced and vividly captivating imaging.👌👌👌

This one is the best as it gets, clear and rich sound,great punchy bass. Combined with Qobus it literally makes the hair on my arms stand up

Der Kopfhörer ist nun schon einige Wochen in Gebrauch, so daß ich eine Rezension schreiben kann. Vorweg, ich habe den Vergleich mit dem Sennheiser Momentum 4 gemacht, wobei dieser dann zu einem Geschenk wurde. Der B & W kommt schon hochwertig an, in einem stabilen und edlen Case. Auch der Kopfhörer mit echtem superweichen Lammleder und Aluminiumteilen ist einfach auch optisch und haptisch ein Genuss. Da kann der Sennheiser Momentum nicht mithalten. Der Klang ist für mich sehr klar und detailreich, das Volumen voll, doch nicht bassbetont. Ich musste an der Werkseinstellung fast nichts ändern, was man, sofern der Bedarf besteht, mithilfe der App kann. Der Momentum war klanglich auch gut, doch etwas mehr basslastig. Mit dem klug durchdachten Schaltern am rechten Kopfhörer lassen sich Verbindung, Lautstärke und Vorspulen sehr einfach bedienen. Dies ist für mich auch einer der weiteren Vorzüge gegenüber dem Momentum, der nur durch Berühren betätigt wird, was zumindest bei mir nicht immer wie gewünscht funktionierte. Die Akkudauer ist erstaunlich, mehr als angegeben bzw. ich erwartet habe und auch das erneute Aufladen geht ziemlich schnell. Ich höre querbeet, von Rock bis Klassik so ziemlich alle Genres und ich kann hier keinerlei Einbußen bei einer bestimmten Musikrichtung feststellen. Die Abschirmung von äußeren Geräuschen ist selbst ohne Noisecancelling hervorragend, was eine tiefes Eintauchen in die Musik (im Unterschied zum Hören über die Anlage) ermöglicht. Ich habe inzwischen schon einige schöne entspannte Abende mit dem Genuss meiner Musik verbracht, was ich zum Großteil diesen tollen Kopfhörern verdanke, die ihren Preis absolut wert sind. Kann ich also wirklich nur weiterempfehlen!