The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 checked the right boxes when we talk of audiophiles taste an style. The Px8 nudged them with more updates and a steep price tag that only a few could consider buying. Now the West Sussex based audio equipment pro has unveiled the Px7 S3 headphones to lure music lovers who want a taste of class and profound audio bliss. Can they compete with the market charmers like Bose QC Ultra Headphones and Sony’s WH-1000XM5? They surely can with improved features that rival the best when it comes to sales volumes of premium headphones on the market.
B&W claim these pair of cans are their “most advanced wireless headphone yet.” That claim has substance as the slim and light Px7 S3 have been designed for maximum comfort during extended music listening sessions. To take on the heavyweights, the headphones come with advanced ANC performance courtesy of the eight microphones repositioned on each earcup. Located on the periphery of the cans, the two microphones measure the drive unit output, other four take care of the ambient noises in the environment, and the last two actuate the crisp vocal clarity.
Designer: Bower & Wilkins
This is first time ever a B&W headphone has spatial audio, and it’ll be interesting to listen to their performance. The reengineered drive unit loaded with 40mm biocellulose drivers inside a redesigned chassis improves the resolution. Again this is a first timer for B&W headphones to get a discrete amplifier for a punchy sound delivery. Also, the redesigned voice coil, magnet and suspension promise far better dynamics than the predecessors. Bowers and Wilkins has added support for high-quality aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codecs for high resolution audio of upto 24-bit/96kHz. The company has promised support for Bluetooth LE Audio and Bluetooth Auracast later this year with an over-the-air update.
Coming back to the ANC, the headphones have them in two modes – standard and pass through. Battery performance of the over-the-ear headphones is also impressive with 30 hours of playback on ANC on. A quick charge of 15 minutes will juice up the cans for 7 hours of playback which should be good for a day’s wireless listening. If you want to continue even after the battery is depleted, there’s always the 3.5mm audio jack option. Px7 S3 come with tactile feedback buttons for toggling playback or volume controls which I prefer, compared to the touch controls. Along with that, there’s always the companion app for toggling the deeper features like equalization or ANC modes.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 over-the-ear headphones are available in three detailed finishes: Anthracite Black, Indigo Blue and Canvas White. The new design facilitates easy replacement of the cushions and headband which is another added feature power users will find useful. Currently the headphones are available in the UK, EU and other markets. In the US however, there’ not available for now due to turbulent market conditions and tariff threats.
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