Bowers & Wilkins is often cited for the great sound quality of its Px7 noise-canceling over-ear headphones, released in 2019, and a worthy rival to AirPods Max. Now the British audio specialists have overhauled the model with release of the Px7 S2 — but without a price increase.
And what’s more, the company said a new flagship model, the “luxurious” Px8, is coming soon.
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Bowers & Wilkins overhauls PX7 over-ear headphones with Px7 S2 release, plans Px8 flagship rollout
Bowers & Wilkins said it completely overhauled its Px7 headphones, including elements of design, sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC).
And what’s surprising here is that all of these upgrades come with the same price tag as the previous model — $399. That’s not cheap, but substantial upgrades often bring some sort of price hike.
Featuring “all-new construction” for comfort during long listening sessions, the Px7 S2 slimmed down and added better cushioning in the earpads compared to the Px7, which has been lauded for great sound but not so much comfort.
The headphones’ physical controls include buttons for power, volume, track controls and calls on the right side. On the left ear cup, you get a customizable button for quick access to noise canceling settings or a voice assistant.
New acoustic platform
Inside the cans, Bowers & Wilkins said it built a new acoustic platform that powers 40mm drivers. The company said the speakers feature “ultra-fast response” capable of hitting “every nuance” of a listener’s music.
Placed at an angle, the drivers allow “consistent distance” from your ear for a more natural soundstage.
The company’s digital signal processing (DSP) works with 24-bit streaming from music services with support for aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX, AAC and SBC codecs.
For ANC, the Px7 takes advantage of four microphones. Two measure the driver output and two monitor ambient sound. The company says it also revised the noise-canceling algorithm for better performance.
For clearer calls, Bowers & Wilkins changed the microphone position and tweaked digital signal processing for better performance in noisy venues.
And for the first time, you can activate ANC settings and transparency mode as well as the equalizer in the company’s Music App. Soon, the company said, an update will allow the software to stream music via an in-app player.
The Px7 S2 will last up to 30 hours on a charge, the company said, though it didn’t specify if that’s with ANC on or off. But it mentioned it upgraded the quick-charge feature, giving you seven hours of listening time in 15 minutes. That’s an increase of two hours from the previous model.
New flagship on the way
And finally, Bowers & Wilkins teased its upcoming flagship headphone model, the Px8, coming later this year.
Right now details remain elusive. But the company said you should expect “reference-level” sound and “luxurious materials” for a price of $549.
And if you can’t wait the next flagship model, the nicely upgraded Px7 S2 is available now from the company’s website and select retailers.
You can pick up the new Px7 S2 model in three new color options: grey, blue and black.
Price: $399
Where to buy: Bowers & Wilkins or preorder at B&H Photo
