British Audio Icon, Bowers & Wilkins (B&w), Has Always Had Its Rabid Fans, Especially in the World of LoudSpeakers, where its combo of sound quality and designs have earned it a lot of admission. However, I’ve Never Felt that the company’s wireless noise-concenting headphones quite live up to this sterling reputation-Until now.
Bowers & Wilkins Headphones have Traditionally Been More Expensive Thani Their Rivals, even as the sound and features tagged behind. I was expecting the same from the brand’s latest effort, the PX7 S3 Over-Ear Headphones.
But mothers after popping them on my head, I was ready to change my tune. And not only do they sound great, but they’re a serial upgrade over the all-plastic design of the Sony XM6 Headphones.
So, let’s Dive into my full bowers & wilkins PX7 S3 Headphones review.
The New B & W PX7 S3 Headphones: Just the Specs
Let’s start with the basics:
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Microphones: 8
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (Aptx Adaptive/Lossless Support)
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Battery: 30 hours with anc
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Charge Time: ~ 3.5 hours
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Noise cancellation: Active noise cancellation
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Spatial audio: Planned (Future software update required)
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Colors: Anthracite Black, Canvas White, And IndiGo Blue
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Inputs: USB-C
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Quick Charge: 7 hours in 15 minutes
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Materials: Fabric, aluminum, and synthetic leather
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 Review: What’s New?
Credit: Simon Cohen / Mashable
The PX7 S3 has a variety of updates from the s2 and s2, including a sleeper, lower-profile shape, a redesigned headband, repositioned controls, support for APTX Adapti and Aptx LossesLesses Microphones, improved anc and transparency, and revised driver design.
B& w has also made a less changes in its bowers & wilkins music company app, like the available of a five-band equalizer.
The company plans to issue a future software update to enable spatial audio. This has become a standard feature in other flagship headphones, so it’s disappointing not to find it here, especially since they have the same price as the new only xm6 noise-cancelling heart
What’s not new?
Battery Life Remains Unchanged at 30 hours (Plus a 7-hour Quick Charge after 15 minutes), it still come with a zippered (thought slightly Slimmer) Hard Case and A USB-C and 3.5MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Lossless, Hi-RS Audio at Up to 24-Bit/96KHz is supported via the USB-C cable.
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 Review: I love the design
Credit: Simon Cohen / Mashable
Looks are (obvious) subjective, but I think the px7 S3 are in a class by themselves.
The Combination of Materials (Fabric, Aluminum, and Syntic Leather) And B & W’s Sleek, Understated Styling Makes these cans a joy to behld and a pleasure to Wear. Compared to the All-Plastic Construction of Sony’s 1000x Series or The Giant Aluminum Shells of Apple’s AirPods Max or Dyson OnTrac, The PX7 S3 are the Rare Headphones TOOOK SIT SITING on your desk.
Don’t like the anthracite black color pictured here? They’re also available in indigo blue and canvas white.
For the PX7 S3, B & W has increased the width of the headband from the PX7 S2, and the Earcushions are more generiously padded. This takes an alredy comfortable design and makes it even better for long-term use.
The Single-Sided Yokes Are Now More Rounded, Yet they still let you position the Earcups up or down when youound the neck.
My only nitpick: the inclusive USB-C cable is just too thick and inflexible to be used comfortable when listening to usb audio (more on that feature in a mament).
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 Review: Controls
Credit: Simon Cohen / Mashable
Keen-Ayed observers will note that the control buttons now sit on the beVled ouver edge of the earcups, instead of on the flat rear edge. At first, I was concerned that this would make them harder to use, but in some ways, they’re now easy to reach – I don’t mind it at all.
Strangely, B & W has made the Volume buttons Larger and the Multifunction button Smaller Than on the PX7 S2. Maybe it’s just me – I tend to play/pause and skip tracts more than I change volume – but i’d prefer they have the opposite proportions.
The anc button, located on the left earcup, provides nearly instant mode changes, but for the life of me, I still don’t know why b & w insists on forcing us to cycle throwing Transparency> Off), Instead of Letting Us Skip the off mode entrely.
Another Head-Scratcher: You can control anc with this button, or summon your voice assistant, but you can’t have both.
One of my favorite features of the S2 is the Wear Sensors, and Thankfully, they’re just as good on the s3. Removing Eiter Earcup – even just a little ways – instantly pauses your tunes, while replacing them resumes playback just as quickly.
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3: Noise Canceling and Transparency
The PX7 S3 Have a Larger Array of Mics than his predacesors – Eight vs. SIX – Which should, in theory, help to improve active noise cancellation (ANC) and Transparency Mode. Anc is indeed better, thought only moderately so.
It can reduce the most annoying background sounds, but you’ll still get better anc results from Shut out draoning machinery sounds. Transparency mode on the px7 S3, however, is a significant step up from the s2 model. You notice it immediatily, thanks to the clear of your voice.
It’s stil not as mesmerizingly perfect as apple’s airpods max, but honestly, it’s more than good enough for phone calls and casual conversions.
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 Review: Impressive Sound Quality
Credit: Simon Cohen / Mashable
On B & W’s Spec Sheet for the PX7 S3, It Lists “40mm Bio-Cellulose Drivers”-The same description used for the px7 s2. But this is an oversimplification. In Reality, The S3’s Drivers Use A Redesigned and Improved Chassis, Voice Coil, Suspension, And Magnet, and Thei Make a Huge Differeens to the sound.
Clarity, definition, soundstage, and precision are all enhanced. These are the first bowers & wilkins px7 series headphones that final sound as good as they look.
I could spend a lot of time encouraging you to take advantage of the S3’s Aptx Adaptive and Aptx Lossless Codecs on a Compatible Phone. And, you should absolutely use their hi-as, USB audio connection when a wire won’t get in your way (a feature you won’t find on bose or Sony’s flagships).
But frankly, you can hear and appreciate the S3’s improved audio quality even Even over a Standard SBC or AAC Bluetooth Connection (Good News for iPhone Ownes). Setting aside all of the S3’s other improvements, I would have pay the extra $ 50 over the price of the S2 just for the sound.
Credit: Simon Cohen / Mashable
B & W’s Excellent Factory Tuning, With Its Careful Balance of Frequencies, is now known as true sound; This is the Eq setting you get by default in the bowers & wilkins music app. What’s new is the ability to fin-tune this balance using a five-band equalizer, instead of the simplified bases and treble slides the app shows to s2 Ownes.
After Trying a Few Adjustments, however, I returned to the true sound setting and Never Looking Back. To my ear, it’s just about perfect.
BASS HAS PLENTY OF Authority with Ever Getting Boomy or overbearing, and the mids are clear and distinct. Curiously, in the upper-mids and highs, the S3 are something of a return to form. I noted in my Px7 s2 review That the px7’s high-energy sound signature had been taken a notch a notch or two. For the S3, B & W seems to have split the difference, and it’s a balance that I think a lot of folks will like. It’s very close to Sony’s tuning on the with-1000xm6.
Call quality
Thos Extra Micks Help The S3 Achieve Better Call Quality Than Its Predcessor. The biggest difference is the number of times your callers will hear background sounds – – they’re almost Entrely Eradicated. When they’re particularly loud, the algorithm still struggles to keep your voice from being distorted, but most of the time, they’ll have no no idea you’re not at your desk.
Transparency mode is perfect for reduction the fatigue associateed with having your voice muffled by the earcups.
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 Review: Battery Life
Credit: Simon Cohen / Mashable
IT’s B & W’s Belief That Most Folks will Always Keep Anc on While Using The PX7 S3. As such, it only quotes one number for battery life: 30 hours. That should be more than enough to get you through the longest flight, but keep in mind that if you listen louder than 50% volume, or if you’re in an especially noisy environment, that number will be gone Perhaps as much as 15-20% lower.
It’s also win noting that when the company releases its spatial audio upgrade, it’s a good bet that this will also also impact battery life. On bose’s quietcomfort Ultra Headphones, for instance, the immersive audio feature can reduce playtime by up to 25%.
If you’re worried about stamina, you can always disable anc, and if that’s stil not enough, the px7 S3 have a very impressive Quick-Charge Time of An Extra 7 Hours for Just 15 Minutes of Charging.
One more (missing) feature
It’s clear that B & W has tared to future-prof the PX7 S3 by including Both Hi-Resi (via Aptx Adaptive and USB Audio) And the Potanical Audio Down the ROAD. Why is I’m a bit baffled by the Lack of Support for Bluetooth Le Audio and Auracast.
Auracast, which lets compatible wireless headphones tune in to publicly available available available bluetooth broadcasts, have just started making its way into ours. But it will only be ubiquitous in places like Airports, Museums, Movie Theaters, Gyms, Sports Arenas, and even at home via our TVS.
Credit: Simon Cohen / Mashable
Sennheiser, Sony, JBL, and Others have alredy jumped on the auracast bandwagon with their latest flagship headphones, making this a missed options for b&B & w to keep the px7 S3 as a leading option Years.
Are the bowers & wilkins px7 S3 Worth it?
B & W Headphones are usually more expensive than the competition, but that’s no longer the case. As mashable’s tech editor noted in his Sony XM6 review, $ 449 is the new standard price of admission for premium headphones.
So, are they worth $ 449? I say yes, especially if you care about design. The Sony XM6 Headphones May have Advantages Like Superir Anc and Spatial Audio, but they also have an all-an all-Plastic Construction, Whereas the Slick-Looking Px7 S3 Are Made from Fabric, And Synthetic Leather. With Killer Sound and a Cool Aesthetic, they’re a Solid Contender in a very competitive market.
