There’s been much hullabaloo about the Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) Px8 S2 prior to my getting my hands on it. And now that I have spent a good amount of “me” time with it, I see clearly what the good word about it is.
To that end, I believe these are the best-sounding headphones I’ve tested this year. Looks, pricing, performance, and all.
What Am I Looking At?
Let’s address one of the elephants in the room: the Px8 S2 is not cheap. These wireless cans cost RM3,299 brand new off the shelf. It’s the same price as its predecessor, when it launched more than two years ago, but it’s far from B&W’s most expensive headphones. That honour belongs to the McLaren Edition of the headphones, which recently launched and costs RM4,299.
It comes in two colours: Onyx Black and Warm Stone. The unit I have is the latter and believe me, it is a looker.
The all-metal headband and back of the earcups look stunning.
That statement also applies to the overall look of the Px8 S2. First, the Nappa Leather wrapping the headband feels supple around my ears, while also keeping the top of my head cool for prolong periods of use.
The die-case aluminium chassis is also another eye-turner. I like the exposed wire design that are clearly visible in the middle of the band. On top of that, the arms give off a polished lustre that absolutely screams posh, elegance, and opulence.
Unlike the original Px8 but like the Px7 S3, all the buttons are located at inner rim of each earcup. The left gets the power and function button, while the right houses the action button and volume rocker. Oh, and the USB-C port is located at the base of the left earcup.
Software-wise, you can tweak the headphone’s sound signature via the dedicated B&W app, and through a 5-band equaliser, and not just a simple treble and bass bar that it does with some of its products.
What’s Good About It?
The earcups of the Px8 S2 look and feel bigger. Compared to the Px7 S3, they feel less…skeletal when I put them on my ears. By that, I mean I don’t feel the rims of the earcup actually digging into the side of my head as much. It is honestly a much more comfortable experience.
Out of the box, the delivery of the Px8 S2 is feels and sounds full, in the best sense of the term. The highs and mids sound warm and rich, with violins stretching every note and every pluck of a guitar string reverberating in the same way. The Eagle’s 1996 rendition of Hotel California proves that, not just with the concerto of guitars, but also with the open percussions and the way they echo in the concert hall.
Speaking of percussion, the lows are deep and skull rattling, the way God intended. Listening to Stacey Kent’s Venus de Milo, I literally feel every plucking of the bass, and with Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, the rumble of the Tuba spreads across the back of my head and across my chest, and with no distortions.
With Royal Blood’s Who Needs Friends, a song that is effectively a lot of high hats and ratatas, aren’t overwhelming and show zero signs of breaking. On the subject of vocals, the Px8 S2 opens up with songs like Teddy Swims’ Lose Control and Eric Clapton’s Unplugged rendition of Tears In Heaven sound crisp, open, and full.
Likewise, the same can be said with Chihiro Onitsuka’s Tiny Scream’s concert; it feels as on-site as it can physically allow, and like my colleague, I find myself purposely taking longer walks just so that I can enjoy whatever tracks I’m listening to on these headphones.
Battery life for the Px8 S2 is standard, par for the course, if you will. You get 30 hours of continuous playback with ANC on, and a 15-minute quick charge gives you around seven hours. Oh, and access to the controls is a lot easier, given how they protrude out of the back of the earcups ever so slightly, compared to the Px7 S3.
What’s The Catch?
Pricing is clearly one of the sticking points here, and understandably so. There are several other headphones models out in the market that offer audio quality almost as good. Almost. Plus, they cost less.
There is honestly little to say about the Px8 S2’s overall performance, but one of my gripes would be how delicate the paint job on it is, literally. It didn’t take more than a few hours before I actually managed to scuff it just a bit with the back of one of the earcups.
Should I Buy It?
Honestly? Yes, I honestly believe that these are worth sinking RM3,299 into. It’s been a while since I used a pair of premium wireless headphones that delivers great sound, and the B&W Px8 S2 does exactly that.
It is not a stretch for me to say that these are the best pair of wireless headphones that I’ve used this year – rich highs and mids, deep and skull rattling lows, clear and warm vocals. These points are the driving force that made me want to take longer walks around the park and my office, just so that I can enjoy whatever I’m listening to just a little longer.
Photography by John Law.
