I purchased the PX8 and I'm a big Focal fan. I found I love the sound and comfort of the PX8. They have a more intimate sound stage. No issue wearing glasses with them.
Excellent and very helpful and honest review. Mine hopefully arrive in the next couple of days. I was looking to get the new Bose Ultras but the build quality on the Bowers and Wilkins seem better. Thanks again
Thanks for showing the drivers. Gives a lot of background on what potential these headphones might have, beyond the DSP programming / factory EQ. Both the PX7 s2 and PX8 drivers look good. Though carbon is susceptible to breakup modes - but maybe not that much in this small size. In the app, bass and treble adjustments are not enough for sure (and why the hell they want you make an account?). Having heard both, the PX7 s2 sounds smoother, reminiscent to other biocellulose driver headphones like the Denon 5200/7200, while the PX8 sounds more concise with cleaner, rounder, better defined notes and better dynamics and microdynamics, and I would not call them "glossy" for any reason. I prefer the PX8, though the boomy-bassy factory EQ favors outdoors and airplane usage. Instrument fidelity and sound stage is better with the 5909 while having good bass, but that treble peak kills it for me, it would need a notch filter. The Focal Bathys is also often quoted, which might be a pretty good compromise, unless its peculiar type of coloration and somewhat artificial [micro]dynamics is incompatible with you. I found it better than expected, but its audience may be narrower than that of the PX8. A properly EQ'd PX8 might be the best compromise for the money for many people.
Really good description of the sound. Gotta agree on the vocals point, these are awe inspiring for female vocals and the kind of music that puts vocals front and center. I have the Bathys too, and many other headphones and these are amongst the best i've ever tried for vocals, better than even my Focal Clear open back headphones. Also you should definately try the P9 by bowers, it's just a grander, more impressive PX8.
Dang, I've had the opposite experience with my Px8. Female vocals are behind the bass on so many metal, rock songs. It's actually why I think the Px7 S2e is better than the Px8. It had more predictive tuning and consistency across genres. Obviously, I like both (since I owned both). Just can't say I'd recommend Px8 to *everybody* for reasons that go beyond budget. But I know everyone has different ears and perceive sound differently.
I'm not sure if you've had a chance to mess around with the Focal Bathys yet but if you have which do you feel has the overall best sound quality out of the bunch between the PX8, 5909 and the Bathys?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I'm a big fan of B&W (still have my P9 Signature) and really liked the PX8 but.... ended up sending them back once I had heard the Focal Bathys. Unbelievable detail! And also I somewhat missed the spacial audio of my Apple Pro Max when I used the PX8 but very much less so with the Bathys compared to the PX8. Both great headphones but for me the Focal win this one. especially if you like that extra detail in your sound.
I wasn't crazy. When I tested the Px8... Vs. the Px7s2, I noticed a little issue with the voice when the bass is loud. Kindof like with sony headphones sometimes. It wasn't there when I wired them. I went with the Px7s2 cause for me a little issue like that is unacceptable lol. + If I plugged in the px7s2, it felt very similar than the px8. so meh. The px7s2 is compatible with the app tho !
Hi, did you stay with PX7 S2 at the end ? I have similar situation. I bought PX7 S2 recently bot now seeing all YT reviews, was thinking to return them and take Px8. Question is if it is worth for nearly twice the price to pay for better materials used if sound is similar.
The PX7 S2 does use the B&W app. 😀 Does this apply to only the USA versions? Maybe the UK versions are different. If this was an oversight, does this change your opinion? It seemed that they were close, but you did note a few improvements with the PX8s! Cheers bro! 🍻🙏🏽🎶‼️
Do you play over USB-C? I found sound was incredibly distorted for gaming when I USB-C'd into my rig over Px8, Px7 S2e. Sounded dark and underwater. Crystal clear over Bluetooth though.
I have had to repair the head band on mine the covering came off but I have used them nearly everyday travelled to about 20 countries with them without a hiccup so maybe I just got a good pair, I replaced the ear pads too as they were used so much I had to
If you go on Amazon or Reddit, you'll find loads of durability, quality issues for Bose, Sony, Bowers & Wilkins, etc. Having had Bose and Bowers & Wilkins, I felt a lot more confident in the longevity overall of the Bowers & Wilkins over the cheap, thin materials from Bose, Sony, etc. that aim to reduce weight with little regard to durability. I've had good experiences with both Bose and Bowers & Wilkins support. But there are more replacement components available for Px7 S2(e), Px8 than there are for Bose by far. So between the inherent build quality and the availability of replacement parts, it was a simple decision for me.
No, not accurate. But if you're not an audio engineer or lack the equipment to measure frequency (AKA casual listener) you may still enjoy them. I'd recommend Px7 S2e over Px8 though.
The PX8 is now less expensive than the Focal Bathys. I'm a headphone junkie and the four pairs of Bluetooth ANC headphones I now own are : Sennheiser Momentum 4, AirPods Max, Sony XM5, and Focal Bathys. They're all good. I had a pair of PX8s for two weeks or so, but ended up returning them to Amazon. They're all right. I'd put them on par with the Momentum 4s. I wouldn't call them the best though. The Bathys have, by far, the best sound quality of any Bluetooth headphones. I have many, many, many more wired headphones than wireless ones. In terms of the Bluetooth headphones though, I can't reasonably place any pair above the Bathys. I always like seeing other opinions though. Interesting video.
Interesting, I used the PX8 with a iPhone 14 Pro Max and Ipad Pro 2021 model I think and I have not had a single issue. Maybe the issues are related to android but I didnt test them sorry
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks a lot. Unfortunately, I use a Google pixel 7 Pro phone. I also do not use any other apple products. Any idea about Master and Dynamic MW75? I currently use Edifier Stax Spirit S3 and it's awesome. It's a planar magnetic driver headphone and does not have ANC.
Because you have no wires and having no wires means much more than anything else for travel and practicality not to mention noise cancelling which is game changing when out and about
B&w headphones have always been coloured and not neutral . Personally I am not a fan . I had a couple of iterations of the wired px range and also found them uncomfortable - yes the leather pads were soft but my ears would burn !
Sooo many words. Impressive to ramp up to no conclusion at all. Impressive how there is no information in the video. Am I watching the Twilight Show? I guess this is a UK think? (even worse from the USA). I like the wearing experience. That sounds real, how an earphone works in real life. This should be 95% of the video as I see it. What happens when mother calls?... Hm. Hang on.. what app is this?. What the App?
if you want is specs you can get them from the website, my conclusion is based on a lot of use and comparison to other major brand similar products these are a fantastic overall choice for what they cost. There you go. Also maybe you missed the line "if your watching this channel you should know I am all about sound quality" which is what I talked about most. If your mother calls you can talk to her, all bluetooth headphones offer the same functionality so what is the point in talking about features where there is no distinction between others
Great review, please keep the audiophile perspective and all the lingo for sound quality cause that makes sense to your audiophile audience. The naysayers can watch other reviews that emphasize non SQ qualities. ❤
you like the non neutral sound of non reference quality headphones, of upping the sound curve on the bass and treble, which are what the Mark levison headphones do with the frequency response, they designed this headphone on purpose this way for the sole purpose of attracting none critical none audiophile music listeners. This is the ultimate down fall of the mark levison headphones, with them not been designed to be neutral or flat, but designed for non critical listening, and not as reference quality monitoring for audiophiles. For music they do loose ultimately natural recorded clarity of detail in recordings, as they were not designed to be a true flat reference quality headphone, that a true neutral monitor designed headphone does . The way you design headphones or loudspeakers for both neutrality, detail, and naturalness without loosing any detail in any recording quality, is by rolling off the high frequencies by 6 decibels before 20 khz, and by rolling off the low frequencies by 6 decibels before 30 hz. You hear all mid detail clarity, and you still hear everything in the high and low frequencies. You also get to hear all distinct differences in all qualities of recordings of all recorded music. there are too many horrible headphones that curve up bass and high frequencies unnaturally, with the ultimate end results in loss of detail, definitions, naturalness, with the end result also been the lack of ultimate hear through clarity of recorded music. In the recording industry, for actual recorded music there is no real recorded musical detail above 14 to 16 khz. The same is true with the low frequencies, the low frequencies in music recordings are rolling off early by the time they are approaching the 30hz regions. The reason is because the current technology of recording equipment cannot successfully produce clean undistorted detailed natural sound of clarity cleanly or successfully above or below these frequencies at high level sound pressure levels. Personally myself, i cannot stand any poor quality equipment that makes any music have flabby unidentifiable poor definition of the low frequencies, and which also makes all high frequencies all with nasty sibilance. If any of your sound equipment sounds like this, this is nothing to do with the majority of any or all recordings no matter their quality, because it is down to poor technical and build quality design issues of your source, amplification, and loudspeakers . In all the high end quality expensive recording and mastering studios, no recorded music listened to through the big high end quality and expensive studio monitors sounds like poor definition flabby low bass frequency mess, and the high frequencies do not sound like a screeching scolded sibilant cat of a mess either . Some of the so called expensive and so called high quality passive audiophile equipment systems are the majority some the worst and most offensive audio equipment for having these particular non audio quality sound traits, that the manufacturer and designers put down as the so called high resolution equipment of sound design. In actual fact they are generally the worse offenders of what really constitutes as real high quality of sound design equipment .
@@danhat69 What you said... with a slight edit: 'Are these cans good for you ?' Try them. I went to sleep well before 'screeching scolded sibilant cats'. ;)
I purchased the PX8 and I'm a big Focal fan. I found I love the sound and comfort of the PX8. They have a more intimate sound stage. No issue wearing glasses with them.
Thanks for the comment about glasses. Comfort is very important for us spectacle wearers.
.... so r thee bass and mids accurate....
Pretty cool to see the comparison between the Px7 S2 and Px8 drivers. Haven’t seen that on any other reviews.
Excellent and very helpful and honest review. Mine hopefully arrive in the next couple of days. I was looking to get the new Bose Ultras but the build quality on the Bowers and Wilkins seem better. Thanks again
How do these compare with the beyerdynamic amiron wireless?
Thank you for the recommendation of Lady Black bird it was music to my ears.
Thanks for showing the drivers. Gives a lot of background on what potential these headphones might have, beyond the DSP programming / factory EQ. Both the PX7 s2 and PX8 drivers look good. Though carbon is susceptible to breakup modes - but maybe not that much in this small size. In the app, bass and treble adjustments are not enough for sure (and why the hell they want you make an account?). Having heard both, the PX7 s2 sounds smoother, reminiscent to other biocellulose driver headphones like the Denon 5200/7200, while the PX8 sounds more concise with cleaner, rounder, better defined notes and better dynamics and microdynamics, and I would not call them "glossy" for any reason. I prefer the PX8, though the boomy-bassy factory EQ favors outdoors and airplane usage. Instrument fidelity and sound stage is better with the 5909 while having good bass, but that treble peak kills it for me, it would need a notch filter. The Focal Bathys is also often quoted, which might be a pretty good compromise, unless its peculiar type of coloration and somewhat artificial [micro]dynamics is incompatible with you. I found it better than expected, but its audience may be narrower than that of the PX8. A properly EQ'd PX8 might be the best compromise for the money for many people.
Thanks for two great music recommendations. I hadn’t heard either of the female singers, but really like both.
The levinson looks better on your head the px8 looks so flat
How do the beoplay h95s compare to these?
B&W keep rolling out great gear. Thanks for the review. Loving the new 700 S3 series.
Really good description of the sound. Gotta agree on the vocals point, these are awe inspiring for female vocals and the kind of music that puts vocals front and center. I have the Bathys too, and many other headphones and these are amongst the best i've ever tried for vocals, better than even my Focal Clear open back headphones. Also you should definately try the P9 by bowers, it's just a grander, more impressive PX8.
Dang, I've had the opposite experience with my Px8. Female vocals are behind the bass on so many metal, rock songs. It's actually why I think the Px7 S2e is better than the Px8. It had more predictive tuning and consistency across genres.
Obviously, I like both (since I owned both). Just can't say I'd recommend Px8 to *everybody* for reasons that go beyond budget. But I know everyone has different ears and perceive sound differently.
I'm not sure if you've had a chance to mess around with the Focal Bathys yet but if you have which do you feel has the overall best sound quality out of the bunch between the PX8, 5909 and the Bathys?
I am trying to get some to find out but haven't got any in yet, watch this space
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I'm a big fan of B&W (still have my P9 Signature) and really liked the PX8 but.... ended up sending them back once I had heard the Focal Bathys. Unbelievable detail! And also I somewhat missed the spacial audio of my Apple Pro Max when I used the PX8 but very much less so with the Bathys compared to the PX8. Both great headphones but for me the Focal win this one. especially if you like that extra detail in your sound.
The Mark Levinson H/phones remind me of the more Cybermen looking variety.
The PX8 are awesome for vocals. I have the sennheiser momentum4 and cant believe i slept on a company like them. Thanks
I wasn't crazy. When I tested the Px8... Vs. the Px7s2, I noticed a little issue with the voice when the bass is loud. Kindof like with sony headphones sometimes.
It wasn't there when I wired them.
I went with the Px7s2 cause for me a little issue like that is unacceptable lol.
+ If I plugged in the px7s2, it felt very similar than the px8. so meh.
The px7s2 is compatible with the app tho !
Hi, did you stay with PX7 S2 at the end ? I have similar situation. I bought PX7 S2 recently bot now seeing all YT reviews, was thinking to return them and take Px8. Question is if it is worth for nearly twice the price to pay for better materials used if sound is similar.
LDAC support is necessary for Bluetooth headphones as this codec is the best sound quality.
You can't hear the difference.
Great review ......Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Watched this and mark Levinson headphone video and they are excellent reviews. Can’t wait to see your thoughts on focal headphones
Thanks for sharing.
The PX7 S2 does use the B&W app. 😀 Does this apply to only the USA versions? Maybe the UK versions are different. If this was an oversight, does this change your opinion? It seemed that they were close, but you did note a few improvements with the PX8s! Cheers bro! 🍻🙏🏽🎶‼️
The S2 does but the original PX7 doesn't. S2 stands for series 2
I use my PX7 to play games on my PC. I don't think I'll be upgrading just yet I really enjoy the deep bass of the x7's
Do you play over USB-C? I found sound was incredibly distorted for gaming when I USB-C'd into my rig over Px8, Px7 S2e. Sounded dark and underwater. Crystal clear over Bluetooth though.
does px8 have spatial audio ? atmos?
not that I know of, thats not a reason to buy them
Theyre known for having durability problems
I have had to repair the head band on mine the covering came off but I have used them nearly everyday travelled to about 20 countries with them without a hiccup so maybe I just got a good pair, I replaced the ear pads too as they were used so much I had to
How is customer service from bw?
If you go on Amazon or Reddit, you'll find loads of durability, quality issues for Bose, Sony, Bowers & Wilkins, etc. Having had Bose and Bowers & Wilkins, I felt a lot more confident in the longevity overall of the Bowers & Wilkins over the cheap, thin materials from Bose, Sony, etc. that aim to reduce weight with little regard to durability.
I've had good experiences with both Bose and Bowers & Wilkins support. But there are more replacement components available for Px7 S2(e), Px8 than there are for Bose by far. So between the inherent build quality and the availability of replacement parts, it was a simple decision for me.
....So r thee bass and mids accurate....
No, not accurate. But if you're not an audio engineer or lack the equipment to measure frequency (AKA casual listener) you may still enjoy them. I'd recommend Px7 S2e over Px8 though.
..until you heard the T&A...
The PX8 is now less expensive than the Focal Bathys. I'm a headphone junkie and the four pairs of Bluetooth ANC headphones I now own are : Sennheiser Momentum 4, AirPods Max, Sony XM5, and Focal Bathys. They're all good. I had a pair of PX8s for two weeks or so, but ended up returning them to Amazon. They're all right. I'd put them on par with the Momentum 4s. I wouldn't call them the best though. The Bathys have, by far, the best sound quality of any Bluetooth headphones. I have many, many, many more wired headphones than wireless ones. In terms of the Bluetooth headphones though, I can't reasonably place any pair above the Bathys. I always like seeing other opinions though. Interesting video.
Which would you say are the best wired headphones for sound that you have?
In Amazon US, a lot of people are complaining about Bluetooth connection issues and app issues...is it true?
Interesting, I used the PX8 with a iPhone 14 Pro Max and Ipad Pro 2021 model I think and I have not had a single issue. Maybe the issues are related to android but I didnt test them sorry
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks a lot. Unfortunately, I use a Google pixel 7 Pro phone. I also do not use any other apple products. Any idea about Master and Dynamic MW75? I currently use Edifier Stax Spirit S3 and it's awesome. It's a planar magnetic driver headphone and does not have ANC.
Sorry no I havent seen them yet but they are on my radar
@@PursuitPerfectSystem no prob thanks for your response..have a great weekend
WTF who buy this 700€ when you can achieve similar/even better result with 200€ headphones ( even lower ) with a good EQ ?
Because you have no wires and having no wires means much more than anything else for travel and practicality not to mention noise cancelling which is game changing when out and about
because some ppl have the money for it..?
Sir Bowers & Wilkins Px8 can support dolby atmos and spatial audio? Can you please tell me.
No they don't
B&w headphones have always been coloured and not neutral . Personally I am not a fan . I had a couple of iterations of the wired px range and also found them uncomfortable - yes the leather pads were soft but my ears would burn !
Sooo many words. Impressive to ramp up to no conclusion at all. Impressive how there is no information in the video. Am I watching the Twilight Show? I guess this is a UK think? (even worse from the USA). I like the wearing experience. That sounds real, how an earphone works in real life. This should be 95% of the video as I see it. What happens when mother calls?... Hm. Hang on.. what app is this?. What the App?
if you want is specs you can get them from the website, my conclusion is based on a lot of use and comparison to other major brand similar products these are a fantastic overall choice for what they cost. There you go.
Also maybe you missed the line "if your watching this channel you should know I am all about sound quality" which is what I talked about most.
If your mother calls you can talk to her, all bluetooth headphones offer the same functionality so what is the point in talking about features where there is no distinction between others
THANKS TERRY 🤗 AGAIN FOR PROVING THAT THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO BE AN AUDIOPHILE 👍😎
But 😢it’s not in the budget 💚💚💚😳
Great review, please keep the audiophile perspective and all the lingo for sound quality cause that makes sense to your audiophile audience. The naysayers can watch other reviews that emphasize non SQ qualities. ❤
you like the non neutral sound of non reference quality headphones, of upping the sound curve on the bass and treble, which are what the Mark levison headphones do with the frequency response, they designed this headphone on purpose this way for the sole purpose of attracting none critical none audiophile music listeners. This is the ultimate down fall of the mark levison headphones, with them not been designed to be neutral or flat, but designed for non critical listening, and not as reference quality monitoring for audiophiles. For music they do loose ultimately natural recorded clarity of detail in recordings, as they were not designed to be a true flat reference quality headphone, that a true neutral monitor designed headphone does . The way you design headphones or loudspeakers for both neutrality, detail, and naturalness without loosing any detail in any recording quality, is by rolling off the high frequencies by 6 decibels before 20 khz, and by rolling off the low frequencies by 6 decibels before 30 hz. You hear all mid detail clarity, and you still hear everything in the high and low frequencies. You also get to hear all distinct differences in all qualities of recordings of all recorded music. there are too many horrible headphones that curve up bass and high frequencies unnaturally, with the ultimate end results in loss of detail, definitions, naturalness, with the end result also been the lack of ultimate hear through clarity of recorded music. In the recording industry, for actual recorded music there is no real recorded musical detail above 14 to 16 khz. The same is true with the low frequencies, the low frequencies in music recordings are rolling off early by the time they are approaching the 30hz regions. The reason is because the current technology of recording equipment cannot successfully produce clean undistorted detailed natural sound of clarity cleanly or successfully above or below these frequencies at high level sound pressure levels. Personally myself, i cannot stand any poor quality equipment that makes any music have flabby unidentifiable poor definition of the low frequencies, and which also makes all high frequencies all with nasty sibilance. If any of your sound equipment sounds like this, this is nothing to do with the majority of any or all recordings no matter their quality, because it is down to poor technical and build quality design issues of your source, amplification, and loudspeakers . In all the high end quality expensive recording and mastering studios, no recorded music listened to through the big high end quality and expensive studio monitors sounds like poor definition flabby low bass frequency mess, and the high frequencies do not sound like a screeching scolded sibilant cat of a mess either . Some of the so called expensive and so called high quality passive audiophile equipment systems are the majority some the worst and most offensive audio equipment for having these particular non audio quality sound traits, that the manufacturer and designers put down as the so called high resolution equipment of sound design. In actual fact they are generally the worse offenders of what really constitutes as real high quality of sound design equipment .
So are these good cans?
@@danhat69 What you said... with a slight edit: 'Are these cans good for you ?'
Try them. I went to sleep well before 'screeching scolded sibilant cats'. ;)
Sorry you say the 5909 are not for non critical?
Wtf u talking bout?