British audio icon, Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), has all the time had its rabid followers, particularly on the earth of loudspeakers, the place its combo of sound high quality and design has earned it lots of admiration. Nonetheless, I’ve by no means felt that the corporate’s wi-fi noise-canceling headphones fairly reside as much as this sterling popularity — till now.
Bowers & Wilkins headphones have historically been costlier than their rivals, even because the sound and options lagged behind. I used to be anticipating the identical from the model’s newest effort, the Px7 S3 over-ear headphones.
However moments after popping them on my head, I used to be prepared to vary my tune. And never solely do they sound nice, however they seem to be a severe improve over the all-plastic design of the Sony XM6 headphones.
So, let’s dive into my full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 headphones assessment.
The brand new B&W Px7 S3 Headphones: Simply the specs
Let’s begin with the fundamentals:
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Microphones: 8
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (aptX Adaptive/Lossless help)
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Battery: 30 hours with ANC
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Cost time: ~3.5 hours
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Noise cancellation: Lively noise cancellation
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Spatial audio: Deliberate (future software program replace required)
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Colours: Anthracite Black, Canvas White, and Indigo Blue
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Inputs: USB-C
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Fast cost: 7 hours in quarter-hour
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Supplies: Material, aluminum, and artificial leather-based
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 assessment: What’s new?
Credit score: Simon Cohen / Mashable
The Px7 S3 has a wide range of updates from the S2 and S2e, together with a sleeker, lower-profile form, a redesigned headband, repositioned controls, help for aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codecs, extra microphones, improved ANC and transparency, and revised driver design.
B&W has additionally made a couple of modifications in its Bowers & Wilkins Music companion app, like the provision of a five-band equalizer.
The corporate plans to concern a future software program replace to allow spatial audio. This has change into an ordinary function in different flagship headphones, so it is disappointing to not discover it right here, particularly since they’ve the identical value as the brand new Sony XM6 noise-cancelling headphones.
What’s not new?
Battery life stays unchanged at 30 hours (plus a 7-hour fast cost after quarter-hour), it nonetheless comes with a zippered (although barely slimmer) exhausting case and a USB-C and three.5mm analog cable. Lossless, hi-res audio at as much as 24-bit/96kHz is supported by way of the USB-C cable.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 assessment: I like the design
Credit score: Simon Cohen / Mashable
Appears to be like are (clearly) subjective, however I believe the Px7 S3 are in a category by themselves.
The mix of supplies (material, aluminum, and artificial leather-based) and B&W’s smooth, understated styling makes these cans a pleasure to behold and a pleasure to put on. In comparison with the all-plastic building of Sony’s 1000X collection or the large aluminum shells of Apple’s AirPods Max or Dyson OnTrac, the Px7 S3 are the uncommon headphones that look pretty much as good in your head as sitting in your desk.
Don’t just like the Anthracite Black coloration pictured right here? They’re additionally obtainable in Indigo Blue and Canvas White.
For the Px7 S3, B&W has elevated the width of the scarf from the Px7 S2, and the earcushions are extra generously padded. This takes an already comfy design and makes it even higher for long-term use.
The one-sided yokes at the moment are extra rounded, but they nonetheless allow you to place the earcups up or down when worn across the neck.
My solely nitpick: the included USB-C cable is simply too thick and rigid for use comfortably when listening to USB Audio (extra on that function in a second).
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 assessment: Controls
Credit score: Simon Cohen / Mashable
Eager-eyed observers will be aware that the management buttons now sit on the beveled outer fringe of the earcups, as a substitute of on the flat rear edge. At first, I used to be involved that this is able to make them more durable to make use of, however in some methods, they’re now simpler to succeed in — I don’t thoughts it in any respect.
Unusually, B&W has made the quantity buttons bigger and the multifunction button smaller than on the Px7 S2. Perhaps it’s simply me — I are likely to play/pause and skip tracks greater than I alter quantity — however I’d desire they’ve the alternative proportions.
The ANC button, situated on the left earcup, supplies practically immediate mode modifications, however for the lifetime of me, I nonetheless don’t know why B&W insists on forcing us to cycle via all three (ANC > Transparency > Off), as a substitute of letting us skip the Off mode completely.
One other head-scratcher: You may management ANC with this button, or summon your voice assistant, however you may’t have each.
Certainly one of my favourite options of the S2 is the damage sensors, and fortunately, they’re simply pretty much as good on the S3. Eradicating both earcup — even just a bit methods — immediately pauses your tunes, whereas changing them resumes playback simply as rapidly.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: Noise canceling and transparency
The Px7 S3 have a bigger array of mics than their predecessors — eight vs. six — which ought to, in concept, assist to enhance lively noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. ANC is certainly higher, although solely reasonably so.
It will possibly cut back essentially the most annoying background sounds, however you’ll nonetheless get higher ANC outcomes from the Bose QuietComfort Extremely Headphones and the Sony WH-1000XM6, notably when flying or whereas attempting to close out droning equipment sounds. Transparency mode on the Px7 S3, nonetheless, is a major step up from the S2 mannequin. You discover it instantly, due to the readability of your voice.
It’s nonetheless not as mesmerizingly excellent as Apple’s AirPods Max, however truthfully, it’s greater than adequate for cellphone calls and informal conversations.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 assessment: Spectacular sound high quality
Credit score: Simon Cohen / Mashable
On B&W’s spec sheet for the Px7 S3, it lists “40mm bio-cellulose drivers” — the identical description used for the Px7 S2. However that is an oversimplification. In actuality, the S3’s drivers use a redesigned and improved chassis, voice coil, suspension, and magnet, and so they make an enormous distinction to the sound.
Readability, definition, soundstage, and precision are all enhanced. These are the primary Bowers & Wilkins Px7 collection headphones that lastly sound pretty much as good as they give the impression of being.
I may spend lots of time encouraging you to make the most of the S3’s aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codecs on a suitable cellphone. And, it is best to completely use their hi-res, USB audio connection when a wire gained’t get in your manner (a function you gained’t discover on Bose or Sony’s flagships).
However frankly, you may hear and respect the S3’s improved audio high quality even over an ordinary SBC or AAC Bluetooth connection (excellent news for iPhone house owners). Setting apart all the S3’s different enhancements, I might fortunately pay the additional $50 over the worth of the S2 only for the sound.
Credit score: Simon Cohen / Mashable
B&W’s wonderful manufacturing facility tuning, with its cautious stability of frequencies, is now generally known as True Sound; that is the EQ setting you get by default within the Bowers & Wilkins Music app. What’s new is the power to fine-tune this stability utilizing a five-band equalizer, as a substitute of the simplified bass and treble sliders the app exhibits to S2 house owners.
After attempting a couple of changes, nonetheless, I returned to the True Sound setting and by no means regarded again. To my ear, it’s nearly excellent.
Bass has loads of authority with out ever getting boomy or overbearing, and the mids are clear and distinct. Curiously, within the upper-mids and highs, the S3 are one thing of a return to kind. I famous in my Px7 S2 assessment that the PX7’s high-energy sound signature had been taken down a notch or two. For the S3, B&W appears to have cut up the distinction, and it’s a stability that I believe lots of people will like. It’s very near Sony’s tuning on the WH-1000XM6.
Name high quality
These additional mics assist the S3 obtain higher name high quality than its predecessor. The largest distinction is the variety of occasions your callers will hear background sounds — they’re nearly completely eradicated. Once they’re notably loud, the algorithm nonetheless struggles to maintain your voice from being distorted, however more often than not, they’ll don’t know you’re not at your desk.
Transparency mode is ideal for decreasing the fatigue related to having your voice muffled by the earcups.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 assessment: Battery life
Credit score: Simon Cohen / Mashable
It’s B&W’s perception that the majority people will all the time hold ANC on whereas utilizing the Px7 S3. As such, it solely quotes one quantity for battery life: 30 hours. That needs to be greater than sufficient to get you thru even the longest flight, however needless to say if you happen to pay attention louder than 50% quantity, or if you happen to’re in an particularly noisy setting, that quantity will probably be decrease — maybe as a lot as 15-20% decrease.
It’s additionally price noting that when the corporate releases its spatial audio improve, it’s a very good guess that this may even affect battery life. On Bose’s QuietComfort Extremely Headphones, as an example, the Immersive Audio function can cut back playtime by as much as 25%.
If you happen to’re anxious about stamina, you may all the time disable ANC, and if that’s nonetheless not sufficient, the Px7 S3 have a really spectacular quick-charge time of an additional 7 hours for simply quarter-hour of charging.
Yet one more (lacking) function
It’s clear that B&W has tried to future-proof the Px7 S3 by together with each hi-res audio (by way of aptX Adaptive and USB Audio) and the potential for spatial audio down the street. Which is why I’m a bit baffled by the dearth of help for Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast.
Auracast, which lets suitable wi-fi headphones tune in to publicly obtainable Bluetooth broadcasts, has simply began making its manner into our lives. However it’s going to quickly be ubiquitous in locations like airports, museums, film theaters, gyms, sports activities arenas, and even at dwelling by way of our TVs.
Credit score: Simon Cohen / Mashable
Sennheiser, Sony, JBL, and others have already jumped on the Auracast bandwagon with their newest flagship headphones, making this a missed alternative for B&W to maintain the Px7 S3 as a number one possibility within the coming years.
Are the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 price it?
B&W headphones are normally costlier than the competitors, however that is not the case. As Mashable’s tech editor famous in his Sony XM6 assessment, $449 is the brand new customary value of admission for premium headphones.
So, are they price $449? I say sure, particularly if you happen to care about design. The Sony XM6 headphones might have benefits like superior ANC and spatial audio, however additionally they have an all-plastic building, whereas the slick-looking Px7 S3 are constructed from material, aluminum, and artificial leather-based. With killer sound and a cool aesthetic, they seem to be a stable contender in a really aggressive market.
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