It's rare for a set of flagship headphones on a coffee table to cause any doubts within TechRadar's team, but then again, the B&W PX8 isn't your average flagship headset, and Bowers & Wilkins isn't your average audio rig.
It would be easy on paper to think of the new PX8 as upgraded versions of the recently released PX7 S2, but Bowers & Wilkins chose to stagger releases and focus on each of them as separate, distinct beasts, and now we know why.
Inducing looks aside, the star of the show here is actually the controller setup, as the PX8 differs from all the black and white cans that have come before it. And oh...we can hear the difference.
But watch us get ahead! As a small precursor to our full star-rated review, the following are our first thoughts on the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 Wireless In-Ear Headphones when it comes to build, features, price, and of course sound quality.
(Spoiler alert: That's good news.)
Release date and price
The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 will be available from September 28. So if you're reading this, they're available now!
¿Precios? Naturally. € 599 / € 699 / € 699 / AU € 1150.
We know, but this is N&B's flagship territory, remember. Yes, that makes them more expensive than the Apple AirPods Max. But while it's too early to say for sure, we think they're worth it...
Design and features
First of all, these cans look and feel absolutely glorious. The elegant beige color scheme is a new adventure for B&W and we like it very much.
These are headphones you want to be seen in. Your ideal setting might be a business class flight to Milan or the Maldives. The construction here is all die-cast aluminum arms, shiny diamond-cut metal accents, and Nappa leather accents. Do you think all that metal means they'll be heavy? Not really, the weight is perfect for us. Although they feel secure, there is also not too strong a holding force.
But the big star is the one that you can't see, except when you have a picture of it, like we do. Watch! Shown above is the PX7 S2's bio-cellulose driver on the right and the new custom designed 40mm carbon cone driver unit found on the PX8 on the left. And if the two drivers look different it's because they are. As we carefully press each driver into its circular mount, we notice the added stiffness of the one found in the PX8.
Often the difference between a company's new flagship and existing mid-range headphone offerings seems somewhat shrouded in mystery, to the point where you don't know where your extra money is going, or why you should expect better performance. . It is not so here. B&W wants to ring the changes, and for lack of a better phrase, we got it. We can't argue with that. We had it in our hands...
Elsewhere, you get Qualcomm's aptX adaptive wireless technology, 3,5mm USB-C and analog cable connection types included in the carry case, plus a DSP (digital signal processing) developed by Bowers & Wilkins to deliver 24-bit Hi-Res Audio quality from major streaming services.
¿Duration of the battery? Well, 30 hours. DAC? Clear; it's the same proprietary six-mic noise cancellation technology powered by Bowers & Wilkins as the PX & S2 (two mics meter the output of each drive unit, two react to ambient noise from the outside world, two manage voice clarity with improved noise cancellation), and in our tests we found that the PX & S2 did perfectly well here, if unable to beat the Sony WH-1000XM5 for noise cancellation ruido.
But we want to focus on sound and style here. The on-ear controls are premium, cool and luxurious. The aluminum headband glides on silently and these new drivers are angled so every part of your ear gets the proper treatment – B&W really has thought of everything.
And for launch day, B&W says its Music companion app will also bundle all of its streaming music services, contributing to a seamless and carefree music experience. (We heard the PX8 a few days ago, but we're sure B&W will keep its word.)
Audio quality
We noted this first review by stating that we had about an hour with the PX8 in total, not enough to go out and test how well they canceled out traffic or how generously they filtered out ambient sounds when we wanted them to. We also didn't play much with the app's features or EQ presets. This will all be part of the full review.
Now, let's get to what we can tell you: these headphones offer agility, gazelle-like dynamic grace, and surgical precision. And they do everything with flying colors. Deadmau4's 4X12=5 is heavy, precise and textured through the challenging and intentionally bloated bass line. But then the PX8 opens up to reveal a wide soundstage punctuated by austere synths. It's as if these headphones are determined to expose jagged, angular sonic diamonds in the rough, in the best way.
No Mono's Fever Highs shows us just how low the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 headphones are willing to go, and it's as rousing a performance as it's detailed through the high notes of Tom Snowdon's haunting voice.
Full disclosure: We were entertained by a specially curated listening session ahead of the official launch of the Bowers & Wilkins PX8, but we've squeezed more time out of these flagship headphones, so we feel up to the task of delivering the good news. .
FKA Twigs' Cellophane intro keys were soulful, as distorted as they should be and underpinned by the tracks' post-apocalyptic soundscape and oddly soothing textual rhythm. Tahliah Debrett Barnett's voice feels every inch too close to the mic, and as those engine goblins roll down the track, we realize we're picking up sonic elements we've never heard before.
Are you ready to waltz into our best over-ear headphones buying guide? Shout "yes!" it may be a bit premature. But we think it's highly likely, despite the higher application fees.
In our (much-anticipated) honest opinion, these are some of the most detailed, responsive, responsive and gifted wireless headphones we've had the pleasure of putting on our ears. And we don't offer this lightly.
Check back soon for the full review...