Bowers & Wilkins PX7: Bowers & Wilkins’ latest flagship pair are well worth considering if you’re looking for class-leading wireless, noise-canceling headphones that aren’t put off by a premium price tag.
The cheaper Sony WH-1000XM3 competitors may offer a slightly better value. But with best-in-class sound quality, design, and very good ANC and battery life, the PX7s are truly stellar acts.
Bowers & Wilkins PX7: Price
The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless Headphones were released in September 2019, alongside the PX7s. The brand’s more compact and affordable new arrival. They were initially priced at $399 / £349 / AU$600.
Design
If you’ve used the PXs or any other Bowers & Wilkins product, you won’t be surprised to learn that the PX7s are smart. Not as smart/casual as the aforementioned Sonys.
They look similar to the original PXs in terms of aesthetics, with their branded, elliptical ear cups, solid framework, and fabric finish. Still, they make significant strides in terms of comfort.
The overall dimensions of the headphones are reduced by 3cm, thanks to this retro redesign. However, they share a similar aesthetic: a moisture-repellent fabric covering the headband. Where the outer shells and a C-shaped yoke allow for 180 degrees of horizontal rotation.
Internally, there has also been some restructuring. The new 40mm drivers are paired with a voice coil that has grown by 5mm to 20mm in length.
The drivers are steeply raked and made of bio-cellulose with a rigidity-improving resin coating. To ensure a consistent distance relative to the listener’s ear from every point across the surface of each driver.
Performance
The design is good, noise cancellation is effective, and the features are competitive. All they have to do now is sound good, which, as anyone who has seen our star rating will have guessed, they do.
The good news for Bowers & Wilkins and, of course, consumers is that the PX7s push that performance parameter. Along with a sound that is as accomplished and thus enjoyable as it gets in a pair of wireless noise-cancellers.
Features
While the PXs were among the first headphones to use Qualcomm’s aptX HD Bluetooth technology. The PX7s were the first to offer support for the next-generation aptX codec, aptX Adaptive.
In addition, B&W has upgraded its ANC technology to include six microphones: two to measure the output of each drive unit, two to respond to outside noise, and two to improve voice clarity while suppressing noise.
Meanwhile, the right earcup houses a slider switch for power and Bluetooth pairing, playback controls, and a USB-C port for charging and wired playback.
In addition, Bowers & Wilkins has decided to remove the 3.5mm jack input from previous models in favor of including a mini jack to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable.
The PX7s has three modes: low, medium, and high. That you can cycle through by pressing the dedicated button on the left earcup, while a fourth, activated by holding down that button. Allows the outside world in for a brief period so you can hear, say, a train platform announcement.
