Наушники — B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) Px8

The Px8 is a Bowers & Wilkins wireless over-ear model, announced in June 2022 alongside the Px7 S2 and opened for orders on 28 September 2022 at USD 699. Bowers & Wilkins calls it its flagship, and it sits above the Px7 S2 and later Px7 S2e with carbon cone drivers and a Nappa leather and aluminium construction. A McLaren Edition was also sold at USD 849.

Key specs that matter

Two 40 mm full-range dynamic drivers with carbon cones are fitted. Bluetooth 5.2 covers codecs from SBC and AAC through aptX and aptX HD to aptX Adaptive, with the A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP and BLE GATT profiles. There are six microphones, four for active noise cancelling and two for voice calls. Battery life reaches 30 hours, and 15 minutes of charging gives 7 hours. USB-C serves both for charging and as a digital audio input. Total harmonic distortion is below 0.1%. The headphone weighs 320 g, and it ships in a case matching the dimensions of the Px7 S2 case. Bowers & Wilkins does not publish frequency response or impedance figures for the Px8.

Engineering and use context

The carbon cones replace the bio-cellulose diaphragms of the Px7 S2 and are the main difference between the drivers of the two models, and Bowers & Wilkins positions the Px8 above the Px7 S2 on driver material, finish and price. The earcups and headband are covered in Nappa leather, with aluminium arms and trim. A wear sensor detects when the headphone is taken off and pauses playback. Hybrid noise cancelling uses the four dedicated microphones, and an ambient pass-through mode is available for hearing surroundings. Over USB-C, the Px8 accepts digital audio from a computer or phone, which avoids Bluetooth compression. Colour options have included Black Leather, Tan and Grey, Dark Forest, and Galvanic Grey with Papaya Orange, and the McLaren Edition used its own colour scheme. Bowers & Wilkins currently prices the Px8 at USD 749. The Bowers & Wilkins Music app handles settings, EQ and firmware updates for both the headphone and its noise cancelling.

Pairing

Phones with aptX Adaptive give the best wireless connection, and iPhones connect over AAC. For listening at home, the USB-C input allows a direct digital connection from a laptop. Travellers benefit from the noise cancelling and long battery life, and the case protects the leather and aluminium parts.

Alternatives

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e keeps the bio-cellulose drivers and the weight of the Px7 S2 and adds a 24-bit DSP derived from the Px8.