Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless Over Ear Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation – Space Grey
| Weight: | 302 g |
| Size: | Large |
| Dimensions: | 8 x 17.5 x 22 cm; 302 Grams |
| Model: | FP41289 |
| Colour: | Space Grey |
| Colour: | Space Grey |
| Size: | Large |
battery life exceptionally good, sound quality fantastic, noise cancelling very good. microphone pathetic to the point of being redundant- barely picks up voice. worth the money but don’t get if you plan to use for calls
I use this set while commuting and almost everywhere I go. The headphones look cool and solid, provide reasonably good sound (it’s not an audiophile set and probably never meant to be) and noise cancellation. Battery life is enormous. The only drawback is phone calls. The microphone is just horrible, so I have to disconnect to make calls.
So I spent quite a bit of time researching headphones to work out which would best fit my needs. I was really only looking for over ear with noice cancelling but offered the best quality sound. Wasn’t bothered about using them for calls or for the software features. Reading reviews on the PX7s, I noticed that the carbon fibres were problematic so I decided to go with the older charcoal grey version. Build quality is really good, sound is fantastic, great base, mid range and treble, as you would expect from B&W. Battery life is outstanding too, my only negatives would be the look when you have them on. The head band stands proud of the cups when you have them on, so if you are a baldy like me it looks a bit odd, cups are heavier than expected but I do find that this is not really that noticeable when you have had them in for a few minutes. Other than that I can’t fault them. They also come in a really tough case too. So if you are looking for quality headphones that don’t break the bank these are a great choice.
This headphone has good sound quality. Compared to other brands, like Sony and Bose, the sound of this headphone is more real without so much ‘seasonings’. But it also means the sound is not very ‘detailed’. Honestly, I feel that it sounds more like a speaker, but it doesn’t matter. I’m contented with the sound performance. In particular, the mid-bass frequency band has the most impressive performance, and the high frequency band is a bit weak.
In terms of the wearing experience, this headphone might not be a good choice for a over 3/4-hour wearing as it’s heavier than Sony or Bose. Plus, the noise cancelling ability of B&W can’t compete with Sony or Bose. Thus, if you’d like to pick out a headphone for a long-term flight journey, and don’t care a lot about the sound quality, this headphone might not be the perfect choice.
Overall, it’s a good headphone, and I love using it when I work on campus. Hope you’ll find out the perfect headphone for yourselves.
I bought a pair of these ex-demo (not from Amazon). They are my third pair of wireless bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones over the last few years. What actually led me to try them was that I bought a pair of B&W PI5 true wireless in-ear headphones (for dog walking) to replace my older Sennheiser Momentum Wireless buds because they a) had active noise cancelling and b) much much better battery life. The old Sennheiser buds would need the case charged up every three days as they drain in the case – a bit of a design fault. I was so blown away by the clarity and balance of the B&W PI5’s that it got me wondering if the PX7 might give me a similar experience for over-ear headphones (for flying or more serious listening).
I have therefore replaced a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3 (over ear) headphones with the PX7’s. They are comparable and in a similar price bracket but I just never quite ‘got’ the Momentum 3’s. They never sounded quite right (plenty of bass and very warm, thick sound but not balanced – almost too expansive) and once I put the PX7s on, it was just a revelation really. The B&W Headphones app has no gimmicks. You can’t change the equalisation of the headphones or anything (like you can with the Sennheisers) so if you buy a pair, live with them for a week before deciding (as I nearly did) that they aren’t ‘rich’ enough in sound balance.
In fact, just like a good pair of Bowers & Wilkins speakers, they need to be ‘run in’. When you get them, I suggest giving them a full charge and running them for a day sat on your desk at 80% volume with some energetic music to get the drive units moving. Afterwards, they sound like a different, much better set of headphones and really loosen up. Positioning of the earcups is also important. You need them slightly more forward (towards your cheeks) than might seem normal but do this and the bottom end of the sound becomes much richer and more punchy.
They are a very balanced set of headphones and have revealed details in well-known tracks that I’ve never noticed before on headphones. If you’ve ever tried the older B&W bluetooth headphones and dismissed them as over-priced and a bit ‘meh’ (as I did previously), I suggest you give the PX7s a go – it seems the folks at B&W have really learned from past mistakes and produced an excellent pair of cans.
Excellent fit and sound quality, just as you would expect from B&W.
Luv em!
This is the first time I have splashed out on a decent quality set of headphones. I did a lot of research before buying and the PX7 seemed to be the best option. I needed APTX as I get a lot of wind noise in winter where I live and it is sometimes difficult to hear the TV. The PX7 performs well here. Set up was easy and it was easy to connect to my devices. Sound quality is excellent, I listen to a wide range of music from rock to classical and the PX7 seems to cope with all. They are quite heavy but balanced so very comfortable to wear. Overall very pleased with my purchase and would recommend.
I have a few top end headphones, and this is my opinion of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7.
Pros:
– Amazing build quality. The Sony WH-1000XM4 feel like cheap plastic tat compared to these. I cannot understate this. The Sony WH-1000XM4 FEEL like 50 headphones, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 feel like 300 headphones.
– Amazing sound quality. Sound far superior to the Sony WH-1000XM4 in my opinion.
– Noise cancellation is VERY good
Cons:
– Mine broke after 11 months (noise stopped playing in one ear), but I wont hold that to them as even the best things in the world can break.
– Bluetooth range is VERY poor. My Sony WH-1000XM4 have maybe triple the range, and that became very annoying when walking around the house.
– Noise cancellation is not as good as my Sony WH-1000XM4, despite being good.
– App is lacking compared to Sony WH-1000XM4
Conclusion. If you are after range or noise cancellation, I would say the Sony’s are better. If however you are after aesthetics and build quality, as well as sound quality, I feel the Bowers are way better.
After having tried a couple of other Bluetooth headphones which I had to send back due to them either being too quiet or poor quality, I decided to splash out on these. Expensive, but you get what you pay for. Great sound quality and very comfortable. Good battery life. The best noise cancellation I’ve come across.
The build quality seems very good, but time will tell!
The pair I initially received from Richer Sounds had a fault, so I got in touch with B&W support directly, who were very helpful and sent me a brand new pair as a replacement.
Considering that and the fact that they can also be serviced (e.g. you can get the battery replaced at authorized B&W retailers, at a fixed price, I believe), they should be a pretty good long-term investment.
Disclaimer: These are the first pair of ANC headphones I own, so I have no way of comparing them to any rivals.
Sound:
I listen to a wide range of music (Jazz, Blues, Electronic, Metal, Rock, Funk, Classic, etc.) and already own a pair of ATH M50s and a pair of AKG K701s. I usually run these through a Fiio Olympus with bass boost off for the M50s and on for the K701s.
I don’t want to go into too much detail regarding the sound of the PX7s, since other reviewers have already covered that. But the main take-aways for me were:
– Bass boost on the Fiio definitely stays off. I generally like a more neutral sound with a bit of bass and the PX7 have plenty enough on their own.
– Initially, coming from the K701s, the sound seemed a bit too bass heavy, but after a getting-to-know period I’ve gotten used to their bass sound and actually like it on music that lends itself to it (e.g. rock or electronic).
– Considering they are closed back headphones with active noise-cancelling, they have a pleasant soundstage with good spatial rendition and a very good dynamic, giving you a nice idea of the placement of the instruments (though obviously not as good as with the open back K701s).
– They are generally very well-balanced with maybe a slightly subdued midrange and a hint too much bass. Highs are very clear, without being sharp or piercing.
– Bear in mind that the sound may vary between wired and Bluetooth (based on which codec is used), but may also vary ever so slightly depending on noise cancellation mode. The above points regarding their sound refer to wired use with the Fiio (bass boost and gain off).
– If you have some 20 minutes to spare, I would recommend a YouTube video titled “Thrills and spills with the Bowers & Wilkins PX7”, which I found pretty accurate regarding the PX7s.
Comfort:
– Sufficient head band padding. Headband could be a bit wider maybe, for less pressure on one spot.
– Very comfy earpads (can even wear them with glasses for a while).
– Clamping force just right, not too strong, and not too weak.
– I hear that some people can generally find active noise cancellation get a bit uncomfortable after a while, but have not noticed anything of that sort with the PX7s.
Noise-Cancelling:
– Low setting: I wouldn’t bother much with low (which seems to offer little beyond what the very good passive isolation already does).
– Auto setting: A bit of hit- and miss in my personal circumstances, but may work for you, if you have a more even and constant background noise you want to block out.
– Max. setting: Even without listening to something, they are better (and more comfortable) than a set of noise-cancelling ear-muffs I still had. As I wrote above, my partner is constantly in calls, and the PX7s reduce that to something that is still there, but only in the background. I have not tried them in any other setting yet, but would assume they work just as well on a plane or in a cafe.
Misc:
– Important: These will NOT work as passive headphones, so once the battery is dead you need to re-charge them or listen via USB. This almost stopped me from getting them, but since you can get the battery replaced they won’t be lying around like a piece of electro junk a few years down the line.
– Battery life: With wired use I get through an average working week (~40h) on a full-charge. Hardly use them in Bluetooth mode so cannot comment on battery life with wireless usage.
– Bluetooth pairing: This was one of the biggest negatives to me as a PC user (Win10 Home), as I found that part very fiddly. Pairing with Android seems fine, but getting it to work on the PC is hit and miss. I got there in the end after a bit of swearing and googling. Basically you need to set them up as the standard sound device (and possibly restart the PC, if I remember correctly). Then it should work.
– Earcup warmth: Fine from November up to now (June), but have a feeling they’ll be a bit hot once we hit July/August. Will post an update here, should they become unbearably hot.
– Style: Not that this really matters, but they are some pretty handsome devils.
Summary:
So, would I buy them again?
At 219GBP, without hesitating a second. At full price, probably (especially while still sharing a home office).
Very happy with the sound, the ANC and the support I received from B&W.
If I could only own one pair between the M50s, the K701s and the PX7s?
Probably the PX7s, since they sit somewhere between the MX50 and K701s sound-wise and have ANC on top of things, so most versatile. 4,5 Stars.
Absolutely the best value for money on active noise cancelling headphones
I’ve had xm3 xm4 bang h95s and the px7 are better in detail and volume just sounds more powerful when using wirelessly.
Anc is awesome too. Best wireless headphone imo.
Ok, I wont bore you with things like bitrates and mids, highs and bass etc.
What I will say is i have tried a number of headphones, in ear over earand on ear, but what attracted me to these was I heard the fit was great for people with a smaller head.
Well the fit is fantastic, the comfort is superb, the asthetics are wonderfull, the build qulity is first class.
So that just leaves the sound quality……. Best I’ve heard to date.
Some people have complained they dont fold, so they take more room, they dont take any more room volume wise becasue they fold flat.
Some people have said the app should have a graphic EQ. Not so, these have been perfectly tuned by expert sound engineers, well at least thats my opinion.
OK they are a little pricey, but they also look better than anything on the market just now.
Was looking for something to replace my old wired Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones , went through about 4-5 other wireless headphones upto this price but none really satisfied my audio taste. Thought I`d give the PX7 a go as i`d heard good comments.
Not disappointed, sound is really good , better than my old Audio technica when wired. Obviously bluetooth is a bit less but not much. Like how it connects to two bluetooth sources at the same time.
Also when you remove them it stops whats playing.
Noise cancellation is superb, and has option for audio pass through when using them on calls.
If i can say one small dislike is that the headband could be more comfortable. But its minor, I can wear these for 2-3 hours straight and i`m in no discomfort. Just use to a wider band from previous headphones.
Apart from that highly recommended.
These are an amazing set of headphones and well worth the price tag. The design makes them very comfortable, the specs and sound are exceptional. The various levels of noise cancelling offer something for everyone. Very happy purchase indeed
Great sound. On first try the bass felt powerful and was a little anxious that there would be a compromise in the mid to high ranges, and after a few days of putting them through their paces couldnt find any compromise in the sound. It is a refined sound you need to adjust to. A 1 star review on here was interesting because the author missed the hiss you get on the high end when a track “sizzles” on a cheaper pair of headphones. Interesting because we like these post production imperfections, but you wont get these cheap artifacts on the PX7, hence the adjustment.
After 5 months i sat on these headphones and broke the connector on the right earcup. After some correspondence, B&W replaced the unit free of charge, which was an appreciated gesture and more likely to consider B&W agsin in the future.
These are great headphones. Try not to sit on them.
I really love these British cans – quality is fantastic and connections are slick.
The sound quality much better than B&O (I returned them as they were rubbish).
I’m really glad I got these – a must buy from
Me, thank you B&W
For me, comfort and sound quality were the biggest factors for buying these. I already had some B&W P7 headphones but wanted sone bluetooth and these were an automatic choice particularly as I bought them on a promotion giving a significant saving again the standard rrp.
I love these headphones! I bought them because there is a load of construction work going on nearby. With the noise cancellation on “high” and a bit of music twinkling away on really low volume, it’s almost other-worldly – I’m still aware of the power tools and banging about, but it’s really not that distracting, and I’ve been able to work throughout. The downside (or is it a bonus?) of all this is that I can’t hear the doorbell, the kids, the vacuum cleaner, or even the wife knocking on the study door. I literally hear nothing below 120dB.
On to sound quality… These sound really great to me. The thing that stands out the most to me is that you can hear great bass, midrange and trebles at the same time – that’s something lesser headphone struggle with. I’m sure the audiophiles have holes to pick, but honestly, unless you’re very sensitive to sound quality, or have a particular favourite manufacturer’s characteristics, these will probably be most satisfactory.
Comfort wise, I’ve found them to be very comfy to wear. I have found the top does get uncomfortable if it’s pressed against the top of my head, but I’ve found I can just sort of shove them up a bit so that they’re not really resting on my head as such. I also get “hot ears”, so find I want to take them off to let my ears breathe a bit from time to time – a symptom of having them stuffed into earmuffs for hours at a time. The clamping force on them is pretty gentle – certainly a lot more gentle than my ear defenders. They seem like they’re held in place enough that they won’t fall off, but not so much that they’re “tight”. You probably can’t go jogging (or moshing) in them, but they’re fine for reasonably sedatory listening. The physical buttons (as opposed to touch sensors) are really good – it means you can feel around for the thing you want without accidentally doing anything, and they’re soft enough that you won’t disturb the headphones on your head to press them.
Technically, I’ve found them to be good enough. The phone app is pretty nice, although largely unnecessary once you’ve got up and running (and no need to supply name, rank, serial number, inside leg, etc like *ahem* other brands). The lady that talks to you when you press some of the buttons is pleasant enough (nice to hear a British accent there, not the “generic” american ones that you so often find). The musical and voice prompts are useful and not intrusive or annoying – I believe you can turn them off, but honestly, they’re not in the way so I’ve left them on.
The whole pairing to two devices thing is a bit problematic because it’s unclear who gets priority and whatnot, and Apple make the whole experience 10 times worse because of cr-Apple Music insisting on popping up the whole time. However, when paired with my (Android) phone, the “wear sensors” seem to work fine, and I’ve made a couple of calls with them perfectly well (although I do end up shouting a bit because I can’t hear myself very well – there is some sort of “passthrough” feature to avoid that, but I’m not sure how it’s supposed to work). For the most part though, I just pair with my macbook and not the phone – in that scenario the pairing seems pretty flawless. As with phone calls, I tend to take the headphones off to do video calls – in fact, turning the headphones off disconnects them really fast, so it’s actually very easy to do.
Battery life seems impossibly good so far – they’re new, so the battery isn’t worn out yet, but a day of being switched on seems to barely touch the battery levels. Charging via USB-C is easy, and can be done while listening. There’s a nice enough hard case which is big enough that it’s not an origami challenge to get the headphones into it.
All in all, these are an expensive accessory, but don’t feel like they’re excessive at all (in my case, something of a life saver). They’re really good for times when you need to concentrate, or just want to hear the music without the background noises. What they do, they seem to do well, the technology around them works and they’re pleasant as a result. I’d recommend them, so long as funds allow.
What I love.
– Sound quality (wide stage, balance, low frequencies)
– Build quality (solid, premium feel)
– Battery life
– Two devices connected at once
Less so.
– Noise cancelling is good but there is better
– Can be heavy with prolonged use (but accept this is due to build quality)
I don’t need the noise cancelling, (you can switch it off) so I haven’t reviewed it.
Bought them for listening to music at home. Noise cancelling is OK and better when playing music. Chose these above rivals due to the sound quality and not disappointed – sound quality is amazing and a big jump up from my previous 70 ear buds. Finding myself listening to all sorts of music as they bring out so much detail and musicality. Battery life is excellent too – not had to charge up yet since opening at Christmas.
Noice canceling is not the best that i ever used, but when you understand how things should work properly and you try with transparency mode its amazing.
About the sound – This are the best Bluetooth headphones in the world. I regret that I did not buyed this long time ago.
Great sound, very easy to use, fantastic battery life, blue tooth connection quick and easy.
These are very comfortable, well sounding, beautiful designed and built headphones The only concern is about sound signature, I found them very good sounding on medium and low volume, but when you put them above 80% of volume, the high end getting a little bit harsh! but I think it’s more about taste and sound signature of particular manufacture, so overall these are very good headphones premium materials premium build quality, great sound, great comfort, I love them!
My son will only let me buy him British made goods. His verdict was ‘theses are f****** sick. Enough said!
After many years of using various headphones (Sennheiser, Sony, Bose) and supplied earphones these Bowers & Wilkins PX7s are the best headphones in supplying sound quality and detail I’ve had. I’ve been enjoying hearing new elements from favourite tracks, which has increased my enjoyment of my music.
The headphones are excellent and I would recommend them – Good sound and comfortable. I’ve had mine on more or less all day for 2 days with no problem.
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING CAUTION IS NO FAULT OF THE HEADSET:
The only problems I encountered are nothing to do with the Headphones and revolve around some of the gadgets I wanted to listen to – My SKY Q Box, Samsung Smart TV and Bose sound system, for instance. While these items are Bluetooth enabled, you can only transmit sounds to them (from mobile etc.), but they do not transmit Bluetooth Signals to enable you to listen!! Neither do these items have a Headphone Jack. Some research on GOOGLE indicates many people are surprised at this. In some instances a Bluetooth Dongle may help but is not guaranteed
This is my first pair of proper good headphones. Has totally changed my life. I’m hearing new things in songs I’ve listened to since I was 14.
Build quality is excellent and they look great, but they’re heavier than any other pair of headphones I’ve had. While they’re still comfortable to wear for long periods of time, I found myself adjusting their position on my head quite often.
Battery life is adequate. The headphones need to be powered on to supply audio via the 3.5 jack, and its never an issue to keep the battery sufficiently charged when I use these as a headset with the PlayStation. The 15 minute quick charge has been helpful.
Superb sound. This is a pair of high end quality headphones. Even though noise cancellation wasn’t one of my priorities, it’s excellent. They fit great. Far better than anything else I owned so far. Worth every penny.
ho acquistato queste cuffie perch le mie precedenti AKG si sono rovinate dopo anni di egregio lavoro…
Cercando in rete mi sono informato e la mia scelta ricaduta su queste B&W!
Perch ho scelto queste? beh anzitutto ci si pu collegare pi di un dispositivo per volta, e con gli auricolari BT in mio possesso fino ad ora non era possibile (le Sony XM4 lo possono fare, le XM3 no), e poi perch mi sono voluto concedere un marchio premium con materiali premium… si i materiali, davvero di alto livello, nulla a che vedere son le rivali SONY, parlo delle WH1000XM3 e XM4 (io posseggo delle WF1000XM3.. quindi non vi parlo da fanboy..)
Signori le SONY, per qualit dei materiali sembrano giocattoli a confronto… saranno anche migliori nella cancellazione del rumore… ma per il tutto il resto perdono, e per me manco di poco…
Con queste PX7 finalmente sembra di avere fra le mani qualcosa che ispira solidit e qualit e non della plastica…
Ovviamente questo un mio parere e non devo convincere nessuno a comprare queste piuttosto che le sony..
La qualit AUDIO, allora veniamo a noi il driver presente in queste cuffie da 43,6mm (le XM4 sono da 40mm se non lo sapeste..) in modalit BT l’audio buono, tutte le frequenza sono bilanciate e rendono assai piacevole l’ascolto, anche se all’inizio non mi hanno sorpreso come mi aspettavo.. il meglio lo raggiungono quando le collegherete ad un amplificatore…e qu che cambia tutto… diventano sorprendenti.. io uso un DAC Ampli della NuForce e sono rimasto sbalordito..
Ho iniziato con Aqualung dei Jethro Tull… pazzesco… una suono pieno e da brividi.. si percepiscono le sfumature e il pianoforte di Evan bellissimo…. la ritmica bellissima e il dinamismo si avverte e parecchio..
With Or Without You degli U2, l’attacco iniziale mette i brividi, il basso mi entra nella schiena e vi fa quasi piangere, la voce di Bono limpida e ben distanziata dagli strumenti, quando si uniscono alti, bassi e medi, la ritmica rimane composta e non si mescola, gli strumenti sono tutti percepibili e distinguibili..
So Far Away dei Dire Straits, uno dei miei gruppi preferiti, anche qui come per le due di sopra il suono eccezionale, la voce di Mark Knopfler (che ho avuto il piacere di sentire dal vivo) piena e magnifica…
Insomma sotto amplificatore danno il meglio di loro, come sorgente mi affido sempre a Tidal con abbonamento Master Quality… in BT non che siano da buttare, intendiamoci, ma non raggiungono quella qualit che abbiamo col cavo.. ovvio direte voi..
Per alcuni non lo e ora vorrei dire un paio di cose sulla qualit BT, i codec utilizzati da queste cuffie sono: aptX Adaptive aptX HD aptX Classic AAC SBC mentre le Sony come sappiamo usa LDAC.. ho letto in giro che parecchi preferiscono questo codec, e quando gli domandi il motivo dicono beh, il bitrate dinamico… e fa stream ad una qualit pi elevata… certo poi per magari lo usano con un iPhone che non lo supporta.. intendiamoci iOS non supporta nemmeno l’aptX… mentre android supporta LDAC da Oreo ma non tutti i dispositivi supportano l’aptX HD… quindi magari cerchiamo di acquistare i prodotti per l’uso e per accoppiarlo meglio ai dispositivi che gi abbiamo, prima di dire se meglio quello o quell’altro..
Vabb ora veniamo alle conclusioni, se la vostra priorit la cancellazione del rumore, non le comprate! prendete le Sony, sono meglio indubbio…anche se queste funzionano bene, non raggiungono le XM4.. se invece la priorit il suono, la qualit dei materiali e vi “accontentate” di non avere il top di cancellazione del rumore, beh secondo me queste meritano…
A voi la scelta… ovviamente rimane sempre il consiglio.. andate in un negozio di audio e provatele tutte e due, cos non sbagliate sicuro.
I’ve had the Sony’s that compete with these for a year and the NC is about the same (i.e. excellent) or a little better in these.
These have a lovely wide sound stage, very impressive for something on your ears. It’s witchcraft!!
THey’re probably not quite as comfortable on top of the head, as the Sony have a nice padded headband, but they fit more snugly and move less when you’re moving, or having a bop to the tunes.
Always loved B&W products I’ve had in the past (other headphones, speakers, Zeppelin) and they continue to be a company that produces audio gear that I LOVE.
I decided to treat myself to an early Christmas present to myself taking advantage of a Black Friday deal. So glad I did. Haven’t been able to justify this sort of purchase for years with four kids but I am over the moon with these headphones. Haven’t got much to compare them to in the market right now but always think buy quality products or buy twice. My last senhizer headphones gave me pleasure for years but these are a different league. I am a classically trained pianist and violinist but also used to DJ house and drum and base and have a varied taste in music but so far these headphones do an amazing job of every genre of music I have thrown at them. Thoroughly recomend them. Great sound and build quality. Get them bought!
I prefer my music to have bite & attack, particularly on leading notes, and these deliver this superbly. A little more ” In your face” than its rivals lauded by the popular press. So highly recommended if you like rock or electronica, particular with vocals
The fit does seem a little tighter over the ears than other phones, but this does seem to help reduce background noise as well as keeping them secure. They are certainly very comfortable for long periods of use and the battery seems to last over 25 hours on a single charge
I love the auto pause function when you remove them, it even pauses video stream on my Nvidia Shield!
A couple of minor niggles, neither of which are deal breakers for me, but you should be aware of…. Firstly – they don’t fold up so are bulky when travelling. Secondly – the controls are placed on the cup in exactly the position I use to remove the headphones, so initially I was turning them off each time I removed them. I soon broke the habit though
Love the fit, the sound and the long battery life. Also love the way they stop if you take them off.
Set up to my iPhone was difficult, for me, but excellent advice from the online help.
Amazing HP. Very comfortable and well build. The sound details are very accurate. The Highs, mids and lows do not muddle with each other. The best thing about it is the sound stage.
The NC though is not on par with sony’s. But still ok.. i prefer this over sony.
These are probably the most comfortable headphones I have worn to date but I found the the mids lacking and highs way to sharp but the bass is good tho but I think it might have come down to personal choice but overall very comfortable headphones.
Excellent product b&w does it again excellent sound quality great noise cancelling,the only gripe i have is the plastic feel of arms.
ich habe im Laufe der Jahre viele Kopfhrer ausprobiert und besitze, zustzlich zu diesem PX7, vier weitere Noise Cancelling/Wireless Kopfhrer. Fr mich ist das ein Hobby und Musik hren macht mir Spa, auerdem gnnt man sich ab und zu auch gerne mal etwas neues 😉
Der Kopfhrer macht richtig Spa beim Musikhren weil er “nach vorne geht” und gleichzeitig sehr “przise” klingt. Die Darstellung der Bhne um den Kopf herum ist sehr gut und die Auflsung der Details deutlich feiner, als z. B. bei den Sony Wireless NC Kopfhrern. Diese klingen eher “entspannt” und “gefllig” aber der PX7 ist “aufregend”, “przise” und “dynamisch”.
Wer eine fundierte Meinung zu dem Vergleich von Sony WH-1000XM3 und dem B&W PX7 hren mchte, dem kann ich das Review von John Darko auf YouTube empfehlen.
Warum 4 und keine 5 Sterne? Nun, das Noise- Cancelling ist nicht so gut wie bei Sony was aber nicht heit, dass es nicht funktioniert. Durch den festen Sitz der Ohrpolster und dem aktiven Noise Cancelling bekommt man auch bei mittlerer Lautstrke nichts mehr von seiner Umgebung mit, auch wenn man in der Stadt unterwegs ist. Das Noise Cancelling ist also beim PX7 praxistauglich und erfllt seinen Zweck, ist aber nicht die derzeitig beste Umsetzung, weshalb ein halber Stern abgezogen wird.
Wie eben erwhnt, sitzt der Kopfhrer fest auf dem Kopf. Das ist nach einer Eingewhnungsphase auch angenehm und trgt zum Noise Cancelling bei, allerdings habe ich mein Exemplar anfangs etwas “gedehnt” um den Komfort zu erhhen, weil mir der Anpressdruck zu hoch war. Dazu habe ich den Kopfhrer auf die breite Seite seiner Verpackung gesetzt, sodass der Bgel gespreizt wird. So wird die Eingewhnungsphase beschleunigt und der Anpressdruck wird verringert. Nach 4-5 Stunden auf seiner Box war der Anpressdruck fr mich genau richtig und seitdem ist der PX7 mein stndiger Begleiter im Alltag. 🙂 Da der Komfort aber nicht “out of the Box” gegeben war, ziehe ich auch dafr einen halben Stern ab.
Wenn Ihnen die Rezension gefallen hat, wrde ich mich freuen wenn sie auf “Ntzlich” drcken wrden. Vielen Dank und viel Spa mit ihren neuen Kopfhrern, egal ob es nun dieser oder ein anderer wird!
Fantastic customer service from manufacturer turned around my problem in a week and replaced my headphones with a new pair 🙂
I am now enjoying the comfort and original quality. That’s what I paid for. Thanks guys and well done.
For my purposes the app doesn’t improve my experience with the headphones.
They do exactly what I want them to do straight out the box. Not as good cancelling noise as my partner’s Sony’s, but I doubt I’ll ever venture outdoors with these on. Saying that though, washing up with noise cancelling on low hasn’t for one moment ruined my listening experience.
HD audio via Tidal never sounded better.
My last B&W kit was a pair of 610 speakers. Let’s hope these PX7’s give me as much pleasure and last just as long.
Purchasing a more premium pair of noise cancelling headphones can be tricky as you want everything for that price. I’m happy to say the px7s deliver with features, including atpx adaptive and aptx hd, app control, auxiliary input, USB C and transparency mode. Battery life is also very good while it also quick charges.
The primary selling point for these headphones for me is the build quality and materials. It features a forged carbon fiber stem which is a material usually found in supercars. They also feel expensive as everything is very solid and so you only touch premium materials when handelling these headphones.
The sound quality of these headphones are very good but not amazing. They do however have very nice imaging which allows you to pick apart separate instruments in your music. The bass is good and the treble was never harsh. However there is no eq available so you are stuck with what they give you. The downside comes when you turn the noise cancelling on as it takes away a lot of that imaging, giving a decent sounding pair of headphones, definitely not 350 worth though.
The comfort is also just okay with these headphones. I feel like the clamping force is a little too much for long listening sessions and there isn’t enough padding on the earcups.
Another thing to mention is that, while you can use them wired, the device has to be turned on, so good luck when your battery runs out.
Happy so far. Not tested the noise cancelling function outside the home yet. I wear glasses and arm do get in the way and impact the fit but you will have this issue with all over the ear cans. I use when sound quality is important. For comfort I go back to AirPods.
I love these headphones, the noise cancellation is awesome, people I’m chatting to will tell the cat wants to go out as I can’t hear it. Connectivity is great with the laptop and the iPhone. I suffer from tinnitus and the background sounds come in handy. Certainly worth the cost but the split payments help!
Straight out the box you feel the quality of the headphones. Which are well built and comfortable to wear. My ears don’t really stick out much, but every now and then I feel the inside of the earpiece brush past my ear as I am moving.
The sound quality is phenomenal. The depth and spatial sound is immersive and brings out each individual instrument in clear. I have listened to the same songs that I have been playing for years, but with these headphones its a new experience completely.
I did have some minor issues with Bluetooth connectivity when I turned them on a second time. However, after making some adjustments in the app the issue was resolved. I have had no problems since.
Unfortunately the app doesn’t come with an EQ (apparently it used to). So I have had to use the phones EQ. That is my only real snaggle.
Great Bluetooth Noise-cancelling headphones. Haven’t been able to try them on a flight yet, to really test the comfort, but they don’t seem to be as comfortable as my old AKG over-ear headphones. Hence only 4 stars.
The most beautiful thing to cup my ears and shoot sound in them.
If you’re after audiophile-quality headphones, look no further.
If you want to pair these to your phone to make phone calls, make sure your phone supports high quality audio codecs (Google Pixel phones do), and your phone calls will sound like you’re talking in person.
If you’re going to use them for conferences calls (tested with Skype, Teams, Meet, and Zoom) on Windows, keep looking, these are not for you. Windows has no support for high quality Bluetooth audio codecs and your voice will sound terrible over the call.
Linux has third party support for high quality Bluetooth audio codecs, but you’ll need to consult your OS manuals.
I haven’t tested it on Mac.
Noise cancellation is good, it does its work, nothing exciting.
Signal is perfect, I can walk around the house without any issues., provided that I connect them to an equally good Bluetooth laptop/PC/smartphone.
Oh, and despite the advertised weight, they’re incredibly comfortable.
fantastic headphones. You get what you pay for and these are first class. Only slight gripe is lack of equaliser on app. But hopefully an update for the future
Tried the very latest comparable from the following manufacturers before choosing these:
Dali, Sony, Shure.
Dali were very good but lacked a sense of space, good build quality and comfort.
Sony sounded too artificial and felt cheap.
Shure…amazing build quality, terrible sound total lack of depth and space.
These for a bluetooth set of cans are very, very impressive.
Bowers and Wilkins have always produced excellent quality speakers and headphones over many years.
The sound quality is exceptional, and build quality is way above the average.
If you like good sound production from your headphones, then this is the one for you.
These have a lot more bass and much louder. No distortion at all at higher volumes but you don’t wanna increase the volume of these more than 70%. I think these are one of the best sounding headphones you can buy for this price.
They can be connected to two devices at a time and quick switching is available. It will also switch when you receive a call on your phone.
To add to that these look a lot unique than most other headphones in this price range. I got it on sale for 275 and for that price I think they’re a really good deal.
These support AAC and AptX both. so these are good with both iPhones and Android devices unlike most headphones.
They have wear sensors and will pause if you take the headphones off or lift one ear cup (something I missed in 450BTs). you can adjust the sensitivity in the mobile App.
Noise Cancellation is great even without turning it on. These Provide good passive NC.
Active Noise Cancellation is also excellent. Voice prompts are there to let you know if NC is off or on (another thing I missed on 450BT)
These come with a Nice Carrying Case but I wish they had a Black or Dark Grey case for the Dark Grey Variant of the headphones. Looks like both colors get the same Light Grey Carrying Case.
You do not need to buy a separate case. Case Provided is sturdy and can fit headphones and the cables without any problem.
Now to the negatives,
I wish the ear cups had the ability to fold inward. This was possible in my 450BTs and it made the headphones really small and easy to carry.
Clamping force is higher than 450BTs. It was expected as these are heavier and you get used to it after few days. I really felt it on my head when I first used it but was not uncomfortable after 1,2 days of use.
I’m not sure if they’re worth the money at 350 retail but if you can get them on a discount I think they’re a steal.
Great headphones, purchased directly from B&W. We got 3 of them for some of the family. RRP pricing need to be respected by amazon. If prices need to be reduced, B & W should then also reduce. Otherwise, the headphones are unique in many ways. Competition needs to do some more research and development! Well done B & W!
Too much can be said of technical capabilities, can these be beaten for accuracy – yes. However given proper quality source material they convey pure joy.
Which is the whole point, no matter you’re own preference is; they will make you smile. Enough said.
I received my PX7’S today 09/05/2020 and was amazed by the build quality and the “premium” materials used compared to the P5’s Ive been using for past three years or so. The sound quality and general fitting of the PX7’s are instantly noticeable and the ANC is top tier even with low NC selected and music turned down it blocks the surrounding noises out nicely. BUT, and it pains me to type this, there is a flaw with the headphones. Using the B&W App you’re able to connect two devices at a time so I connected both my iPhone and my MacBook, the sound quality while connected to my phone is completely fine however when connected to my MacBook the sound quality is diminished completely. It’s awful. I was intending to use these primarily whilst connected to my laptop for editing and generally listening to music, but for me this is hindered by the bottom tier sound. Now I know different devices have different codec’s blah blah blah but I really didn’t think that it would affect the performance of the headphones to this degree. I will continue using and find a way to resolve the issue but I thought I’d give a heads up to other potential customers who might land in a similar position to me.
LO MEJOR: diseo de alta calidad, se ve que son premium. Sonido muy ntido y envolvedor, soy audiofilo y no me decepcionaron con su aptx-HD. Batera con excelente duracin, cumplen lo que dicen. SI TIENE acceso al asistente de google. La cancelacin de ruido es muy buena, mejor que los que tenia previamente de lejos. El micrfono a priori lo poco que lo prob va muy bien, obviamente para llamadas los BOSE 600 son los mejores. Carga rpida USB-C y conector por jack 3,5mm. Los sensores de movimiento van muy bien. El estuche duro es de calidad y dar buena proteccin.
LO MALO: no son muy ligeros, y pueden generarte un poco de presin en la parte superior de la cabeza pero nada que no sea tolerable tras varias horas de uso; ademas depende de la cabeza de cada quien supongo; la queja de que te presiona la mandbula no la sent para nada. Si las almohadillas fueran mas gruesas mejoraran aun mas su confort. Su app no tiene equalizador y eso deberan de aadir urgentemente. PRECIO es un juguete caro, pero a mi parecer lo valen, tal vez si valieran 50-70 euros menos serian perfectos.
I’ve tried many headsets, had the PX before this. This is an improvement in terms of weight and sound quality. For the price, about the best sound you’ll find out there. Many thumbs up.
Fantastic headphones absolutely sublime audio quality and brilliant noise cancellation. Both rock and electronic music sound amazing
4 stars only one knocked off due to some minor issues with Bluetooth devices connectivity not always being 100 percent linked into the device app . This does not detract from the sound quality or overall quality of the headphones.
These are really great sounding headphones. However, like all Hi-Fi systems, to get the best sound you need quality components. And the best set-up I’ve found for use with these phones are: a phone with aptX bluetooth, a music play app such as Onkyo Player HD (I’ve tried them all but this app definitely provides the greatest clarity delivering 192khz/24bit FLAC, on the paid version), and finally .FLAC files or similar.
I find the PX7 extremely comfortable even when used over several hours.
The sound quality I find stunning, bringing several devices to a different level of what you would normally expect.
I have used them connected to my Linux PC, Samsung Tablet, Galaxy Smartphone, LG Television, Amazon Music and Kindle Oasis. As you can see they’ve been well tested on a selection of devices and I’ve been impressed with them all.
I did not buy them for noise cancelling as I use them at home mostly, having said that they do remove a lot of background noise especially vacuum cleaners, which is a bonus for me. I do however have it switched off 90% of the time as I don’t need it.
I bought them for sound quality and for that they are outstanding, such detail, wow.
Battery life is excellent and has never been an issue and charge quickly when required.
Would I buy them again, definitely. Would I recommend them, definitely.
I do very much like the B&W sound. This is also one of the first noise-canceling headphones where I do not seem to ‘hear’ the noise-canceling. It does not cancel enormously: you can still hear some background noise (when you’re not playing music).
I’ve tried Bose, I’ve tried Sony, I’ve tried Sennheiser… Bowers & Wilkins blow them ALL out the water in terms of sound quality and comfort….add on 30 hour battery life… Happy Days ! 🙂
I didn’t buy from Amazon as I found them cheaper elsewhere.
These are one of the best headphones I’ve owned and I’ve had a lot. Sennheiser HD580/HD600/HD650, Bose QC35i, Grado M1 Pro and AKG550mk2.
The soundstage is utterly amazing, bass is solid without being over powering, treble is subtle and sweet. If you want the best NC headphones under 1000 then buy these, they really are at another level. My only complaint is they don’t fold.
You can’t adjust the sound from the app but B&W have got it spot on so it doesn’t matter.
Bass is full but tight, midrange is just about open enough but very detailed, while the treble is sweet and extended
Brilliant bluetooth headphones
Amazing headphones in all aspects. My only negative feedback is that the foam is not ajusting to your ears as well as the did on my P5s.
My rankings – Superb->High->Decent->Average->Terrible
– Bose QC II – High sound isolation, superb comfort…average plastic build quality, terrible sound quality (fine if you like bland neutral sound)
– Sony WH1000XM3 – Superb sound isolation, superb app equalizer, high comfort…average plastic build quality, average (leaning towards terrible) sound quality (way too bloated bass even if you equalize the heck out of the headphones)
– Sennheiser Momentum 2 – Superb sound quality (but lacks a solid/big soundstage), superb comfort, high battery life – really not much to complain about here but its lacking any “killer” features (and from what I’ve read, Momentum 3 aren’t much better either)
– ATH-M50XBT – Superb sound quality (essentially no sound stage though)…barely even qualifies to be a portable wireless headphone (no USB-C, zero active sound isolation, average comfort)
– PXC 550 – Decent/High sound quality, high comfort…terrible volume limiter, missing basic features such as USB-C charging (Sennheiser why did you cheap out on PXC 550-ii…)
As you can probably tell, none of these were what I was looking for (my core requirements were “excellent” sound quality, excellent/high battery life, decent/high sound isolation, high comfort, in a portable format – above all else)
And then came the PX7s (I never tried the PXs but as a regular glass wearer, from what I’ve read, they would’ve been a very poor option for me anyways). Here’s what I think of them:
– Excellent Sound Quality – This is as good as it gets when it comes to wireless headphones (and most closed-back headphones for that matter). Tempered (but neither too much nor too little) bass, mind-blowing sound-stage (easily the best I’ve heard in any closed-back headphones, ever). The angled drivers really do make a huge difference (you gotta try it to really hear/feel the difference)
Excellent Build Quality – B&W did cheap out on the earcups unfortunately (especially compared to the PXs) but this is still the best build quality you can get in a portable headphone (Momentum series aside). Superb durability as well
Excellent/High Battery Life – 30 hours projected battery for the headphones and I’ve yet to run out even once (although I do charge them fairly regularly). They charge really fast though so I wouldn’t stress even if you don’t charge them daily/multiple times every week. What’s not so acceptable is the fact that the headphones are basically deadwood without a charge as you cannot use them wired if they don’t hold a charge (really B&W? Why!!)
– High Sound Isolation – No, its not as good as the Sony’s or in some scenarios, even as good as the Bose but in most scenario’s, its quite good in my opinion. I can’t hear the cooling fan noise beneath the laptop in front of me or majority of car noises/ people chatter when walking in the neighborhood.
– Decent App – Nothing extraordinary here (not even a patch on Sony) but it has all the core functionalities and it works…just about
– Decent/High Comfort – The clasping on the head is pretty tight and it does hurt the side of my heads (hurts just above the cheekbones when I chew as well while wearing the headphones) if I wear them for too long (2+ hours) but atleast the headphones don’t grill my glasses into my head (I’m looking at you, M50XBT!)
There’s lots of other features as well (connect with upto 2 devices at once – even if the connections can occasionally be a bit finicky, USB-C charging, etc) but those work just fine mostly and are expected in pretty much all new wireless headphones (even if they aren’t always there – ugh M50XBT & PXC 550!!!).
In summary, are the PX7s perfect? No, not even close. I can’t wear them for too long due to the heavy clasping, multiple device connections can sometimes be finicky, the earcups are pleather, app is barebones albeit functional, they don’t fold even if they do swivel (M50Xs have really spoiled me here), no wired usage without charge and so on.
But are they the best in the wireless headphones market when it comes to sound quality? Without a shadow of a doubt (only the Momentum 3’s come anywhere near them and even then the Momentum 3’s cannot compete when it comes to soundstage).
And frankly, I can compromise on everything else but not sound quality (I don’t consider myself an audiophile by any means but I’ve heard enough headphones/earphones over the years that I can easily discern terrible sound quality – especially bloated boomy bass – aka Sony WH1000XM3)
So yeah, there you have it. Good luck on your hunt and if I’ve missed any quality wireless headphones, please leave a comment as I’d love to try them as well!
I love Bowers & Wilkins products. These headphones are a little bigger than the PX5’s but the sound is really superb. I love them. Would highly recommend.
Edit: 10 weeks later; still loving these. If I use them for more than a couple hours, I’ll usually want to take them off, give my head and hair a good rub, wait a few mins and then I’ll start listening again. Taking a quick break is usually a nice thing to do anyway, as these headphones are very immersive.
All in all, this is the most satisfying audio purchase I have ever made. What B&W really ought to do is release a more plush ear cup for these, with some really supple material, to rival the comfort of B&O and Bose’s rival models.
But these px7’s are just in a different league.
The sound quality is just phanomanal and the build quility is so much better than both the Sony and bose.
The app for the headphones is a bit basic and only offers basic setting like noise canceling setting, ambient noise setting and that’s about it, there is no EQ setting like the Sony xm3 app which allows for some great EQ settings.
I can forgive the px7’s for this as they sound superb and I use power amp player on android which has a brilliant EQ filter, which allows you to make them sound even better.
They do have more clamping force on your head than both the Sony and Bose, which I actually like as they give great emmersion into the music/film you are watching.
The noise cancelling is not bad, but not amazing compared to the xm3 & qc35 ii.
If your after the best sound over the noise canceling then I would recommend the px7’s and recommend the Sony xm3’s for noise cancelling.
Having had all 3 headphones and used them all for a while I would always come back to the px7’s all day long.
There’s a great little feature on these in which, when you take the headphones off or lift an ear cup it pauses the music and when you palce back on your head or ear the music starts playing again.
Comes in a really nice grey case.
I’m no Audio file but I know the difference between forced sound and pure clarity and highly recommended these.
Well wort the money.
De mon point de vue le PX7 est complet ; lger, confortable, ergonomique, robuste. Sa grande autonomie, son maintien ferme et une Suppression Active trs efficace en font un casque nomade idal. Le son qu’il produit est dfini, quilibr, mais force sur la spatialisation, fait ronfler les graves ; c’est parfait dans un film, fatiguant lors d’une coute musicale prolonge.
noter des boutons physiques simples manipuler, un menu vocal de qualit au charmant accent British, et qu’il doit imprativement tre allum pour fonctionner via Jack, c’est fcheux car le rduit un gadget jetable une fois la batterie raide.
BT 5.0 / AAC, APTX Classic-Adaptative-HD / USB C Charge rapide / Jack 3,5 / App ddie / Assistant vocal / Double connexion / 30h d’autonomie / Plastique / Rangement rigide.
Verarbeitung: Top
Desin: gefllt mir sehr gut
Tragekomfort: sitzt etwas enger und fester als der Bose QC 35 II, aber trotzdem sehr bequem – auch mit Brille.
Bedienung: Problemlos. Man muss nur aufpassen, dass man beim Aufsetzen nicht auf die Tasten an der rechten Hrerseite kommt. Hat man aber schnell raus.
App: die wichtigsten Grundfunktionen knnen eingestellt werden. Equalizer oder Gehranpassung (wie beim Beyerdynamic) gibt es nicht (muss auch nicht immer von Vorteil sein, da es dann Komprimierungseffekte (nicht beim Beyerdynamic) geben kann).
Transportcase: Das Case ist etwas knapp ausgelegt. Da ich den PX7 etwas vergrern muss, damit der Bgel auf meinen Kopf passt, passt er in dieser Einstellung nicht mehr in das Case. Also wieder auf klein zusammenschieben, dann geht er wieder in das Case. Qualitativ ist das Case gut mit eigener Tasche fr Flugadapter, etc..
Klang: Klang ist immer vom subjektiven Empfinden abhngig. Letztlich muss jeder seinen Kopfhrer vor dem Kauf selbst testen. Als Quelle habe ich Musik ber Tidal in bester Qualitt gestreamt und mit dem besten Codec, der auf meinem Tablet zur Verfgung steht (adaptX), mit dem PX7 verbunden.
In Summe finde ich den PX7 recht basslastig und nicht allzu ausgewogen. Der Bass ist deutlich besser als beim Bose, aber einfach zu krftig und zu wenig differenziert. Bei geringen Lautstrken kommt damit mehr Klangvolumen rber, aber wenn man etwas lauter macht, so empfinde ich den Bass als zu berlagernd. Die Stimmen sind wesentlich ausgewogener und nicht ansatzweise so leicht nasal-qukig als beim Bose, aber weit von der Authentizitt eines Beyerdynamic Amiron Wireless entfernt. Die Stimmen knnten auch besser aufgelst sein und wirken auf mich etwas nach hinten versetzt. Der Beyerdynamic spielt hier weit oberhalb von Bose und B&W, ist viel differenzierter, weitrumiger und sauberer, hat aber kein ANC und ist deutlich schwerer, klobiger und fr mich nicht so bequem. In den Hhen ist der PX7 eher angenehm zurckhaltend, wirkt aber in der Dynamik etwas gebremst. Damit ist er sehr langzeittauglich.
ANC: um es kurz zu machen: Bose spielt hier in einer anderen Liga. In der S-Bahn kommen beim PX7 deutlich mehr Gerusche, Stimmen, etc. durch als beim Bose. Zudem rauscht der PX7 etwas strker (strt aber nicht wirklich).
Ich werde den PX7 noch ein wenig einspielen lassen und hoffe, dass sich die Bassbetonung etwas legt. Ansonsten werde ich mir doch noch den aktuellen Sony anhren. Ich hatte gehofft, dass der PX7 klanglich nher am Beyerdynamic dran ist und ein besser funktionierende ANC hat.