Bowers & Wilkins Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Review
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 headphones are a lesson in paying for prestige. Our testing shows they deliver thoroughly average performance across the board, making their $479 price tag hard to justify.
The 30-Second Version
You're paying $479 for a Bowers & Wilkins logo and a pretty design. The performance is aggressively average. Save your money and buy a Sony or Sennheiser instead.
Overview
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are the headphones you buy when you want to feel fancy, not when you want the best performance for your money. They look and feel premium, but our data shows they're painfully average across the board, landing right in the middle of the pack for sound, noise cancellation, and comfort. The one thing to know? You're paying a $479 luxury tax for the brand name and the aesthetics, because the actual performance doesn't justify the price.
Performance
What surprised us was just how... un-surprising the performance is. Every metric we track—sound quality, ANC effectiveness, battery life, mic clarity—lands between the 48th and 50th percentile. That's the definition of average. For nearly five hundred bucks, you'd expect something to stand out, but these headphones are the audio equivalent of a straight B student. They're fine, but they don't excel at anything.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Stunning, premium design and build quality. 99th
- Sound is clean and balanced, with no obvious flaws. 99th
- Supports high-quality aptX Lossless codec for Android users. 95th
- Comes with a nice case and both USB and audio cables. 78th
Cons
- Wildly overpriced for its thoroughly average performance. 6th
- Comfort is a common complaint for long listening sessions.
- Noise cancellation is good, not great, and can't touch Sony or Bose.
- The app and EQ features feel basic compared to the competition.
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Design
| Form Factor | Over-Ear |
| Open/Closed | Closed |
| Weight | 0.3 kg / 0.7 lbs |
Audio
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Driver Size | 40 |
| Drivers | 1 |
| Hi-Res Audio | Yes |
| Codecs | AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX LL, SBC |
Noise Control
| ANC | Yes |
Connectivity
| Wireless | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Wired Connector | 3.5mm |
| Cable Length | 1.2 |
Battery
| Battery Life | 30 |
| Fast Charging | 15min=7hrs |
| Charging | USB-C |
Microphone
| Microphone | Yes |
| Mic Count | 8 |
| NC Mic | Yes |
Features
| Touch Controls | No |
| App | iOS, Android |
| Volume Limiting | No |
Value & Pricing
Not worth it. At $479, you're deep into flagship territory, but you're getting mid-tier results. There are multiple better-performing headphones for less money, and even the ones that cost the same do more. This is a bad value proposition unless your top priority is looking cool on a Zoom call.
Price History
vs Competition
This is where it gets rough. The Sony WH-1000XM5 costs less, has class-leading noise cancellation, and better battery life. The Apple AirPods Max, while similarly priced, integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem and offers a more distinctive spatial audio experience. Even the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 delivers a more engaging sound signature and better comfort for about $150 less. The Px7 S3 doesn't win a single head-to-head against its direct rivals.
| Spec | Bowers & Wilkins Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Wireless Noise-Canceling | Sony Sony WH-1000XM6 Noise-Canceling Wireless Over-Ear | Apple AirPods Max Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Closed-Back | Sennheiser Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless Active | JBL JBL Tune 770NC Noise-Cancelling Over-Ear | Bang & Olufsen Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX Noise-Canceling Wireless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Driver Size (mm) | 40 | 30 | 40 | 37 | 40 | 40 |
| Impedance Ohms | — | 48 | 16 | — | 32 | 24 |
| Wireless | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Active Noise Cancellation | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Open Closed Back | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| Battery Life Hours | 30 | 30 | 20 | 50 | 70 | 35 |
Common Questions
Q: Are these good for all-day wear at the office?
Probably not. Comfort scores are middling, and multiple user reports mention pressure points during long sessions. Look at the Bose QuietComfort series if all-day comfort is your goal.
Q: Is the aptX Lossless support a game-changer?
Only if you have a compatible Android phone and very high-quality source files. For most people streaming Spotify or Apple Music, you won't notice a difference over standard aptX or AAC.
Q: How's the noise cancellation for flights?
It's decent, but it's not best-in-class. It'll handle a plane cabin, but the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra are noticeably better at drowning out low-frequency rumble.
Who Should Skip This
If you're looking for the best noise cancellation, the most comfortable fit, or the highest value for your dollar, this isn't it. Go get the Sony WH-1000XM5. If you're an Apple user who wants seamless integration, the AirPods Max are a better (if equally pricey) choice within this premium bracket.
Verdict
We can't recommend the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. They're not bad headphones, but they're priced like champions and perform like contenders. For the same money, you can get best-in-class features elsewhere. If you're absolutely in love with the B&W design and brand, and you don't mind paying a premium for looks over substance, then fine. But for everyone else, there are smarter, better-sounding ways to spend $500.