Bowers & Wilkins Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Over-Ear Wireless Review

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is a luxury item first, a headphone second. It sounds clean and detailed, but its technical performance is merely average for the category. The call quality is notably bad. At $799, you're paying a huge premium for the Nappa leather and aluminum build over class-leading tech. Only recommended if premium materials are your absolute top priority over everything else.

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 sits at the very top of the wireless headphone food chain, and it's priced like it. At $799, you're not just buying headphones, you're buying a statement piece. It's for the listener who wants their gear to feel as premium as it sounds, and who's willing to pay a significant premium for that luxury finish.

What makes the Px8 S2 interesting isn't a single killer feature, but the complete package. Bowers & Wilkins is a brand built on high-end home audio, and they've tried to cram that pedigree into a portable, wireless form. You get 40mm carbon cone drivers, Nappa leather earpads, and a design that screams 'expensive'. It's an attempt to out-luxury the competition.

But here's the thing our data shows: this isn't a specs monster. Its percentile rankings are solidly in the middle of the pack. It scores around the 48th to 50th percentile for sound, ANC, battery, and comfort. That means, on paper, it's statistically average compared to all wireless headphones. The intrigue is whether that B&W 'house sound' and premium materials can justify a price that's hundreds more than the class leaders.

Let's talk about those numbers. Scoring in the 49th percentile for sound means it's fine, but it's not class-leading. In our testing, that translates to a clean, detailed, and balanced sound signature that's very easy to listen to. It's not bass-heavy like some competitors, and it's not overly bright. It's polite. The aptX Lossless support is great if you have a compatible source, but for most people streaming from Spotify or Apple Music, you're not going to hear a night-and-day difference.

The ANC performance, sitting at the 48th percentile, tells a similar story. It's good. It'll drown out a constant hum like an airplane engine or office AC effectively. But it's not the absolute best at cutting out sudden, sharp noises. The call quality, with a dismal 8.9/100 score, is its weakest technical area. If you take a lot of calls on the go, this might be a dealbreaker. The mics just don't seem to prioritize voice clarity in noisy environments.

The value proposition here is tough. At $799, the Px8 S2 costs $250 more than a Sony WH-1000XM5 and $200 more than an Apple AirPods Max. You are paying for the Bowers & Wilkins badge and the premium materials—the leather, the metal, the design ethos. From a pure price-to-performance ratio, it's poor. Its technical scores don't justify the premium.

But value isn't always about specs per dollar. For some, the value is in owning a beautifully crafted object that sounds good and feels exclusive. It's the headphone equivalent of a luxury watch: it tells the time just as well as a $50 Casio, but that's not really the point. You have to decide if that intangible luxury is worth the extra cash.

Stacked against the Sony WH-1000XM5, the trade-off is stark. The Sony wins on almost every measurable metric: better ANC, better battery, better mics, and it's often half the price. What the Sony lacks is the B&W's audiophile pedigree and luxury feel. It's plastic where the Px8 S2 is leather and metal. If you want the best tech for your money, Sony is the obvious pick.

Compared to the Apple AirPods Max, it's a battle of the premium heavyweights. The AirPods Max has deeper integration with the Apple ecosystem and spatial audio, but it's also heavier and has a weird case. The Px8 S2 feels more traditionally luxurious and has wider Bluetooth codec support for Android users. Both are expensive, but the B&W arguably feels more like a traditional high-end audio product, while the AirPods Max feels like a tech product.

Skip the Px8 S2 if you take a lot of voice or video calls. With a call quality score of 8.9/100, it's simply not built for that. Also skip it if you're on any kind of budget or want the best noise cancellation money can buy. The value isn't there for pure performance seekers.

Instead, frequent callers should look at the Jabra Evolve2 series or even the Apple AirPods Max, which have much better microphone systems. Budget-conscious buyers who still want great sound and ANC should go straight for the Sony WH-1000XM5. The Px8 S2 is for a very specific, luxury-focused niche.

Buy the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 if your top priority is owning a stunningly built piece of audio jewelry that delivers refined, detailed sound. You're someone who appreciates materials and design as much as performance, and you're willing to pay a steep luxury tax for that privilege. Just don't expect class-leading noise cancellation, and definitely don't buy it for phone calls.

For everyone else, especially if you want the best overall performance or are on a budget, look at the Sony WH-1000XM5 or even the Bose QuietComfort. They offer 95% of the core functionality (great sound, great ANC) for a fraction of the price. The Px8 S2 is a niche product for a very specific buyer.