Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2

A Audio46 Headphone Store Delaney Czernikowski · reviewer

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is a headphone that checks all the boxes. High-quality sound meets sleek fashion in two different color aesthetics, allowing you to hear the best while looking the best. The style is familiar to those who already know Bowers & Wilkins. People looking for an upgrade will be able to tell the clear step up in quality from their current headphones to these.

G GadgetsBoy GadgetsBoy · 167K subscribers · Nov 2025

So it has a lot going for this. You even get more microphones on this compared to the predecessor. Let's go through it. As for the design, this comes in two different colors, the onyx black which is what we've got here and also a warm stone version as well. I prefer this particular color here. I just think it looks really good.

F Forbes Larry Olmsted · reviewer

My choice? I love the new Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones. Bowers & Wilkins is a high-tech audio company that makes nothing but speakers and headphones, and they do it very well—the Px8 S2 just won a coveted 2026 IF Design Award and was named “Headphone of The Year,” by reliable technology specialist site TechRadar.com .

P Picky Audio Picky Audio · 131K subscribers · Sept 2025

So, summing it up, basically the PX8S2 is the most comfortable headphone that I've tested. I do like that the clamping force is on the moderate side. I do have a giant head, so this might not be the case for you. But this means the headphones are going to lock on your head quite well. So if you're like you're leaning over or maybe exercising or whatever, they're not going to fall off your head.

S Soundandvision Article

Px8 S2 take the win on sound. They punch deeper, scale cleaner with volume, and present a more open stage for a closed‑back. Comfort tips to B&W for long sessions thanks to lower perceived weight and a seal that stays put. Build quality is better on the Bowers & Wilkins cans. Battery life and charging speed are notably superior to the AirPods Max.

I InsideTech InsideTech · 125K subscribers · Sept 2025

So, the PX8 S2 are the most premium feeling headphones from Bows and Wilkins so far. And this design choice is essentially the main feature separating the PX8 models from the PX7S3. Those instead use fabric and synthetic leather, which does make them vegan friendly and therefore potentially a deal breaker for some people.

M Mashable Bethany Allard · reviewer

As our reviewer wrote at the time, "the ANC is fantastic." On top of that, "The WH-CH720 employs 30mm drivers and exclusive brand technologies to broaden sound performance. Expect a vibrant mix of impactful bass with striking mids and highs. Turning on DSEE raises fidelity on poor-quality recordings, which many luxury headphones can’t do.

S Soundnews Soundnews · 119K subscribers · Oct 2025

And since the ear cups can tilt and swivel, I find simply less pressure applied on top of my head and around my ears. So I can wear this for a few extra hours. And compared with the Momentum 4 and Sony XM6, these are just comfier in long listening sessions. So they are winning massively in terms of looks and comfort as well.

A Audiograde Andrew Simpson · reviewer

But Px8 S2 is the full package that’s better than previous examples by some way. Better made, better looking, better fitting, better future-proofed and most importantly of all, better sounding.

D DHRME DHRME · 107K subscribers · Sept 2025

This is the best noise cancelling headphones that Bowers and Wilkins sells. So, we're going to compare it to the best Sony cells, the equally password-like WH100XM6. The one thing we disliked about the PX8, well, one of two things and a few other things is the fact that they had thicker ear cups, which made them look very bulky and heavy on the head.

T The Irish News irishnews.com · reviewer

Expensive? Yes, undoubtedly, but the B&Ws are worth every penny in my book. The S2s replace last year’s PX8s and have moved the game on substantially, albeit it if they have a familiar look.

D DHRME DHRME · 107K subscribers · Dec 2022

We loved the looks, build quality and buttons. Bowers & Wilkins always have personality in the design department. Premium materials, unique looking design and buttons that work. But. yes, you knew there was a but coming. And so did these guys <clip from Headphones.com> So let’s recap the other aspects of the Bowers & Wilkins PX8.

C CNN Underscored Mike Andronico, Henry T. Casey · reviewer

Only one pair of over-ear headphones truly outclasses the Sony XM6, and that’s the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2. They feature wireless lossless audio that impressed us thoroughly in our testing.

G Grant Hinds Grant Hinds · 37.8K subscribers · Jun 2025

And these PX8s are the top-of-the-line wireless noise cancelling headphones. They're for people who really, really care about sound quality, who appreciate when something is built to last and aren't afraid to spend a little bit more to get a premium experience. That's clearly the idea here. But let's talk about what's inside. And I'll I'll keep it simple.

S SoundGale James Noen · reviewer

The Px8 S2 features refined lines and a thoughtful selection of materials and components. Concise design coexists with aesthetics here, and it's obvious that everything is attractive.

R RecordingNOW RecordingNOW · 26.9K subscribers · Aug 2025

But overall, for comfort, I give the PX8 a 4.5 out of five. I could see some people giving these a perfect five out of five, and I wouldn't argue with you. Now, let's talk about features, build quality, battery life, and noise cancelling performance, which will combine into a single score. The first thing I want to highlight is the premium hard shell case that you do get with them.

H HomeTheaterHifi.com Lory Hawley · reviewer

The Bowers and Wilkins Px8 S2 over-ear noise-canceling headphones are not just another pretty headphone. Though beautiful, it is the performance that makes them a standout.

P Peter Tyson Audio & Visual Peter Tyson Audio & Visual · 15.9K subscribers · Sept 2025

The PX8S2 supports a tech lossless technology and is a true 24-bit audio connection, ensuring you hear every single detail in your music with precision and clarity. And of course, the active noise cancellation has had an overhaul, too. It uses eight precisely positioned microphones to shut out unwanted sounds, while making sure your music's dynamics and energy are still retained.

B British GQ Robert Leedham · reviewer

Bowers & Wilkins claims that the PX8 S2’s ANC is a clear step up from everything that’s come before and, having used both extensively, I’m inclined to agree.

R RonOnTech RonOnTech · 12.1K subscribers · Nov 2025

They were on a little back order uh for a little bit, but I was able uh they finally came in and I'm very excited to dive in these. But before we do, let's go ahead and do a quick look take a quick look at their price and specs. We're going to go ahead on over to our uh sponsors website audio experience. Let's go ahead and flip that over. All right.

A celebration of exceptional music, sound and style – we had an unforgettable launch event for Px8 S2 alongside @davidbeckham and @jamesblake.

R RonOnTech RonOnTech · 12.1K subscribers · Nov 2025

Man, these things look fantastic and the sound is really, really good. But we going to put these guys to the test and we're going to do a quick sound challenge where we going to put these guys up against their predecessors, the Barrels and Wilkins PX8 headphones. Now, we want to see if, you know, if the sound between these two is different.

W What Hi-Fi? Article

Bowers & Wilkins delivered a hit with the original Px8, but you can’t argue with the improvements that the Px8 S2 bring to sound quality.

R RonOnTech RonOnTech · 12.1K subscribers · Dec 2025

And as far as in my collection goes and I have to say so far the PX8 have been doing a fantastic job moving uh through the ranks here. So, now we getting into the uh the I guess you can say the top three uh of my headphones here to see exactly where they will fall, see how they they will match up. This is a very interesting one. I can't wait to uh see how this one pans out.

A AV Atmos AV Atmos · 11.1K subscribers · Nov 2025

This is very, very nice. So, one thing with this model now is that one thing with this new McLaren edition is that they say that they actually celebrating their longterm partnership with McLaren and they are trying to give fans another industry uh leading audio product showcasing McLaren's designs DNA to express their passion for for their team.

K KingdomCards Reviews wegian3471 · owner · Dec 2025

2 days ago I bought the Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2, and WOW! They simply blew me away. Amazing sound quality. Absolutely fantastic.

T Taps Das Taps Das · 9.7K subscribers · Jan 2026

These are the new flagship headphones from Bars and Wilkins, and they call them the best headphones that they have ever made. Once I got wind that I was going to be getting these headphones in for review, I jumped on Barrels of Wilgun's website to check them out. And I saw that these retain a similar industrial design ethos of the P5s of the past, just now more refined and elevated in appearance.

H HomeTechnologyReview Article

These listening sessions confirmed what I was already feeling: the Px8 S2 isn’t just great—it’s in a class of its own.

T That Shelf That Shelf · 9.3K subscribers · Oct 2025

Battery life and charging, 30 hours playback, 15-minute charge for 7 hours playback. Fantastic. Most of them actually do this way. And the accessories, what it comes with, as you saw in the unboxing, is the 1.2 m USBC to 3.5 stereo and the 1.2 m USBC to USBC and the carry case. And the finishes, it comes in onyx, back, black, or warm stone.

A Aaron x Loud and Wireless matthew tjen · reviewer

In short, the Px8 S2 is the best sounding headphones in this group.

T The Source Audio Video Design Group The Source Audio Video Design Group · 6.7K subscribers · Jul 2026

The new PX8 S2 is slimmer, lighter, and in my humble opinion, even better looking than the OG PX8. Bowowers and Wilin structurally overhauled the chassis to make it significantly more compact, shedding roughly 10 g compared to the original PX8 models and now weighing only 310 g.

E ecoustics.com Ian White · reviewer

The ANC on the Px8 S2 isn’t just a buzzword—it actually works.

H Headphones Pro Review Headphones Pro Review · 5K subscribers · Sept 2025

If you've been searching PX8S2 and wondering whether these are worth your money, this is the deep dive you want because we're going way beyond bullet points and into how they actually fit into your day.

H HeadMania Article

S2 is a clear winner in my books and it’s not even subtle.

H Headphones Pro Review Headphones Pro Review · 5K subscribers · Apr 2026

The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 is the best sounding wireless noise canceling headphone you can buy in 2026. It runs a pair of 40 mm carbon cone drivers, each angled inside the ear cup, powered by a dedicated amplifier and DAC, not a system on chip, a discrete amplifier. That's the kind of engineering you normally find in hi-fi separates, not Bluetooth headphones.

T term:~# less tar.gz.ro Article

The PX8 S2 are excellent headphones.

E E-piphany E-piphany · 2.8K subscribers · May 2026

They don't feel like plastic tech. They feel like a product. You've got aluminum throughout, which gives you that solid structure, >> and the napa leather, which just makes everything feel softer. It makes it feel more premium, more intentional, and something I actually really appreciate is the fact that these have real buttons. no swiping, no guessing, you just press it and it works. But li

T TC Acoustic TC Acoustic · 1.9K subscribers · Feb 2026

it is made with premium leather that has a luxurious feel. Sound good. it is made with premium leather that has a luxurious feel. Sound good. it is made with premium leather that has a luxurious feel. Sound good. it is made with premium leather that has a luxurious feel. In fact, it is made of Nappa leather. Why is Nappa leather even so good? I'm glad you asked me.

S ShopSmart ShopSmart · 1.6K subscribers · Sept 2025

It delivers industrydefining audio performance with superior clarity across a frequency range of 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz. Whether you're blasting your favorite tracks or diving into podcasts, this setup aims to let you hear music exactly as the artist intended. No compromises. And with dynamic drivers in an aluminum enclosure, it's built for that high-res audio experience that audio files crave.

S SoundGuys Christian Thomas · reviewer

However I will point out that the bassier mic of the Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2 can make things sound a little strange when conditions are ideal, or close to it. Some of this might have to do with the mouth simulator we use being a little too close to the mic, but this is a situation that you’d run into as well.

A Aaron X Loud and Wireless Aaron X Loud and Wireless · 163K subscribers · Aug 2026

So, if you're somebody who prefers a flatter, fuller mid-range, much like the Sony's, you might not like the PX8S2s so much, but these are the most resolving of this group. For example, bass has more texture. instruments sound like they've got more shape and clarity, more realism, and transient details are brighter on the PX8 S2.

Sound quality is AMAZING. But I have only one problem which is that the user features are quite low and after a long study session I got an excruciating headache and my ears hurt. These headphones are super base oriented and I have them dialed to lower base settings but even then I got a headache.

T TricycleTV TricycleTV · 152K subscribers · May 2026

But it's not the strongest ANC in the game.

N Notebookcheck Hannes Brecher · reviewer

Those looking for particularly smart features—such as real-time translation or adaptive noise reduction that automatically adjusts to the user’s location—won’t find them here. The ANC mode switch is also less practical than it should be due to unclear audio feedback.

A AVForums AVForums · 135K subscribers · Oct 2025

Battery life is good, but not outstanding at 35 hours. Um, I would say that that is a genuinely real world figure. It's achievable.

R RecordingNOW.com Odi Productions · reviewer

The Bowers and Wilkins Px8 S2 is an evolution for the wireless ANC headphone class , now offering wired headphone sound quality in a beautiful, luxurious wireless headphone package. The only caveats are its premium price, and the noise cancelling could be improved.

D DHRME DHRME · 107K subscribers · Nov 2022

The Bowers and Wilkins performed the worst for noise cancelling here! Please note - when we say ‘worst’ - you can still drown out low end sounds with it. But it’s just not as great with mid and higher frequencies - where voices and clanking plates live. Of course, if you’re playing music you’re going to get more immersion with ANC on. But still - none of these is excellent at ANC.

M Major HiFi Alex Schiffer · reviewer

Noise-canceling helps too, which feels slightly improved compared to the PX8 , but still doesn’t lead the pack. It’s still an effective way to get a more isolated sound, blocking out most obstructive sounds from your environment, such as vents.

D DHRME DHRME · 107K subscribers · Oct 2022

And the reason for this little tale is to clarify - unfortunately the microphones on our S2 were a dud and never worked. Not on Android, not on iOS, not on voice memos, not on phone calls and not even after factory resets. Just to be clear - we’re not saying that their mics are good or bad, just that the one on our unit didn’t work.

A Avforums Article

Pros Sounds brilliant and only gets better as bandwidth increases Look and feel excellent Practical to use and live with Cons App still not as slick as some Some people will want more EQ and sound modes No animal free option

K Knowledge Sharing Tech Knowledge Sharing Tech · 72.2K subscribers · Jun 2026

Now, the right ear cup, unfortunately, when I adjust it, it cracks a little bit here. And this is weird at this price point. Maybe it's a problem in my headphones only, but it's not a big deal. Maybe it's only the metal rubbing against the genuine leather that makes this small noise.

M Mashable SEA | Latest Entertainment & Trending Timothy Beck Werth · reviewer

After spending a few months with them, I think the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 wireless headphones are the best headphones money can buy in 2026. That is — if you can afford them, which you probably can't.

R RecordingNOW RecordingNOW · 26.9K subscribers · Oct 2025

So, overall, when it comes to comfort, honestly, these are some of the more comfortable headphones I have tested, but there are more comfortable headphones that are namely going to be lighter and have a little bit less top of head pressure because, you know, the headband here is a little bit tougher compared to something like the QC Ultra second gen and first gen.

S Smart Home Sounds Elliott Peeters-Vanstone · reviewer

Pros : ✓ Rich, detailed sound with impressive control ✓ Sleek, upgraded design ✓ Slimmer build with premium touches everywhere

T Tech Insider Tech Insider · 395 subscribers · Mar 2026

But if your top priority is the strongest noise cancellation on the market or the best value per dollar, this probably isn't your move.

E Engadget Billy Steele · reviewer

Luxurious sound comes at a very high price on the Px8 S2, which has a number of notable upgrades over the last-gen Px8.

E ecoustics.com Ian White · reviewer

It clears that bar in many ways, but not every listener needs what it does best.

R RonOnTech ipedros7 · owner · Nov 2025

Makes me wonder on the Px7 S3 vs the Px8 S2, what are the main differences.

C CNET Article

The PX8 S2 come in two color options: onyx black and warm stone.

Disappointed by the PX8 S2