Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Raises The Bar For British Noise-Cancelling Cans

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 is the British brand's new flagship wireless headphones and combines all-new bespoke 40mm Carbon Cone drive units paired with the active noise cancelling wireless platform found in the recently reviewed Px7 S2.

Those Carbon Dome drive units are said to be inspired by those used in Bowers & Wilkins' highly successful 700 Series loudspeaker range. Furthermore, the drivers are carefully angled inside each earcup to ensure a consistent distance relative to the listener's ear from every point across the surface of each driver, says the manufacturer. Distortion is listed as <0.1% (1kHz/10mW).

Additionally, the Px8 combines the new drivers with the Bowers & Wilkins-developed DSP (Digital Signal Processing), which promises to deliver outstanding, 24-bit high-resolution sound quality from leading streaming services.

Wireless connectivity comes by way of Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive tech and Bluetooth 5.2. However, the headphones also offer USB-C and 3.5mm analogue cabled connections, with both cable types included in the bundled carry case.

Keeping the world outside, well... outside, the Px8 uses proprietary Bowers & Wilkins-optimised noise cancellation, which the company says does the job without harming musicality. This utilises six high-performance microphones: two measure the output of each drive unit, two react to ambient noise from the outside world, and two provide outstanding voice clarity with enhanced noise suppression when you're on a call.

Bowers & Wilkins says that this system has been tweaked since it appeared on the Px7 S2. A performance improvement is said to have been achieved by moving the two external microphones closer together, adjusting the angling of each microphone to improve voice capture and changing the position of the second mic to reduce wind noise interference.

There has also been a "major upgrade" to the Bowers & Wilkins Music App, which enables Px8 users to stream their chosen music directly from their mobile device to their headphones, with Deezer, Qobuz and TIDAL all supported. Don't worry if you already own a Px7 S2 - you also get the same update.

Furthermore, using the app, you can easily switch between listening at home – for example, via a Zeppelin or a pair of the Formation Duo stereo speakers – and listening on the move via a mobile device with a pair of Px8 or Px7 S2 headphones.

Of course, the app still hands you fine-tuning through adjustable EQ, the ability to configure your preferred noise-cancelling mode, and monitor the headphone's charge levels. As well as app control, the Px8 earcups feature physical controls.

Battery life is a claimed 30 hours from a full charge, while a 15-minute quick recharge gives you seven hours of listening time.

Weighing 320g, the B&W Px8 is available in black or tan leather and sports a cast-aluminium arm structure plus a diamond-cut bright edge on each elliptical logo plate. Meanwhile, adding even more luxurious comfort, the earcups, memory-foam cushions and headband are trimmed in soft, luxurious Nappa leather.

The premium design and "class-leading sound quality" of Bowers & Wilkins' Px8 is available now priced at £599/ €699.

Visit Bowers & Wilkins for more information