Bowers & wilkins px7 S2 vs px8 vs Sony’s WH-1000XM5 | Which is better?

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2, PX8, and Sony’s WH-1000XM5 are all premium over-ear headphones that offer exceptional sound quality and a comfortable fit. With advanced noise-cancelling technology, these headphones are ideal for music lovers who want to enjoy their favorite tunes in peace. The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and PX8 offer an immersive and powerful sound experience, while Sony’s WH-1000XM5 provides excellent noise-cancelling capabilities and a sleek design. In this comparison, we’ll break down the key features of each model, so you can choose the perfect headphones for your needs

Looking at the similarities between these headphones.

Quick Glance

[amazon table=”3478″]

Advanced Noise-Cancelling Technology

All three headphones Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2, PX8 and Sony’s WH-1000XM5 features advanced noise-cancelling technology that blocks out external noise, allowing you to focus on your music or audio.

Touch controls

All three headphones have touch controls on the earcup that allow you to easily control music playback, volume, and other functions.

Compatibility with multiple devices and platforms

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 , PX8 and Sony’s WH-1000XM5 offer wireless connectivity through Bluetooth, which means you can pair them with a wide range of devices including smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more. This versatility ensures that you can enjoy your audio content on the go, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Additionally, both headphones are compatible with popular voice assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant, providing a hands-free experience that makes controlling your audio simple and effortless.

 

In this section, we will discuss the difference between the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 ( 2022 ) , PX8 ( launched in 2023 ) and Sony’s WH-1000XM5 ( May – 2022 )

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2

They look premium without looking to shiny or metallic. They are comfortable with lots of padding which you can wear it for hours . it has physical buttons on the headphone which allows you to play , Volume up and down , switch button for noise cancellation. Buttons are not labelled ( ups ) yes. so you might need to figure it out by yourself and just need to get used to it.

The headphone itself weighs at 307 grams which is lighter compared to Bowers & Wilkins PX8 ( 320 grams ) and heavier compared to Sony’s WH-1000XM5 ( 250 grams ). Comes with 1.2 m cable to connect.

it comes with amazing case and material is nice and steady . it comes with magnetic flag to store your cables which is pretty cool and better than Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphone case. it is pretty sleek so you can easily travel with it.

 

Bowers & Wilkins PX8

 

PX8 is quite similar and slightly better looking compared to PX7 S2 ( which is already pretty great ) . it made of premium material and comes in black and Tan colors. Earcups and headbands are made of Napa leather ( Napa leather : is typically a full-grain, unsplit leather Which is made from lamb, kid, or sheepskin. Full-grain means that the skin surface has not been modified ) .  Head strap is made out of premium aluminum , the extension process feels good and smooth.

The headphone weighs slightly higher compared to PX7 S2 and it is 320 grams Comes with 1.2 meter long cable for connection if you are not using Bluetooth mode.

Controls on PX8 is quite similar to PX7 S2 and there are no touch controls on the headphones. just like previous version this also doesn’t come with button labels which can tell you the function of the buttons.

Just like PX7 S2 it comes with beautiful case and its absolutely joy.

Sony’s WH-1000XM5

 

The first thing you notice about Sony’s WH-1000XM5’s headphones is they are light. it is weigh around 250 grams and lightest headphone comparing other twos. It made of recycle automated plastic so definitely it feels little different . Frankly it doesn’t give premium feeling . But don’t get us wrong they are comfortable and amazingly light which is pretty good.

This headphone is touch controlled. left side taps on ear cap helps you with quick Noise cancellation on and off. Right side helps to play, pause, increase and decrease the volume.

When it comes to case of Sony’s WH-1000XM5 it is a big turned down , it is huge and the collapsible mechanism which suppose to reduce the case width and help you with size, doesn’t work .  Design and appearance wise somehow previous version Sony’s WH-1000XM4 does better job.

 

The winner : Bowers & Wilkins PX8 

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 uses lithium ion battery which allows 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation based on official website. But our test showed the battery was 33% left even after 30 hours of usage and with transparency mode switched on once in a while .

Headphone also provide quick charge mode  where 7 hrs with 15 min charge, 2 hrs for full charge in case you forgot to charge.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 uses same lithium ion battery but with slightly better life. though official numbers says 30 hours of battery life with ANC . in our test the battery lasted 40% after usage of 30 hours .

This headphone also provides quick charge more just like PX7 S2 where it can last upto 7 hours for quick 15 mins charge.

Sony’s WH-1000XM5

As per the official numbers Sony’s WH-1000XM5 provides battery life of 30 hours with Active noise cancellation and goes upto 40 hours of playback time without Active noise cancellation . Based on our test battery life was as per the spec and lasted just 10% after 30 hours of use.

while it is missing quick charge option just like PX7 S2 and PX8 version of Bowers & Wilkins headphones. it takes approximately 3.5 hours to fully charge this headphones.

The winner : Bowers & Wilkins PX8

This section discusses the differences in Sound quality of these 3 premium headphones.

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2

It is compatible with all of the important Codecs (aptX™ Adaptive, aptX™ HD, aptX™, AAC and SBC) . Out of the box sound quality without any adjustment to EQ it has amazing sound stage which means how wide the music sound from left and right ears.

It is not too bass heavy or vocal centric but it is all an round pretty balance headphones. it is perfectly in the middle and sound relaxing based on music you are listening too.

it provides wide frequency range from low 10 Hz to 20KHz.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 sound amazing and it does try to meet the expectation of the price tag. compared to PX7 which sounds quite bright this headphones are very well controlled and bass sound punchy. it supports same Supported Codecs as PX7 S2 headphones.

While PX7 S2 is pretty balance sounding headphone , PX8 tried to give some high bass effect but it did it with elegant. it sounds huge without over bearing or tiring .

It provides the frequency range as low as 10 Hz but goes higher till 30 KHz .

Sony’s WH-1000XM5

XM5 are great sounding headphones. While it does tries to deliver balance sound but we find it flat compared to PX7 S2 or PX8 headphones. if you plan to buy this you might need to adjust the EQ settings a little to match the awesome sound quality .

It provides widest frequency response compared to PX7 S2 or PX8 with low as 4HZ to high as much as 40 KHz. Note : For Bluetooth connection this range is from 20 Hz to 20KHz.

The winner : Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 , PX8

This is important for gamers and streamers who want ease of use at the same time headphones which are packed with additional functions.

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 is packed with 6 microphones array with 4 ANC and 2 for regular communication. it comes with 2 x 40mm dynamic full range bio cellulose driver which converts the electrical signal to sound which has distortion of <0.1 % (1 kHz/10mW).

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 can connect with the official  Music app of the company which can provide more details setting overview and functions.  you can control all setting of the headphones from here.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 also has 6 microphone arrays with 4 ANC and 2 regular mics. it comes with advanced  2 x 40mm dynamic full range carbon driver which handles better conversion to sound and has distortion of <0.1% ( 1Khz/10mw ).

It also supports the connectivity with the The Bowers & Wilkins Music app using which you can manage connections , sound settings , EQ , tone settings etc.

Sony’s WH-1000XM5

This headphone has total of 8 microphones ( 4 in each side ) which claims to provide better ambient noise cancellation . it comes to 2 x 30 mm slightly smaller drive unit compared with previous two headphones.  While we do not have official number of distortion percentage it is expected to be low .

you can use sony’s headphone connect App to manage settings for this headphone which is available on iPhone and android phone as well. This app is amazing and something you will love to use .

The winner : Tie

Before our final verdict, we will go over a few pros and cons of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 , PX8 and Sony’s WH-1000XM5.