Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Review: A Sonic Powerhouse Only Slightly Improved

When it comes to audio performance, Bowers & Wilkins is connected a basking streak. The institution manages to consistently connection balanced and elaborate sound crossed its statement of headphones and earbuds. The Px7 and Px8 lines person been mainstays connected our best headphones database for a while now, chiefly for their outstanding audio quality. With nan Px7 S3 ($449), nan institution updated a erstwhile model pinch changes to its sound level and immoderate subtle creation tweaks. And that operation continues an upward trajectory that shows nary signs of slowing down.

What’s bully astir nan Px7 S3?

Bowers & Wilkins has been crafting a superb operation of sound and creation for a while now. That tally of shape continues connected nan Px7 S3 pinch an audio level that’s powered by 40mm bio cellulose drivers, discrete headphone amplifiers and a 24-bit audio connection. There’s besides support for nan afloat suite of aptX codecs (Lossless, Adaptive, HD and Classic) arsenic good arsenic TrueSound mode. That second point is simply a dedicated audio floor plan that nan institution says “allows you to perceive euphony and movies pinch nan striking accuracy and realism of nan original recording, pinch thing added and thing taken away.”

All of that combines for immoderate genuinely stellar audio capacity connected nan Px7 S3. The sound is crisp and detailed, moreover offering nuance to much bass-heavy and chaotic genres. I heard immoderate peculiar elements successful nan percussion connected Turnstile’s “DULL” that I hadn’t noticed earlier connected different headphones aliases earbuds. You tin besides perceive nan band’s usage of guitar effects to a greater grade connected this exemplary (hello reverb and chorus). Plus, moreover astatine their astir raucous, tracks person bully separation truthful that each of nan instruments summation an airy, atmospheric value alternatively than sounding compressed.

I honestly couldn’t show overmuch of a quality betwixt nan banal tuning and nan TrueSound mode. I deliberation that’s a testament to nan device’s sonic prowess retired of nan box. But, if you find that you do request to make a change, there’s a afloat 5-band EQ disposable for that.

Bowers & Wilkins says it “greatly upgraded” its progressive sound cancellation (ANC) setup connected nan Px7 S3. It added 2 much microphones connected this model, truthful location are now 8 full units pinch an moreover divided connected each receptor cup. ANC has ever been… good connected nan company’s headphones, but it ne'er came adjacent to nan ultimate world-blocking capabilities of Bose aliases Sony. Here, location is noticeable improvement, but TV sounds, quality voices and changeless sound from planes, fans and sound machines still trim through.

Other improvements connected nan Px7 S3 see flimsy changes to nan creation of nan headphones. Bowers & Wilkins slimmed down nan receptor cups and refined nan headband, and these 2 updates connection a sleeker silhouette and amended wide comfort. There’s still nan operation of metal, leather and textured cloth from nan Px7 S2 and Px7 S2e, pinch nan only evident artistic alteration being a caller ridged ringing astir nan earcups. There’s nary uncertainty nan institution has created a blase look, but it would beryllium bully to spot immoderate bigger creation changes now that 3 consecutive models person looked astir identical.

Bowers & Wilkins claims you’ll get 30 hours of artillery life connected a complaint pinch nan Px7 S3. As it has successful nan past, nan institution doesn’t specify if this is pinch ANC connected aliases off. The institution has a wont of understating its runtime stats though, and nan Px7 S3 continues that trend. After 15 hours of what I’d see “normal” usage — mostly pinch ANC active, but respective times pinch ambient sound connected for calls — I had complete 60 percent near successful nan tank. Better-than-stated artillery life is ne'er a bad thing, truthful conscionable cognize you’ll astir apt outlast nan company’s numbers successful that regard.

What’s not truthful bully astir nan Px7 S3?

The first onslaught against nan Px7 S3 is its price. At $449, this exemplary is $50 much than its predecessors successful nan Px7 line. Sure, everything is much costly these days pinch nan changeless churn that is tariffs and different financial uncertainties, but it’s still worthy considering that Bowers & Wilkins is asking you to salary much for its upgrades this clip around.

The adjacent rumor I person pinch nan Px7 S3 is nan location of its controls. On nan Px7 S2e, nan buttons were connected nan separator of nan receptor cups — a positioning that’s communal among nan competition. For this exemplary though, Bowers & Wilkins moved nan controls to nan separator of nan smaller panels wherever nan headband connects to nan receptor cups. As such, nan ledge aliases articulator location is skinnier, truthful nan buttons are much cumbersome to find pinch your thumb. This whitethorn look for illustration nitpicking, but it’s a alteration that impacted nan wide acquisition for maine arsenic personification who is perpetually testing headphones.

Bowers & Wilkins typically focuses connected nan basics erstwhile it comes to its headphones. This intends you’ll get fantabulous sound quality, tin ANC and immoderate audio customizability, but that’s astir it. The aforesaid holds existent for nan Px7 S3, arsenic you won’t find immoderate precocious features present that companies for illustration Sony and others whitethorn tack connected for your convenience. There’s nary automatic pausing erstwhile you commencement to speak aliases sound profiles that tin beryllium group to alteration based connected location. It besides lacks sound discovery for your phone’s adjunct and doesn’t connection advertised support for spatial audio. While immoderate number of these could thief soften nan rustle of that $449 value tag, I’d reason nan sound is truthful bully you’ll apt beryllium satisfied contempt nan constricted group of features.

Final verdict connected nan Px7 S3

Bowers & Wilkins has been taking an “if it ain’t broke, somewhat tweak it” attack to its Px7 statement for a while now, but nan S3 type is simply a much robust upgrade than nan erstwhile release. However, nan company’s updates are mostly connected nan inside, pinch further enhancements to an already stellar sound floor plan and flimsy ANC improvements. There are immoderate changes connected nan extracurricular too, but I’d for illustration to spot nan institution make immoderate bigger strides location nan adjacent clip it sees fresh to “slightly tweak” this model.