Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 flagship headphones reviewed at launch: B&W (almost) masters the basics

Bowers & Wilkins masters the basics - with one exception

While the design language of the Px8 S2 still has similarities back to the P5 from 2009, the hi-fi specialist has learned a lot since then. The ear pads and headband are softer than ever, and together with the relatively low weight of 314 grams, the wearing comfort is still convincing even after hours of listening, without any annoying pressure points. The buttons for controlling playback and volume on the right ear cup and the slider on the left side provide clear feedback and the positioning makes it easy to reach them blindly.

It is a pity that the button for switching between ANC and transparency mode does not provide clear feedback - B&W plays different tones to show users which mode has been selected. However, these tones are not self-explanatory and therefore have to be memorized. On the other hand, the sound is simply not audible while music is playing. Although the headphones briefly turn down the music when the button is pressed, the sound is played beforehand and is therefore not audible at higher volumes

Modern features with aptX Lossless and ANC

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 use a modern Bluetooth chip that already supports aptX Lossless at launch, allowing music playback in true CD quality without compression loss. Support for LE Audio, including LC3, Auracast, and Spatial Audio, will follow in a future firmware update. In testing, the Bluetooth connection proved stable, with no dropouts even when using AAC or aptX HD. The simultaneous connection to two devices via Bluetooth Multipoint also worked flawlessly.

The Bowers & Wilkins Music app makes it easy to manage connected devices. It also offers access to a simple five-band equalizer, firmware updates, and ANC controls, and even integrates music streaming services directly. It’s a pity that B&W doesn’t include more smart functions, such as automatically adjusting ANC or transparency based on the user’s location.

The sensitivity of the wear sensor should definitely be adjusted, as the default setting repeatedly paused playback during testing, even when the headphones weren’t removed. Switching to the “Low” setting fixed the issue, though the sensor occasionally reacted slowly or failed to detect removal altogether.

On the positive side, the active noise cancellation performs excellently — at least for low-frequency sounds. The hum of car engines or train noise is almost completely suppressed with ANC enabled. Higher frequencies, however, remain largely unaffected, so voices are barely reduced — much like with most competing models. The transparency mode, on the other hand, works impressively well: ambient sounds and voices come through clearly and sound almost as natural as without the headphones.