Bowers & Wilkins PX7
Buy now £249, Richersounds.com
Rating: 9/10
- Noise cancellation: Adaptive ANC
- Weight: 310g
- Battery life: 30 hours with ANC, with 5 hours from 15-minute charge
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX Adaptive, 3.5mm jack, USB-C audio, multiple device connectivity
It’s quite hard to bring anything novel to the headphone market, but B&W has managed to create a refreshing pair of headphones that will give any high-end rival a run for their money. The brushed metal finish where the headband meets the cups is a simple and effective way of elevating the PX7s’ look to a premium aesthetic. In fact, they’re probably the smartest-looking headphones among the high-end group, the tailored suit to the shirt-and-chinos Sony and Bose.
The fit is snug without drifting into the oppressively-tight territory, offering a good level of passive noise cancellation while remaining comfortable to wear for long periods. Even an always-too-warm reviewer can manage a couple of hours of listening without much trouble. The carbon fibre composite body also shaves off some extra weight, making the PX7s barely noticeable on the neck, even after prolonged use.
One slight gripe is that the ear cups don’t collapse into the headband, meaning that the headphones take up much more real estate in your bag than some of their rivals. Whether a deliberate design choice or an oversight, it’s something that B&W might rethink when the time comes to upgrade the PX7s. However, the carry case is a sophisticated beauty, and the sturdy carbon fibre arms could definitely take a battering in your bag regardless. They’re a pleasure to use.
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The battery has an impressive 30-hour life, putting it among the battery-friendly big boys on the market, with a 15-minute quick charge boosting your listening time by an extra five hours. B&W’s partner app is decent enough, letting you control noise cancellation, connections and voice prompt for the supported Amazon and Google voice assistants. One pleasing extra is a list of soundscapes, from gently-crashing waves to a crackling evening fire, to rustling leaves on a windy autumnal afternoon. If you’re anything like us, this will be like manna from heaven for your concentration levels.
SoundThe buzzword here is “balanced”. Everything is nicely tuned, dealing with complicated tracks easily, especially when it comes to pairing treble with bass. There’s little wonder: the PX7s’ drivers were developed and engineered by the team behind the 800 series loudspeakers that have pride of place in Abbey Road Studios. We can see that the standard audio set-up might be a little bass-y for some listeners, but it’s a characterful sound signature that produces warmth through every track. The bass is also offset by the elite clarity B&W’s engineers have managed to pull out of trebles: in bombastic tracks such as Bear Garden’s ‘Electric Butterfly’, lighter piano riffs easily break through booming wind instrumentals and drum solos. This extends to spoken word and podcasts, too – sibilance is faithfully reproduced and tone is as natural as we’ve heard.
We had no issues with connectivity, the headphones pairing almost immediately and sticking resolutely to our various devices’ Bluetooth signals. This is thanks in the main to Qualcomm’s aptX adaptive Bluetooth inside the PX7s producing practically instantaneous sound with very little risk of dropping out. You can also connect to a second device concurrently, making swapping between, for instance, your computer and smartphone a breeze. Full marks from us.
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The active noise cancellation (ANC) does exactly what it’s designed for, sucking out all lower register sound and an admirably large range of treble sound, leaving you with a vacuum-pack bubble that lets you enjoy your audio without the vast majority of external interruption. There are three noise-cancelling settings: the “auto” setting offers extra versatility, adapting to your external environment well to give you the best noise cancellation for the location. The PX7s perform strongly in buzzing settings, such as a café – if you’re in the mood to write the next Great British Novel on your day off, Bowers & Wilkins has your back.