The Bowers and Wilkins PX are well-crafted wireless over-ears that have great noise cancellation, low leakage and easy-to-use controls, making them a good choice for commuting. Their build quality is excellent, and their above-average sound is good enough for most listeners but slightly inconsistent. Unfortunately, they’re a bit too tight on the head for some, they’re slightly heavy and not very breathable. They won’t be the most comfortable headphones for long listening sessions, but on the upside, they have one of the best isolation we’ve measured, which will easily filter out the ambient noise of a busy bus ride or a noisy flight.
Pros
+ Very well built
+ Great isolation
+ Good battery life will last the entire day
Cons
- Slightly bulky
- A bit too tight for some listeners
Design
Type: Wireless Over-ear
Enclosure: Closed-Back
The Bowers & Wilkins PX are incredibly well-built headphones but they’re slightly uncomfortable. They have a sleek and sturdy build quality, like the rest of Bowers & Wilkins’ line-up, but with a modern frame that feels more luxurious. Their build quality feels premium enough to justify their price range, they’re easy-to-use with dedicated buttons for most features and functions and they come with replaceable pads. Unfortunately, they’re quite tight on the head and this clamping sensation will be a little uncomfortable for long listening sessions like wearing them at the office for the whole day. They’re also relatively large, so even though they come with a carrying pouch, they are a bit cumbersome to carry around when traveling.
Sound
The PX are decent sounding closed-back, over-ear headphones. They have a deep, powerful bass and a decently balanced but slightly cluttered mid-range and an uneven treble. Their bass performance is a bit inconsistent, especially for those that wear glasses, and their sound changes quite a bit depending on the noise cancelling profile you use. The best for sound in this case is the Office setting. Unfortunately, like most closed-back headphones, they have a mediocre soundstage that feels large but a bit unnatural. Overall, the PX will sound good enough with most tracks and music genres but may slightly disappoint more critical listeners. For good wireless headphones with a more consistent performance, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II or the Sony WH-1000XM2 are a slightly better choice.
Isolation
Noise Canceling: Yes
The PX have great isolation that is perfect for commuters or for listening in the office. There are three different modes to choose from (“Office”, “City”, or “Flight”), but “Flight” works best. This mode is specifically designed to reduce the deep sounds of an airplane engine but works equally well for a bus. It is also extremely effective at reducing ambient chatter. Unfortunately, this mode also causes some loss of sound quality. They make a good seal around the ears, so even with ANC disabled, these headphones are still effective at reducing outside noise. The seal also helps to keep leakage to a minimum, so you won’t bother your coworkers in neighboring cubicles. At 1 foot away, the leaked noise is barely above the ambient noise levels of an average office environment.
Microphone
Mic type: Integrated
The Bowers & Wilkins PX has a sub-par integrated microphone best used in quiet environments. The quality of the captured audio is below-average, and your voice will lack detail and may sound a bit muffled. The mic also has a hard time separating speech from the surrounding environment in noisy conditions, so they won’t be the best option for calling while commuting or walking down a busy street.
Active Features
Battery Life: 25.3 Hrs
Charge time: 4 Hrs
App support: Yes
Passive Playback: No
The Bowers & Wilkins PX have good active features. They have a great battery life that will easily last the entire day, but they are slower to recharge than similar models. They have a decent companion app that is available for iOS and Android, but it is mainly useful to adjust the active noise cancellation. The ANC mode can only be changed in the app, and you can manually adjust the amount of voice pass-through, so you can still hear what’s going on around you while listening to your music if you want. There is also a toggle to enable the smart pause feature, which when enabled, will automatically pause your music when you remove the headphones. Unlike some competitors companion apps, there is no adjustable EQ or options for room effects.
Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes
Wired: Yes
Wireless range: 32ft
Latency: 176ms
The PX are Bluetooth headphones that can also be used wired. They come with a 1/16” to 1/8” TRS audio cable and provide audio via USB-C (included in the box). They can be paired with two devices simultaneously, so you can easily switch between your phone and laptop, but don’t support NFC so they won’t be the easiest to pair. They have a very good wireless range, and you can walk away from your desk or walk around the house without losing the signal. However, like most Bluetooth headsets, they have a bit too much latency for watching videos and gaming, but they can be used wired instead, in which case you get the best sound possible as well as near-zero latency.
Who should buy them?
If you want a decent and premium-looking pair of wireless over-ears for your morning commutes or for the office, then the Bowers & Wilkins PX are a good choice. They’re incredibly well-built and they’re easy-to-use with intuitive controls. However, they’re not as well suited for watching videos or for gaming and their sound can be a bit inconsistent at times, especially when using the best profile for isolation. They’re a little bulky and uncomfortably tight for some listeners but on the upside, they are easily one of the best built headphones we’ve tested. The PX are a great pick if you value design, noise isolation, and sound quality in that order.
Shop Now: $399
To see all our measurements and our test results of the Bowers and Wilkins PX, please go here.
