Bowers & Wilkins has built its reputation on a simple idea: sound comes first. For decades, their loudspeakers have been the reference standard in legendary studios like Abbey Road, in home theaters, and in living rooms around the world. In recent years, they’ve brought that same philosophy to the headphone space, creating a lineup that balances timeless design with real audiophile credibility. The Px8 was their first true flagship wireless headphone, a product that combined premium craftsmanship with technology derived from their high-end loudspeakers. Now, Bowers & Wilkins is back with the Px8 S2, a redesigned and refined successor that aims to set a new standard for what a premium wireless headphone should be.

The Px8 S2 doesn’t reinvent the idea of the Px8, but instead takes everything the company learned from the original and pushes it further. Comfort is improved through a slimmer, more ergonomic design. Sound is refined with an updated driver system and 24-bit digital signal processing that works hand in hand to reveal more detail and control. Noise cancellation and call quality are elevated by an eight-microphone array and smarter voice processing. And the entire package is wrapped in luxurious materials that make wearing the Px8 S2 a statement of taste as much as a listening choice.

What’s Upgraded from the Original Px8

The original Px8 already stood out for its use of Carbon Cone drivers, a rarity in wireless headphones. With the Px8 S2, those same drivers have been re-engineered with a new motor system and chassis that reduce distortion and extend resolution. This means bass is tighter and better defined, midrange detail steps forward with more clarity, and treble feels smoother and more natural.

Comfort is another key area of improvement. The Px8 S2 introduces slimmer earcups that sit more naturally around the ear, with an ergonomically tested shape that distributes pressure more evenly. With the S2, long listening sessions feel effortless, which makes a real difference when you’re traveling or working through a full day of music and calls.

Noise cancellation and calls also benefit from meaningful refinements. Eight microphones are now dedicated to handling outside noise and capturing your voice. The result is an ANC system that adapts more naturally to your environment, cutting down on distractions without dulling the life of your music. At the same time, people on the other end of a call hear you with more clarity, even in windy or noisy conditions. Add in an updated Bowers & Wilkins Music app with a new five-band EQ and expanded control over ANC modes, and the Px8 S2 feels smarter, more flexible, and better suited to everyday use.

Design & Build Quality

The Px8 S2 is unmistakably a Bowers & Wilkins product. From the first moment you hold it, you are struck by the balance between luxury and restraint. Every surface that touches your skin is wrapped in fine Nappa leather, which feels soft and supple while adding durability. On your head, that leather combines with just the right amount of clamping force. It feels firm enough to be secure but never uncomfortable, and the result is a headphone that seems to melt into place and stay there effortlessly, even through long listening sessions.

The aluminum arms glide smoothly into position, holding their shape with precision, and the exposed braided cable running between the arms and cups is more than just functional. It is a subtle design detail that feels modern, sturdy, and intentional. It adds an industrial accent that signals craftsmanship and reliability as much as style.

The slimmer earcups not only improve comfort but also give the Px8 S2 a sleeker silhouette. On a plane, in the office, or walking through the city, the headphone looks refined and understated rather than bulky. The two available finishes, Onyx Black and Warm Stone, both exude a sense of timeless design that pairs equally well with casual travel wear or a sharp suit.

Build quality is equally impressive. The frame feels rock solid with no creaks or flex, the hinges move with smooth resistance, and the pads bounce back to form even after hours of use. Over time, the leather softens slightly in a way that makes them feel even more personal, while the structure holds up with the kind of integrity you expect from a true luxury product.

Like the original Px8, the S2 keeps the smart swiveling earcups that let the headphones lay flat on a desk or inside the travel case. It is a simple but very practical design that makes them easier to live with, especially if you travel often.

The same high-quality travel case also returns, with enough room to fit the larger earcups and a magnetic center pouch for accessories. The Nappa leather zipper tab is still a small but welcome luxury detail that sets the Px8 apart. Inside, Bowers & Wilkins includes a 4-foot USB-C to 3.5mm headphone cable along with a 4-foot USB-C charging cable, both of which feel substantial and match the premium presentation of the headphones themselves.

Unique to the Px8 are the diamond-cut edges that frame the Bowers & Wilkins logos on the exterior plates of the earcups. This subtle detail catches the light just enough to stand out without being flashy, adding a touch of jewelry-like refinement to the design. It is one of those small touches that reminds you these are not just functional headphones but a carefully crafted luxury product. Compared to the Px7 and other models in the lineup, this design cue signals that both the Px8 and Px8 S2 sit at the very top as true flagship headphones.

Features & Technology

Inside the Px8 S2 are custom-designed 40 millimeter Carbon Cone drivers, now optimized with a new motor and basket. These work with a 24-bit digital signal path to preserve subtle details in recordings and keep distortion at bay. Just as important, the drivers are carefully positioned and angled inside the earcups to direct sound more naturally into your ears. This angled design improves stereo imaging and creates a more spacious, focused soundstage that feels slightly in front of you rather than locked inside your head. It is a detail usually reserved for much more expensive audiophile headphones, and seeing it applied here makes the Px8 S2 stand out in the wireless noise-cancelling category.

Wireless performance is anchored by Qualcomm aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. On a few compatible Android devices, aptX Lossless can deliver CD-quality streams over Bluetooth, something only a few headphones on the market can achieve. For Apple users, AAC remains the codec of choice, and a USB-C wired connection is available for true lossless playback up to 24-bit/96kHz when connected to a laptop or other device.

Noise cancellation is handled by eight microphones working with proprietary algorithms. It’s adaptive, meaning it takes the edge off jet engines, road noise, and office chatter without sucking the life out of the music. There’s also a transparency mode that lets you hear the outside world, so you can hear cars while on a run or people talking in an office if they need to get your attention.

On the right earcup, you will find a toggle switch that powers the headphones on and off and also activates Bluetooth pairing modes. Just above it is an indicator LED that flashes or glows solid white to show the Bluetooth connection status and battery level. Below, there is a ribbed button for playback control positioned between dedicated buttons for raising and lowering volume.

One of the details we appreciate is that the Px8 S2 sticks with physical controls instead of relying solely on touch gestures. Playback, volume, noise cancellation, and Bluetooth pairing all have their own dedicated, tactile buttons, making them easy to use on a plane, in the office, or whenever you want simple, reliable control without fumbling.

Calls are clearer too. With four microphones on each earcup and next-generation processing, your voice is isolated from wind and crowd noise more effectively, giving the person on the other end a smooth and intelligible signal.

Battery life is another strength. With up to 30 hours on a single charge, you can travel across continents without reaching for the cable. When you do need a top-up, a quick 15-minute charge provides up to seven additional hours of playback, which feels almost like cheating when you are rushing between flights or meetings.

The Bowers & Wilkins Music app ties everything together. In addition to integrating your streaming services, it now includes a five-band EQ that lets you tailor the sound more precisely to your taste. Whether you want a touch more bass punch or a slightly brighter top end, the adjustments are subtle and effective, helping you fine-tune without losing the essential Px8 S2 character.

Wear Detection

The Px8 S2 includes a wear detection feature that makes everyday use even easier. A built-in proximity sensor can tell when you are wearing the headphones, so playback automatically pauses when you take them off and resumes when you put them back on. If you set the standby timer in the app, the headphones will also power down automatically after about 15 minutes when not in use, saving battery life without you ever needing to think about it. Once you get used to this, it is hard to imagine going back to headphones that don’t have it.

Streamlined Controls

Rather than relying on finicky touch controls, the Px8 S2 uses a set of well-placed physical buttons along the earcups. These handle power, Bluetooth pairing, playback, volume, and noise cancellation. The buttons are tactile, easy to find without looking, and they work reliably in all conditions. We much prefer this approach because it gives you consistent control whether you are on a plane, walking outside in cold weather, or simply want a quick adjustment without fumbling with gestures.

Performance

Listening to the Px8 S2 feels like settling into a quiet, acoustically treated room. The Carbon Cone drivers bring an ease and authority that makes music flow naturally. Bass is deep and articulate, with a sense of grip that keeps complex passages clean. On tracks with heavy low-end, you hear the texture of the instrument rather than just a wash of sound.

The midrange is open and balanced, with vocals that sit forward in the mix without ever sounding sharp. Acoustic instruments retain their natural timbre, and complex arrangements stay intelligible even when the music gets busy. Treble is smooth, extended, and airy, avoiding the fatigue that can come from overemphasis. There is a sense of space and clarity that encourages longer listening sessions, pulling you deeper into the music.

Dynamics are particularly impressive. On a well-recorded track, quiet passages fall into a dark, silent background, then leap forward with energy when the music swells. This gives recordings a lifelike quality that makes you forget you are listening on a wireless headphone. Imaging is precise for a closed-back design, with instruments placed securely across the stage and a stable center image for vocals.

Noise cancellation enhances the listening experience without compromising it. It’s not as strong as Sony’s class-leading ANC, but it feels more natural and keeps your music sounding full and engaging. Transparency mode also comes across as lifelike, letting in the outside world without altering your own voice, and calls remain clear and dependable.

What stands out most is how the Px8 S2 encourages you to listen longer. The comfort refinements matter here. The new cup design and improved weight distribution make hours of listening feel light, which is exactly what you want from a headphone designed to be your daily companion.

Overall Recommendations

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