Bowers & Wilkins just dropped the Px8 S2, its new flagship wireless headphone, and it’s gunning straight for the top of the luxury ANC market. With aptX Adaptive 24/96 and Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless onboard, plus a slimmer, more refined design wrapped in Nappa leather, the Px8 S2 isn’t playing around. It’s the kind of move that reminds DALI and Focal that chasing the Brits in the high-end wireless game is a bit like Baldrick’s cunning plans—doomed from the start.
Bowers & Wilkins is also playing it smart on the pricing front. Instead of floating some $1,200-plus Bluetooth fantasy, the Px8 S2 lands at a more grounded $799. That’s not pocket change, but in a market where people happily torch $300 on white leather sneakers or “heritage” waxed trucker jackets, it feels almost rational. You could put together the whole outfit and sling these headphones around your neck for the same money as the competition—though granted, you may have to skip the pants.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Design and Sound: Premium Build, Flagship Performance
I’ve been living with the Px8 S2 for the past two weeks—writing and editing at an overcrowded Asbury Park coffee shop, dragging them to the beach, suffering through airports, and surviving NJ Transit (have mercy). Verdict: they actually earn the flagship badge.
Bowers & Wilkins clearly obsessed over the design: the slimmer frame is easier to wear for long sessions, the new carry case actually fits in a bag without feeling like you’re smuggling bricks, and the Nappa leather finish with exposed cable detailing delivers the kind of industrial chic that makes most high-end headphones look like plastic toys.
Two finishes—Onyx Black and Warm Stone—keep things refined, and yes, the ear pads and headband are replaceable, which means you won’t be tossing these the moment wear and tear sets in. Thumbs up for that.
B&W has reworked the Px8 S2 around new 40mm Carbon Cone drivers. They provide clear detail, a stable stereo image, and better control across the frequency range. Updates to the chassis, voice coil, and magnet system reduce distortion and make the presentation sound more natural. The discrete headphone amp gives the drivers enough headroom to stay composed whether you’re listening to quieter acoustic material or more demanding bass-driven tracks. The trade-off is ANC—it still affects the tonal balance and transparency, and not always for the better.
Weighing in at 310 grams and measuring 177 mm × 60 mm × 234 mm, the Px8 S2 is both lighter and smaller than the original Px8, making long listening sessions far less of a workout. It’s only marginally heavier than the Px7 S3, so if you’ve already gotten used to that model, you won’t even notice the difference—except maybe the slightly upgraded feel of all that Nappa leather.
Pro tip: at $799, these aren’t cheap, but after two weeks of real-world abuse, I’d argue they’re worth every penny with a few caveats. You can check out my full review here.
Px8 S2 — Connectivity and Codec Support
Building on Bowers & Wilkins’ already high-quality acoustic platform, the Px8 S2 now supports both aptX Adaptive 24/96 and Qualcomm’s latest aptX Lossless. That means, when paired with a compatible phone, tablet, or computer, these headphones can automatically deliver the best possible wireless audio from high-res streaming services like Amazon Music, Qobuz, and TIDAL—straight from the Music app.
B&W’s own DSP keeps the signal clean, providing true 24-bit/96 kHz high-resolution playback. If wireless isn’t your thing—or if you’re on an iPhone that doesn’t handle aptX—there’s full support for wired connections via 3.5mm or USB-C, both of which come included in the carry case. In other words: whether you’re streaming, wired, or anywhere in between, the Px8 S2 is ready to make sure your music sounds exactly how it’s supposed to.
Block Out the World
Bowers & Wilkins has carried over and refined the ANC system from the Px7 S3 for the Px8 S2. The stated goal is straightforward—reduce outside noise without undermining the music. Whether they actually managed to strike that balance is another question entirely. You’ll have to read our review to see how well it holds up in practice.
Like the Px7 S3, the Px8 S2 packs eight microphones per side, carefully arranged for maximum effect. Two track the output of each driver, four (strategically placed around the earcup) listen for ambient noise, and two handle voice clarity. The result: even in a coffee shop full of screaming Karens, blaring surfboards, or NJ Transit chaos, the headphones are designed to keep the music intact and your calls crystal clear. ADI Pure Voice steps in to make sure anyone on the other end actually hears you—and not the subway screeching in the background.
Px8 S2 Battery, Controls, and App: Smart, Simple, and Future-Proof
The Px8 S2 delivers 30 hours of battery life with full ANC, enough to get you through a long workday—or a cross-country flight—without panicking. A quick 15-minute recharge adds another seven hours, just in case you push your luck.
Bowers & Wilkins’ Music app is solid and more than enough for most of us who don’t need to fiddle endlessly. You can toggle ANC transparency, check battery levels, adjust wear-sensor sensitivity, assign Quick Action button functions, or tweak a five-band EQ—but seriously, why do companies insist we want all of these options? For those who prefer simplicity, True Sound mode locks in the acoustic team’s recommended tuning, and you’re done.
Physical buttons get a thumbs-up, too. The volume and play/pause keys feel better under your fingers, the power button now sits on the left earcup where it makes sense, and the Quick Action button lets you switch ANC modes or launch your phone’s voice assistant without hunting through menus. G-d bless them for making the buttons actually usable.
Future updates will bring Spatial Audio in Q4 2025, with Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast functionality added as soon as the software is available for download.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 – Key Specifications
- Wearing Style: Over-ear, noise-cancelling wireless headphones
- Bluetooth Version & Codecs: Bluetooth 5.3, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX Classic, AAC, SBC
- Multipoint Connectivity: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Yes
- Microphones: 8 total (4 per earcup) for ANC and voice calls
- Voice Call Technology: ADI Pure Voice
- Drive Units: 2 × 40 mm full-range carbon cone drivers
- High-Performance DSP: Dedicated amplifier/DAC, True 24-bit audio, 5-band customizable EQ + TrueSound mode
- Battery Life: 30 hours with ANC on
- Quick Charge: 15 minutes = 7 hours playback
- Charging & Audio: USB-C (audio and charging)
- Apple/Google Compatibility: Apple MFi (Made for iPhone), Google Fast Pair
- Included Accessories: 1.2 m USB-C to 3.5 mm stereo cable, 1.2 m USB-C to USB-C cable, carry case
- Weight (Headphones): 0.31 kg (310 g)
- Dimensions (Carry Case): 177 mm × 60 mm × 234 mm
- Finishes: Onyx Black, Warm Stone
Comparison
| Px7 S3 | Px8 | Px8 S2 | |
| MSRP | $479 | $699 | $799 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Drivers | 2 × 40mm dynamic full range bio cellulose driver | 2 × 40mm dynamic full range carbon driver | 2 × 40 mm full-range carbon cone drivers |
| Wear-Detection Sensor | – | Yes | Yes |
| aptX Lossless | Yes | – | Yes |
| USB Audio | 24-bit/96kHz | – | 24-bit/96kHz |
| Multipoint Connectivity | Yes | – | Yes |
| Microphones | 8 mics total (4 per ear cup) | 6x mics total (3x ear cup) | 8 mics total (4 per cup) |
| Voice Call Quality Algorithm | ADI Pure Voice | – | ADI Pure Voice |
| Bluetooth codecs | aptX™ Lossless aptX™ Adaptive aptX™ HD aptX™ Classic AAC SBC |
– aptX™ Adaptive aptX™ HD aptX™ Classic AAC SBC |
aptX™ Lossless aptX™ Adaptive aptX™ HD aptX™ Classic AAC SBC |
| Materials | Fabric | Leather | |
| Weight (without case) | 300g | 320g | 310g |
| Dimensions (Carry Case) | 177mm (w) x 60mm (d) x 234mm (h) | 189mm (w) x 63mm (d) x 233mm (h) | 177 mm (w) × 60 mm (d) × 234 mm (h) |
| Battery life | 30 hours | 30 hours | 30 hours |
| Charging | 7 hours with a 15 min charge | 7 hours with a 15 min charge | 7 hours with a 15 min charge |
| Colors | Anthracite Black Canvas White Indigo Blue |
Black Leather Tan & Grey Leather Galvanic Grey & Papaya Orange Dark Forest |
Onyx Black Warm Stone |
The Bottom Line
The Px8 S2 refines Bowers & Wilkins’ flagship wireless formula with a slimmer, lighter design, upgraded 40 mm Carbon Cone drivers, improved ANC, and a smarter, easier-to-use control layout. With full support for aptX Adaptive 24/96, aptX Lossless, USB-C, and 3.5 mm wired connections, plus Spatial Audio coming in Q4 2025, it delivers the high-end sound and codec versatility you expect from a B&W flagship.
At $799, it undercuts competitors like the Focal Bathys MG and DALI IO-12 by a significant margin, making it an exceptional value for anyone who likes this tuning. Based on our hands-on testing—you can read the full review here—this might be all the wireless headphone you need.