Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Px8: which premium headphones are better?

A new pair of B&W headphones is always big news, but especially when they come with a bold claim or two. B&W says the Px8 S2 are the "best headphones we have ever created".

And the company might have a point – with an even more luxurious design, and improved sound and noise cancellation, they are a real improvement on the excellent Px8.

But they do carry a higher price tag, which is even more noticeable now the original model is discounted. So, are these improvements worth the extra spend? Let's find out.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Px8: price

When it comes to build quality, B&W's headphones don't spare any expense, with premium materials and a luxurious finish. But this means they do cost more than your standard pair of Sony or Sennheiser headphones.

The original Px8 launched at £599 / $699 / AU$1150, but have come down quite a bit in the three years since then. They currently cost around £399, and you can probably expect further discounts come Black Friday in a bid to shift stock.

That's significantly cheaper than the Px8 S2, which cost £629 / $799 / AU$1299. Deals on the S2 aren't likely for a long time, so they will have to do a lot to justify that higher price. Let's see if they're up to the job...

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 **

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Px8: comfort & build

Both pairs of headphones are eminently classy to look at and use, and to our eyes, they manage to be luxurious but not too showy. And that's despite having David Beckham as a brand ambassador.

Both come clad in Nappa leather on the headband, earcups and earpads, while the cast aluminium arms are beautifully finished and precisely engineered while feeling built to last.

The Px8 S2 continue this design language, however the ear cushions and headband have been redesigned slightly in order to be replaceable by trained service engineers, should the need arise. This could add years to the headphones' life.

The Px8 S2 also have a little exposed cabling along the aluminium arms. That's a nod to B&W's first ever headphones, the P5 from 2010. The S2 are 10g lighter than the original pair, but come in fewer finishes (two to the Px8's four) – though we expect the S2 to gain more colours at some point.

The S2 retain the same size carbon driver as the originals, but with a stiffer chassis and motor system.This was first seen in B&W's Px7 S3, as were the S2's amplifier and DSP engine (though the S2's is tuned slightly differently).

The S2 have four mics on each earcup, compared to three each on the S1. This should improve call quality and ANC, which we'll come on to later.

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 **

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Px8: features

In keeping with the luxury aesthetic, B&W uses physical buttons on its headphones, as opposed to touch controls. These are generally easier to use than touch controls, as you can feel them with your fingers and know which button you're pressing.

There is one issue though – B&W shrunk certain buttons for the S2, which makes them harder to locate and press.

The Bowers & Wilkins Music app is decent, and allows for a greater degree of customisation on the S2 than the standard Px8. The originals lets you control bass and treble tone (plus the sensitivity of the wear sensor), whereas the S2 also have a five-band EQ.

The app is not without issue. With the original Px8, we experienced music cutting out due to the wear sensor being mistakenly activated (it thought we had taken the headphones off), while the S2 had some problems connecting to the app.

Both pairs share plenty of similarities. They let you listen wired via the USB-C or USB-C-to-3.5mm cables included in the box. Both also support the aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive high-equality audio codecs alongside the standard SBC and AAC.

Both models have a 30-hour battery life, alongside Bluetooth Multipoint for seamlessly pairing with multiple devices.

They both lack spatial audio and Bluetooth LE, though B&W says these are both coming to the S2 via a firmware update.

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 **

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Px8: noise cancelling & call quality

In our original review, we described the Px8's call quality as "decent". While clear, voices did have a bit of an edge, background noise was suppressed but not eliminated and blustery wind could interfere with the call.

While improved, it's a similar story for the S2. Voices have good clarity and expression, and don't sound unnatural like on some headphones. But background sounds are still there, unfortunately, which can prove a mite distracting.

ANC is generally good on the Px8. "Things are nice and quiet during our train journeys, though sudden or non-regular sounds such as workers digging the street or traffic noise still manage to break through," we wrote in our review.

The Px8 S2 do improve this, with the extra mics meaning less sound leaks in from outside. But they're still not as good as some of the very best noise-cancelling headphones, which also cost less.

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 **

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Px8: sound

Fancy design is all well and good, but it doesn't count for much without the sound quality to back it up. Thankfully, B&W's headphones have that in spades.

Of the original Px8, we wrote: "There is a level of clarity and insight here that we haven’t heard bettered at this level. Performance is a clear step ahead of talented but cheaper alternatives."

The sound is taut and controlled and packed with excitement, though this excitement does tend to wane when you lower the volume. But otherwise it's positive on all fronts, with a crisp and clear midrange, loads of detail and a great sense of rhythmic drive. They stay composed when the music gets demanding, and never sound anything but authoritative.

But the Px8 S2 push things forward, to paraphrase Mike Skinner. They're more natural than their predecessors, with a greater sense of scale and openness, which makes the original Px8 headphones sound more analytical in comparison.

The S2 have real power and authority in the bass but it remains tightly controlled. There's a healthy dose of punch and dynamism, and an exceptional level of clarity.

The S2 have more punch and more conviction, with a greater sense of space around a track's various elements. "This makes for a more interesting, entertaining listen that’s bristling with energy," we wrote in our review.

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 **

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Px8: verdict

The Px8 S2 are better than their predecessors in pretty much every regard. The sound quality is a cut above, the noise cancellation and call quality have been improved, and the design refined. But they do cost a lot more.

If you have the funds, the S2 should make you very happy indeed. But if you want a taste of luxury on a slightly tighter budget, the original Px8 still fit the bill.

MORE:

Read our Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 review

And our Bowers & Wilkins Px8 review

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: which flagship wireless headphones are better?

Want more choice? Read our full round-up of the best headphones we've tested