Bowers & Wilkins Px8 | Worth the money?!

[@JFlint.02]

Excellent video my friend! I appreciate the history lesson on B&W, and your camera-work and editing was excellent all the way throughout the video! I unfortunately just sent back my pair of Focal Bathys as, for the price, I simply wasn't satisfied with them fully. However, you may have sold me on at least giving these a shot. You did a seriously excellent job going over all the aspects of the headphones, bravo! Also, as I felt with your Bathys video, I really enjoy your delivery and personality. It's very entertaining and relaxing! Keep this up and you're going to grow so quickly in no time!! Wishing you the best, take care :)

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your encouragement! 🙏 I hope this video will fly as high as the Focal Bathys video. 😀 Well, as I point out in the video, the headphone experience is the most personal listening experience, and what I might like, might not work for you - and that's okay. You should definitely try out the B&W Px8 - they have a different sound stage and a bass response that is 'fun'. 😃 Take care!

[@JFlint.02]

@@immersivesoundtech Unfortunately, I decided to pick up more than a few vinyl yesterday instead, so the PX8s will have to wait 🥴 I will try them out one day though! Vinyl aren't cheap, so I'm just gonna hang onto my highly-tuned Sony XM4s for now! 😅 (I also wanted to say that I love your little motto of "life is too short to not own a great sounding pair of headphones!")

[@immersivesoundtech]

It's been many years since vinyl was a poison for me, but I totally understand your financial predicament. 😉 I've been offered to borrow the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones from a colleague, and I might just accept the offer. 😀 My other motto is: "Buy expensive, cry once." PS. My bank woman loves me 😂

[@JFlint.02]

​@@immersivesoundtech Man that's funny 😂 Great other motto though, I *typically* agree with that when able to 😅 I would definitely love to hear your thoughts on the XM5s though! From what I gather, they're not a major step up from the XM4s, in fact they may be worse in some aspects, but nonetheless, getting you well-trained opinion would be insightful. I might just recommend you play around with EQing them since my XM4s can open up A TON with some good EQ settings. Whatever you decide to do, I'll be looking forward to whatever you come out with next :)

[@XdekHckr]

you mean that you want to give a shot for bathys or px?

[@peterklugsberger]

Best PX8 review that I have come across on youtube. Finally someone that does not just compare sound charts but actually is an audiophile at heart. Well done!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words, highly appreciated! 🙏

[@XdekHckr]

you just have to search for non-english reviews

[@michaelhawkes3465]

I want to buy these but the active noise cancellation is average at best. Do you know if they plan to upgrade the ANC?

[@deerock7]

love love my PX8s. I'm a professional sound mixer and I've listened to everything in all price ranges. My personal preference to wear for my own use is the PX8.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for watching my video, Derek! 🙏 The Px8 are great-sounding headphones and they are very comfy to wear for hours. 👍 How do you fancy listening and working with them? No filtering, ANC with inflated low-end or maybe with +2dB bass? Cheers Frederick

[@Viewer13128]

did u notice the midrange a bit lacking and clarity not as good as $1k IEMs?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your question, Tla! Well, to me, comparing over-ear headphones with IEMs, is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. Both designs will comparatively produce quite a divergent end-result - and one isn't necessarily better than the other. I think it boils down to personal taste, area of use and convenience. IEMs are great for bringing along during the workday and when traveling. They are small and weights almost nothing. Over-ear headphones are great for isolating your listening experience from the outside World in a more natural way, the comfort is usually better (though it's down to personal taste and preference) and the size of the drivers are a lot bigger compared to IEMs which means that the low-end and low-mid have better dynamics and less distortion (when well-built) and due to the fact that a lot of the sound generated will bounce off the outer ear before hitting the ear canal, offers the possibility of a more 'spacious' listening experience. I guess you can see what I prefer choosing between IEMs and normal headphones. To try and answer your question, yes, a great-sounding pair of IEMs will probably have better mid-range, but the B&W Px8 have a better low-end and low-mid response. It has more body, more warmth and more 'natural' punch. Personally, I've never found a pair of IEMs that can produce enough 'natural-sounding' low-end. I guess it's down to physics and the small sized drivers and the fact that the sound waves have very little distance until they hit the ear drums - again physics. Also, I firmly believe that we listen to music, using our whole body, and hitting the outer ears and the surrounding area of the head with sound waves, and the tiny tiny pressure change, will in itself help the brain to 'create' the sensation of low-end. At least, that's my personal theory (not backed up by scientific papers, yet) I'm off to bed! 🤓

[@shanew7361]

​@Tla I did I thought the music was dull and not as crisp as the BEOPLAY h95. I returned the PX8.

[@eddyst4955]

​@@Viewer13128bit late to the party, but the midrange problem can be solved pretty easily by boosting the mids in your eq

[@spider5895]

400 hrs of break-in? A serious reviewer 👍 Thanks for the effort. Subscribed!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your support! At some point, I will publish a proper video about the importance of ’break-in’. 👍

[@jeroenvanamerongen2180]

@@immersivesoundtechI really hope you do! There are so many stories around on this subject. Hopefully you’ll find the time to explain how you properly break in your headphones. I enjoy your video’s a lot!

[@pablobrito4258]

Great review , I switched from AirPod max to PX8 and I was looking an explanation of how superior they are !! This review is so complete and the breaking process very interesting

[@immersivesoundtech]

Glad I could help! How did the PX8 compare with your AirPod Max? I have yet to test the AirPod Max. Cheers Frederick

[@TheHumbleRoots]

It's incredibly nice to hear an expert point out the importance of breaking the headphones in. For some reason newer audiophiles think this is some type of wives tale, and they couldn't be more wrong. EXCELLENT VIDEO!!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Glad it was helpful! 👍

[@dennisroskvist4960]

That was a really great review! - And you seems like an honest good guy! Thank you! - I bought the headphones after your review. - So now I can't wait for the mailman to come!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words, Dennis! Glad to help out. How are the headphones treating you? 🎶🤩

[@gwapster13]

Refreshing to watch a review that does not judge the headphones based on Harman curve compliance. 👍👍 B&W headphones have always been dismissed by the “society of headphone review channels” that review based on confirmation bias from graphs and their beloved Harman curve. Meanwhile B&W owners enjoy their music, not measurement rigs.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for you kind words, Arnel! 🙏 Measurements don't mean much to me, especially not of headphones. The headphone sound experience is so subjective and personal - no measurement graphs can show that. 👍

[@SavedLCI]

I have had my Px8 for a few months now - I will burn them in before using them. Found your review useful.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Glad I could help. 👍

[@SavedLCI]

..so I have compared the PX8 to my old pair od Bowers &Wilkins P7 Wireless. Surprising to me, the P7 Wireless sounds incredibly better and clearer at the same volume level. Certainly the P7 wireless cannot be EQ’d and as such I have not EQ’d the PX8’s. The build material on both devices are outstanding. I have had every Bowers & Wilkins headphone, the P7 wireless seems to outshine all. Perhaps worth breaking in the PX8 for the recommend 100hrs. Thanks for engaging with us and providing your analysis.

[@immersivesoundtech]

I suggest at least 500 hours of 'break in' - then do a comparison with your already 'broken in' B&W P7. And, maybe the P7 will still sound better to you, and that's perfectly fine. 👍 All the best Frederick

[@marcopolovn]

Best PX8 review I've watched. Exceptionally well done, thank you.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Wow, thanks! 😃 Your kind words means a lot to me. 👍

[@SaberOMRANI]

Great review. I ordered my pair of headphones, your comments and advices are very useful. Thanks and keep up !

[@immersivesoundtech]

I'm so glad you found the review helpful! Enjoy your new headphones, and let me know how you like them!

[@ovilla81]

Loved your review and it convinced me to order a pair today. Just a helpful tip from what I’ve learned recently is If you want to use these headphones with an iPhone or Android you’d need a DAC.

[@immersivesoundtech]

I glad to help out and I hope you will fancy the Px8 as much as I do. 😃 Regarding using an external DAC, I really don't think it's necessary. The beauty of wireless headphones is the fact that they are wireless... If you use a portable DAP and are okay with cables, then you might as well go for wired headphones, right? A good-sounding DAP and a pair of high-quality wired headphones have the potential of sounding spectacular. However, I'm travelling in the Middle East right now and have the B&W Px8 with me. Flying out from Istanbul Saturday night, the flight left at 01:35 am, so I sat down in my seat, dead-tired from a long wait at the airport (missed my booked flight due to delays) put on the headphones and enabled the ANC - then I slept for three and a half hours and woke up when the plane landed. 😉 Then last night at the hotel, after a long day of work and little sleep, I ended up laying in bed listening to music and watching old music videos on KZbin - and it was a total blast. I haven't done that in ages. 🎵😃 Does the Px8 sound even better via cable? Yes Are there more detailed headphones around? Yes Does the B&W Px8 sound great anyway via Bluetooth? Oh yes! I like the intimate sound stage and the fact that they are 'fun' to listen to. I hope you will like them as much as I do. All the best Frederick

[@lourencobtt]

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks. Subscribed and liked. Your review and the playlist ara amazing. Do you suggest any playlists in somewhere? Love your music taste. My be i'll take a coffe ;)

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words, Louren! Much appreciated! 🙏 I got my new KZbin studio set up now, and I'm working on my first review filmed in there. Just finished filming today, and have started the editing process. When I get the ball rolling and step up the production of my videos, I will have some beer, crank up the volume in the studio and record a video where I talk about and listen to some of my favorite reference tracks. Stay tuned! 🎶😉

[@johnnyvvlog]

Just scored a pair of those for 450euros today. Thought it was quite a steal at that price. First listen confirms they are in need of some serious burn in. I do have to say they're already a massive upgrade from my Bose 700 headphones and I look forward to their sound in a couple of months. No I aint going to let them play continuously but rather going to enjoy the sound change throughout their burn in period.

[@theanorakchannel2496]

I bought a pair of these in January. I had to return them because within a couple of weeks the leather around the headband had completely fallen into bits. Wasn’t very impressed with the workmanship for this amount of money. Not only had the leather come unglued, but it had ripped as well. I always kept the headphones in the case, in the hi-fi cabinet by my chair. I’ve tried to order another pair, but they seem to be supply issues for these at the moment. I intend to get another pair as I did very much like the sound and couldn’t agree more with the comment about breaking the headphones in. I did continue to use them from the time that the headband began to come unravelled, until I finally managed to get Amazon to agree to accept the return. BMW were completely unhelpful by the way. As a blind person I particularly value the lack of touch pads on these headphones, Lovely buttons to press! I couldn’t work out how to get them to play in wired mode via USB. Hopefully I’ll manage to work that one out when I get the replacement. Really enjoyed the review, as I’ve got to get a replacement anyway, I’ve been looking at these against the mark Levenson and the focal ones.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your report! I think user reports like yours are important for potential buyers to read and consider before buying. To play music via a USB-cable, you have to connect the headphones to a computer/laptop and choose them as a soundcard in Windows or OSX. Then you will be able to enjoy lossless sound quality. I guess they might work via USB-cable connected to the USB-port on an iPhone 15, but I haven't had the chance to try that out. I still use an iPhone 14 Pro with lightning connection. I hope your new pair of Px8 will work better for you and that the headband won't wear down so fast. May I ask a couple of personal questions. How can I improve my videos for vision impaired subscribers? Am I verbal enough when I describe, let's say, a pair of new headphones? I want my videos to be as accessible as possible for all visitors. Thanks for visiting my channel. Cheers Frederick

[@julie_00]

Fantastic review! 🤩 I just received my PX8 today and I was amazed with them out of the box. They sound brilliant when loud, so I really need to watch out for my hearing as you said. Can’t wait for the comparison video with Focal Bathys! Regards from 🇩🇰

[@raulruizlara]

Hi! I just bought mine via Amazon and they are just beautiful and the quality sounds is great, however I am now overwhelmed due to the big amount negative reviews and experiences from customers in different blogs, video reviews and Amazon reviews: essentially the headband and the ear pads started peeling off and/or the glue coming out just after 3 months of usage, and the majority did not last a year. How has it been for you so far and how long have you had them? I hope you can help me, thx 🙏🏽

[@cricketfreak2010]

Thank you so much for this lovely video! Enjoyed every bit of it. The review literally felt like a conversation as you pretty much covered all of my questions :) Curious to know if the test was done on firmware version 3?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words! 🙏 The 3.0 software wasn’t available as the time of my review. However, I am mentioning it in my latter video comparing Bathys, Px8 and 5909. 👍

[@cricketfreak2010]

You’re welcome and thank you!

[@mhm35]

A great review, and thank you for talking about break-in. I was getting mixed feedback from people that reached out to me about them that said it's an audiophile farce. But it's good to have an audio engineer talk about it. I'm gonna look around your channel and see if you talk more about it and why it's important. I have the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e and the Px8 on the way. I did indeed find I liked the sound of the Px7 S2e much more after about 10 hours of "break in," far less than the 400 hours you did. I also appreciated you giving a quick overview of the heritage and history of Bowers & Wilkins. I really like the Px7 S2e but can't keep both those and the Px8. Thanks for your thorough reviews.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for watching my videos! 🙏 In my humble opinion, 'break in' or 'burn-in' is very important and can make all the difference for a pair of headphones. The change in sound is different from model to model. After having reviewed headphones and speakers for more than twenty years, I came to the conclusion many years ago, that 'burn-in' is important. I haven't had the chance to listen to the B&W Px7 S2e yet, but I like the Px8. Good luck with your headphones Frederick

[@mhm35]

​@@immersivesoundtech Thank you very much, Frederick. For what little feedback an untrained consumer like myself can provide, I very much like the Px7 S2e. The Px7 S2e is has the fabric and plastic build, but they feel identical on the head (that "hug" you describe). To my untrained ears, they sound very similar. I have to say, it's a tough decision. I got both heavily discounted (Px7 S2e new at $239 USD, Px8 B&W Recertified at $399 USD), and I'd love to have both! However, if I was forced to recommend between the two to buyers in USA market, I'd suggest the Px7 S2e over the Px8 and over all the popular ANC headphones that are commonly used here (Bose QuietComforrt lineup, Sony XM lineup, Apple AirPods Max, and Beats Studios seem to be the most popular). The Px7 S2e feels more refined in build and sound over any of those I mentioned at a fair price. I know the market prices may differ overseas. Thank you for your video, and thoughtful feedback. Looking forward to seeing more of your content in the future.

Best review in KZbin. I’ve seen them all. You are the best by far.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Wow, thanks! 🤗 Your words are heartwarming to read! ❤️ I'm very busy right now, but more videos are in the making. 👍

@@immersivesoundtech Dark Audio says this PX8 sound as good as the AirPods max, is that the case? are the APMax that good? I think you can use a USB-c cable to connect to an android phone with the PX8, right? that is huge win.

[@ruygranja]

That’s it!! I was looking for a reference to follow on these matters! Your knowledge, smile and sense of humor made me subscribe instantly!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words! Much appreciated! 🙏

[@t.g.399]

Incredible review from a legitimate audiophile perspective, thank you please keep it up!

[@1LittleTinker]

Trigger pulled, many thanks for the best PX8 review i’ve watched and especially the hot tip to do a 200hr run in 👍

[@moritzbokelmann]

Could you please do a review of the Bang & Olufsen H95?

[@SN-yn6it]

I’m literally listening to this review with the px8s and this man is 100% right on EVERYTHING he’s said. THE BEST headphone review. SUBBED !!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words! Much appreciated! 🎶🙏 And thanks for subscribing! Feel free to spread the word about my channel. 👍

[@dlorde]

Nice review! An enjoyable balance of presentation style and informed content. I've had my PX8 for about three weeks, and really like them - as you say, the louder they play the better they sound, some care is needed to preserve hearing! They haven't had 200+ hours yet, so I'll try running them continually for a week or two to see if and by how much they improve.

[@Drummer7]

Any changes after the additional hours?

[@dlorde]

@@Drummer7 It's hard to say, as there has been a firmware update that has subtly changed the presentation, making it more spacious and reducing the mid-bass a little. I think it's an improvement, but very slight. I did have to return the original pair for replacement as the leather was coming away from the headband. They did the exchange within a couple of days, by courier at my front door, so no complaints there!

[@Andy-ow2cx]

Brilliant review, looking to purchase these headphones, and come across your channel and liked that you love the sound of music.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words! Good luck with the B&X Px8. I hope you're going to like them. 🎧😃

[@s_vdberg2693]

Your videos are so well put together! A really nice indepth review and told by someone who really know his stuff. Subscribed!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words! 🙏

[@olivierbouhalassa8336]

Thank you very much for that very honest review. So nice to see and ear your perspective on the PX8 . I alway’s trusted B/W for their very good audio products and quality of sound signatures . I just ordered the McLaren édition.

[@jlingo8977]

I found Px8 (50hrs break in)To Be boomy as well especially compared to H95(bass tight and low like subwoofer in your ear)

[@VitiateTheImmortal]

Great review! I ordered a pair today. Myself being an audiophile kinda enthusiast that listened and owned most high end headphones out there (from 300 to 3100 price range) I’m really excited for these. Mostly had too flat profiles and wanted something for a change. Excited 👍

[@RealTalk532]

that's weird 🤔 because my north American unit had no boomy bass out the box, I actually had to crank the bass up four clicks in the Bowers & Wilkins app. now I hate that Bowers & Wilkins did not include a mid range slider because I actually think that the mid range do need dialing back three clicks if they had added that third mid range slider to their EQ. I'm using my Android device, and no my headphones are not completely broken in yet. so I'm looking forward to that beautiful sound these headphones are capable of after break in

[@immersivesoundtech]

Well, here's what you have to do before evaluating the sound quality of the B&W Px8. You need to break them in properly. You story only makes that more apparent to me. I've been reviewing headphones in magazines for more than twenty years, and the one thing that I've found to be universal for all headphones, is the importance of proper break-in before evaluating the sound quality and sound stage. Through the years, some headphones have sounded super-weird out of the box, and only 'settled' after several hundreds of hours of use. To me, it's just the way it is with headphones, and the reason why I keep pressing on it in my review videos. Basically no other reviewer does, because they don't know better, to be blunt about the subject. What you really need to do, is to break-in your headphones properly - then evaluate the sound quality. I know it's a hassle...but it just needs to be done. I'm going to post on my blog how to set up a proper break-in setup. Please visit my web page for further information: www.immersivesoundtech.com

[@erikd6124]

I've listened to 2 pair of px8. One had a boomy base, but the other one was just great. Both were in stores.

[@jeffziegler]

Thanks for this informative video and song list. Any tips for a newbie to maintain the leather?

[@MartinMacakgoogling]

Hi, thx for letting us know about need of burn in.

[@zimonslot]

In another review (IO-12) you said that the audio output on Apple iPhone is not as good as Androoid/PC. What do you recommend for the best audiosource for the Px8. And do you -does anyone- know if you lose audio quality when using the apple lightning/jack adapter? If I connect an iPad to an amp to the headphones, I would still have the same problem of loss of audioquality

[@immersivesoundtech]

The best audio source for the Px8 is via USB-C cable, hooked up to a laptop or DAP. You will probably not have the same loss of quality, using the included minijack to USB-C cable, hooking up the headphones via analogue connection to a headphone amp. However, compared to hooking them up digitally via USB-C, the analogue minijack cable means that you're adding an external DAC, an external amp, and the ADC in the headphones. How much all this will affect the sound quality, well you just have to try it out and evaluate the sound quality to the Bluetooth connection. If you do it, please let me know how it works out for you, okay. Good luck Frederick

[@zimonslot]

@@immersivesoundtech | oh btw, mine are working fine with the USBCcable and dongle on an ios device (iPhone SE 2 or 3). However, I bought a USB-C/Lightning cable and it isnt working, also I bought a USB-C to lightning adapter for the included USB-C cable, but that also didnt work, the B&W support chat told me only the included cables will work.

[@edwinramos4910]

Excellent review! As an owner of the PX8, I found myself agreeing with most of your conclusions. I did want to add one point regarding your findings about the volume output being lower when connected to an Android phone via USB C in comparison to the wireless output. While you are correct in your assessment, the difference shouldn't affect the user experience. When connected to my S22 Ultra via USB C, I found that the volume would have to be cranked to unhealthy levels before even noticing that the output via wired connection to the phone was incapable of reaching the max volume of the PX8's wireless volume output. In fact, I myself hadn't even noticed this limitation until your video pointed it out and I decided to test it for myself. As you pointed out in your review, we should be good to our ears...and consitently listening at the volumes necessary to feel limited by the wired volume output is certainly not being good to our ears.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your reply, Edwin! It just baffles me that the volume is lower, and I wonder if it's the same drop in volume with my old LG ThinQ compared to your much newer Samsung S22. Anyway, we should be grateful having the option of using the USB-C port as a soundcard - not every pair of wireless headphones offer that option. 👍🙏 Cheers Frederick

[@spikespike9621]

Thank you for this very informative review. Your persona, is like sitting down with a Grandfather, (holding a cup of hot chocolate) and telling stories of his life, very calm, relax and knowledgable. I am slowly becoming an audiophile, as I have to listen to music, virtually all the time for neuroplasticity reasons. I am a complete novice, as such, slowing working my way up (cost, quality and enjoyment) in buying and using over the ear headphones (my ear canals are too small to have earbuds) and was wondering, if the money that I was thinking of outlaying, was worth it or I could use my money to do something else. Yes, I have now purchased a pair, I really dont have your depth of knowledge or life experience, but you have sold me, and I look forward to listening to the music, I like anytime of the day or night

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words! Much appreciated, and the first time I'm referenced as a grandfather, but I guess there is a first time for everything. ☺️ I'm feel honored to contribute to your journey in the wonderful world of Hi-Fi. You know what, I still learn new things everyday and that's why I love working with music. As a professional sound engineer, I feel blessed being around HiFi-enthusiasts and audiophiles. They often listen to music in the same way as when they were fifteen years old - when music meant everything. And I love being inspired by the way music still affect them. I try to tap into that feeling. How are your new headphones working out for you? Are they treating you well? 🎶❤️

[@yea7554]

Great video!!, describing the situation under Android and iOS. I‘m wondering that the only thing I can found the latest update had improve the performance of bass, but I want to know if the volume problem when connecting to USB-C has been fixed or not. Thank you for making videos and sharing your experience!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind feedback! 🙏 Yes, the bass performance has certainly been improved with the latest update - with ANC enabled, the low-end is more controlled than before, and not as inflated. I also think the headphones sound better in the low-end when the ANC disabled. Still, I prefer the slightly 'inflated' sound stage produced when the ANC is enabled. Overall, I find the sound to be slightly 'smoother' now - in a good way. Good thing the designers at B&W work on improving the sound quality. 🎶👍 Last week, I brought the Px8 on a work trip to the Middle East, and they performed extremely well. I made good use of the ANC, sleeping three hours none-stop on the night flights. And the "pass-through" mode worked really well during airplane announcements etc. The B&W Px8 are great travel companions. 😃 To answer you question, the volume drop connecting the Px8 via USB-C to an Android phone is still a lot. I haven't measured it, but I would say it's 12dB or so. So, quite a lot. I think it's an "Android OS"-thing. And trying to connect the headphones via USB-C to an iPhone via the Apple Camera Adapter, still doesn't work. I think that is an "Apple iOS"-thing.

[@kevtesorero]

Incredible review. Currently loving my px8s

[@samushiba1607]

I've heard about the quality issues regarding the Px8's such as, headband & earcup tearing in a short period of time, could anyone chime in?

[@kailashmishra7558]

Best unbiased review. What I like others may not like but, the truth must come out.

[@josephgittos3787]

I own a few products from B&W both speaker and headphones and can confirm the break in period is a thing. I like the sound that B&W produce, my current B&W's are the P3 series 2 and think they sound great with my iPod video get 5.5 so these must be amazing (still like the sound of the P3's ). The colour you have look amazing better than boring black and build quality look good. Thanks for sharing and hope they did a firmware update to resolve the issues .

[@mark74666101]

Great review! Thank you for you for your work.

[@abhinavdeepsinha3036]

Hello sir. Your review if very good. I have a question for you. How are these to watch movies on? I understand that perhaps that is not the primary purpose of such high end headphones, but i am curious to find info on this as i also watch a lot of movies with my headphones. Currently enjoying the spatial sound on bose qc ultras for movies (not for music). Do the px8s sound good for movies too?

[@KrisBaca]

One of the better HP reviews I've seen; I'd love to hear your take on the T+As and Mark Levinson 5909s

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words, Kris! 🙏 The script for my take on the Mark Levinson 5909 is practically done. I just need to find the time to hit [REC] and publish the video. 👍 Please subscribe to my channel and hit the notification button, and you will get a notification when the review is online. I wish you a great and relaxing weekend Frederick

[@KrisBaca]

@@immersivesoundtech Looking forward to it, especially any sound comparisons you have between to the Px8 and also to any of the benchmark wired HPs

[@barrybrown7892]

I enjoyed both your reviews. Yours are very informative and genuine. My use case is in office or home using iPhone as source of music. In the office I will use the headphones for ANC and will use it for Teams/Webex calls on PC. Interruptions for conversation will be required on occasions…so transparency mode will be important. Which of the two will provide best results for my use case, the Bathys or PX8?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for watching my videos and thanks for your kind words! 🙏 I would say that the Focal Bathys are more suited for your needs, as they have better active noise cancelling both for listening to music and for taking phone calls. And you just have to press the multi-function button on the left ear piece once, to toggle between ANC and transparency mode - which is handy. And if you long-press the button, the headphones toggle between [soft] and [silent] noise cancelling. Also, the voice call quality is better on Focal Bathys. Personally, I always take off one earpiece when talking in person with someone, because it just feels odd to me, engaging in conversation whilst wearing headphones. Of course, our teenagers have no problem at all, speaking to us parents whilst wearing headphones, but I find it a bit ill-behaved to do so. It's an age thing, I guess. 😂 I love walking around in the house, wearing big ANC headphones, starring at the teenagers and shout: "What??!!" 🤣 Just like they do, when they are suppose to help out in the kitchen... 😏😜 But sure, the [transparent]-mode works and sound pretty natural. 👍 If you have the opportunity, you should try them out.

[@JFlint.02]

Hey Barry. If I might add, Sony's XM4s and XM5s have a nifty feature called "speak to chat" that, when you or someone speaks, transparency mode is automatically enabled and the volume of whatever you're listening to is lowered. The effect goes away after the conversation has been over after a few seconds. You can get the same effect by placing your hand over the right earcup, and when you take your hand away, the volume level seamlessly goes back to where it was. Those features can be a bit finnicky sometimes, but it's for situations like you're in that I think Sony implemented them. So, if don't necessarily need a "hi-fi" pair of headphones like the PX8s or Bathys, and want to save a lot of money but still get a killer pair of headphones, I'd recommend checking out Sony's offerings. (Sony's app and EQ options are pretty great and flexible too, sorry to sound like a Sony shill 😅) Otherwise, Frederick's advice is really good!

[@attilab.2818]

Are B&Ws consumer divison really gonna be discontinued from early 2025?

[@immersivesoundtech]

I have no idea. Maybe someone else in this channel can share some lights on the matter?

[@orangedan5424]

Thanks for the review. I just got the Px8 today. It's awesome. For the wear sensitivity issues, do a warm up and calibration before use. I been doing calibration by turn on and off power and wear sensor on the app. Hold the headphones on your hands for at least 30s before wearing them. Been doing this for 10m repetitively. All is good, I even had it on normal setting not low. My only disappointment, on my samsung s22 ultra, for some reason with the aptx I can only get 16bit connection. I was hoping for at least 24 bit. I have double check on the developer options. Cant seem to up to 24 bits. Any tips on increasing to 24 bits?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for the wear sensor tip! 👍 Are you using the aptX HD codec in the [Developer Options]? On my old LG G7 ThinQ phone with Android OS 10, I can set it to even 32bit/sample - which, I believe, the aptX HD codec doesn't support. So, I wouldn't be too worried what is shown in the phone settings regarding bit depth. The more important thing to set, is the latency, which affects the overall sound quality - and it's done by the developers, and not for us to be able to change - more than being able to choose between [Most stable] and [Best sound quality] connection. Also, you shouldn't worry too much about 16bit vs 24bit sound. You won't be able to hear the difference if the decoded music is properly dithered - which I presume it is. For me as a mixing engineer, working with music and processing individual instruments in the music, the bit depth is important, just because I'm doing processing and need the calculation "depth". Also, the aptX HD codec is lossy, which means that it analyzes the music and use psychoacoustic models, to determine elements in the music that can be taken away without us humans being able to hear the difference. So, whatever [fine-detailed] 24bit information that might be in the source file, will most likely be removed by the codec anyway. If you ask me, 16 vs 24bit sound is one of those HiFI "sales things", because I could play you a well-recorded 24bit music track on my TAD speakers, and then play a 16bit dithered version - and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Is there a difference recording music in 16bit versus 24bit? Yes, it is, because the 16bit recording is not dithered, because you don't want to to be dithered as you will do processing on it. And there is information in the 24bit recording that will be beneficial to have when processing the sound. But for final delivery, dithered 16bit sound is more than enough, me thinks. Maybe I'll do a video about bit rate and sample rate in the future. 👍

[@orangedan5424]

@Immersive Sound Tech looks like bloody samsung removed them, leaving me and Samsung users with no choice other than standard aptx, and only 16bits. I believe they try to promote their own sbc codec. I don't know if my ears can tell the difference between 16bit vs 24 bits, but with my other earbuds which uses LDAC at 32bit even at lowest speed I could tell a difference. Honestly never understand all these luxury brands, why can't they provide complete sets of codecs including LDAC, just pay Sony some royalty...they are making huge margins anyway.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Really??!! What a bummer if Samsung has removed the support for aptX HD. I guess it's a matter of not wanting to pay the license fee, if any... There certainly is a difference in sound quality going from aptX to aptX HD. I haven't tested the SBC codec yet, because my LG phone doesn't want to connect via SBC. I'm reviewing the Mark Levinson No5909 headphones right now, and they support the Sony LDAC codec. It's quite interesting switching between Sony LDAC at 990kbit/s, aptX HD at 576kbit/s and AAC at 320kbit/s. The Sony LDAC codec at full sound quality sound really good, so I understand the fuzz it's making in the headphone community. 🎵👍 In the case of LDAC and iPhone, is it even possible to use LDAC on an iPhone? Apple usually does its worse to make the user experience as locked in as possible.

[@orangedan5424]

@Immersive Sound Tech I don't think it's a royalty issues for Samsung more like they want to promote their own proprietary codec which is the sbc. LDAC by far is the best codec for Android users. Unfortunately for iPhone users they stuck with AAC only. Also it's a shame all the high end, 5905, px8, bathys they all don't support LDAC. I guess they want to save money by not paying sony license fees

[@immersivesoundtech]

@@orangedan5424 Yeah, it's a shame. The Sony LDAC codec is certainly remarkable. 🎵👍 On the horizon, Qualcomm is working on a lossless Bluetooth codec - aptX Lossloss - supporting 44.1kHz/16bit sound. It should have been released in 2022, but I can't find much information about it. Anyway, I guess it won't be beneficial to iPhone users.

[@herbertsenasilva]

I was your 1000th subscriber! Amazing video!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for supporting my channel, Herbert! 😀 And thanks for your kind words! 🙏 It feels great reaching 1000 subscribers. I have a lot of video material in the making, so please keep supporting Immersive Sound Tech. All the best Frederick

[@shanew7361]

These or the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95?

[@immersivesoundtech]

If you have the budget, I'd say the Focal Bathys. Why? Because they are "extra everything" compared to Beoplay H95. I do like the filter customization in the Beo-app because it lets the user tailor the headphone sound, more than the Bathys offer. But, comparing the sound stage of the two headphones, there is quite a big difference in overall sound quality - in favor of the Focal Bathys - at least to me. However, both headphones are well worth a listen. 👍

[@iremulkuyldrm3151]

Hi! I don’t like how bathys looks on my head… so I’m still wondering if this or h95 is better.. do you have an opinion between these two?

[@miketan4803]

Very comprehensive review. Hope you can compare review cans we bring about outside like px7 s2 ... rarely risk luxury cans outside

[@immersivesoundtech]

Hi Mike Thanks for your kind words! I have reached out to the B&W distributor about reviewing the Px7 S2 and Px7 S2E and Pi7 S2 - but I haven't received the review headphones yet. They will hopefully show up for review in the near future. I want to know the differences and similarities too. 😃

[@genuinesmith4617]

Thanks very much for a detailed and informative review. It appears to me that the active noise cancellation is not excellent in these headphones. Based on your experience please advise what are the best headphones for great active noise cancellation. My gym is very noisy and I would like to have a good headphone to listen to music without all the loud noise inside the gym. I am an iPhone user using glasses. Thanks in advance.

[@RudivanderDuim]

Combined with Tidal and a PaW s1 (DAC), I have a pretty good hifi experience!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for the tip! I haven't listened to the Paw S1, but it looks really sharp. 🤩

[@StructureMastery]

How these are compared to the sennheiser momuntum 4? In term of sound quality

[@immersivesoundtech]

Hi Lucas I haven't had the chance to listen to the Sennheiser Momentum yet, but I've reached out to Sennheiser and asked them for a pair of demo headphones. Let's see how it works out. 👍

[@StructureMastery]

@@immersivesoundtech super ! I have them actually and i red that the px8 have better sound quality, that seems normal for 200 dolls of différence i guess. Thank you very mich for your fast answer ! Cheers from France !

[@peterring2714]

Excellent dissection and presentation of the PX8s. I've been deliberating whether to go for the Beoplay H95s, Focal Bathys or PX8s. After watching and reading many reviews finishing with yours I'm happy that my research is over as I've just placed an order for the PX8s. Many thanks!

[@shanew7361]

How do you like them, I ordered the H95 and PX8 arriving tomorrow lol

[@peterring2714]

@@shanew7361 As good as I’d hoped and heard they would be! Still curious to hear the H95s though.

[@shanew7361]

​@@peterring2714 I returned the PX8 they didn't sound as crisp as the H95.

[@tamimihasan3687]

@@shanew7361u must be a damn rich guy 💵

[@jonluzzi3015]

@@shanew7361I’ve heard so many times that the H95 volume is very low. Is that an issue?

[@mxgrammatrain]

Thank you very much for your fantastic review! i did listened to the px8 and the px7s2E for about half an hour back and forward. despite their differnce, i like both of them and their strengthes. ultimate question now which one will i choose. still not decided. if anyone here did a similar resaeach and would like to comment of their choice whether if you have decided to go with the px8 or the px7s2e, it would be highly apreciated! kind rergards.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for you kind words! Highly appreciated! Please feel free to spread the word about my channel, I want to hit 1500 subscribers before Christmas. 😀 I have the B&W Pi7 S2 getting ready for a review in this very channel. Right now, they are 'breaking in' on the kitchen table, by playing music pretty much around the clock - and they already sound better than they did straight out of the box. It's a bit cumbersome, because I have to charge them every four hour or so - it's a bit like pampering a baby. 😅 Regarding the sound, I like them both, especially now that the Pi7 S2 are getting a bit 'burnt in'. To help you answer your question, ask yourself how you are going to use your new headphones. Are you using earbuds now? Is that what you want to use when you're at work or travelling? Or are you just going to use them at home and want the best possible sound experience from your headphones? To me, a pair of headphones will pretty much always outperform a pair of earbuds - in size and in sound. It's physics. Yes, I know that there are really expensive earbuds or in-ear monitors that sound really good - especially if you have them molded to your ear canals. But they will easily set you back $2000 and are mostly used by professional monitoring engineers and artists. If you are fine with using headphones and like the sound, my suggestion is to go for the Px8. And if you are used to earbuds, the Pi7 S2 is a nice alternative. In my review, I plan to compare them with the Apple AirPods Pro 2. Good luck with your decision and please let me know how it works out for you. 👍

[@mxgrammatrain]

@@immersivesoundtech appreciate your detailed answer/ feedback 🙌🏻. I meant the px7 s2e (over ear) compared to the Px8 😏 . They are not very different at first glance, but made of different materials and also differences in sound design

[@immersivesoundtech]

Roger that. I had the B&W Pi7 S2 earbuds in my ears, listening to music, when I read your post. 🎧🎶😅 Anyway, I haven't had the chance to listen to the B&W Px7 S2E yet. The distributor wasn't able to send me a pair. I got the Pi7 S2 instead. You write that you like them both, so my rhetorical answer is that you could go for the cheaper alternative, right? 😉 At some point, I will take a couple of hours off, and visit my local HiFi-store where they probably have both the Px8 and the Px7 S2E, but it's not going to happen during Black Week. 😃 Sorry that I can't be of more help right now.

[@attilab.2818]

Hey there, Are the Bang and Olufsen Beoplay H100s worth the 3x thicker price tag compared to these Bowers and Wilkins Px8s? I'm on the fence between these two, and based on the published specs and the materials, I honestly can't see the reason that would indicate this massive price difference. What do you think?

[@bobbydazzler1780]

Initial office use thoughts… Active noise cancellation is decent but don’t expect nearby conversations to dissapear if you’re monitoring in silence. Air conditioning drone goes away. They do a decent job but I’d say it’s 60% of perfect. Bluetooth range is very good. I work in a large office space and can walk a good 15m away from the source and still connect fine. Even through a wall. They do sound very good however so next test is two sessions of three hour use to check comfort. Looking good so far in that respect. Spectacle wearers - instead of pinching your spectacle arms under the cups you can sit the arms on top of the cans. Doesn’t look too silly.

[@bobbydazzler1780]

Active noise cancellation is barely better for filtering office conversations than with it turned off. They reduce in sound but only by about 25%. I guess your music source can do the rest of the job. Wearing comfort however is excellent.

[@bobbydazzler1780]

Outside the noise cancellation does better. Road noise from car tyres is dealt with well. As an aside on a cold Autumn day out and about they make for super comfy ear muffs keeping your ears nice and toasty. So far not perfect but more to like than not.

[@bobbydazzler1780]

The button controls are easy to locate and work very nicely. None of this touch control nonsense. Only gripe being no long press on the ANC button for Assistant.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your input, Bobby!

[@oskarberntson3777]

In regards to wired connection to iPhones with lightning. Wouldn’t it be possible to use a 3.5mm jack to lightning adapter and use that with the USB-C to 3.5mm included with the headphones? Or am I missing something here?

[@immersivesoundtech]

You could do that, but it means adding a digital -> analogue conversion in the lightning adapter, then an analogue -> digital conversion in the headphones. Both conversion will affect the sound quality. How much? Only you can decide.

[@yngste]

Really nice review! I am split between these and the Bathys OR something cheeper like the Sony WH1000XM5/PX7s2..

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for watching my videos, Jacob! 🙏 It all depends on how much money you are willing to part with, and what sound quality you are looking for. The best would be for you to find a good HiFi-store that have both the Px8 and Bathys for auditioning. Then you can listen to both models and decide which one that sounds the best - to you. 👍 The Sony cans and the Px7 are playing in a lesser league, and are therefor priced accordingly. They're still good-sounding, but are not playing in the same league is the B&W Px8 or Focal Bathys. When you decide which model to buy, please let us know in the comments. Especially when you have lived with them for a while. Good luck with your headphones quest! 👍

[@youssefsuhail3500]

I bought all 3 headphones and tested px8 x7s2 and xm5. Sony are terrible sound and bass compared to B&W, it’s anc is slightly better however. The px8 is on another league more bass than x7s2 and large sound stage with amazing detail. The build quality of Sony is terrible and sound isn’t the best so if you can afford px8 go for it otherwise go for s2

[@sergeygas6080]

Really cool video and a very pleasant voice!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for watching my videos! Highly appreciated!

[@Texxler]

I watched many reviewes of the PX8 since i cant use my Fiio FH7 In ears because my ears got sore... After this review i decided to buy em :) Thank you!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Glad to help out! Please let me know how they work out for you... Good luck!

[@zorqis]

Again a nice and relevant review. High quality build, pretty good sound for the price, better than the XM5, but the midrange expressivity is below the Bathys, something I could not improve with toning down the bass and/or changing the treble. Practicality is very good, and one coming from Sony could be really happy with them.

[@erikd6124]

Do you think xm5s or XM4 have better midrange expressivity? I think momentum 4 lacks exactly that.

[@zorqis]

@@erikd6124 no, they don't. The B&W are better than the Sony. Best in this regard are the Dali IO-12 imho.

[@erikd6124]

@@zorqis I've got the first px7 S2 on order, and The momentum 4 but might return them because of represed vocals. I'm looking for an upgrade from my old old XM4 and mx5, which have their own weaknesses.

[@Mazurok]

Thank you for the deep review!

[@immersivesoundtech]

My pleasure!

[@justperson3542]

Px8 or th610 ? Damn I don’t know what to choose 😂. Th610 is wired and Px8 is wireless but I don’t trust Bluetooth too much 😬😬. Maybe other options for this price tag ? 🤔.

[@Gokhan_B]

hello, first of all, you have a very good explanation. You touched on topics that I hadn't heard in any of the videos I watched before. thank you for your hard work. It is a brand that I have used for many years both in my home and in my office. I have a pair of Matrix804 and 600series at home and MM-1s connected to my computer in my office. but what surprises me is that the sound color of PX8s is closer to Matrix804's. Is this bad ? definitely not. but I'm a little sad that I can't get the depth of the MM-1s on the PX8s. Maybe this situation has something to do with the situation you want to talk about in the 9:20 part of this video. I can't tell you exactly what I mean about this, but you can understand it if you compare the MM-1s with the PX8s. if you have such a possibility, please compare the MM-1 and PX8. I wish the PX8s were as good as the MM-1s. I have been using B&W products for about 25 years and I absolutely do not regret it, I do not need to experience a new brand. It's been a long post, thank you for taking your precious time to read it.

[@agustinpalacios2433]

Hola, estos PX8 los puedo usar con un dac amp?

[@joelbregy1819]

Was looking very forward to this video. Now for just pure listening pleasure, would you get the bathys or the px8s?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your support! 🙏 The short answer is that it depends on which mode I'm in... 🙂 The B&W Px8 has a more forward sound stage, which is great for some types of music, whereas Focal Bathys has a more laid-back sound stage that sounds more 'natural'. Yesterday I was listening to electronic music on the Px8 whilst doing laundry and they sounded great. 'Fun' punchy low-end and very comfortable to wear and easy on the ears even at high listening levels. Smooth forward-sounding headphones. Right now I'm digging to a really cool jazz album that Qobuz presented to me last night in the app - using the Focal Bathys hooked up via USB-cable to my laptop, trying to promote this video at online forums. And the sound stage is great, very inspiring with depth, width and dynamics. Perfect for jazz! 🙂 I plan to make video comparing Bathys, Px8 and No.5909 where I will expand on the similarities and differences of the trio. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. PS. If you like jazz, check out the album: Magic Moments 15 (In the Spirit of Jazz) 🎵🥳

[@joelbregy1819]

Well thank you for your detailed answer. The thing is, I don’t intend on using the wired dac on the Bathys, because I have a pair of Audeze headphones for at home listening, so my primary use case will be on the go via Bluetooth. Just like you, I enjoy listening to a broad range of Genres. Metal, Rock, Jazz, Tech, Old School Rap, the occasional Mozart. So I prefer a flat tune out of the box so that I can adapt to everything using an EQ. And thanks for your recommendation. I‘ll suggest you listen to the Album „Piano Jazz“ by the Stockholm Jazz Quartet.

[@immersivesoundtech]

@@joelbregy1819 Well, Focal Bathys is 'flatter' and more transparent compared to B&W Px8 - and Bathys offers a five-band graphic EQ that's quite useful. I haven't felt the need to use it, but it's there if I need it. Regarding portability, the Px8 are handier and set with a nice squeeze on the head. Focal Bathys are a little more bulkier but offers really nice sound via iPhone, and more efficient active noise cancelling. Spontaneously, it sounds like the Bathys are the better alternative for you. You should give them a good listen. 👍

[@joelbregy1819]

@@immersivesoundtechI was able to listen to the Bathys in Singapore a few weeks ago, but the salesman told me, they were having problems getting the new PX8, so I didn’t have the chance to try them both yet. But it seems like it won’t be necessary. Thanks for your insight. PS; I was listening to your suggestion on the way to work. That’s a pretty good album

[@immersivesoundtech]

Great! Glad to be able to help out! The Stockholm Jazz Quartet are great! 🎼👍

[@attilab.2818]

Hi there, Is everyone happy with the Px8s arm movements, mechanism? I've just received my Px8s a few days ago and noticed the arms movement is a bit noisy, especially on the left side. Anyone who owns the Px8, when extending the arms, can you hear this scraping kinda noise when moving the sliders in and out? I believe its the cable that runs through inside the headband. I returned it since then and got a replacement pair which is almost exactly the same. I'm not blown away from the sound either, neither my wife but it's a different story. We both found it muddy, recessed, boomy, under-watery, awful instrument separation, everything was just kinda blended, lack of details, absolutely not pleasant to listen at all. Did some A-B testing with my B&O Beoplay H100 and the difference is night and day, not comparable, so as the price difference, so it's kinda expected. Anyway, listening Skyfall from Adele and some Teddy Swims songs was literally painful on the Px8s after the H100. Also have a Momentum 4 which I don't feel sounding worse than the Px8. Some songs gives even more joy on the Momentum 4s than the Px8. Are we both nuts? With all due respect, even though the Px8s have the potential to improve after a few hundreds hours of burning in (still don't think there will be a dramatic difference), why should I bother with those few hundreds hours sessions when I can find cans from different brands that sound night and day better straight out of the box? Please don't get me wrong sir, I appreciate and understand what you're saying but the headphones are supposed be for us, not the other way round, after all.

[@immersivesoundtech]

First, thanks for watching my videos. Much appreciated! I'm going to be frank with you...your comment about how the PX8 sound fresh out of the box is EXACTLY why I keep nagging about the importance of proper burn-in. You are of course entitled to do whatever you want with that information. I've reviewed headphones for close to twenty-five years - for different trade magazines - and it probably took me a year before I realized the importance of proper burn-in. I was reviewing a pair of expensive headphones and they sounded like crap out of the box, and it surprised me. Somewhere in the back of my head, I had heard about the concept of "break in" but as a trained sound engineer, I was taught that all Hi-Fi 'tips' (and tricks) are myths. With nothing to loose, I left the headphones playing music in my studio recording room for a month, and when I listened through them after the "break in" period, they sounded much better. Lesson learned for me. Is it a matter of quality if a pair of headphones sound great straight out of the box? Well, if they do, chances are that the manufacturer has broken them in before shipping. Or the fact that they sound great to begin with. To me, pretty much ALL factory-new audio equipment needs proper 'burn in'. I'm deep into the Hi-Fi swamp now, I know, but when I listen to well-build Hi-Fi equipment that is properly set up, preferably in an acoustically treated listening room - even the smallest differences in sound quality can be detected quite easily. In headphones, the difference in sound quality is even easier to detect, at least to me, because the test situation is pretty much exactly the same - as long as I position the headphones the same way on my head. Another thing that I always mention in my reviews of headphones, is the fact that the headphone listening experience is the most personal listening experience there is. I think it's due to the fact that all heads are different in size and shape, which will make the headphones squeeze differently on everybody, which will affect the low-end frequency response, sometimes quite a bit. All outer ears / pinna are different (read: very different) resulting in possibly slightly different phase response and comb filtering; and the size and shape of the ear canals are different, also resulting in different comb filtering and different frequency impedance response. If you do a mold of your two ear canals, you will see that they are somewhat different in shape and size. Sometimes they can be quite different in size. And not to forget, hearing loss by age and possible hearing damage from prolonged exposure to high sound pressure levels at work. These are just some of the factors that I believe affect your perceived listening experience of a pair of headphones; and it will never stop surprise me how different people can describe the sound of a pair of headphones - identical headphones. So, who's right about the sound quality? All and none! 😉 It's nice to watch KZbin videos and get fed subjective and objective information about a product that you're thinking of buying - I do it all the time. However, in the end, only you can decide if a pair of headphones works for you, and you have to try them out yourself and compare them with a couple of other headphones (like you're currently doing). It's like a pair of new jeans, I can put them on, show them to you on my KZbin channel and talk about all the benefits and describe how nice they fit. But, in the end you won't know if they fit you well until you've tried them on. And you're absolutely right, products are suppose to be for us users, not the other way around. 💪 If the PX8 doesn't 'feel' right to you, I suggest you send them back to the store. All the best Frederick

[@barrylattuca5352]

Can you compare them to the anc offerings from, Focal, Mark Levinson, Master and Dynamic, and Bang and Olufson?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Hi Barry Thanks for supporting my channel! 🙏 I plan to make a video comparing Focal Bathys, B&W Px8 and Mark Levinson 5909. I will consider reviewing the Master and Dynamic and Beoplay H95. I need to find whom to contact to ask for review products. Please stay tuned for more videos. 👍

[@barrylattuca5352]

@@immersivesoundtech You are very welcomed!! The luxury ANC space is getting very crowded. I consider the luxury segment anything north of Air Pods Max in terms of price. Others might disagree. I am looking forward to your reviews. Thanks!!

[@sukruyildizel422]

@@immersivesoundtech Looking forward to those comparisons!

[@immersivesoundtech]

The ANC headphones segment has certainly taken a huge leap forward in terms of sound quality the last two years, and it's becoming a very exciting market. As a long-time sound engineer, headphones have just been a tool used when needed, during location recordings and for checking channel sound during events etc. I basically never used headphones whilst mixing music, because I didn't think any headphones sounded good enough for the task But, that has changed, and I fancy using headphones more and more, and I now enjoy listening to music on certain headphones, which is a development for me personally. Regarding ANC headphones, I believe it's the fact that consumers now are willing to pay extra for a pair of really good headphones, and that gives the manufacturers more finances to develop better headphones. I guess the ever increasing prices for mobile phones, makes the consumers accepting higher prices for anything portable. Or at least, that's my very unscientific analysis. 🧐 Today is cleaning day at our house, and I'm going to enjoy vacuum-cleaning whilst wearing my ANC headphones. Happy Friday and have a great weekend! 🥳

[@barrylattuca5352]

@@immersivesoundtech Agreed. If you walk through an airport or go to the gym, many people are wearing ANC headphones. Bose and Sony seem to be the most popular. They are great for noise cancelling. But, I think the sound quality leaves something to be desired. Now consumers can have best of both worlds. It just cost a bit more. I think the technology will only improve. Personally, I wear my ANC headphones quite a bit in my house. Especially if I am working or talking on the phone. You have a nice weekend, as well!!

[@pillchill8810]

Hello there, great video. I am currently own bang and olufsen H95, not satisfied with loudness and lack of punchiness of bass. Is px8 better at overall sound quality compared to H95 ? Most satisfied sound characher so far for me is sennheiser momentum 3 over ear. Do you recommend px 8 ? Thank you soo much 😊

[@immersivesoundtech]

Hi! Thanks for watching the video! I have listened to both the BEOplay H95 and the Sennheiser Momentum 3, and to my ears, the Bower & Wilkins Px8 sound significantly better. I do recommend that you take a good listen to the Px8. I think that you will like both the low-end punch, loudness and overall sound. I certainly do. 🎵❤️

[@pillchill8810]

@@immersivesoundtech Well, hello again. I just bought royal burgundy one from amazon. Thx for the review, without your honest and detailed answer to my question, effected my purchase behavior in a good way. Calling from here to advertisement companies, fund this guyy!! :)

[@jakobsoegaard1886]

I have no issues connecting px8 to my iPad Pro with the usb c cable

[@immersivesoundtech]

I can't wait to throw all Apple lightning cables in the garbage - planning to upgrade to iPhone 15 Pro soon. 👍

[@Iamth6dad]

Where can I get my B&W wonder headphones fixed?

[@ninja_sound]

My suggestion is to contact your B&W reseller - especially if the headphones still are under warranty. 👍

[@DroidLocks6971]

.... I want to use px8 wired Passively using a fiio btr7 Or fiio btr15 to get LDAC CODEC and ill set LDAC To PRIORITY ON SOUND QUALITY .... From what youre saying that wont be possible ....

[@immersivesoundtech]

No, unfortunately the B&W Px8 doesn't support the Sony LDAC codec.

[@pys4540]

It's a review that helps you buy headphones. Let's get along well from now on.

[@JKCover]

One last thing I was hesitating before I purchase this one was how it does look like when I wear it, and I have very good clue on it because my head shape is similar to you. Thank you very much and I should run tomorrow to buy this one. Great video! 🎉

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for sharing! I hope you will be happy with them, they sound great! 😃

[@jonathancabeza8881]

Which one is better? Px7 s2e or PX8? I usually listen acoustic songs, pop and sometimes i watch movies. How is the bass? Thank you.

[@immersivesoundtech]

I haven't had the chance to listen to the Px7 S2E yet. Maybe someone else here can share their experiences with both models? 🙏

[@DaiWOU]

Regarding the analog input, I still think that this is a big flaw on the part of B&W (most likely intentional), since the lithium battery tends to wear out and, as a result, these expensive headphones after 3-4 years of active use will serve not 30 hours, but 3 hours. B&W does not replace the battery in the headphones, and judging by the disassembly of the original PX on KZbin, not everyone can replace the battery in the PX8. It is worth understanding this nuance when buying these headphones. IMO, Hi-end stuff should last for many-many years and not just become completely useless after 5 years

[@immersivesoundtech]

I don’t know where you got the information that B&W won’t change the battery, I’m in good contact with B&W and have specifically asked them about service and changing battery. Here is their reply, do what you will with it: “We will exchange the Px8 battery at a local service center - contact your reseller for more information”. So if you like how the B&W Px8 sound - buy with confidence. 👍

[@DaiWOU]

@@immersivesoundtech good day to you. Thanks for the answer. Unfortunately, the only service centre B&W have in my country is located in another city, but they offer to buy spare parts to order, so it doesn't scare me much

[@immersivesoundtech]

Okay, understood. I've never dealt with the B&W support, but got a very good impression of them when asking them about replacing the battery in the Px8. In the end, it is just a battery that you most likely can find on the Internet, but it's a good thing that they offer spare parts for you to order. 👍

[@nathanmatthey6282]

Will they be good for going to the gym?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Well, personally I use in-ears at the gym, simply because I sweat a lot. I use ANC headphones when I mow my lawn, and they make me sweat a lot, but I use them to protect my hearing. But if you're comfortable wearing headphones at the gym, the B&W Px8 will most likely fit your head well and feel comfortable during your workout. 👍

[@nathanmatthey6282]

@immersivesoundtech i ended up getting sony headphones for the gym as I'm not much of a fan of in ear ones, I bought the px8 and I use it while travelling to work in the train and they work amazing

[@ninja_sound]

@@nathanmatthey6282 Glad to hear that you like them! 😀

[@AlexRodriguez-oc6vc]

Hi, Did you faced any headband issue yet?

[@immersivesoundtech]

No, I haven't and I've been using them for more than a year now.

[@armandorodriguez3776]

I loved your rwview. Greetings from Mexico.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@blackdaniels8361]

Looking good bro! Great video 🤌🏾

[@miketan4803]

Apple uses proprietary computation audio ... hence ime it's only optimized for apple hw

[@immersivesoundtech]

Yes, everything Apple, is proprietary...

[@Serenadhifi]

Really thanks for your review , ı m sure u did it honestly..i already ordered this headphone without testing still waiting for it. Just i dont understand that is it possible to use usb c type cable wth iphone 13 pro?dac mode wont work well?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Hi Kitoro! Yes, you are right, I tried to be as honest as I could possibly be, and still prove diverse information and not just my own opinions about the headphones. 👍 No, the B&W Px8 won't work via USB-C cable connected to an iPhone. After finding that out, I contacted my distributor and they replied that it couldn't and that the main focus was on the wireless transmission of sound. It's a bit of a shame, because they do sound better via USB-C. That said, they are still great-sounding headphones, and I hope they sound great to you too. Good luck with your purchase! 👍

[@mortenthorpe]

On your note of using an external audio DAC, between the source (usb) and the headphones… the resulting sound is terrible, and cannot be mitigated… lots of audible digital noises introduced, and a truly gut wrenching awful experience… tested using the Firefly middle range DA converter, before that one was promptly returned to the store as a mis-purchase, for the reasons I just gave…

[@immersivesoundtech]

No, the Px8 headphones can't be driven passively, so there really isn't a good idea to use the 'analogue' minijack -> USB-C cable - even if it's possible.

[@mortenthorpe]

@@immersivesoundtech exactly - I just verified your brief statement, expanded upon it with my experiences, as to assist others in not choising the external DAC solution

[@ninja_sound]

@@mortenthorpe Thank you! 🙏

[@DamianNocun]

@@mortenthorpewhat is wrong of using let's say ifi go link with cable connection? For instance an iphone using only AAC codec which is rubbish, so I have no different choice than to use DAC or change phone 😂

[@sinandede9871]

Thx for this review sir, Is it possible to hear losless audio on apple music via my ipad with the px8 headphones?

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for watching and supporting my channel! 🙏 To my knowledge, unfortunately not, and it has to do with several reasons: * The Px8 currently can't be connected via USB-cable to an iOS-device. * The Bluetooth connection used by iOS-devices is AAC - Advanced Audio Coding - and it's lossy at a bit rate up to 320kbit/s with variable bitrate. Hopefully Apple will launch a lossless codec for Bluetooth in the future, but you just don't know with Apple. * Apple won't support other Bluetooth codec than their own. * There currently isn't any Bluetooth codec on the market that offers lossless transmission. Qualcomm is launching the aptX Lossless codec but it looks like a brand-new Android phone is needed due to the processing done. So, if you are using the Bluetooth connection, you are left using your Px8 via the lossy AAC codec. I haven't got access to an iPad Pro with USB-C port. It would be interesting to know if that might work with the Px8.

[@DamianNocun]

I'm using ifi go link (small DAC) with usb-c to jack cable and I don't think those sounds horrible, opposite I think they play great, comparing with my Sony xm4 and Momentum4.

[@juniimatos]

There is something you said about these headphones during your review before me purchasing them which I found crazy. You said that when you plugged in the headphones via USBC to an android, the volume eas notably lower. This exact same thing happened to me and i was extremely disappointed as i eas already used to listening to my bathys in dac mode. Well good news! I found a way to fix the issue and i hope it works for you to. Plug them into the laptop and whatever volume they have when you un plug them will be the max volume theyll have on the phone. So you plug them into a laptop, put the volume at 100, and then plug it into your phone, youll see that the volume now will be at 100 and that they will sound pretty incredible with the built in dolby atmos that comes with android. So much so i think they now beat my bathys. Let me know if it works for you!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for the 'hack'! 😀 I will try it out!

[@juniimatos]

@immersivesoundtech let me know if it works!

[@AUTOMODELISMOCDMX]

Great video, my wife gave me them in the same color, I simply love them, I do not like to listen music by Bluetooth, in any form, including my home set (Marantz model 50 - speakers B&W) I have all wired, ok, it’s is the same with this headphones, I use a Dongle DAC FIIO BTR15, special usb cable, (no ecualization) and believe me the sound they give, is just amazing, for sure I used them with Bluetooth, ok, I never did it again, an I will never do it ever again, because by wire, dac, and tidal……. I feel the same when I am in my sound studio. Please use them as I suggest at least once, believe me, you will discover other reality about them!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for your kind words and your advice! 🙏 As you point out, they sound even better wired. 🎶👍

[@DroidLocks6971]

.... Id to return my shure aonic 40 as they hurt the top of my head .... i hated to because they sounded so nice .... when i look at these they look like theyd be heavy and cumbersome after wearing for a while .... ?¿ wHaT dO yOu SaY sIr ?¿

[@immersivesoundtech]

I find them rather light to wear and I can use them for hours without getting sore. But we're all different, so the only way to know if they are the 'right' headphones for you, is to try them out yourself. If you do, please let me know what you think about them, okay.

[@lmallard3788]

I would be connecting these to a MacBook Pro lap top and an iPhone. My music flavor is almost all over the board- from classical to bluegrass, including rock, jazz, and ountry. Maybe these are the wrong choice for me.

[@immersivesoundtech]

I'd say that the two most important factors choosing the "right" pair of headphones are comfort and 'sound'. To me, the B&W Px8 fit my head very well and are comfortable wearing hours and hours again. And as I describe in my review, I really like how they sound. They have a 'signature' sound for sure, and inflated low-end with the ANC activated. Still I levitate towards using them because of their 'fun' low-end and smooth 'sound'. I hope this helps making your decision. Please let me know how they work out for you, okay. Best of luck! Frederick

[@raulfuertes8564]

Excellent stament and great reviews ... Thank you🏒🏒🏒🏒

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thank you! 👍

[@karolykrausz5534]

I own the Beoplay H95, Focal Bathys and the PX8. My summary: if you're serious about sound just forget the PX8. No competition at all. At all. If you want a luxury headphone for work, multipoint Bluetooth with great features, comfort, good microphone quality and sound is not thaaaaaat important for you then yes go with the PX8. Value for money? I see the PX8 realistically in the area 450-500 EUR. For that price the value for money ratio is very good. Personnaly I would not buy a PX8 above 600 euro because that's a rip off.

[@karolykrausz5534]

@Fempire ASMR H95 - Techno, Dance, Rock Focal Bathys - Classic, PoP PX8 - just don't choose it because of sound. In Germany you can get the PX8 for 531 Euro gros already. Personally I would advise you to wait until it costs below 500 Euro gros. Later on you can sell it for 350 Euro and your loss will be limited.

[@DamianNocun]

Don't know what you mean don't take it because of sound, what is wrong with it in your opinion?

[@Alex-up2lh]

So what headphone will you recommend for the sound quality?

[@izzyhair1132]

I got mine yesterday…😊

[@immersivesoundtech]

Congrats! Now, make sure to 'break in' the headphones properly, before judging the sound quality. 🎵👍

[@engolivecomau]

Your headgoal reference was pure gold 😂

[@manuelbaret]

You may want to try Zombie performed by Maiya Sykes. It’s really a fantastic song but with the PX8 is another level.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Great track! Slightly harsh vocals for my taste, but great performance. The sound engineer in me wants to add a 'dynamic eq' on the vocals, and ride the levels before hitting it with compression. But, great track. Thanks! 👍

[@Murattarif]

These are better or Focal Bathys?

[@immersivesoundtech]

The answer will be published in a video - hopefully soon. 👍

[@nafismridha997]

Do they have a video lag?

[@Dingbobber]

That would be an issue with your phone

[@andrewchilds3653]

Bought the PX8 based on the review here and I have to be honest it has an amazing sound stage for me, however, for such an expensive headphone it is really disappointing when the leather cover on the headband peels away. Seems this is a somewhat common problem and worse than that seems B&W don't really care to much either. Just as a point of interest my headphones are only used at home for my PC and always in their case or on the headphone stand, basically no reason for the issue. Disappointed B&W do better £600 wasted...

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thanks for sharing your findings, Andrew! I haven't had any problems with the headband on my B&W Px8, but some other users have reported problems with the headband. What was Bowers & Wilkins reply when you contacted them?

[@andrewchilds3653]

@@immersivesoundtech Sadly my headphones were just out of warranty by about a month so I understand that but it would be good for them to resolve the issue none the less. I have however found a video which shows you how to remove the plastic top of the headband and re-glue the leather in place. I am now thinking Focal Bathy's or Mark Levinsons next :)

[@Saturn-Matrix]

@andrewchilds3653 I was going suggest reglueing them too. I want the px8 still

[@andrewchilds3653]

@@Saturn-Matrix from a sound point of view you will not be sorry, although you might need surgery to remove the smile off your face the minute the first notes come through 🤣🤣

[@bill3117]

Great review and commentary! I own a pair (McLaren), and do like them very much. But, I'm a little worried about losing out on the best potential good sound by not wanting to crank the volume up. Also, as you indicate they sound better with ANC on, it this generally found true on other brands of headphones? I thought it was usually the other way around. So unlike my Masters & Dynamics MW75, there is no pass through cabling that would let me get the best sound by using my Schiit Asgard3 external DAC/Amp. BTW I rotate my different brands of headphones depending on my mood and music. Finally, thank you for the music list to try out! Subscribed!!!

[@immersivesoundtech]

Hi Bill Thanks for your kind words and for subscribing to my channel! Much appreciated! 🙏😃 I would say that most active headphones sound the best when the active noise cancelling is disabled - because what the ANC does, is to mix in noise from outside, out-of-phase with the headphone sound and through clever processing cancel out some of the outside noise. Any kind of processing will have some kind of detrimental effect on the sound quality - it's a force of nature. But, as I point out in the review, the B&W Px8 sound better to me, when the ANC is active - due to the inflated low-end that the ANC creates. If you are happy with using your Px8 without ANC, then go for it. You can add a couple of dBs of low-end with the bass filter and get some of the firm low-end - but it won't sound as good as the inflated low-end, me thinks. And you're right, you won't gain any sound quality by using an external DAC/headphone amp, because the incoming sound will be digitalized and processed by the headphones anyway. Regarding my thoughts about the headphones, they are only my personal thoughts, and I still think they are great-sounding headphones. What's more important to you, is that you think they sound great to you. 🎵👍

[@MrMogensd]

Very helpfull. Thanks.

[@immersivesoundtech]

Glad to hear it!

[@kuu-tq5yw]

fantastic review

[@immersivesoundtech]

Thank you kindly