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1 / 10Bowers & Wilkins Px8 standard edition
At 8.4, its noise cancelling beats 58% of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 64 of the 243 we've cataloged.
A 4.2 puts its audio quality in the top half of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 49 of the 243 we've cataloged.
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below average for over-ear headphones — based on 160 of 243 we've cataloged.
Usb-c is the most common — on 89% of the 139 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
5.2 appears on 16% of the 153 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
Bluetooth appears on 44% of the 252 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 243).
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Frequency Response (measured on a B&K 5128)
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Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 7.5 |
| 25 | 7.5 |
| 32 | 7.0 |
| 40 | 5.9 |
| 50 | 5.3 |
| 63 | 6.2 |
| 80 | 5.4 |
| 100 | 4.3 |
| 125 | 4.0 |
| 160 | 3.6 |
| 200 | 2.8 |
| 250 | 1.3 |
| 315 | -0.6 |
| 400 | -1.9 |
| 500 | -1.5 |
| 630 | -0.7 |
| 800 | -0.3 |
| 1000 | -1.0 |
| 1250 | -1.8 |
| 1600 | -1.7 |
| 2000 | -0.1 |
| 2500 | 0.7 |
| 3150 | 6.5 |
| 4000 | 8.1 |
| 5000 | 4.6 |
| 6300 | 2.8 |
| 8000 | 6.4 |
| 10000 | 0.4 |
| 12500 | -7.9 |
| 16000 | -11.4 |
| 20000 | -24.1 |
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Attenuation (measured on a B&K 5128)
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Solid lines: passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Dashed lines: total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 6.5 |
| 26 | 9.3 |
| 33 | 0.6 |
| 41 | 0.8 |
| 52 | -0.3 |
| 65 | 1.3 |
| 82 | -0.6 |
| 103 | -0.8 |
| 130 | 1.1 |
| 163 | 2.9 |
| 205 | 4.8 |
| 259 | 5.5 |
| 325 | 8.6 |
| 410 | 9.5 |
| 516 | 10.9 |
| 613 | 12.1 |
| 772 | 15.8 |
| 972 | 23.4 |
| 1220 | 24.1 |
| 1540 | 24.1 |
| 1940 | 30.2 |
| 2440 | 33.5 |
| 3070 | 35.0 |
| 3870 | 30.2 |
| 4870 | 41.8 |
| 6130 | 46.2 |
| 7720 | 51.9 |
| 9720 | 45.7 |
| 12200 | 46.8 |
| 15400 | 46.0 |
| 19400 | 38.4 |
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 11.0 |
| 26 | 15.1 |
| 33 | 8.4 |
| 41 | 9.7 |
| 52 | 13.3 |
| 65 | 14.9 |
| 82 | 21.7 |
| 103 | 26.0 |
| 130 | 23.8 |
| 163 | 21.5 |
| 205 | 18.9 |
| 259 | 19.5 |
| 325 | 20.8 |
| 410 | 19.1 |
| 516 | 21.4 |
| 613 | 25.3 |
| 772 | 29.8 |
| 972 | 23.5 |
| 1220 | 22.7 |
| 1540 | 25.8 |
| 1940 | 31.2 |
| 2440 | 32.9 |
| 3070 | 33.9 |
| 3870 | 28.9 |
| 4870 | 38.3 |
| 6130 | 44.6 |
| 7720 | 41.0 |
| 9720 | 42.5 |
| 12200 | 47.0 |
| 15400 | 44.0 |
| 19400 | 29.2 |
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 MDAQS
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores, Scale 1 - 5
Virtual mean opinion scores (MOS) on a 1–5 scale, modeled from the measured response by HEAD acoustics’ MDAQS (Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score) model. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
The verdict
The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 is a competent, but expensive set of ANC headphones. Consequently, it's less of a question of getting the most for your dollar, but whether or not you're looking for something a little more posh than your average headphones.
✓Liked: Sound, ANC, Connectivity options, Aesthetics
✕Could be better: Mass, Odd performance in some ways, Price
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Tom TriggsContributor
3 of 5 would buy again
5 owners · owners report ~40 h per charge vs 40 h claimed
Comfort beat their expectations
Expected more from the fit and build
The battery beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Nothing surprising about comfort
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
The noise cancelling beat their expectations
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · 1 photo-verified
Expected more from comfort
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
Comfort beat their expectations
1 of 1 would buy again
1 owner · owners report ~55 h per charge vs 53.77 h claimed
The battery beat their expectations
