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Scattered across my desk right now are 23 pairs of headphones and earbuds. I mention my collection not to brag, but as evidence of my obsession with audio. Consider me an expert in shutting the world out with sound. When you live in New York City and have misophonia, you kinda have to be.
Some highlights from the collection include: A few cheap buds, which I lovingly refer to as my dog walking buds; my wired, hi-fi Audio Technicas; a random assortment of older and newer generation AirPods; the Sony WH-1000XM4s; and a refurbished set of Bose QuietComfort45s. Unfortunately, I don’t use any of them anymore; not since I got my paws on Bowers and Wilkins’ new active noise-canceling headphones, the Px8. These puppies are like the Maserati of over-ear headphones—or should I say McLaren, because they have a collab for that too.
SHOP NOW $799, bowersandwilkins.com
Timothy Mulcare//esquire
Yes, they are pricey.
Before I dive into everything that makes the Px8 headphones so great, I want to address the astronomical price tag. They cost $799. (That’s for the limited-edition 007 set, which you can see in the photos, but a standard pair costs $699.) Obviously, that’s a lot of money. As far as I’m concerned the only people who have any business buying this expensive of headphones are people with fuck you money or serious audiophiles who also have fuck you money. But I would argue that the same rules should apply for the more consumer friendly $400 and $500 headphones that I see a lot of people wearing these days. My point is: If you’re going to spend that much money on headphones, you might as well spend a couple hundred more and get the very best. And the Px8 headphones are the very, very best. Let’s get into what makes them worth the extra investment.
SHOP NOW $799, bowersandwilkins.com
Timothy Mulcare//esquire
They’re sturdy and sweat-free
One look at them and it’s clear you’re dealing with luxury goods. The earpads and headband are made from cushiony, napa leather which is durable while also being soft and naturally sweat-wicking. These are the only over-ear headphones I can wear all day in a hot, humid climate without my neck and ears getting clammy. For this reason alone, I’d say they are worth it, but if you need more convincing, I’ve only gotten started.
The earpads connect to arms that are constructed out of diecast aluminum and metal. Now if you don’t know what diecast aluminum means, well same, but all I know is that compared to other high-end headphones, the Px8 feels so much sturdier. They make most other headphones in my arsenal feel flimsy by comparison. Yet, despite being constructed out of durable materials, they are still lightweight, weighing in at only 320 grams (65 grams less than the AirPods Max if you’re counting). Wearing these is such a wonderful experience, sometimes I put them on even when I’m not listening to music. They’re so gorgeous, they might as well be jewelry. They’re so comfortable and warming to my ears in winter, they might as well be a beanie.
SHOP NOW $799, bowersandwilkins.com
Bringing the studio to your ears
As great as the Px8 headphones look and feel, the real magic happens inside the earcups, which house Bowers and Wilkins’ new 40mm carbon cone drivers. These little speakers pack a crazy punch. They were inspired by the same technology that Bowers and Wilkins uses in their legacy 700 series loudspeaker range, and as a result, they deliver studio-quality sound. Hi-hats are bright and crisp and bass tones boom (especially in noise-canceling mode). The mid-range is clear and consistent too, so long as you listen with the volume turned up.
My favorite in-earcup aspect of the Px8 is the positioning of the cones. They are raised and angled in such a way that they point toward your ears and immerse you in a consistent and relative distribution of sound. This allows you to hear each instrument and noise exactly how the artist intended you to. Nothing gets lost in the mix. I refuse to listen to Prince on anything other than my Bowers and Wilkins Px8 anymore.
SHOP NOW $799, bowersandwilkins.com
Timothy Mulcare//esquire
They’re all about back to basics
Bowers and Wilkins didn’t festoon the Px8 with many techy features. Other than an adjustable EQ (just the treble and bass), the app is largely forgettable. Just like on Sony’s WH-1000XMs, you can toggle between off, noise-canceling, and pass-through modes, but you can’t focus on voices only when you’re in pass-through mode. There’s also no adaptive sound control, which is fine by me as I much prefer to control the volume myself. The only thing comparable is their wear sensor, which is supposed to detect when you lift an ear cup up and automatically pause the music. It’d be great if it actually worked, but more often than not it doesn’t. While the noise-canceling still stacks up, it’s not the best out there, more middle and high-frequency noises seep through them.
But on the other hand, there are more important features that make them worth it to me. For one, the battery life performs brilliantly. You can get 30 hours of listening time from a single charge and two hours from just 15 minutes of charging. The Px8 headphones are also much easier to use and control than other high-end noise canceling models. That’s because Bowers and Wilkins installed stainless steel control buttons instead of less intuitive sensor panels on the side of the earcups to shuffle between songs and modes. The result is better UX and a much smoother listening session.
If you care more about quality than you do tech, there’s no way around the Px8’s superiority. They feel better, look better, and will undoubtedly last longer than any other comparable pair of headphones. They also deliver a much richer sound. And at the end of the day, that’s what an expensive pair of headphones should do.