[Denkmal]

Interestingly, I have, so far, found the px8 to be more sibilant than the mw65. I've had a closer listen, and I now know why I'm not liking ( tbh this is an understatement ) the PX8. It's the DSP. For me, it feels like there's a room eq at work - I'm hearing alot of reverb in the music. There's also TOO much bass for me, and IMO it's veiling everything else that's going on. That for me gives it a more commercial sound signature. The mids feel more veiled and the vocals aren't capturing me. I'm doubtful that another 20 hours of listening is going to change that. I really wanted to like these, but in all honesty, they sound $400, not $1150. I've already put them up for sale. I want to maintain the highest resell value I can, so adding another 50 hours of listening time isn't on the cards.

Funny how ears hear different things
I get the ”too much bass” part, and sure the tuning is not neutral by any means.
But the warm mids and impact on vocals are propably my favourite thing about the PX8, alone with the energy and drive and the nice timbre.
I reach for these over Bathys everytime I am listening to music with lots of electric guitars, female vocals or singer-songwriter acoustics.

Bathys are excellent too but very different.

If I were you I would probably try and listen to:
Focal Bathys
Mark Levinson 5909
T+A Solitaire
Bang & Olufsen H95
Master & Dynamic MW75

I heard all of these but the T+A, ended up buying and keeping Bathys and PX8

 

[christos_540]

Funny how ears hear different things
I get the ”too much bass” part, and sure the tuning is not neutral by any means.
But the warm mids and impact on vocals are propably my favourite thing about the PX8, alone with the energy and drive and the nice timbre.
I reach for these over Bathys everytime I am listening to music with lots of electric guitars, female vocals or singer-songwriter acoustics.

Bathys are excellent too but very different.

If I were you I would probably try and listen to:
Focal Bathys
Mark Levinson 5909
T+A Solitaire
Bang & Olufsen H95
Master & Dynamic MW75

I heard all of these but the T+A, ended up buying and keeping Bathys and PX8

Indeed. For whatever reason I didn't find the female vocals engaging. The timbre for me is unattractive. They certainly have a lovely premium feel, however IMO, a case of style over substance. Not the right comparison to make, but my earsonic SM64's leave the PX8 in the dust. They are that much better. As you say it's all in the ears. Assuming I manage to sell the PX8, I'll find somewhere perhaps in Brisbane where I can demo some headphones.

 

[TK33]

Interestingly, I have, so far, found the px8 to be more sibilant than the mw65. I've had a closer listen, and I now know why I'm not liking ( tbh this is an understatement ) the PX8. It's the DSP. For me, it feels like there's a room eq at work - I'm hearing alot of reverb in the music. There's also TOO much bass for me, and IMO it's veiling everything else that's going on. That for me gives it a more commercial sound signature. The mids feel more veiled and the vocals aren't capturing me. I'm doubtful that another 20 hours of listening is going to change that. I really wanted to like these, but in all honesty, they sound $400, not $1150. I've already put them up for sale. I want to maintain the highest resell value I can, so adding another 50 hours of listening time isn't on the cards.

Indeed. For whatever reason I didn't find the female vocals engaging. The timbre for me is unattractive. They certainly have a lovely premium feel, however IMO, a case of style over substance. Not the right comparison to make, but my earsonic SM64's leave the PX8 in the dust. They are that much better. As you say it's all in the ears. Assuming I manage to sell the PX8, I'll find somewhere perhaps in Brisbane where I can demo some headphones.

I also agree with the lots of bass part but, I think DSP has really come a long way and the Px8 EQ really well in my opinion. I think my favorite audio related purchases in recent years are the Qudelix 5K and RME ADI-2 DAC for their PEQ abilities. You can EQ the bass down on the Px8 (aved on hardware) and that is exactly what I do with most B&W headphones as well as my Senn TWS. It is really a matter of taste and it sounds like the Px8 is just not your cup of tea. If you don't like ithem you should definitely try to sell since it sounds like you cannot return.

To me, bluetooth is still all about compromises and I dont think any one headphone exists that will l tick all the boxes for me. The tuning of the Px8 was not why I got them but I find them enjoyable and one of the best all-rounders for my needs. My favorite tuning is still the Shure Aonic 50 for bluetooth headphones but those are not very portable and have terrible ANC. They are also too big for me to use while sleeping. That is why I also got both the Px7 S2 (mainly used for commuting and travel) and Px8 (listening to music helps me unwind and fall sleep) and I feel they complement the Aonic 50 nicely in terms of different sound signatures to fit my mood. The B&Ws sound great in their own way (extra bass is nice when commuting) and have good ANC (I personally don't need the best ANC), good slim form factor that I can wear while sleeping, physical button controls, good build quality and comfort (especially the Px8, which I can wear for hours), good connection strength (no blips during my commute through midtown Manhattan), The Px8 probably ticks the most boxes for me but I realize not everyone is looking for the same thing as me so I appreciate your different impressions as well.

 

[LoryWiv]

Thinking about picking up the campfire orbit for giggles for a nice IEM. Yeah I know no ANC but I bet they sound great for 250

Not to stray too far off topic but on same point of lower cost wireless options to PX8, has anyone heard the Grado GW 100X?

 

[Denkmal]

Not to stray too far off topic but on same point of lower cost wireless options to PX8, has anyone heard the Grado GW 100X?

Very briefly.
They are as similar to PX8 as ice cream is to a cactus.
Open backs, lots of sound leakage both ways, plastic construction, pressing on temples.
But they are fairly neutral and offer a nice soundstage and separation for the price.
I wouldnt really consider it an option to a closed back, warm sounding and punch ANC headphone like PX8.

 

[christos_540]

I also agree with the lots of bass part but, I think DSP has really come a long way and the Px8 EQ really well in my opinion. I think my favorite audio related purchases in recent years are the Qudelix 5K and RME ADI-2 DAC for their PEQ abilities. You can EQ the bass down on the Px8 (aved on hardware) and that is exactly what I do with most B&W headphones as well as my Senn TWS. It is really a matter of taste and it sounds like the Px8 is just not your cup of tea. If you don't like ithem you should definitely try to sell since it sounds like you cannot return.

To me, bluetooth is still all about compromises and I dont think any one headphone exists that will l tick all the boxes for me. The tuning of the Px8 was not why I got them but I find them enjoyable and one of the best all-rounders for my needs. My favorite tuning is still the Shure Aonic 50 for bluetooth headphones but those are not very portable and have terrible ANC. They are also too big for me to use while sleeping. That is why I also got both the Px7 S2 (mainly used for commuting and travel) and Px8 (listening to music helps me unwind and fall sleep) and I feel they complement the Aonic 50 nicely in terms of different sound signatures to fit my mood. The B&Ws sound great in their own way (extra bass is nice when commuting) and have good ANC (I personally don't need the best ANC), good slim form factor that I can wear while sleeping, physical button controls, good build quality and comfort (especially the Px8, which I can wear for hours), good connection strength (no blips during my commute through midtown Manhattan), The Px8 probably ticks the most boxes for me but I realize not everyone is looking for the same thing as me so I appreciate your different impressions as well.

The B & W app unfortunately isn't suitable either. As it can only stream my tidal music, I'm getting alot of buffering. We have crap refund policies here in Australia. I can return them, at a 30% restocking fee. Given how close we are to xmas, I don't think there'll be an issue selling them. If I do decide to buy another set of headphones, I'll be searching for a place that demos them. I haven't tried wired mode though. Another reviewer said that even in wired mode, the headphones have to be switched on. This suggests that the DAC inside the headphone is still being engaged, but if that's the case, what's the point of wired mode? Is this correct?

 

[ryanmatic]

Yes, they need to be powered on to be used with either USB-C cable.

The benefit when connected via USB-C is that they charge, and support up to 24-bit/48 kHz resolution (I think... someone please correct me if I'm mistaken; I couldn't find this specified in the product documentation).

 

[TK33]

The B & W app unfortunately isn't suitable either. As it can only stream my tidal music, I'm getting alot of buffering. We have crap refund policies here in Australia. I can return them, at a 30% restocking fee. Given how close we are to xmas, I don't think there'll be an issue selling them. If I do decide to buy another set of headphones, I'll be searching for a place that demos them. I haven't tried wired mode though. Another reviewer said that even in wired mode, the headphones have to be switched on. This suggests that the DAC inside the headphone is still being engaged, but if that's the case, what's the point of wired mode? Is this correct?

Not sure if I understood correctly but, just to clarify, you do not need to use the B&W app. You can just use your Tidal app like you would with any other headphone. App only needs to be used to change settings like EQ. Once you have it set up, you do not even need the app. I use Amazon Music HD (not even an option in the B&W app) or locally saved FLAC files via a third party app,. Any EQ settings will be stored on the headphones themselves and would apply even if you paired the Px8 to a source that does not have the B&W app installed (e.g., I also use a Creative BT-W4 adapter, my TV and laptop).

As for wired mode, it worked great on the plane to watch movies using the in-flight entertainment system (3.5mm to USB C) and it is nice just being able to plug in to my desktop without having to pair bluetooth (would be limited to aptX and using the cable means I dont have to deal with going into Windows bluetooth settings). Finally, bluetooth is lossy so wired mode should give you a higher quality stream.

 

[christos_540]

Not sure if I understood correctly but, just to clarify, you do not need to use the B&W app. You can just use your Tidal app like you would with any other headphone. App only needs to be used to change settings like EQ. Once you have it set up, you do not even need the app. I use Amazon Music HD (not even an option in the B&W app) or locally saved FLAC files via a third party app,. Any EQ settings will be stored on the headphones themselves and would apply even if you paired the Px8 to a source that does not have the B&W app installed (e.g., I also use a Creative BT-W4 adapter, my TV and laptop).

As for wired mode, it worked great on the plane to watch movies using the in-flight entertainment system (3.5mm to USB C) and it is nice just being able to plug in to my desktop without having to pair bluetooth (would be limited to aptX and I dont have to deal with going into Windows bluetooth settings). Finally, bluetooth is lossy so wired mode should give you a higher quality stream.

Oh I didn't mean you could only use the B&W app - that would make it unsellable. Just that as the app can only stream through your tidal app, you'll experience buffering issues if your connection isn't fast enough ( if it's FLAC quality ). That's true of Tidal itself. I have all my playlists downloaded. All good. Wired mode won't solve my issue though. I'll just need to listen first before buying my next pair.

 

[johnston21]

In wired mode, could the Px8 benefit from a USB-C to a source TRRS 3.5 or TRRRS 4.4 male balanced cable (not for mic use)?

Response from B&W:
The Px8 does support input either via standard 3.5 mm TRS cable or the supplied USB-C to 3.5 mm cable (male). Other cables may work with it but are not officially supported.
Bowers & Wilkins Support
Sound United North America

Not sure where you would attach a standard 3.5 TRS to the Px8...

 

[TheOnetoWin]

Hi Guys,

Out of curiosity, do PX8s give you some kind of indication for when they are done charging? Like the XM5's charging light will come off when it's finished charging for example.

 

[TK33]

Hi Guys,

Out of curiosity, do PX8s give you some kind of indication for when they are done charging? Like the XM5's charging light will come off when it's finished charging for example.

Yes. Light blinks while charging and is solid when full. See Section 2.3 "Status Indicator" in the manual (page number 3). Link below. You can also just search for "B&W Px8 manual" in your search engine of choice.

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/en-us/product/headphones/px8

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/-/med...s/pdp-documentation/headphones/px8-manual.pdf

 

[TheOnetoWin]

Yes. Light blinks while charging and is solid when full. See Section 2.3 "Status Indicator" in the manual (page number 3). Link below. You can also just search for "B&W Px8 manual" in your search engine of choice.

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/en-us/product/headphones/px8

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/-/med...s/pdp-documentation/headphones/px8-manual.pdf

Awesome thx!

 

[Law87]

verrrry bassy out of the box...feels Vshape...I have set -6db bass and -1.5db treb...sounds a lot better

 

[arpasquill]

Well here we go