What he said.
They sound much better. I won’t deny it but at the same time they are less fun the longer I listened to them the more I realize they were just not as fun as the PX8 and I’m just gonna stick with that.
Honestly, even though I'm disappointed with not having the capability and ceiling of the highest bit rate, I seriously question my own aptitude regarding differentiating this these days. I stopped at sometimes being able to notice the difference between 320kbps vs lossless. I'm just not sure how much I'd really appreciate the difference between 16 and 24 bits. Maybe that's because most of my music listening these days with dad and husband responsibilities is Tidal and Amazon music in the car and doing errands with my MW07's. I rarely have the opportunity and even desire to use my full sized headphones and DAC....
I disagree with some of the other posts who say wired vs. Px8 make no difference. My main wired desktop headphone is the Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Noire (I pre-ordered at launch and probably paid around the same as I paid for my Px8). I find the Aeon 2 more comfortable (may be the bigger ear cups), is clearer, more controlled and has better bass and a wider soundstage (Px8 sounds a bit too intimate for my liking). I have my Noires EQ'd using the PEQ on my RME ADI-2 DAC vs Px8 via aptX HD so it is not really a fair comparison. Part of it may be that I have never really been able to get a sound I liked (the tuning is not my personal favorite) but it also never really sounds natural to me (feels like I am listening to a set of speakers where the speakers dont really disappear for me if that makes any sense). This is all subjective and my personal preference and there may be others who prefer the B&W tuning. However, I enjoy my Px8 when I want to be wireless (usually use them in bed before falling asleep) and they ticked most boxes for me in terms of being, in my opinion, a fantastic all around package for features that I personally look for in bluetooth headphones (good enough sound with built in EQ, acceptable ANC, physical buttons, transparency mode, multi point, compact size). Personally, I never expected the Px8 to replace the wired headphones or IEMs that I still use regularly but am still happy with the Px8 (and also the Px7 S2) for their convenience and features.
I use my Px8 almost exclusively with a Pixel 7 Pro. I do have an aptX adaptive capable phone (LG V60) that I don't use as much anymore but never felt like I was missing anything using them with my Pixel 7 Pro vs my LG V60. I wouldn't worry too much about codecs if you have the Pixel 8 Pro. Others may disagree but, in my opinion, When it comes to Bluetooth headphones and TWS, tuning (that matches your personal preference) and features are generally more important than codec compatibility.
I appreciate you level setting my expectations. The reason I asked that question is to try to gauge if the gap has gotten closer for some with the PX8. And it seems like it has based on the responses. What I especially appreciated reading is how much enjoyment others are getting with having the convenience of wireless and apparently the successful tuning from B&W engineers of their sound signature. It's basically exactly what you're saying in terms of ticking most of the boxes, but with a pleasant surprise that you're not necessarily sacrificing too much. On the contrary, it appears they bring something new to the table in terms of overall enjoyment for some.
The PX8 is not close to high-end closed backs in technical ability, detail, soundstage etc. It is important to remember context when buying a ANC headphone, it is for enjoying music on the go or when moving around.
This is so well said. I completely agree.
Yes. I did as have a few others. In the right channel of a brand new set. Returned. Second set was perfect.
Enjoy what you enjoy! No apologies required. That is why there are so many darned good brands and models of headphones out there. Better yet, own both!
