Bowers and Wilkins PX8 Wireless Discussion

Dec 5, 2024 at 9:53 PM Post #5,641 of 5,843
Sure the APP2 sound better than most TWS Iems but to day they are better tuned than actual IEMS is a stretch, when the competition for tws iems is resoundingly meh, then it's not saying much for the Apple big tech to make something that is objectively decent. Granted there's many tws iems that sound better for less money.

Alongside that, putting them above full-sized headphones is insane.
I hear ya man. Everyone who has a different opinion than you is either insane, has damaged ears, or both.
 
Dec 7, 2024 at 4:09 PM Post #5,643 of 5,843
After lots more hours with the Px8s, I've decided that their presentation can be described by one word: "lush".

Listening to all kinds of classical instruments, they do a really nice trick of not interfering with the unique tone and timbre of each instrument, but somehow the instruments sound slightly fuller and lusher than on my Sennheiser headphones, without sounding fake or incorrect.

It's a very addictive sound signature. I just find myself listening longer than I intended to.
 
Dec 7, 2024 at 6:18 PM Post #5,644 of 5,843
After lots more hours with the Px8s, I've decided that their presentation can be described by one word: "lush".

Listening to all kinds of classical instruments, they do a really nice trick of not interfering with the unique tone and timbre of each instrument, but somehow the instruments sound slightly fuller and lusher than on my Sennheiser headphones, without sounding fake or incorrect.

It's a very addictive sound signature. I just find myself listening longer than I intended to.
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Dec 7, 2024 at 6:30 PM Post #5,645 of 5,843
After lots more hours with the Px8s, I've decided that their presentation can be described by one word: "lush".

Listening to all kinds of classical instruments, they do a really nice trick of not interfering with the unique tone and timbre of each instrument, but somehow the instruments sound slightly fuller and lusher than on my Sennheiser headphones, without sounding fake or incorrect.

It's a very addictive sound signature. I just find myself listening longer than I intended to.
I'd call it thick. And not tonally correct.
 
Dec 7, 2024 at 6:59 PM Post #5,646 of 5,843
I'd call it thick. And not tonally correct.
Out of curiosity, are you stating that based on comparing your own listening to live music versus recordings of the same musicians, or are you comparing the tonality to other music reproduction systems?

I'm just curious on this, because I can definitely see someone used to the Sennheiser neutral sound finding the tonality of the B&Ws not the same as what they are used to, but that doesn't necessarily mean that either is correct or not correct.


Edit: I was listening to Mnozil Brass earlier. I've been to lots of their concerts and so I've experienced the unique sound of each player plenty of times. I found myself thinking that the B&W Px8 sound was very tonally accurate. It could be my memory letting me down, or the difference in specific types of music reproduction... who knows...
 
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Dec 7, 2024 at 7:09 PM Post #5,647 of 5,843
I am specifically referring to the lower and mid bass being being excessive and bleeding into the midrange.

This can sound enticing on certain genres and recordings.

I like the way these headphones sound otherwise. And I dial the bass slider down to compensate.

Others here have heard my opinions on this so I am being sensitive to other perspectives because we all hear and perceive differently.

And yes. I have a huge headphone collection and compare extensively. And the same for a History of audiophile stereo and speaker systems.

If you love them, wonderful. Listen as is and enjoy.
 
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Dec 8, 2024 at 3:03 AM Post #5,649 of 5,843
I am specifically referring to the lower and mid bass being being excessive and bleeding into the midrange.

This can sound enticing on certain genres and recordings.

I like the way these headphones sound otherwise. And I dial the bass slider down to compensate.

Others here have heard my opinions on this so I am being sensitive to other perspectives because we all hear and perceive differently.

And yes. I have a huge headphone collection and compare extensively. And the same for a History of audiophile stereo and speaker systems.

If you love them, wonderful. Listen as is and enjoy.
As already stated, I think we can all say that we experience and hear things differently. That’s the beauty of this world. Some might find let’s say the bathys sounding worse than the PX8 and others won’t.

While many often refer to target curves like the Harman curve as a benchmark for headphone performance, it’s crucial to question this approach
1. Subjectivity of Preference: What sounds “correct” to one listener may not be ideal for another. The Harman curve, for instance, has been criticized by some as sounding “soulless and boring”.
2. Diversity of Listener Preferences: Research has shown that listeners can be broadly categorized into groups with different preferences, such as those who prefer the Harman curve, those who like more bass, and those who prefer less bass.
3. Oversimplification: Reducing headphone evaluations to simple scores based on how well they match a particular curve oversimplifies the complex nature of audio perception.
4. Ignoring Other Factors: Focusing solely on frequency response ignores other crucial aspects of audio quality, such as distortion and spatial effects.

It’s important to remember that popularity doesn’t necessarily equate to correctness or quality in audio. The fact that many people gravitate towards a particular sound signature doesn’t inherently make it superior. As someone pointed out, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to sound

Ultimately, target curves and audio standards are created by people with their own biases and preferences. The Harman curve, for example, is the result of research conducted by a team of individuals. While their work is valuable and scientifically grounded, it’s not infallible or universally applicable.

In conclusion, to me, what I find crucial to consider is personal preference, diverse listening experiences, and the limitations of standardized curves. The“correct” sound should always be balanced with an appreciation for the subjective nature of audio enjoyment.
 
Dec 8, 2024 at 9:40 AM Post #5,650 of 5,843
After finding a great deal at Amazon.de I've just received a pair of the PX8's. I ordered them after trying the Sennheiser Momentum 4's for two weeks but having some comfort issues with them (slightly uncomfortable headband, right ear touching the padding, ear heat). I expected the PX8's to sound better but so far I've been a little underwhelmed. To me the SM4s sound more open, a wider soundstage and more detail. I can pick out things in tracks that I can't with the PX8s after A/B testing for an hour or so. With the SM4s almost all tracks sound pretty good. But some tracks just sound muddy on the PX8 even if I turn down the bass or up the treble. From what I've read it should be the other way around.. have I just got a bad example of the PX8? Does it dramatically improve after a few hours of burn in? Or do the SM4's just sound superior?
 
Dec 8, 2024 at 9:46 AM Post #5,651 of 5,843
After finding a great deal at Amazon.de I've just received a pair of the PX8's. I ordered them after trying the Sennheiser Momentum 4's for two weeks but having some comfort issues with them (slightly uncomfortable headband, right ear touching the padding, ear heat). I expected the PX8's to sound better but so far I've been a little underwhelmed. To me the SM4s sound more open, a wider soundstage and more detail. I can pick out things in tracks that I can't with the PX8s after A/B testing for an hour or so. With the SM4s almost all tracks sound pretty good. But some tracks just sound muddy on the PX8 even if I turn down the bass or up the treble. From what I've read it should be the other way around.. have I just got a bad example of the PX8? Does it dramatically improve after a few hours of burn in? Or do the SM4's just sound superior?
I got the impression that the B&W bass changed a little, but I don't think anything else really altered over the first week of ownership. But unless you want to send them back immediately it doesn't hurt to give them a try for a bit longer.

<edit>: One thing the B&Ws do need is higher volume than many others - try upping the volume by 1-2 notches and see how that goes.

Also try the B&Ws with ANC off, see how that sounds.

The B&Ws do indeed lack soundstage/airiness. But I've not noticed any lack of detail myself, just a thicker/lusher presentation compared to Sennheiser. For example listening to a string quartet the extra lushness makes for an extremely enjoyable experience and makes the Sennheiser neutrality sound thin.

If you like the Sennheiser sound with your choice of music, you should probably look for something which is more neutral than the B&Ws. Everyone has different tastes.
 
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Dec 8, 2024 at 10:32 AM Post #5,652 of 5,843
I got the impression that the B&W bass changed a little, but I don't think anything else really altered over the first week of ownership. But unless you want to send them back immediately it doesn't hurt to give them a try for a bit longer.

<edit>: One thing the B&Ws do need is higher volume than many others - try upping the volume by 1-2 notches and see how that goes.

Also try the B&Ws with ANC off, see how that sounds.

The B&Ws do indeed lack soundstage/airiness. But I've not noticed any lack of detail myself, just a thicker/lusher presentation compared to Sennheiser. For example listening to a string quartet the extra lushness makes for an extremely enjoyable experience and makes the Sennheiser neutrality sound thin.

If you like the Sennheiser sound with your choice of music, you should probably look for something which is more neutral than the B&Ws. Everyone has different tastes.
Yeah maybe, there's some small QC issues with the PX8 I have as well. The headband is creased when not on the head and when I adjust the right side it's not smooth whereas the left side is.

Sound wise with some songs it's almost like switching from AM to FM when going from the PX8 to the SM4's. I've found it's especially noticeable with this song which sounds good on the Sennheiser but muddy on the PX8

 
Dec 8, 2024 at 11:25 AM Post #5,654 of 5,843
After finding a great deal at Amazon.de I've just received a pair of the PX8's. I ordered them after trying the Sennheiser Momentum 4's for two weeks but having some comfort issues with them (slightly uncomfortable headband, right ear touching the padding, ear heat). I expected the PX8's to sound better but so far I've been a little underwhelmed. To me the SM4s sound more open, a wider soundstage and more detail. I can pick out things in tracks that I can't with the PX8s after A/B testing for an hour or so. With the SM4s almost all tracks sound pretty good. But some tracks just sound muddy on the PX8 even if I turn down the bass or up the treble. From what I've read it should be the other way around.. have I just got a bad example of the PX8? Does it dramatically improve after a few hours of burn in? Or do the SM4's just sound superior?
Sound is all about preferences. PX8 is warm and lush and if you’re sensitive to this it might give the impression they they are not detailed. Technically they are superior to Senn M4.

You have not specified your source and what codec you are using. My impression is that PX8 sound better over AAC than AptX but of course better over AptXHD.
 

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