Bowers and Wilkins PX8 Wireless Discussion

Jan 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM Post #5,806 of 5,843
I'd say there are a few things:
  • Try playing them a few notches louder. They need to be "woken up" somewhat. The detail is all there, just hiding if you play them too soft.
  • Try the EQ in the app. I, and many others, use them at -3dB bass EQ which does a lot to clean up the mid-bass.
  • You might also want a bit more treble (depending on your tastes) so feel free to play with the app. Changes from the app happen instantly, so play to your heart's content.
  • Wireless via bluetooth using the iPhone AAC protocol (default) sounds fine to me versus playing them wired over USB-c to USB-c cable (unlike what some claim on reddit where supposedly the difference of using the cable for them is "night and day"). But feel free to compare if you like.
  • Sending music through the app to change the sound is just silly - it may perhaps alter the default volume a fraction but I can't believe anything else. Besides, Apple Music isn't one of the choices through the app, only Qobuz or Tidal.
  • I find the Px8s quite lifeless if you play them in a noisy environment with ANC on, but with quiet at home they really reveal a lot of capability.

In the end, though, they will be a little dark, warm, lush compared to many headphones. They make up for this in my opinion by having great timbral accuracy (for acoustic instruments) and being extremely musical. You foot just starts tapping without you realising, which is a major plus to any sound reproduction system.
thank you skazz!
 
Jan 16, 2025 at 1:45 PM Post #5,807 of 5,843
thank you Jazzophile!
They were an acquired taste for me as well. I felt they were bloated and lifeless initially, returned a pair, and then re-purchased a refurbed pair from B&W several months later. I've come to like them quite a bit after finding the right EQ balance. Their ANC is quite good (not class leading), the quality of build and luxury is top notch, and they are VERY comfy on the ear. The leather pads make a big difference in comfort and also passive noise reduction to assist the ANC.

They are still warm sounding headphones even at this EQ, and are not the most detailed listen out there, but it's an addictive kind of sound, like a warm blanket.

I do think they are a flawed headphone out of the box. The bass is too bloated and bleeds too far into the mids. The lowered bass slider fixes a lot of that.
 
Jan 16, 2025 at 3:56 PM Post #5,808 of 5,843
thank you skazz!
Point one from skazz about the headphones waking up is the most important point. These are not headphones for low level listening.
 
Jan 16, 2025 at 4:54 PM Post #5,810 of 5,843
Yeah... after all if you damage your hearing, you can always buy a new set of ears.
I’m not talking crazy loud, I like my hearing without further damage thanks. But I find the B&Ws need just a little louder than I would like to come alive.

Saying that, I didn’t damage my hearing through headphones: it was sitting in a brass section just in front of the percussion during max volume FFF passages in stuff like Mahler symphonies which gave me some discomfort in the upper bass and lower midrange. Which I’m very careful not to exacerbate…
 
Jan 17, 2025 at 5:37 PM Post #5,811 of 5,843
I’m not talking crazy loud, I like my hearing without further damage thanks. But I find the B&Ws need just a little louder than I would like to come alive.

Saying that, I didn’t damage my hearing through headphones: it was sitting in a brass section just in front of the percussion during max volume FFF passages in stuff like Mahler symphonies which gave me some discomfort in the upper bass and lower midrange. Which I’m very careful not to exacerbate…

Yes, sorry I didn't mean that in a smart-ass manner, but I always point out about high-volume listening danger as people tend to forget or don't know how easy you can damage your hearing. - irreversibly. It's so easy to get carried away and raise the volume especially when the headphones sound so good.

I'm extra careful because a few years ago I suffered from severe tinnitus for one week after a live rock concert, and I was very scared. 😅

As for the PX8 I enjoy them at any level, but I can agree that raising the volume a bit higher helps bringing out details that are masked by their warm/lush character.
 
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Jan 23, 2025 at 12:16 PM Post #5,812 of 5,843
They were an acquired taste for me as well. I felt they were bloated and lifeless initially, returned a pair, and then re-purchased a refurbed pair from B&W several months later. I've come to like them quite a bit after finding the right EQ balance. Their ANC is quite good (not class leading), the quality of build and luxury is top notch, and they are VERY comfy on the ear. The leather pads make a big difference in comfort and also passive noise reduction to assist the ANC.

They are still warm sounding headphones even at this EQ, and are not the most detailed listen out there, but it's an addictive kind of sound, like a warm blanket.

I do think they are a flawed headphone out of the box. The bass is too bloated and bleeds too far into the mids. The lowered bass slider fixes a lot of that.
I am curious Jazzophile and others how long did it take for your px8 to break-in in general
I Still find the sound challenging after adjusting the bass and treble from the app buts the. It’s only been maybe couple of hours of listening
Increasing volume does help but also does get louder than I would like to hear for longer duration and not be fatiguing

Thanks
 
Jan 23, 2025 at 2:46 PM Post #5,813 of 5,843
I am curious Jazzophile and others how long did it take for your px8 to break-in in general
I Still find the sound challenging after adjusting the bass and treble from the app buts the. It’s only been maybe couple of hours of listening
Increasing volume does help but also does get louder than I would like to hear for longer duration and not be fatiguing

Thanks
I am not a subscriber to the concept of break-in of the headphones themselves. I think they sound exactly the same on hour 1 as they do on hour 10,000. But I am a subscriber to your brain adjusting to the sound of different pieces of equipment over time. So if you give them some time, your brain will adjust and I suspect they'll sound better to you after a few days.

That said, they are a bit muddy sounding and less than fully detailed. Turning up the volume, as many have observed, is a bit of a way to overcome the challenges that these headphones present from a frequency response perspective.

More detail is apparent at louder volumes, but at just that level where it can be fatiguing. I find this to be less so when I dial back the bass, others might like more treble, etc. But if I'm being frank, the need to play them louder is more of a sign of a design flaw than anything else.
 
Jan 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM Post #5,814 of 5,843
I am not a subscriber to the concept of break-in of the headphones themselves. I think they sound exactly the same on hour 1 as they do on hour 10,000. But I am a subscriber to your brain adjusting to the sound of different pieces of equipment over time. So if you give them some time, your brain will adjust and I suspect they'll sound better to you after a few days.

That said, they are a bit muddy sounding and less than fully detailed. Turning up the volume, as many have observed, is a bit of a way to overcome the challenges that these headphones present from a frequency response perspective.

More detail is apparent at louder volumes, but at just that level where it can be fatiguing. I find this to be less so when I dial back the bass, others might like more treble, etc. But if I'm being frank, the need to play them louder is more of a sign of a design flaw than anything else.
I see - well then hoping I get used to the sound

In your mind, if you ignore comfort and ANC which headphone has clarity in mods and highs and decent bass or is that an utopian dream

Regards
 
Jan 23, 2025 at 3:21 PM Post #5,815 of 5,843
I see - well then hoping I get used to the sound

In your mind, if you ignore comfort and ANC which headphone has clarity in mods and highs and decent bass or is that an utopian dream

Regards
Are you after analytical detail when you say clarity, or are you after timbral accuracy and instruments sounding as realistic as possible? It’s quite hard to get both from what I understand….
 
Jan 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM Post #5,816 of 5,843
I see - well then hoping I get used to the sound

In your mind, if you ignore comfort and ANC which headphone has clarity in mods and highs and decent bass or is that an utopian dream

Regards
The best sounding Bluetooth headphone I own and have heard is the Shure Aonic 50. I have version 1.

Sounds as accurate and smooth as a wired headphone. And more accurate, less congested and less muddy than any other Bluetooth headphone I've tried.

The ANC is subpar. Comfort is good.

ANC is really important to me though so I don't use the Shure all that often.
 
Jan 23, 2025 at 4:55 PM Post #5,817 of 5,843
The best sounding Bluetooth headphone I own and have heard is the Shure Aonic 50. I have version 1.

Sounds as accurate and smooth as a wired headphone. And more accurate, less congested and less muddy than any other Bluetooth headphone I've tried.

The ANC is subpar. Comfort is good.

ANC is really important to me though so I don't use the Shure all that often.
The Aonic 50 was my favorite as well in terms of sound. Actually did not EQ them at all. They unfortunately broke after years of daily use but, when they were working, they mainly stayed at home due to weak ANC and their bulky size. Just have my Px8s and Px7 S2s now but I was literally sitting here considering rebuying Aonic 50s today (funny you posted this).
 
Jan 23, 2025 at 5:11 PM Post #5,818 of 5,843
The Aonic 50 was my favorite as well in terms of sound. Actually did not EQ them at all. They unfortunately broke after years of daily use but, when they were working, they mainly stayed at home due to weak ANC and their bulky size. Just have my Px8s and Px7 S2s now but I was literally sitting here considering rebuying Aonic 50s today (funny you posted this).
Whenever I do listen to them I'm struck by how neutral and accurate they are, and how they demonstrate the possibilities of Bluetooth sound quality in a way that no other Bluetooth headphone that I have heard has captured. And I own or have owned many of the good ones.

Their sound is a bit different on LDAC than on Aptx-HD. Aptx-HD has a bit more bass than LDAC on the Aonic 50.
 
Jan 23, 2025 at 8:54 PM Post #5,819 of 5,843
As for the PX8 I enjoy them at any level, but I can agree that raising the volume a bit higher helps bringing out details that are masked by their warm/lush character.
After this comment I've been trying mine softer than usual. They are giving a better result than I remember last time I tried this a while back. Makes me wonder if it's me or the headphones which has changed?

Last time I tried, I found that they were rather lifeless if you set the volume below "slightly too loud" volume. Now they are giving me plenty of musicality and fun even on "comfortable or slightly soft" volume, although they are probably losing a little detail like that.


It's probably my ears, but maybe... just maybe.... they have slightly changed after a couple of months of regular use. <disclaimer: I also updated them to 3.1.0 but I refuse to believe that changed anything>
 
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Jan 24, 2025 at 6:27 AM Post #5,820 of 5,843
After this comment I've been trying mine softer than usual. They are giving a better result than I remember last time I tried this a while back. Makes me wonder if it's me or the headphones which has changed?

Last time I tried, I found that they were rather lifeless if you set the volume below "slightly too loud" volume. Now they are giving me plenty of musicality and fun even on "comfortable or slightly soft" volume, although they are probably losing a little detail like that.


It's probably my ears, but maybe... just maybe.... they have slightly changed after a couple of months of regular use. <disclaimer: I also updated them to 3.1.0 but I refuse to believe that changed anything>

Probably it's a combination of your ears adjusting to the sound / ear-pads conforming better to your face profile over time. I remember my first pair adjusted to my head/face and isolated better after more than one month, whereas on the second pair out of the box the ear-pads felt softer and adjusted right away, and the sound felt more spacious and defined. If I remember correctly I have read somewhere that they slightly changed the ear-pads softness (foam/leather) at some point.
And knock on wood - I have no signs of the headband ungluing.

I'm still holding off updating to 3.1.0
There are at least 8 people commenting that sound is different @ reddit. Here too. Overall reports are contradictory. (Less bass / "clearer" or "harsher" highs and mids, more bass, same, with ANC-only, etc.)
Someone asked Rtigs to re-measure the headphones following latest update, I'm waiting for the results:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BowersWilk..._px8_software_update_bowers_wilkins/?sort=old
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/bowers-wilkins/px8-wireless#page-comments
 

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