[starfly]

I wonder how the Focal Bathys will compare to the PX8. Should be released tomorrow.

 

[Jazz1]

Anyone find a P8 vs. Mark Levinson 5909 review yet? I’ve got a friend who wants to order the 5909, but asked me about the P8. I’m not sure what his expectations are, or use. He has some pretty high end stereo equipment. My P8s arrive soon!

 

[BooleanBones]

Anyone tried these out for Teams or Zoom calls?
How is the multipoint or does it have them?

Yes, it has multipoint. I flipped back and forth between news on my pc and my iphone. I don't really use multi point, but seems good to me. I will probably test them on Teams/Zoom tomorrow to test the quality.

 

[Knottian]

I think you need to hear it to decide
I’ve been listening in a shop with qc45,700,xm5,px7s2 for more than an hour before I pulled the trigger on px8, it does sound better
The closest to the px8 Is px7, but px8 is much more open and has a better bass, mid is clearer, if you compare both at the same time you will know.
I’d say s2 is good too but 8 is just better, they do cost a lot more though so that’s why I say hear it yourself and decide if you want to put more money for the sound

Yeah, the problem is there aren't any decent audio shops around me (only Best Buys), so I'll likely end up ordering to test.
I have the PX7s already so that's my benchmark.

 

[rgbyhkr]

Right now we know that the 5909 offers a truly wired, passive analog operation mode (albeit using their proprietary USB-C to 3.5mm cables) and its not yet clear if the Bathys will or not (the Px8 and H95 do not have such a mode).

Just an update now that the Bathys has been officially launched. From Focal's support FAQ on the Bathys:

"Can I listen via the jack input when the battery is dead?
No - the battery is required to listen to the jack input due it being an active amplification input"

For reference, "jack mode" is what they are using to describe use of the 3.5mm input jack on the Bathys. They also offer a battery life rating for jack mode of 35 hours. So, no, the Bathys does not offer a passive analog input.

 

[Yinsfleur]

Hey guys，I just saw the first video review about px8 on the Chinese internet which revealed a lot more. The sound quality is where I pay special attention to.


（The following is a translation of his original words，https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1DD4y1C7XT/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=fee3541b7d2dd87e5a7f5a3676e89a7e）


1. The build quality of the px8 is the top of tops. The 20,000 ¥ focal utopia is not as good as it, and it is obviously better than the h95


2. The px8 is denser and thicker in the midrange and sounds more mature, but it lacks the “sweetness” of px7s2. The mid-low frequency of px7s2 has a stronger sense of dynamism so it is more pleasing to the ears（the author likes it)，and px8 is more natural and smooth. The highs of PX8 is not as bright as that of s2, but the sound stage and spaeration are better.


I’m not a native English speaker, so some words may not as accurate. btw He only compared the sound with s2.

 

[vincenz]

New review on wired.com --

https://www.wired.com/review/bowers-and-wilkins-px8-headphones/

 

[Jazz1]

New review on wired.com --

https://www.wired.com/review/bowers-and-wilkins-px8-headphones/

Read the article. Said there is no "passive listening" via cable. Does this mean you can't get the benefit of an external DAC/Amp. if you want to do so. The headphones have to be "on" to use a cable connection. Good article!

 

[starfly]

Read the article. Said there is no "passive listening" via cable. Does this mean you can't get the benefit of an external DAC/Amp. if you want to do so. The headphones have to be "on" to use a cable connection. Good article!

Yeah, all the B&W headphones need to be turned on for any kind of listening, even when wired.

 

[erod]

Had some free time today to do a comparison and it was much faster than what I guessed it would be. I started with the PX8s and then listened to the same tracks on the PX and you could tell right away that the PXs were the older baby sibling. The music definition is much cleaner/clearer than the PXs along with the mids being more pronounced on the PX8s. I actually didn't want to listen to music on the PXs much after a few songs (and I have spent a lot of time enjoying the PXs in the past). Along with the clarity, the comfort and quality is much better on the PX8s. I have the latter edition PXs that don't quite clamp as hard as the originals, but would can definitely notice the difference in clamping along with the softer, more comfortable ear pads. Let me know if you need me to follow up with a specific track or if you have any questions.

Thanks for the comparison! Some would say it is obvious that they would be better, but it's always best to make sure. I tried the PX7 in a store once, and besides the difference in the comfort, I didn't find the sound signature to be significantly better than the PX to warrant an upgrade.

I also have the model with the better headband. The PX got more comfortable with use, but even after a few years, the ear pads still dig into my jaw after long sessions. As a mobile can for the commute, the clamping force has been useful, though.

It's good to see that it is a significant upgrade in the sound and the comfort, as there is also a significant difference in price. I paid EUR 700 for my beloved Ultrasone Signature DJs, which I use as my home cans. GBP 600 is not far from that.

 

[ryanmatic]

Read the article. Said there is no "passive listening" via cable. Does this mean you can't get the benefit of an external DAC/Amp. if you want to do so. The headphones have to be "on" to use a cable connection. Good article!

Yeah, like starfly said, they've got to be powered on. However (going off of memory here) I believe that the PX line of headphones can be driven by a completely digital connection (eg. USB-C from player to USB-C on headphones), which may sound noticeably better compared to wireless. At least, with the Shure AONIC 50, that kind of connection sounded excellent despite USB-C cables tending to be heavier and less pliable compared to stereo cables.

 

[Jazz1]

Well the P8's have arrived. Out of the box I'm listening, via Tidal, to The National "Weird Goodbyes" The bass and midrange are rich, but not way overblown. Neko Case sounds excellent on "I Wish I was the Moon Tonight", and Sara Bareilles "Saint Honestly is well balanced against the instrumentation. On to pop and rock, and maybe jazz a little later.

The comfort is good, I was afraid the ear cup holes might be too small even for my smallish ears (I had a problem with the M&D MW75 being a little too small-fixed by using the advice sound on these forums to try the ear cups from the MG20).

I'm going to have to put these up against my Master & Dynamic MW75 for sound, comfort and noise reduction/transparency mode.

 

[starfly]

Well the P8's have arrived. Out of the box I'm listening, via Tidal, to The National "Weird Goodbyes" The bass and midrange are rich, but not way overblown. Neko Case sounds excellent on "I Wish I was the Moon Tonight", and Sara Bareilles "Saint Honestly is well balanced against the instrumentation. On to pop and rock, and maybe jazz a little later.

The comfort is good, I was afraid the ear cup holes might be too small even for my smallish ears (I had a problem with the M&D MW75 being a little too small-fixed by using the advice sound on these forums to try the ear cups from the MG20).

I'm going to have to put these up against my Master & Dynamic MW75 for sound, comfort and noise reduction/transparency mode.

Do they beat the Sony XM5s in terms of SQ?

 

[Jazz1]

Do they beat the Sony XM5s in terms of SQ?

I can's say, as I've never heard the Sony XM5. Hopefully we will be treated to some really great comparisons by the thread followers!

 

[starfly]

I can's say, as I've never heard the Sony XM5. Hopefully we will be treated to some really great comparisons by the thread followers!

Haha, sorry, I was being sarcastic. I would fully expect the PX8 to beat the XM5 - the XM5s main selling point is the best ANC with okay SQ.