[christos_540]

Hey i just purchased the PX8, however, some people have mentioned that the headphones are boomy. I'm not a bass head, so I just wanted some clarification on this, as it's not too late for me to get a refund. How heavy is the bass on the PX8?

Chris

 

[coolcnd]

Hey i just purchased the PX8, however, some people have mentioned that the headphones are boomy. I'm not a bass head, so I just wanted some clarification on this, as it's not too late for me to get a refund. How heavy is the bass on the PX8?

Chris

not heavy as H95, you good.

 

[tiestir]

Hey i just purchased the PX8, however, some people have mentioned that the headphones are boomy. I'm not a bass head, so I just wanted some clarification on this, as it's not too late for me to get a refund. How heavy is the bass on the PX8?

Chris

The upper bass is prevalent and can come across boomy on occasion with some slight bleed into the mid bass, but I certainly wouldn’t consider this to be an overly bassy headphone. Infact, my only real issue with the PX8 is the lack of sub- bass (even when eq’ed). I get significantly more rumble out of my air pods pro 2’s which is a bit disappointing. In every other regard the sound quality is spectacular and I think most people will be very happy with tuning.

 

[christos_540]

The upper bass is prevalent and can come across boomy on occasion with some slight bleed into the mid bass, but I certainly wouldn’t consider this to be an overly bassy headphone. Infact, my only real issue with the PX8 is the lack of sub- bass (even when eq’ed). I get significantly more rumble out of my air pods pro 2’s which is a bit disappointing. In every other regard the sound quality is spectacular and I think most people will be very happy with tuning.

Thanks Tiestir. FYI I'm coming from the MW65, which are good headphones but not great. I've been told that the PX8 is a good step up from these. I'm going to be putting up my FiiO M11 plus for sale as well if anyone here is interested.

 

[angelom]

not heavy as H95, you good.

This is NOT true. Look at this graph comparing 3 headphones (PX8, H95 and Bathys): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bow...less-discussion.964955/page-124#post-17233902

And from my memory of long time with H95 and my recent 2 weeks with the PX8, this graph is showing the correct difference.

 

[coolcnd]

This is NOT true. Look at this graph comparing 3 headphones (PX8, H95 and Bathys): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bow...less-discussion.964955/page-124#post-17233902

And from my memory of long time with H95 and my recent 2 weeks with the PX8, this graph is showing the correct difference.

Thanks for the info

https://www.dhrme.nl/urge-to-splurge-focal-bathys-vs-bowers-and-wilkins-px8-vs-bang-and-olufsen-h95/
more detail in there

 

[christos_540]

This is NOT true. Look at this graph comparing 3 headphones (PX8, H95 and Bathys): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bow...less-discussion.964955/page-124#post-17233902

And from my memory of long time with H95 and my recent 2 weeks with the PX8, this graph is showing the correct difference.

I'm not interested in graphs / measurements, just wanted a general idea of how bassy the headphones sound.

 

[jthomp72]

The BT and DAC product threads on Head-Fi always become so much more combative than, say, the threads by tube amp aficionados. Must be a demographic thing...

I find the tube amp guys to be the nerdy types, like the take it apart and tinker types. Less friction that way.

 

[Denkmal]

Hey i just purchased the PX8, however, some people have mentioned that the headphones are boomy. I'm not a bass head, so I just wanted some clarification on this, as it's not too late for me to get a refund. How heavy is the bass on the PX8?

Chris

How do you like the sound yourself? That is the only thing that matters.

My view is that the Px8 is a little elevated in the mid bass but they are absolutely not boomy or bloated. Bass is tight and there is plenty where it should be but not overdone imo.

With ANC on, bass is a little boosted but you could also eq them a little if needed.

 

[christos_540]

How do you like the sound yourself? That is the only thing that matters.

My view is that the Px8 is a little elevated in the mid bass but they are absolutely not boomy or bloated. Bass is tight and there is plenty where it should be but not overdone imo.

With ANC on, bass is a little boosted but you could also eq them a little if needed.

I think the way you've described it is good for me. I like the bass to be present, dialled in when it's needed, and dialled back where it isn't. Not a fan of headphones where
the bass needlessly drowns out lower mids etc, & clarity / detail is sacrificed. That's what I would describe as boomy. Just wanted to make sure.

 

[CRITICALSHOT]

I got the Bathys and the PX8 (since a few days) and I cannot make up my mind which one to choose. I am no audiophile, but I do do a lot of active listening (I am no good at doing two things at the same time) and 90% of my music is classical. I listen at my desk/lazy chair via my macbook so am fine with a cable, but I do want noise cancelling to block the noisy family out and transparency mode for when I want to listen to music and still be ‘available’.

Bathys pros: wired sound is great. It might be just 10-20% better than BT but it's worth it. Detailed, clear. Might EQ the bass up a little and lower the treble a touch. Sounds better (clearer, detailed) than PX8 for most classical music such as harp, choral, Bach. Nice big ear cups. Music sounds wider.

Bathys cons: after 30 mins the top of my head starts hurting. The transparency mode is unusable for listening to music as there is so much white noise, it's awful. In dac mode the balance goes off all the time, needed a balance-lock app to fix it. Stravinsky sounds better on the PX8. Quite thumpy when walking.

PX8 pros: much, much more comfortable on top of head. Buttons much easier to use and better quality. Better BT connectivity. Transparency mode much better and usable. Less thumping when walking. Gorgeous warm, full and 'nearby' sound.

PX8 cons: ear cups a bit small and gets a little uncomfortable after a while. Wired mode hardly makes a difference, so no high-res mode. Slightly less clear in choral and harp music, but great for Stravinsky. I can hear my heart-beat which is slightly annoying.

I can only keep one... and I have no idea which one. The Bathys is clearer and has more detail, especially in DAC mode, so I should like it better, but I am being swayed by the lovely warm timbre and easier-listening of the PX8. Wish I could merge them. Bathys' pain on the head is a thing, but the great sound quality counts too (maybe I can find some foam pads or something). PX8 seems easier to use and has a very persuasive sound.

Do you hear your heart beat with the Focal?

 

[FlyingFungus]

I demoed both for couple minutes each...and I found pretty quickly the Focal was uncomfortable at the top of my head. Px8 had more clamping force but much more comfortable overall. But the Focal sounded just that little bit nicer to me

 

[floeezy]

I̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶e̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶s̶e̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶B̶o̶w̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶&̶ ̶W̶i̶l̶k̶i̶n̶s̶ ̶P̶X̶8̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶e̶?̶ ̶M̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶h̶i̶p̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶C̶a̶n̶a̶d̶a̶ ̶=̶)̶

Edit: decided to get a USB dongle instead and keep my wired headphones

 

[Denkmal]

I demoed both for couple minutes each...and I found pretty quickly the Focal was uncomfortable at the top of my head. Px8 had more clamping force but much more comfortable overall. But the Focal sounded just that little bit nicer to me

Bathys headband can be improved with a cushioning sleeve. Will look ridiculous but work.

PX8 will settle quite a bit, I felt that mine became more comfortable after a few days of use. I think it is the ear pads forming to my head. Now they are super comfortable.

 

[FlyingFungus]

Bathys headband can be improved with a cushioning sleeve. Will look ridiculous but work.

PX8 will settle quite a bit, I felt that mine became more comfortable after a few days of use. I think it is the ear pads forming to my head. Now they are super comfortable.

I suppose for me, at the moment, it doesn't matter too much because I got the PX7 S2 lol...waiting for it to arrive still.

But I'm hoping next year I'll either upgrade to the Px8 or just get the Focal Bathys