[571175]

And again we talk past each other. You can comment on everything dead, which does not get us anywhere here!

 

[logiclee]

I've more or less concluded that with my equipment and usage using the PX8 wired is pointless.

My main use is music from laptop or Sony Xperia 1v. Wireless I use APTX Adaptive. I can use the the 3.5mm connection to my phone, laptop or dragonfly red or USB direct to laptop or phone. There's no change in quality worth getting the cables out to my ears, the internal DAC sound is the same. Might as well have the convenience of wireless. Maybe it's different if you don't have the option of the best wireless codecs?

For my old P7W's it was a totally different story. With the old bluetooth codecs and the ability to use the headphones passively with the 3.5mm lead then using wired gave large gains in sound quality.

 

[571175]

I spoke with someone who could compare the dragonfly blue with the iFi Audio Go bar. Especially the lack of performance of the dragonfly and the great sound and the equipment of the iFi with, for example, full MQA decoder, volume buttons, etc. gave me the decision to buy the quite expensive Go Bar.

And the dragonfly red is even older and doesn’t support MQA.

However, the iFi also needs a lot of power!

And the PX8 needs more power and sounds much better with iFi Go Bar in Power Mode.

With an extra Sennheiser BTD600 dongle with aptx adaptive sounds the PX8 also great ! ( but the iFi Go Bar sounds better!)

At the moment, however, I give preference to the cable connection!
With Aptx adaptive, there is more noise, which is only noticeable in very quiet passages. Overall, the sound of the iFi is more natural and I especially like voices and plucked string instruments better.

I really like the Go Bar and I use it at home with power.

 

[Denkmal]

And the PX8 needs more power

No. The PX8 cannot be driven passively and all power it uses (and can use) comes from the integrated DAC/AMP. It does not matter if you use a cable or go wireless. It does not matter if you hook it up to the worlds best headphone amp. It is a waste of money.

What may matter is how you choose to process your source material. But as I tried to explain to you before, the internal DAC of the PX8 will also not be bypassed.

 

[dlorde]

Having owned almost all B&W headphones, The PX was the only B&W headphone that truly disappointed me. Sound, fit, ANC - all far below expectations. However the build quality was nice. Not as good as P7/P7w though.

I have a correction to make - I hadn't listened to the P7's for quite a while since I got the PX then the PX8, so I got them out and gave them a listen, and - to my surprise - they do sound better than the PX; a far more clear and spacious sound, and I don't find the bass as intrusive as I remembered it... So I have to say I now agree that the PX sounds inferior - a more closed-in, congested sound in comparison.

Strange - maybe my hearing has changed - I'm certainly a few years older!

 

[571175]

You again

I never claimed that the PX8 works passively.

But the power mode of the ifi brings a definite sound improvement and that's what counts.

Together with the high quality source material is a significant sound improvement even if you do not believe it or if you can not hear the difference!

But maybe you haven't tested a really good DAC yet?

You can not call this a waste of money!

 

[jthomp72]

You again

I never claimed that the PX8 works passively.

But the power mode of the ifi brings a definite sound improvement and that's what counts.

Together with the high quality source material is a significant sound improvement even if you do not believe it or if you can not hear the difference!

But maybe you haven't tested a really good DAC yet?

You can not call this a waste of money!

What you are describing is not able to happen. It is a technological impossibility. It is going to use the internal DAC no matter what you do. An additional DAC is not going to change the sound signature at all. Better quality source material might, but that’s it.

 

[logiclee]

And the PX8 needs more power and sounds much better with iFi Go Bar in Power Mode.

With the 3.5mm connection the PX8 is just doing an onboard Analogue to Digital conversion I believe and using it's own onboard DAC and Amp so I can't see how they would require more power.

 

[Denkmal]

I never claimed that the PX8 works passively.

Well at the same time you believe that it needs a lot of power from an external device. This is simply not the case.

 

[warriuszero]

I know nothing about the thing but could the PX8 react differently depending on what (level of) signal it's getting, meaning everyone is right?

 

[KopaneDePooj]

@Dojo1366 when 3 or more people are telling you the same thing you should pause and reflect instead of being so incisive (to put it mildly) towards them.

The main purpose of a ANC Bluetooth headphone is to be used as designed and intended - over Bluetooth.
Dragonflies, mojos, dac/amps were created to be used with passive headphones.
You're not buying a snowboard and taking it to surf the waves.

B&W gives you the 3.5mm as an auxiliary - not main use scenario.
Basically what you're doing is double processing.
You're DACing / AMPing / ADCing / DSPing / DACing / AMPing
Not an ideal processing chain - and there goes your "MQA" down the drain.
To benefit from hi-res your processing chain should be simple and bit-perfect.

My advice is stop listening to labels like "MQA", "DSD" and so on, and start listening to music.
I believe that your "better" is 70% expectancy bias and 30% loudness.

I also have an iFi micro iDSD Black Label - it might be old but very capable. I only use it with my HD 6XX, I won't ever bother to connect the PX8 to it.

References:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BowersWilkins/comments/10mggr0/px8_longer_35mm_analog_usbc_cable/
https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews...-noise-canceling-bluetooth-headphones-review/

"For the analog cable connection, an ADC built into the PX8 converts the analog sound to digital, and the DAC in the PX8 decodes it."

Cheers!

 

[Denkmal]

I know nothing about the thing but could the PX8 react differently depending on what (level of) signal it's getting, meaning everyone is right?

Technically and in theory you could feed the 3,5 plug with a really noisy signal, sure. And then things would improve as you switch to a different, and clean signal.
But there are too many other claims here that are simply incorrect.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

I know nothing about the thing but could the PX8 react differently depending on what (level of) signal it's getting, meaning everyone is right?

Given the fact that before reaching your ears the amped signal is switched back to digital, processed and re-amped, I don't think it's the case.

 

[571175]

@Dojo1366 when 3 or more people are telling you the same thing you should pause and reflect instead of being so incisive (to put it mildly) towards them.

I am listening and I am a really peaceful person.
But one thing is that that I don’t like it when people are just not reading .
And, of course, many voices can be correct, but equally it can be wrong.

I must say that what you have written is the best and most detailed so far. And for that I thank you!

 

[logiclee]

What's the point of MQA now anyway, haven't Tidal moved to FLAC?