[soundblast75]

I just had a listening session with the px7. I would give the sound a 7.5/10. They are definitely good sounding (not great though).

The bass is plenty but a little boxy.
Not as detailed or clean as I like. Very warm and a little dark. Sounds like the mid and high treble is subdued somewhat.

I compared them to the momentum wireless 3 (EQ the slider slightly down and to the right to reduce the bass somewhat and open the soundstage). The momentum not only blew them out of the water but I don't recall hearing anything better EVER (sounded better than my 58x jubilee and fidelio x2, Sony hear.on 2, Bose qc35 ii, etc).
The bass is now clean, strong, and punchy. Great detail, soundstage, and instrument separation. Very natural sounding (real).

Just don't like how they look on my head (bulky).

I have both, what you're describing is a personal taste, you do hear the compression in W3,tho i agree that there's something special about them, total missed opportunity on the codecs there.
PX7 is a bit more refined imho tho yes, bass sounds boxy

 

[jainkjohn]

I never understood why would someone ever use the headphone buttons, simply control the volume and playback from your phone.

When I travel I barely touch my phone to answer phone calls, adjust volume, play, pause, I use my headphone buttons.

 

[Zimmy68]

I never understood why would someone ever use the headphone buttons, simply control the volume and playback from your phone.

I use the phone for 95% of those functions. But sometimes on a walk and the phone is in my pocket, I'll adjust the volume from the headphones. Also, answering a call of course.

 

[soundblast75]

As none of these noise cancelling cans is a 'pure' headphone it really depends on a little EQ, both PX7 and Senn W3 needs it.
Then you start comparing which one gets your groove, they are far from perfect and way too bassy, but can be more fun outside than some very pricey things people like me here use

 

[mcook1970]

I must admit the PXs are a very appealing design. Having said that I don't think the 7s and 5s are a downgrade. In fact, the 5s are like a brother to the PXs albeit with a different colour scheme and materials. The 7s are quite different but I wouldn't say they are substandard. I think B&W chose comfort and weight over style which is why there are differing opinions. They are a big headphone, they look big until you hold them, they feel incredibly light for a headphone of that size. The fact they don't fold or cups swivel is a lost opportunity imo, especially if you want to use them on the go. I would still recommend an audition. Like I said, the sound might even out after burn in. I don't think the bass is a Beats type boom, it just sounds overbearing and unnatural to me but that's just my take.

 

[mcook1970]

As none of these noise cancelling cans is a 'pure' headphone it really depends on a little EQ, both PX7 and Senn W3 needs it.
Then you start comparing which one gets your groove, they are far from perfect and way too bassy, but can be more fun outside than some very pricey things people like me here use

I totally agree, there wireless headphone market is very competitive and you could say over subscribed with products.

I think that the more popular brands receive better press and reviews for whatever reason and sometimes it takes a leap of faith to try something different.

Having said that, I just purchased the Nad HP70s, which is a reputable brand but surprised they haven't received a wider press, sure they are not perfect but they are no better or worse than some of the headphones being talked about on here.

 

[isis]

Almost all reviews say boomy bass so I am out... I certainly won't buy a headphone with that signature regardless of its other abilities.

I understand why they tuned the headphone like this, their target audience is the mainstream consumers whose music taste is "nothing by bass" (think Beats headphones). This headphone will probaby sell very well but I won't buy it.

That's a shame. I now have my eye on the Dali IO-6 and the early reviews are extremely promising in terms of sound quality (neutral bass). Those 50mm drivers seem great, but they also make it a very bulky and heavy headphone.

Master & Dynamics MW65 is also a beautifully tuned headphone, but it's ANC performance seems to be a bit poor. Same deal with the Lagoon ANC which looks a bit like late prototype.

I'd really like to have a look at the PX7's FR curve to get a rough estimate as to how much they've overcooked the bass because the PX7's really do check every other box.

 

[ZenErik]

I want to audition (hopefully Best Buy will offer that). As a P7W owner, it would be nice to have a more portable friendly B&W headphones with same or better sound quality.
But all the comments of the build quality is giving me pause.
B&W might have dropped the ball at the price point, they may have found a sweet spot at $299 instead.
If you look at the progression from the Bose QC35 to the 700s (better noise cancelling, advanced mic noise cancelling, touch controls, etc) you feel like you are getting a quantitative upgrade.
P7X seems like a step down from the PX when I expected them to take the best from the PX and P7W.
And as an iPhone user, it is even worse for me since I can't use any Aptx.

Being a NCH700 owner I would hardly call it a big upgrade over the QC35ii. The touch controls are pretty meaningless though they do work well. The noise canceling isn't really noticeably better. I'd call it a wash. In fact the noise canceling is WORSE when it comes to wind noise. There is no 'low' setting like the QC35ii so the only option in that scenario is going into the app and disabling noise canceling entirely. The call quality is definitely better on the NCH700 and the sound quality is a bit of a sidegrade. The build quality is nicer though it'll depend on personal tastes as to whether they look 'better' or not compared to the older model. Outside of call quality I would say the NCH700 is not worth the extra cash over the QC35ii. I mostly opted for it for the looks and have hopes that they'll add a setting similar to 'low' on the QC35ii sooner or later via firmware updates.

I think this is an issue for a lot of ANC headphones though. They're all flawed. It's no surprise if the PX7 isn't best in class in every category either and isn't a clear upgrade in every single way over the previous model.

 

[Maukey]

If the bass on the PX7 is boomy/too bassy, then the Sony XM3 and Sennheiser M3 are god awful. I guess we all hear differently. I do not classify the PX7 as bassy at all. There's a small boost in the mid bass to add punch and excitement to bass notes, but nothing like the across the board bass boost of the XM3. The Sennheiser has more of a push in the sub bass, and similar mid bass boost to the PX7. The PX7 sound very clean and detailed to my ears with just enough of a boost in the mid bass to make them good for listening in louder environments. The soundstage is definitely bigger than all other noise cancellers that I've heard.

 

[ZenErik]

If the bass on the PX7 is boomy/too bassy, then the Sony XM3 and Sennheiser M3 are god awful. I guess we all hear differently. I do not classify the PX7 as bassy at all. There's a small boost in the mid bass to add punch and excitement to bass notes, but nothing like the across the board bass boost of the XM3. The Sennheiser has more of a push in the sub bass, and similar mid bass boost to the PX7. The PX7 sound very clean and detailed to my ears with just enough of a boost in the mid bass to make them good for listening in louder environments. The soundstage is definitely bigger than all other noise cancellers that I've heard.

'If the bass on the PX7 is boomy/too bassy, then the Sony XM3 is god awful'. Yes. It is god awful. I am a fan of bass, but the XM3 ruins a lot of songs without EQ. To hear that the PX7 is not on that level is very reassuring. Looking forward to trying it very soon!

 

[Maukey]

'If the bass on the PX7 is boomy/too bassy, then the Sony XM3 is god awful'. Yes. It is god awful. I am a fan of bass, but the XM3 ruins a lot of songs without EQ. To hear that the PX7 is not on that level is very reassuring. Looking forward to trying it very soon!

It is nothing on that level in my opinion. I consider the XM3 a can for bass heads. Rtings.com shares my opinion on this as they have it as the best Bass head ANC headphone. I think you will be pleased with the sound profile unless you're just 100% into neutral or bass lite headphones. In that case, I steer people away from ANC headphones. Most every one I've heard has some sort of bass boost to assist the ANC with lower frequency cancellation. Actually the Bose QC35 II are probably the most neutral I've heard of all ANC headphones although they still have an ever so slight bass boost. Mainly in the sub bass. I'm just not crazy about Bose's use of Optimized EQ. Makes it not fun to listen to at higher volumes.

 

[ZenErik]

It is nothing on that level in my opinion. I consider the XM3 a can for bass heads. Rtings.com shares my opinion on this as they have it as the best Bass head ANC headphone. I think you will be pleased with the sound profile unless you're just 100% into neutral or bass lite headphones. In that case, I steer people away from ANC headphones. Most every one I've heard has some sort of bass boost to assist the ANC with lower frequency cancellation. Actually the Bose QC35 II are probably the most neutral I've heard of all ANC headphones although they still have an ever so slight bass boost. Mainly in the sub bass. I'm just not crazy about Bose's use of Optimized EQ. Makes it not fun to listen to at higher volumes.

I am certainly a fan of a little extra bass. The QC35ii and 700 both have a slight bass boost. The 35 being more in the sub bass and the 700 in the mid bass. On the XM3 I feel that the exaggerated bass along with the weak treble are a poor combination. Were there more treble sparkle on the XM3 to provide better balance it might be okay. But as it is the bass tends to overpower on certain tracks.

If the PX7 is more in line with the Bose options or somewhere between the Bose options and the XM3 it will likely be pleasing for my tastes. Will find out very soon!

 

[Lakerfreak]

To PX7 users - how did you adjust EQ settings (which frequency / how much) if you found the bass to be too heavy for your liking?

 

[jainkjohn]

To PX7 users - how did you adjust EQ settings (which frequency / how much) if you found the bass to be too heavy for your liking?

 

[jainkjohn]

From Amazon UK Q&A:
Q: Does it need any break-in/run-in time to sound best?

A: Thanks for your question. As with all hi-fi related products, it has been observed that an initial run-in period is required to fully realise the performance; as the drive units bed-in and associated electronics burn-in. For headphones, it's generally noted around 3-4 days of continual use for them to reach their intended characteristics. Thank you, Bowers & Wilkins.

Bowers & Wilkins
Manufacturer