So I received my PX7 yesterday, probably the only one in New Zealand since all local dealers didn't even know it was coming out or when they would get it. I've seen a couple of PX's in the wild but have never had the chance to use one.
Pros:
Build quality is pretty flawless- Nothing creaks or clicks where it shouldn't. The fibre glass arms seems pretty strong and should hold up to accidentally leaning on them when you fall asleep against the bus window
Battery life is close to advertised- I have been listening to these at mid volume with ANC on for nine hours over two days and my battery is sitting at 70%. I think you will be able to squeeze 25+ hours easy out of these.
They do look good- The space grey is a really futuristic sleek look and goes well with my space grey MacBook Pro, space grey iPhone, space grey Logitech MX Master mouse.. you get the jist. A bit goofy on the head since the arms stick out a bit but not ugly.
Clamping force is decent- a bit on the tighter side but I prefer it a little snug. Any looser and the headband will tilt back or forward when leaning back and front.
Cons:
Sound quality- I expected these to be a little bit better imo. They are good, don't get me wrong but I'd be hard pressed to say I prefer significantly over the Sony 1000MX3. It's better than the Sony, but not by much imo.
Noise cancelling- Now this was probably the biggest let-down for me; the NC just isn't that good when compared to its rivals. In fact, I would say it's a step back from the QC35's I bought in 2016.
Ear pads- I just don't like the leatherette they used on these. It feels really cheap.
Now, over the past two weeks, I have purchased a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3's and Sony WH1000XM3's with the intention of comparing them to the PX7 and returning the M3 and/or XM3 if they were worse than the PX7 significantly. However, it looks like I will be selling the PX7 instead and keeping both the M3's and XM3's instead.
I love the sound of the Momentum 3's. Love love love on a default EQ, maybe I'd lower the bass a tiny bit, but the sound is lively, punchy, and very dynamic. They are also built to the same quality as the PX7 but the addition of the supple leather ear pads put this on another tier. However, their portability and noise cancelling is down right terrible. A step behind the PX7. This is where the Sony XM3's come in. I find there's a bit of a hit to SQ and build quality but the ANC is straight up voodoo magic and it folds into a smaller footprint than anything. Plus the 30 hour battery life will just run laps around the 17 of the Momentums.
So, I'll be using the Momentums for a daily driver on the commute to work and while I am at work. I will also be using them for the occasions where I need to wear a suit (twice a week) and it won't look as out of place as my beat-up silver Bose QC35's. The Sony XM3's on the other hand is for when I need working ANC and the portability of being able to fold into the same footprint as a small book. This will be really helpful for overseas travel (since NZ is pretty much isolated to the point where a 'short' trip starts at 4 hours on a plane) as I see the ANC just destroying plane engine sound and with a 30 hour battery life- it should get me anywhere in the world with juice to spare if I'm heading somewhere the next day and forget to charge it.
I was hoping the PX7 would be the do-it-all premium ANC headphone of 2019 but I don't think B&W really knew what they wanted to do with this. Is it a successor to the PX or P7? Is it meant to compete with Sony's ANC or Sennheiser's sound? I think they tried to do a little bit of everything but it wasn't enough to really make it a stand-out in any category. If you are looking for a cheaper do-it-all headphone and don't mind micro-USB then I'd honestly still recommend the QC35. If you want the best SQ and are willing to put up with a bulky, high maintenance headphone with a crap case then I'd recommend the Momentum 3. If you want AMAZING ANC with good sound that charges via USB-C and lasts forever then I'd give the nod to the Sony 1000XM3.
Now, when reading a lot of reviews I was annoyed by people saying X is better at this than Y without providing a scale of reference by how much. To say Mike Tyson is a better fighter than me is accurate but there's a huge gap to find out if he's a 100x or 10x (probably the former) so I will break it down with the winners getting a 10:
SOUND QUALITY
Sennheiser Momentum 3- 10/10
B&W PX7- 8/10 (add .5 if you appreciate a wide soundstage over bass OOMPH!)
Sony WH1000XM3- 7.5/10 (add .5 if you like wub wub bass)
Bose QC35- 6.5/10 (this is probably the most inoffensive sound signature AKA anyone would kinda like this)
BUILD QUALITY
Sennheiser Momentum 3- 10/10 (minus .5 if you hate that crappy case)
B&W PX7- 8.5/10 (add .5 for an amazing case, this would have been a 9 with better ear pads)
Bose QC35- 7/10 (my copy has seen it all and it just has a few dings)
Sony WH1000XM3- 5/10 (feels like plastic plastic plastic. Can't replace ear pads too)
NOISE CANCELLATION
Sony WH1000XM3- 10/10 (really don't see these getting any better, SQ suffers a bit with them on but this is just a ANC rating)
Bose QC35- 8.5/10 (still super impressed with these guys)
BW PX7- 7/10 (above average for sure but still not as good as the Bose from 2016)
Sennheiser Momentum 3- 5/10 (very average but that could be a plus for people who are sensitive to NC)
PORTABILITY
Sony WH100XM3- 10/10 (great case, folds flat and into itself)
Bose QC350- 9.5/10 (case is a little bigger but also folds flat and into itself)
BW PX7- 8/10 (folds flat-ish but great case makes this feel smaller)
Sennheiser Momentum 3- 6/10 (terrible case and still super bulky when folded but takes up the least horizontal real estate when folded)
Hope this helps anyone in the same boat.
