Bowers & Wilkins PX7 noise-cancelling over ear headphones
Dec 3, 2019 at 11:34 AM Post #1,081 of 2,191
Bought the momentum 3 having issues with bw px with glasses but i some musics i’m finding the sub bass too much and tweaking the equalizer messes other frequencies...

but the m3 except for the sub bass are Pretty good. A little sibillant at times but not much. Px has more soundstage and i miss this a bit. Should i go for px7? Tonal balance In m3 its basically flawless except for the sub bass. Bw px is not perfect In that regard and should not be the px7...

are the m3 the Best sounding wireless out there even with that sub bass boost?

For me they are. I personally like putting the EQ in the center then up midway, giving the picture of a big U. To me it adds a much needed depth and to me makes the soundstage larger. They also feel incredible on my head. Maybe its my heads shape but they fit like a glove with no movement noise or creakiness. Plastic and the like over time have ruined other BT headphones I've owned.

If you're willing to deal with the less than ideal battery life - it's really not THAT bad and can listen to these passively helps - they are the most exciting sounding without sacrificing detail ANC headphones on the market. I've tried them all.
 
Dec 4, 2019 at 10:33 PM Post #1,082 of 2,191
I gotten a 1 - 1 exchange from B&W yesterday, they replace the ear pads though for hygiene purpose, I guess they will take the old set back to UK, refurbish and resale. The clicking noise is gone, but the ANC button is not as responsive / precise than the previous one, I tried their demo set it was much more responsive but at certain angle it doesnt respond, I guess the manufacturing process is bad on this one. Haha... guess I will live with it. too much trouble to send it back.
 
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Dec 6, 2019 at 9:45 PM Post #1,083 of 2,191
are the m3 the Best sounding wireless out there even with that sub bass boost?

M3 is hands down the best sounding ANC BT headset I have used. It's just a pity that it sucks in so many ways like battery life and portability while only being average at best in ANC and mic quality. I still use my M3 as a daily driver just because I can charge every other day at the office and the sound is just amazing. For everything else, or when I need workable ANC then I will pick up my Sony XM3 or even QC35s. PX7 was just in a weird no man's land for me where it didn't have the thumping lively sound of the M3, the world class ANC of the XM3, or the brilliant mics and polish of the Bose 700s. I felt it tried to be and do everything all at once but never really hit the mark.

I was hoping the PXC 550 II's would give me that Senny sound signature but after seeing Micro USB on a headphone to be released in 2020- I laughed and closed my browser.
 
Dec 7, 2019 at 3:16 PM Post #1,084 of 2,191
Slightly off-topic, but has anyone tried the PI4 yet? I picked up a set earlier this week to be a super-portable counterpart to the PX7.

I’m kinda surprised by how they sound, but in a good way. They’re very mid-forward, with emphasized vocals and very controlled bass. In fact, the bass sits pretty far back in the mix, which I was not expecting to be the case. Still putting them through their paces but so far I think they’re a nice portable companion to the PX7.
 
Dec 7, 2019 at 3:52 PM Post #1,085 of 2,191
Good to know about the PI4. The more time I’ve spent listening to the PX7, the more I’m finding the sound quality is dependent on the source i.e Tidal/iTunes/Qobuz and also track dependent.

Strange there are no real reviews of the P range. I don’t count “What Hifi” anymore.

I read an Amazon customer review of the PI4 and note that someone returned them for the PI3 as they didn’t find the noise cancelling great.

Once you’ve listened to the PI4 a bit more I’d appreciate if you could post a review up.

I also own the B&O E8 V2.0 and wonder how they compare?
 
Dec 9, 2019 at 1:19 PM Post #1,086 of 2,191
Yeah, the relative lack of press surrounding the P line is a bit surprising (I don’t trust What HiFi either; seems like everything is amazing according to them).

After just a few days with the PI4, I like them, but they’re weird. In a nutshell they sound like the PX7 but with a fair amount less bass—they’re much more analytical than cinematic. They share that mid-treble bump with their over-ear brother, but most of their bass energy lies in the subbass region. As a result, the mids are a bit more forward. They sound pretty nice, and I think I prefer them to the signature of the Sony WF-1000XM3, but upon listening to both I would not have guessed that the PI4 have drivers that are over twice the size of those in the XM3s.

I saw that Amazon review about the noise cancelling not having much of an effect, but I chalk that up that a fairly common misconception about what noise cancelling actually does. To my ear, the PI4’s noise cancelling is on par with the Sony WF-1000XM3—both do a good job of reducing how much ambient noise interferes with the bass and the mids. A fair amount of higher-frequency noise still gets in, making their overall effect good but not on the level of their over-ear siblings.

I think I struggle with the ergonomics of the PI4 the most. I actually like semi-wireless IEMs like these because it’s easy to take them out and clip them around your neck, and their connection is usually more reliable than true wireless IEMs. The PI4 cable surprisingly kind of heavy, and can pipe through some annoying sounds when it hits your clothing (the cable isn’t microphonic, though, it’s just that you never really forget that it’s there). Plus, folding and stowing them takes a bit of practice and is way less convenient than just plopping truly wireless IEMs into a charging case.

So... I don’t know. The PX7 have been wonderful daily drivers for me. The PI4 aren’t quite the secondary ones I was hoping they’d be, but I’ll get a few more days with them before deciding whether or not to keep them.
 
Dec 9, 2019 at 4:18 PM Post #1,087 of 2,191
I have PI3. As far as ergonomics go, they're great. The built quality is really nice, they are sturdy and I have no problems just shoving them in the bag. I also do not find them heavy at all. The controller/battery part lies on your neck/shoulders. They also connect to both my galaxy s9 and w10 laptop immediately and multi connects works great (also the mic is suitable for office skype calls).

I'm not so sure about the sound quality though. They are VERY bass heavy. Looking at Amazon reviews you'd guess they'd offer better and more balance sound and than PI4, but not sure about that. Don't get me wrong, they sound alright (though nowhere near the Dali IO-6 I had, but send back due to comfort issues). But the bass is really dominating, they are also very warm sounding. I was thinking about getting PI4, not really for noise cancelling, but for longer battery life. Determined it's not worth double the price and supposedly (damn you vine reviews) worst sounding. And ANC in IEM would not work for me. On the move or on the airplane my ears get to sweaty too quickly for noise cancelling to work effectively. So they server their purpose, I'm alright some the sound for what I need them for, but still... even though as far as premium BT headphones go they're modernly prices, they do sound worst what Brainwavz M2 I once bough for less than third of the price of PI3.

Anyway I'm gonna try PX7 as well. For the office I prefer IEM, but for home use or occasional flights, I'd rather have over ears with some ANC.
 
Dec 9, 2019 at 5:20 PM Post #1,088 of 2,191
Yeah, the relative lack of press surrounding the P line is a bit surprising (I don’t trust What HiFi either; seems like everything is amazing according to them).

After just a few days with the PI4, I like them, but they’re weird. In a nutshell they sound like the PX7 but with a fair amount less bass—they’re much more analytical than cinematic. They share that mid-treble bump with their over-ear brother, but most of their bass energy lies in the subbass region. As a result, the mids are a bit more forward. They sound pretty nice, and I think I prefer them to the signature of the Sony WF-1000XM3, but upon listening to both I would not have guessed that the PI4 have drivers that are over twice the size of those in the XM3s.

I saw that Amazon review about the noise cancelling not having much of an effect, but I chalk that up that a fairly common misconception about what noise cancelling actually does. To my ear, the PI4’s noise cancelling is on par with the Sony WF-1000XM3—both do a good job of reducing how much ambient noise interferes with the bass and the mids. A fair amount of higher-frequency noise still gets in, making their overall effect good but not on the level of their over-ear siblings.

I think I struggle with the ergonomics of the PI4 the most. I actually like semi-wireless IEMs like these because it’s easy to take them out and clip them around your neck, and their connection is usually more reliable than true wireless IEMs. The PI4 cable surprisingly kind of heavy, and can pipe through some annoying sounds when it hits your clothing (the cable isn’t microphonic, though, it’s just that you never really forget that it’s there). Plus, folding and stowing them takes a bit of practice and is way less convenient than just plopping truly wireless IEMs into a charging case.

So... I don’t know. The PX7 have been wonderful daily drivers for me. The PI4 aren’t quite the secondary ones I was hoping they’d be, but I’ll get a few more days with them before deciding whether or not to keep them.
Definitely depends on your daily routine. I find IEMs are realistically easier for commuting, however, due to the nature of design, you do lose the immersive aspect of the PX7. I'm on my 3rd pair of PX7s and I've finally come around to appreciating them. The pairs I had previously had the clicking sounds when I turned my head from side to side (gently, mind you), while the new pair does not have any of those issues. Calls seem to be better on this one as well, so I'm not sure if there were some buggy initial build runs, but this one works nicely. The sound is definitely well described as "cinematic".

For me, since my use is in the actual office and I don't need absolute convenience, they work great.

If you have to constantly remove, then the PI4 are a better choice. The ambient mode delay on the PX7 is horrible, while the fit around my neck is uncomfortable.
 
Dec 9, 2019 at 11:56 PM Post #1,089 of 2,191
I'm not so sure about the sound quality though. They are VERY bass heavy.
Bummer. Given that, you’d probably prefer the PI4, but you’re right about the price being a lot higher than other options.
Definitely depends on your daily routine. I find IEMs are realistically easier for commuting, however, due to the nature of design, you do lose the immersive aspect of the PX7.
Totally agreed—more than a fair tradeoff at times. I tried using my Xelentos with a Radsone ES100 for a while but despite really liking the sound, it was just too cumbersome for daily use. Then I tried the B&O E6 and despite loving the build and the cable length, the battery life was garbage and the microphonics ruined it. The PI4 is the closest to ideal semi-wireless earphone that I’ve encountered.

Glad you finally got a PX7 without build issues. For a company that uses quality materials and thoughtful design, it’s surprising how often their early runs seem to have issues.
 
Dec 11, 2019 at 2:59 PM Post #1,090 of 2,191
Got the M3 and upon listening to it for a day I packed PX7 and it'a going back. I had a feeling that PX7 was a bit muddy (mostly in the mid) but didn't realize how veiled it was until I did a direct comparison between the two. I didn't feel excited listening to PX7 like my other wired headphones. It was just "meh it's alright" kind of feeling. The M3 finally is making me feel like I can listen to music without having to whip out my wired cans and IEMs.
PX7 certainly has some features that can take priority for other people but my top priority being great SQ, other features be damned! Sorry, B&W. I tried so much to like you but maybe next time. And, the lambskin pads are oh so nice :)
 
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Dec 11, 2019 at 8:06 PM Post #1,091 of 2,191
Got the M3 and upon listening to it for a day I packed PX7 and it'a going back. I had a feeling that PX7 was a bit muddy (mostly in the mid) but didn't realize how veiled it was until I did a direct comparison between the two. I didn't feel excited listening to PX7 like my other wired headphones. It was just "meh it's alright" kind of feeling. The M3 finally is making me feel like I can listen to music without having to whip out my wired cans and IEMs.
PX7 certainly has some features that can take priority for other people but my top priority being great SQ, other features be damned! Sorry, B&W. I tried so much to like you but maybe next time. And, the lambskin pads are oh so nice :)
I find the upper mid and low treble to be lacking in the PX7 and find the M3 is superior in this regard. I do enjoy the bass of the PX7 more, however, I do wish but that obligatory 10k spike I hear was dialed back, as it's a bit fatiguing. Overall, the M3 probably sound "better", but I'm not a fan of the build quality.

The sliders are inferior to the M2 and have a "scratchy" characteristic when adjusted (M2 are firmer, yet smooth, like butter). I tried to be OK with it, but one side just became looser than the other and would not hold it's position. I went through 2 pairs before I called it a day. The leather is also thinner than it is on the M2.

So, I'd give the M3 the nod for sound, but build definitely has to go to the PX7.

Jury still out on the PX7, as the 10k spike is really bothering me.
 
Dec 11, 2019 at 10:30 PM Post #1,092 of 2,191
The comparison between the PX7 and M3 is tough for me. I think that overall, the PX7 is the superior overall wireless ANC headphone. Better ANC, Better passive isolation, Better Battery, Better multi device pairing and connection management with the app, and Better carry case. The only thing that the M3 has on the PX7 is a more consistent SQ and a better mic for calls, although I’m not having any issues with people hearing me on the PX7 since repurchasing them on Friday. The thing with the PX7’s SQ is that at times I love it. I actually prefer it to the M3. It just depends on source. There are times where I feel it’s not natural sounding. The M3 is just great consistently with no matter what I throw at it. Also the PX7 has a volume limiter. Although it gets plenty loud for me at around 75% on my Apple products, I can see people wanting extra volume being disappointed with the limiter. It basically prevents certain frequencies from getting louder on the PX7 past a certain point. It helps if you adjust the volume from the headphones itself because it goes up in smaller increments than on the device.

I’ve actually purchased the M3, returned them for the PX7, repurchased the M3, returned the PX7, and just Friday repurchased the PX7 LOL. Now I’m thinking I’m going to keep the PX7 and that will be final. I have the Dali io-4 for home use which is where I prefer to use the M3. I honestly feel that the PX7 is the better headphone for portability than the M3. In that scenario, the SQ plays less of an important role. I prefer the Dali io-4 for home use. It’s the most neutral wireless headphone I’ve heard. The only thing that can get in the way of the PX7 at this point is my Bose N700 that I have up for sale. If it doesn’t sale, I may just return the PX7 and go with the Bose N700 and Dali io-4 as my dual threat headphones.
 
Dec 11, 2019 at 10:46 PM Post #1,093 of 2,191
If I travel a lot and need a ANC headphone I would definitely go with PX7 for the features alone (battery life, better NC, better case, durability) but I use it 95% of the time in my office so consistent high quality SQ is important. PX7 sounds bipolar, some songs pretty good and other songs horrible. In the end, I just didn't enjoy listening to it like I do with M3 now.

I don't have any issues with the M3 construction and material. The sliders work fine and stay in place without any problems (because it'snew?). It does feel less durable than PX7 which feels quite solid and it did clamp harder than MX3. Probably depending on the size and the shape of your head. So far, no complaints and they feel pretty comfortable.
 
Dec 12, 2019 at 1:07 AM Post #1,094 of 2,191
I don’t want a noise-canceling version of my beloved P7 wireless. I just want a version of the P7 wireless with a headband that doesn’t feel like knuckles on my skull after 15 minutes. Too much to ask? :frowning2:
 
Dec 12, 2019 at 3:18 AM Post #1,095 of 2,191
I don’t want a noise-canceling version of my beloved P7 wireless. I just want a version of the P7 wireless with a headband that doesn’t feel like knuckles on my skull after 15 minutes. Too much to ask? :frowning2:
Apparently, yes. :xf_eek:
 

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