Bowers & Wilkins PX7

The original against the later Px7 models

The PX7 dates from 20 September 2019, and launch coverage had it in stores that October at $399.99. The Px7 S2 replaced it in June 2022, followed by the Px7 S2e in 2023 and today’s Px7 S3.

Spec	PX7 (2019)	Px7 S2 (2022)
Drivers	43.6 mm full-range	40 mm bio-cellulose
Weight	310 g	307 g
Bluetooth	5.0	5.2
15-minute charge	About 5 hours	About 7 hours
Impedance	20 kΩ (input impedance)	33 Ω
App	Headphones app	Music app

The S2e retuned the S2 and added finishes. The S3 is the current Px7, with aptX Lossless, Bluetooth 5.3, eight microphones and a 300-gram weight, and the Px8 is the Nappa-leather model with Carbon Cone drivers.

So the original has larger drivers than the S2 and weighs three grams more, while the S2 charges faster and runs newer Bluetooth. If your PX7 still lasts the trip, nothing on that list forces an upgrade. If you’re buying, price it against a used S2 first; the S3 is the one to get for aptX Lossless.

Noise cancelling, calls and sensors

Adaptive Noise Cancellation uses four of the six microphones, and Bowers & Wilkins says it runs at 16 times the sampling rate. Ambient Pass-Through lets outside sound in when you need it. The other two microphones handle calls with CVC2 (Clear Voice Communication v2), and proximity sensors in both cups pause the music when you lift the headphones off and resume it when you put them back.

Battery and charging

Mode	PX7
Bluetooth, noise cancelling on	30 hours
15-minute charge	About 5 hours
Full charge	Not published
Charging port	USB-C

Codecs and Bluetooth

The PX7 supports aptX Adaptive, aptX HD and aptX Classic as well as AAC and SBC, over Bluetooth 5.0. When it launched, Bowers & Wilkins billed its 2019 headphones as the first commercially available aptX Adaptive devices. You can connect two devices at once, with audio or calls coming from one at a time, and it remembers up to eight.

Sound specs

The two full-range drive units measure 43.6 mm in the owner’s manual; the 2019 announcement says 43 mm. Frequency response runs from 10 Hz to 30 kHz, with distortion below 0.3% at 1 kHz and 10 mW, and the manual lists a 20 kΩ input impedance.

Weight, case and finishes

The PX7 weighs 310 grams and travels in the storage case from the box. Finishes are Carbon, Space Grey and Silver.

Price

Launch coverage put the PX7 at $399.99 in the US. It’s an archive model now, so expect to buy it used, and compare the price with a used Px7 S2 before you do.