Headphones · Model guide · Maker specs
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
Get Px8 S2 if you want Bowers & Wilkins' $799 flagship: Carbon Cone drivers and Nappa leather, now with aptX Lossless and eight microphones.
Product images
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get Px8 S2 if you want Bowers & Wilkins' $799 flagship: Carbon Cone drivers and Nappa leather, now with aptX Lossless and eight microphones. Over Px7 S3, listed at $479, the extra money buys the carbon drivers and the leather. Over the 2022 Px8, it adds Bluetooth 5.3, two more microphones and a slimmer, 310-gram build. Skip it if you need a sweat rating or folding cups.
Who it is for
- Buyers who want Bowers & Wilkins' flagship. Px8 S2 pairs Carbon Cone drivers, Nappa leather and aluminum arms with aptX Lossless over Bluetooth 5.3.
- Anyone moving up from the 2022 Px8. Px8 S2 adds aptX Lossless, Bluetooth 5.3 and eight microphones, weighs 0.31 kg against 320 grams, and is slimmer, says HARMAN.
- People who take a lot of calls on their headphones. Two of Px8 S2's eight microphones are dedicated to your voice, with ADI Pure Voice processing, says HARMAN.
Who should skip it
- Buyers on a Px7 S3 budget. At $479 list, the bio-cellulose Px7 S3 is the cheaper Bowers & Wilkins pair.
- Anyone who packs light. Bowers & Wilkins lists no folding design for Px8 S2, just a 177 × 60 × 234 mm case that HARMAN calls more compact than the old Px8's.
What sets it apart
- 40mm Carbon Cone drivers with a redesigned chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet, run by a dedicated amplifier and DAC, says HARMAN.
- aptX Adaptive at up to 24-bit, 96 kHz alongside aptX Lossless, with multipoint, Apple MFi and Google Fast Pair.
- An eight-microphone array: two that monitor the drivers, four listening to the world outside and two for your voice.
- True 24-bit USB-C audio, plus a USB-C to 3.5mm cable in the box for analog sources.
Caveats
- LE Audio and Auracast were promised at launch in a later over-the-air update, so don't buy Px8 S2 for them yet.
- Bowers & Wilkins publishes no frequency response, impedance or sensitivity for Px8 S2, so you can't set those numbers against a rival's.
- There's no IP rating, so the leather and the electronics have no stated protection from sweat or rain.
Key specs
In the same order on every headphones page, so you can compare pairs.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones; Nappa leather and aluminum arms; slimmer than the original Px8, says HARMAN | bowerswilkins.com; HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| Drivers | 2 × 40mm dynamic full-range carbon drivers | bowerswilkins.com US technical details; English manual |
| Noise cancelling | Active noise cancellation from an eight-microphone array; Off, Pass-Through or On through Quick Action | HARMAN, 24 September 2025; bowerswilkins.comHARMAN says two microphones measure the drivers, four monitor outside noise and two pick up your voice. |
| Ambient sound | Ambient Pass-Through | English manual; HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| Bluetooth codecs | aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive (24-bit, 96 kHz, says HARMAN), aptX HD, aptX Classic, AAC, SBC | bowerswilkins.com US technical details; HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless | bowerswilkins.com US technical details; English manual |
| Multipoint | Yes | bowerswilkins.com US technical details; English manual |
| Battery life | Up to 30 hours with noise cancelling on, at average volume | HARMAN, 24 September 2025; English manual |
| Charging | USB-C; 15 minutes gives about 7 hours | bowerswilkins.com US; HARMAN; English manual |
| Wired listening | True 24-bit USB-C audio; 1.2m USB-C to 3.5mm and 1.2m USB-C to USB-C cables included; HARMAN also lists analog listening over 3.5mm | bowerswilkins.com US; HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| Weight | 0.31 kg without the case | bowerswilkins.com; English manual |
| Folding and case | Not described as folding; carry case 177 × 60 × 234 mm, more compact than the original Px8's (HARMAN) | bowerswilkins.com; HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| App | Bowers & Wilkins Music: 5-band EQ, TrueSound, noise cancelling and Pass-Through, battery level, wear-sensor sensitivity, Quick Action, streaming services | HARMAN, 24 September 2025; bowerswilkins.com |
| Microphones and calls | 8 in total, 4 per earcup; ADI Pure Voice for calls (HARMAN) | bowerswilkins.com US; HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| Voice assistant | Quick Action can launch your phone's voice assistant | HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| Water resistance | No IP rating given | bowerswilkins.com US; English manual |
| Colors | Onyx Black and Warm Stone at launch; Midnight Blue and Pearl Blue also listed in September 2026 | HARMAN, 24 September 2025; bowerswilkins.com US |
| Compatibility | Bluetooth 5.3 devices; aptX Lossless needs a certified source; Apple MFi and Google Fast Pair; USB-C audio from a USB host, including the latest iPhones (HARMAN) | bowerswilkins.com US; HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| US launch price | $799 at launch (also £629, €729); $799 on Bowers & Wilkins' US store in September 2026, sometimes on sale at $749 | HARMAN, 24 September 2025; bowerswilkins.com US |
| Price band | $800 class at launch | Based on the $799 launch price |
| Announced | 24 September 2025 | HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| Availability | From 24 September 2025 at bowerswilkins.com and select retailers; still Bowers & Wilkins' flagship on 19 September 2026 | HARMAN, 24 September 2025; bowerswilkins.com US |
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Cone drivers | 40mm carbon drivers with a redesigned chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet, angled in the cup | HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| USB-C audio | True 24-bit; up to 96 kHz on Bowers & Wilkins' Japanese information sheet | bowerswilkins.com US; Bowers & Wilkins Japan information sheet |
| TrueSound and EQ | Five-band adjustable EQ, and TrueSound mode, which bypasses it for the factory tuning | HARMAN, 24 September 2025; English manual |
| LE Audio and Auracast | Promised in a later over-the-air update; not available at launch | HARMAN, 24 September 2025 |
| In the box | Px8 S2, carry case, 1.2m USB-C to 3.5mm cable, 1.2m USB-C to USB-C cable | bowerswilkins.com US |
| Carry case | 177 × 60 × 234 mm | bowerswilkins.com |
What the extra money buys over Px7 S3
Px7 S3 is the bio-cellulose Px7, listed at $479. Px8 S2 launched at $799, and the difference goes on Carbon Cone drivers and Nappa leather; HARMAN calls it the new flagship. Its carbon drivers were redesigned for this model, down to the chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet, and they sit angled in the cup.
If neither the driver material nor the leather matters much to you, the $479 Px7 S3 is the place to stop.
What changed from the original Px8
Bowers & Wilkins announced Px8 S2 on 24 September 2025, three years after the original Px8:
| Spec | Px8 S2 | Px8 (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Best codec | aptX Lossless | aptX Adaptive |
| Microphones | 8 (4 per earcup) | 4 for noise cancelling, 2 for calls |
| Weight | 310 g | 320 g |
HARMAN says the new pair is slimmer, with Nappa leather and aluminum arms, and the 177 × 60 × 234 mm carry case is more compact than the old one, which measures 189 mm where this one measures 177. Px8 vs Px8 S2 goes through the rest.
Codecs and USB-C audio
Bluetooth 5.3 carries aptX Lossless from a certified phone or player. HARMAN adds that aptX Adaptive runs at 24-bit, 96 kHz, and aptX HD, aptX Classic, AAC and SBC cover everything else. Multipoint, Apple MFi and Google Fast Pair are all on the feature list.
Wired, the USB-C port takes a true 24-bit signal, up to 96 kHz according to Bowers & Wilkins’ Japanese information sheet. The second cable in the box, USB-C to 3.5mm, handles analog sources such as an in-flight jack.
Battery and charging
| Mode | Px8 S2 |
|---|---|
| Playback, noise cancelling on | Up to 30 hours |
| 15-minute charge | About 7 hours |
HARMAN quotes the 30 hours with full noise cancellation on, and Bowers & Wilkins’ manual adds that it’s at average volume. Charging is over USB-C.
Price, colors and what’s in the box
Px8 S2 launched on 24 September 2025 at $799, £629 and €729, through bowerswilkins.com and select retailers. Bowers & Wilkins’ US store still asked $799 in September 2026 and has sometimes shown it on sale at $749, so it’s worth waiting for that price if you’re not in a hurry.
Launch colors were Onyx Black and Warm Stone, and by September 2026 the US store also listed Midnight Blue and Pearl Blue. Inside the box: the headphones, the carry case, a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable, both 1.2 meters.
Sources
- Amazon — Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 — accessed 2026-09-20
- Bowers & Wilkins US — Px8 S2 and specifications — accessed 2026-09-19
- Bowers & Wilkins — Px8 S2 English manual (PDF) — accessed 2026-09-19
- HARMAN — Bowers & Wilkins introduces Px8 S2, 24 September 2025 — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Can I listen to Px8 S2 over USB-C from an iPhone?
Yes. HARMAN says the USB-C audio works from a USB host, including the latest iPhones, and the 1.2m USB-C to USB-C cable is in the box.
What does the Quick Action button do?
It steps noise cancelling through Off, Pass-Through and On, and it can launch your phone's voice assistant. You set it up in the Bowers & Wilkins Music app.
Can I adjust the wear sensor?
Yes. The Music app has a sensitivity setting for the sensor that notices when you take the headphones off.
Is a discounted original Px8 the smarter buy?
Only if you won't use aptX Lossless, Bluetooth 5.3 or the extra microphones, and only well below Px8 S2's price. Otherwise get Px8 S2.
Official product page: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2. Tech specs: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 specs.