Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e review: Detail oriented

It turns out that the B&W Px7 S2e aren’t, as I thought when the news of their arrival dropped into my inbox a few weeks ago, an entry-level version of the brand’s superb 2022 wireless headphones. And thank goodness for that. The very foundation of Bowers & Wilkins is built on quality – the day B&W goes budget is a day I hope I never see.

No, the ‘e’ here stands for “evolved”, as the Px7 S2e takes all that was – and still is – great about the Px7 S2 hardware and pushes it on further, with an extensively upgraded DSP and re-tuned acoustic platform, based on learnings from the much pricier Px8.

The result should be something that falls somewhere between the two – a gloriously premium pair of headphones with a sound that matches that more than ever. Here’s how I’ve found them.

B&W/Pocket-lint

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Editor’s choice

The B&W Px7 S2e manage to get tease out even more greatness from the five-star performance of its predecessors. They have strong competition at this price, but for out-and-out detail, not to mention style in spades, you won’t find better.

Pros

• Full-bodied, inslghtful sound
• Outstanding design
• Improved musicality

Cons

• No waterproofing
• Middling noise cancellation

Specs, pricing and availability

The Px7 S2e sit on the upper end of this mid-premium headphone price bracket, going on sale in September 2023 for $399/£379 – the same as the Px7 S2 launched at.

This puts them at the same price as the Sony WH-1000XM5 ($399/£380), but a little cheaper than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones ($429/£450).

They’re also, of course, significantly cheaper than the Px8 that they’re taking some sound inspiration from, costing $699/£599 (but available a little cheaper than RRP in some regions).

Design

Evolution is described by the Collins dictionary as “a process of gradual change over several generations”, and so perhaps it makes sense here to see very little – if any – discernible changes in the Px7 S2e design.

In honesty, they didn’t need it. The B&W Px7 S2 were the most premium, best-built headphones in their price range, putting designs from the likes of Sony and Bose firmly in the functional category.

B&W says there’s some revised detailing, but it’s so subtle that I can’t spot it. That means you can expect the same textured fabric finish across the headband and earcups, with complementary metallic detailing in some finishes and cool-to-the-touch metal caps on the earcups, proudly displaying the Bowers & Wilkins logo.

An elegantly curved arm holds the earcups, allowing them to swivel flat (but not fold up), which curves up into the adjustable headband.

As it did with the with the S2, B&W has added some very welcome flourishes in colour here – even if the review sample I’m testing is the ever-popular Anthracite Black. There’s also Cloud Grey, Ocean Blue and a new Forest Green – the latter of which is my favourite. The website imagery doesn’t do it justice, it’s gorgeous.

At 307g, there’s an undeniable weight to the Px7 S2e, compared to its more functional competition, but they don’t get tiring to wear – the vegan leather earcups and headband support are squishy enough to bear the brunt of the weight to keep things feeling comfortable.

The extra heft here means they can shift a little if you look down with some gusto while wearing them, but I think that likely falls into the category of problems that don’t really exist.

As with the S2, the S2e stick with physical controls – something that, for the most part, I prefer in an over-ear fit. There’s just less likelihood of frustration or mis-swipes, when I’m actually just adjusting the fit.

The swipe panel for volume in the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones was a welcome addition from an ease of use perspective, but I don’t miss it here. The controls on the S2e are familiar and reliable, and placed mostly on the right cup.

The quick action button sits on the left earcup though, to keep it separate from playback controls, and that’s set for cycling through your ANC modes out of the box, though this can be customised. They’re all beautifully tactile, plenty clicky and always responsive.

Features

The B&W Px7 S2e keep it refreshingly simple when it comes to features. There are very few bells and whistles – no talk of spatial audio, no complicated noise-cancellation modes. There’s on, pass-through and off. Simple.

It doesn’t keep things so simple on the audio codec front. There’s support for Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive here, for devices that can support it, plus wired playback over USB-C and 3.5mm cables – both of which are included in the box, along with a hard carry case.

The Bowers & Wilkins Music app also gives users the ability to tweak the S2e’s EQ, as well as turn on auto standby, adjust the sensitivity of the wear sensor and program the quick action button.

You can also manage the Bluetooth multipoint connection here, with the ability to connect up to two devices at once.

You’ll get a decent 30-hour battery life from the S2e, with an incredible fast charge that delivers a whopping seven hours of playback from just 15 minutes plugged in.

Noise cancellation

When you listen to the Px7 S2e, just like the S2, you don’t feel like the noise cancellation here is trying to pull you to the hushed ANC depths that you’ll get from the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. If you’re searching for that level of peace and quiet, you know exactly where to find it.

No, noise cancellation here is simply good enough to take the oomph out of the noise in your surroundings. It’ll knock the weight out of commuting sounds, dullen the chitter chatter of offices and make the drone of airplane noise less fatiguing.

It won’t cocoon you in silence though, and sounds do make their way through the S2e’s ANC system more than you’ll hear in the Bose or Sony’s WH-1000XM5, though it’s not a huge issue when playing music.

B&W says the S2e’s six-mic set up works to understand the environment and pushes noise cancellation as far as it can be without affecting musicality.

Sound

As I mentioned before, there’s been no change to the hardware here – the Px7 S2e still use the same 40mm custom drivers, slightly angled so soundwaves hit the ear just right.

Since I have an iPhone, I’m streaming from Tidal on the FiiO M11S to get improved aptX HD playback – Android users should be able to get this natively, but Apple users will be stuck with AAC only when streaming from their phone.

The devil is in the detail here – quite literally – and somehow the S2e manage to squeeze even more of it out of my music than their lusciously detailed predecessors. There’s stacks of clarity and even greater insight here, which makes them an instantly more engaging listen. Not that their predecessors fell short of that, but the leading edges of notes are more pronounced, and the texture of everything, from synths to guitars, is just all the more tangible.

The overall sonic character is very much the same, though. That means bass extension in particular is admirable, packing plenty of punch – but with subtlety too.

The bold, pulsing bassline in Lil Wayne’s Presha is a great example, landing with a rumbling warmth that fades in and out with precision. By comparison, the S2e serve up more presence and overall bass weight than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones can muster, meaning these are the headphones for you if you like a bolder, fuller bodied presentation.

Soundstage sounds a touch more open too, with plenty of space and scale for the improved dynamics at play here to shine. There’s just a greater sense of fluidity, with the Px7 S2e moving all the more effortlessly, yet explicitly, through tempo changes, the loud and quiet, the soft and raucous.

They can do this without second thought too, keeping perfect time as they switch between the flowing melodic sections of System of a Down’s Chop Suey! through to the more frenzied, impatient verses.

Even subtle dynamic shifts are handled with this same attention to detail – it’s a masterclass in both control and transparency, not to mention a dedication to showcasing the artist’s intent.

They perhaps don’t let their hair down as much as something like Sony WH-1000XM5, but they are far from a staid listen. They just can’t quite match up to the energy and drive that Sony can offer, giving them the edge when it comes to out and out enthusiasm.

But when it comes to detail? At this price, I think the B&W Px7 S2e have the market licked.

Verdict

With some careful software tweaks (and the introduction of that gorgeous green colourway), the B&W Px7 S2e manage to get tease out even more greatness from the five-star performance of its predecessors.

You simply won’t get another pair of these headphones at this price that will tell you more about your music than the Px7 S2e – and they do so with clarity, dynamism and an impressive amount of bass extension.

Of course, they’ll look gorgeous while they do it too, made with top-quality materials and with decent noise cancellation performance to boot. They probably aren’t a sensible option for upgraders, but for new buyers, the improved sound quality here is a real treat.