When it comes to getting new products out the door, Bowers & Wilkins doesn’t muck about. No sooner has it released its latest gear, than its engineers get back to the drawing board to working on the next iteration to keep pushing the audio envelope.
Of course this isn’t just a business model that’s exclusive to B&W, but the difference between it and its rivals is scale, and therefore speed. Whereas a smaller company with less R&D muscle at its disposal may take years, even decades to evolve a product, Bowers is able to do this at pace.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 in familiar packaging. Pot plant not included
And that’s why it seems like no time at all since Lee Dunkley was wrapping his experienced ears around the now outgoing Px7 S2e for a previous review, proving that to be a model many will be happy with for years to come (so much so, I bought my teenage kids a pair each at Christmas).
So when Bowers invited us along to its press launch for the Px7 S3 under review here, I was (perhaps foolishly) expecting just a few tweaks to justify the new model name. But not so, as while looking similar with an obvious continuation of Bowers’ now established over-ear design language, the Px7 S3 is an almost completely new model from the ground up.
Px7 S3’s drive unit (left) vs the Px7 S2e’s (right) in its re-designed chassis with improved mounting that also lends itself to easier servicing and replacement
In fact all that’s been carried over from the Px7 S2e is the 40mm biocellulose cone (pictured above) from its full range driver, with the rest of the driver being re-engineered with an improved voice coil, suspension, magnet and motor. But before we get into what else has been internally revamped, the most obvious upgrade is the Px7 S3’s external aesthetic, with the new model being around 10mm slimmer in comparison to its predecessor (55mm vs 45mm for the old to new one by my reckoning).
Outgoing PX7 S2e (left) looks chunky in comparison to its new Px7 S3 replacement (right)
And this has partly been achieved though how Bowers has moved the headphone’s external ANC (active noise cancelling) mics closer to the ear cup within a slotted periphery ring, versus the perforated outer ear cup on the older model.
Slimfast plan
This has also allowed Bowers to reposition each ear cup’s four onboard mics (eight in total, which is two more than the Px7 S2e), with particular attention paid to those monitoring external noises feeding its ANC engine. Whereas the older model had one mic located low down towards the rear of its outer cover, the new model sports two opposing each other within its periphery ring, in a similar approach to the in-ear Pi8 model we recently reviewed.
Replaceable memory foam ear pads are a few mm slimmer than the older model’s. Note USB-C socket for hardwiring and charging
The other two mics per cup are dedicated to measuring each driver’s output and for voice clarity when taking calls, (speaking of which, when making calls, unwanted noise gets suppressed by the latest generation of ADI’s Pure Voice processing technology).
And a slimmer headphone means a slimmer carrying case, with the new one being a good few mm skinnier than the older variant.
Internal shot reveals easily identifiable L-R ear cups, with the drive units angled as per previous models to ensure the music is directed into a listener’s ear canal
Extra chips
Inside the Px7 S3 beats a more powerful Qualcomm chipset boasting latest gen aptX Bluetooth including Adaptive 24-bit/96kHz (ie double the 48kHz sample rate of the S2e model) and Lossless, plus separate headphone amp and Bowers’ own DSP (digital signal processing), which were combined in the older model, signifying how much Bluetooth is evolving and how quickly Bowers has evolved with it.
Hardware updates also include a more durable headband and redesigned arm mechanism for a closer fit. Overall weight remains almost the same at 300g, vs 310g for the older model
Of course, all of these features, including its three ANC settings and music streaming integration, can be accessed through Bowers & Wilkins excellent Music app. And within this comes another upgrade, which may seem more retro at first glance than the Px7 S3’s other developments with a five-band graphic equaliser that can be custom set, stored and labelled to a user’s preference.
And for users less fussed about constant EQ tweaking, there’s a True Sound option for those wanting their headphones to sound as Bowers & Wilkins intended.
Bowers & Wilkins Music app remains one of the best in the business, and now sports a 5 band EQ tool for sonic faffery, should you want it
In the hand the Px7 S3 feels very similar to both the Px7 models and Px8, although the new sleeker chassis is immediately obvious and welcome, with the older models feeling a bit beefy in comparison.
They’re also more comfortable too, with the updated headband and ear cups feeling more secure and more evenly mated to my head (with the older models I’m more aware of the headband feeling like it sat just on top of my head rather than evenly around it), but these differences are subtle.
Revised controls are now more balanced with the power/bluetooh and ANC buttons on the left ear cup with play/pause and volume +/- on the right
Alongside the app, traditional controls are retained around the ear cups with the right one offering separate buttons for volume up and down sandwiching a play/pause button with a textured surface, that’s smaller than that on the older models, so you can differentiate it by feel more easily.
The left ear cup now hosts two buttons compared to just the one previously, with the combined power/bluetooth control now migrated over, alongside a button for toggling through the three noise cancelling settings (off, on and pass-through), each with their own audible jingle when selected to tell you what mode you’re in. Overall I found these revised controls much more intuitive.
Supplied accessories include USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to 3.5mm jack cables for more traditional hardwiring
You’d think that with all these improvements this would inevitably lead to price hike, especially in today’s market of increased material costs. However Bowers has managed to keep the Px7 S3’s price to an affordable £399, which is only twenty quid more than the Px7 S2e’s original RRP (although the latter can now be had for £299, perhaps to make way for the newer model, which makes it a bit of a bargain).
Performance
As a user of generations of Bowers’ Px cans going back generations, it’s always interesting to see what each new variation brings to the table. Generally sound quality has moved on with each iteration, but where the Px7 S3 also raises the bar is in the user experience. These just seem to fit, operate and feel that bit better than the rest, making them that bit easier to live with and therefore, that bit more enticing to never leave the house without.
Prior to testing these I tended towards having a Px7 model when out and about and a Px8 for serious home listening (a luxurious position to be in, I know). But since the Px7 S3 have graced my system I’ve found myself tending to favour them for both listening situations.
Px7 S3 in its three colour guises
Why? Because their increased durability, more compact design and enhanced ANC makes them a better bet when out and about as you’d expect, but what’s perhaps more surprising is how good they sound when really stretched for listening at home in an uncompromised environment.
Revisiting Ben Howard’s early albums (Every Kingdom, I Forget Where We Were, Noonday Dream) up to 24-bit/48kHz via Qobuz reveals just how expansive these headphones sound – much more so than their predecessor. Dial in my go to test track Nica Libres At Dusk for example and the Px7 S3’s handling of the song’s swooping dynamics is all encompassing, making the outgoing model sound a little flat in direct comparison.
The things I do for hifi – Px7 S3 being put to the test by yours truly on England’s coastline
All at sea
Upping the ante to a 192kHz remaster of Bowie’s Sound And Vision from his Low album and the percussion’s slam, punch and hi-hats have a clarity and sense of instrument separation that years ago would have been unimaginable via wireless Bluetooth. Again that dynamic verve is there too in abundance, especially across the vocals, which really hooks me in. Despite experimenting with the EQ tool, which is fun to fiddle with, True Sound remains my default setting for its overall balance as it gives a more organic sound that seems somehow more analogue compared to the tweaked EQ options.
Hooking them up over wired connection to a Musical Fidelity M1 HPA headphone amp being fed by Primare NP30 and NP5 Prisma Mk2 digital gear in place of my iPhone 13 allows the S3 to really breathe. Down By The Seaside from Led Zeppelin’s 1975 Physical Graffiti album (96kHz Remastered Edition) sounds sublimely smooth and spacious. And even when the track gets raucous with the volume up, there’s no tendency to hard edged-ness or a sense of running out or headroom as some cans can within this price bracket, instead the track’s multi-layered instrumentation is delivered with excellent composure throughout.
In summary
While Bowers’ Px7 S2e where the cans to beat at under four hundred quid, the Px7 S3 version significantly betters them in every way. Being more compact, better made and better sounding thanks to their technical advances there’s little that comes close to these at anywhere near the price. Highly recommended.
