If you’re looking for evidence that the Trump administration tariffs are impacting consumer electronics prices, look no further than Bowers & Wilkins’ new flagship PX8 S2 noise-canceling headphones. The original version carried a list price of $699 when they launched, but this 2nd-gen model comes out of the gate at $799. Is that too much to pay? For most folks, yes, but the PX8 S2 are easily among my favorite over-ear headphones. Not only do they sound even better than the original PX8 but both the headphones and carrying case have been slimmed down and the noise-canceling and voice-calling performance has been upgraded, making them a top premium wireless headphone pick for those with deep enough pockets to afford them. 

A few months back, Bowers & Wilkins, now owned by Samsung, released the PX7 S3 ($479), a new version of the step-down to the PX8. This PX8 S2 follows a similar upgrade script to PX7 S3, which was also trimmed down and received some performance enhancements while becoming a little more comfortable to wear. 

Bowers & Wilkins says the PX8 S2 are the best-sounding headphones it’s ever created. The previous model had 40mm Carbon Cone drive units (the PX7 S3 has 40mm bio-cellulose drivers), but Bowers & Wilkins says the PX8 S2’s drive units feature “a comprehensively redesigned and improved chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet, and are carefully angled to the listener’s ears to ensure a consistent distance from every point across the surface of each driver to each ear, ensuring better imaging and stereo spaciousness.” They’re also powered by a dedicated, discrete headphone amplifier that brings more the “scale and energy” to the sound.

I like what Bowers & Wilkins did with the PX7 S3 to level it up, but even with its design and performance improvements, its sound just doesn’t have quite the wow factor that the PX8’s sound does (whether that sound quality gain is worth an extra $320 is debatable, of course).

While the PX8 isn’t packed with features, Bowers & Wilkins says it will roll out a series of firmware updates later this year, the first of which will include support for spatial audio listening. Bluetooth LE Audio with Auracast broadcast functionality will be added later.

I’lll post my full review in the coming days, but suffice to say, my initial impressions are quite positive aside from the high price tag.    

PX8 S2 key features

• Weight: 310 grams (10.9 ounces)
• Slimmer design than predecessor with slightly more comfortable fit
• Redesigned 40mm dynamic full-range carbon drivers
• High-performance DSP with dedicated amplifier/DAC
• True 24-bit audio connection
• Improved noise-canceling
• Qualcomm QCC3084 chipset
• 8 mics total — 4 mics per ear cup
• 5-band customizable EQ + TrueSound mode
• Bluetooth 5.3 with Qualcomm aptX Lossless technology (AAC and SBC codecs are also supported)
• Multipoint connectivity
• USB-C audio
• Up to 30 hours playback
• 15-minute charge for 7 hours playback
• Color options: Onyx black and warm stone
• Price: $799

Bowers & Wilkins headphones comparison chart 

Px8 S2 is available in two refined Nappa leather finishes: Onyx Black and Warm Stone, each with

The new reference standard in wireless headphone listening

Px8 S2 is the best sounding headphone the brand has ever created. Building on the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning pedigree of Px7 S3, the new flagship model takes wireless headphone performance to all-new heights of resolution and insight. Its 40mm Carbon Cone drive units deliver a transformational listening experience by combining exceptionally low coloration and distortion with light weight, ensuring stunning detail and clarity plus effortless, powerful dynamics, whatever you’re listening to.

Supported by powerful Bowers & Wilkins-developed DSP (Digital Signal Processing), the result is outstanding 24-bit / 96 kHz high-resolution sound quality. 3.5mm analogue audio connections are also supported, as is high-resolution-capable USB-C – a great benefit for both computer users and owners of compatible mobile devices, including the latest generation of iPhone. Both cable types are included in the carry case that accompanies the headphones.

Block out the world

Bowers & Wilkins engineers are confident that the new active noise cancelling technologies developed for the Px7 S3 and Px8 S2 are the most powerful and effective the brand has ever developed. As is always the case, the chosen approach carefully balances effective cancellation of unwanted noise while doing no harm to the musicality of the performance – and in this new generation of headphones, the results are simply exceptional.

As with all other current generations of Bowers & Wilkins headphones and earbuds, the Px8 S2 can be configured and controlled using the brand’s Music app. You can activate or disengage the noise-cancelling transparency mode to let in more or less of the outside world, monitor the headphone’s charge levels, select the wear sensor sensitivity and define your preferred operation for the physical ‘Quick Action’ button on the headphones. Listeners can now opt to fine-tune the sound through an adjustable five-band EQ, complete with the option to store their preferred settings as easily accessible presets. If preferred, the EQ option can be bypassed by selecting the True Sound mode, which represents the preferred audio tuning selected by the acoustic team at the Southwater Research Establishment (SRE).

As with Px7 S3, physical controls on each earcup are also included, ensuring full control even without the Music app. The revised button layout, which reshapes the volume up, volume down and play/pause buttons to improve their tactile interaction and relocates the power button to the left-hand earcup, is more intuitive to