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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.8 update for Headphones! Read the R&D Article to learn more about our new direction. As we ramp up and retest products, expect delays in testing new and updating preexisting reviews. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience!

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Nov 01, 2019 at 11:10 am
Latest change: Writing modified May 02, 2023 at 08:51 am
Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless Picture
6.6
Neutral Sound
7.5
Commute/Travel
7.1
Sports/Fitness
7.2
Office
5.4
Wireless Gaming
6.7
Wired Gaming
6.2
Phone Calls
These headphones were replaced by the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are headphones with a dark sound profile but are very well-designed. They have a sleek style and are comfortable to wear for a while. These headphones are very well-built and feel robust. They're also noise cancelling and block out a good amount of ambient noise. However, their microphone is too bad to be used for calls, and they lack audio customization options inside their app. On the upside, their battery life is amazing, and they're compatible with aptX(HD) and aptX Adaptive.

Our Verdict

6.6 Neutral Sound

Okay for critical listening. As much as the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are comfortable to wear, critical listeners might be disappointed by their bass-heavy and warm sound profile. They lack quite a bit of detail and brightness in the treble range, which is unfortunate.

Pros
  • Amazing battery life.
  • Good ANC feature.
  • Comfortable design.
  • Sleek-looking and durable design.
Cons
  • Bad microphone for calls.
  • Bass-heavy, dark sound profile.
  • Treble delivery inconsistencies.
7.5 Commute/Travel

Decent for commuting. Their ANC feature is quite good and blocks out a good amount of ambient noise. They're comfortable to wear during long rides and their battery life will easily last you for entire long flights. However, they won’t be the easiest to carry around.

Pros
  • Amazing battery life.
  • Good ANC feature.
  • Comfortable design.
  • Sleek-looking and durable design.
Cons
  • Bad microphone for calls.
  • Bass-heavy, dark sound profile.
  • Treble delivery inconsistencies.
7.1 Sports/Fitness

Passable for sports. Even if they're decently stable on the head thanks to their design, they aren’t designed for this use. These headphones are high-end and you shouldn’t sweat on these. They're also closed-back over-ears, meaning you'll sweat more than usual when working out.

Pros
  • Amazing battery life.
  • Good ANC feature.
  • Comfortable design.
  • Sleek-looking and durable design.
Cons
  • Bad microphone for calls.
  • Bass-heavy, dark sound profile.
  • Treble delivery inconsistencies.
7.2 Office

Decent for the office. The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 have a comfortable fit that you can wear for hours. They also block ambient chatter and the noise from an A/C system well, allowing you to focus on your daily tasks. They also have a very long battery life and you won’t have to charge them daily, which is great.

Pros
  • Amazing battery life.
  • Good ANC feature.
  • Comfortable design.
  • Sleek-looking and durable design.
Cons
  • Bad microphone for calls.
  • Bass-heavy, dark sound profile.
  • Treble delivery inconsistencies.
6.7 Wired Gaming

Pros
  • Amazing battery life.
  • Good ANC feature.
  • Comfortable design.
  • Sleek-looking and durable design.
Cons
  • Bad microphone for calls.
  • Bass-heavy, dark sound profile.
  • Treble delivery inconsistencies.
6.2 Phone Calls

Pros
  • Amazing battery life.
  • Good ANC feature.
  • Comfortable design.
  • Sleek-looking and durable design.
Cons
  • Bad microphone for calls.
  • Bass-heavy, dark sound profile.
  • Treble delivery inconsistencies.
  • 6.6 Neutral Sound
  • 7.5 Commute/Travel
  • 7.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.2 Office
  • 5.4 Wireless Gaming
  • 6.7 Wired Gaming
  • 6.2 Phone Calls
  1. Updated May 02, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless in Noise Isolation.
  2. Updated Apr 20, 2023: We've lowered the Build Quality score to reflect the difference between these headphones and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless as the S2 have a better feel and are made of higher-grade material.
  3. Updated Jan 12, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  4. Updated Jun 11, 2021: Changed USB Audio results for clarity.
  5. Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
  6. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  7. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  8. Updated Nov 01, 2019: Review published.
  9. Updated Oct 30, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  10. Updated Oct 30, 2019: Early access published.
  11. Updated Oct 28, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  12. Updated Oct 22, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 set themselves apart by their great design and style. They look like very high-end headphones with a unique style. However, their sound profile is a bit too dark, which may disappoint some. On the upside, they have a good ANC feature, but it doesn’t quite compete with other high-end models. See our recommendations for the best noise canceling headphones, the best headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless are the next generation of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless. The second generation have a better build quality, a more balanced and neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and their microphone performance is significantly better. They also support aptX Adaptive codec for streaming audio in higher quality, or for reducing latency when you're watching videos. 

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

The Sony WH-100XM4 Wireless are better than the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless. The Sony headphones are more comfortable, their ANC feature blocks out more ambient noise, and their integrated mic has a much better overall performance. They have a more neutral default sound profile, which some listeners may prefer, and they also work with companion software that gives you access to a graphic EQ and presets. However, the Bowers & Wilkins support aptX and aptX HD codecs.

Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless and the Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless are two very similar headphones, but the PX Wireless have a small edge if you like their fit. Their sound profile is more neutral, which some users may prefer, their ANC performance is noticeably stronger, blocking more ambient noise. On the other hand, the newer PX7 have a better battery life with over 10 extra hours of continuous playback and their padding is plushier.

Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless and Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless are closely-matched. The on-ear PX5 have a more comprehensive control scheme, are easier to carry around, provide more consistent audio delivery, leak less audio, and have a superior integrated mic. That said, the PX7 are more comfortable and provide a far more spacious listening experience.

Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless

The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless are better than the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless. The Sony are more comfortable, and have a better noise cancelling feature which is great for commuting and at the office. Their audio quality is also better and you can EQ them inside their companion app. On the other hand, the PX7 have a longer battery life and feel a bit sturdier than the XM3.

Focal Bathys Wireless

The Focal Bathys Wireless are a better choice for premium headphones than the The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable, the Focal headphones follow our target curve more closely, which some users may prefer, and are more customizable. Their mic has better overall performance, and these headphones have a USB-DAC mode, which converts your device's digital audio signal into an analog signal and reduces distortion. They also have the edge when it comes to noise cancelling. Conversely, the Bowers & Wilkins have a better overall battery performance.

Shure AONIC 50 Wireless

The Shure AONIC 50 Wireless and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless are similarly-performing wireless headphones, each with different advantages. The Shure have a more well-balanced sound profile as well as a companion app that allows for a higher degree of adjustment, not to mention aptX-LL compatibility for less audio lag when wirelessly streaming videos. That said, the PX7 do a better job of blocking out ambient noise, especially in the bass range, and have much longer battery life.

Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless

The Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless are better headphones than the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless. The Sennheiser have a better audio reproduction and will sound more accurate and neutral. They also have a more retro look that is unique. The Sennheiser also have a decent microphone for calls. On the other hand, the Bowers & Wilkins have a better battery life, and support aptX Adaptive. However, you don’t have access to a parametric EQ inside their app like you do with the Sennheiser.

Bose 700 Headphones Wireless

The Bose 700 Headphones Wireless are noticeably better headphones than the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, have a more neutral and accurate sound signature, and a better isolation performance thanks to their great ANC feature. They also have a great microphone for calls. On the other hand, the Bowers & Wilkins have a longer battery life. They can also be used while charging thanks to their USB-C cable, but need power to function, meaning you can’t use them wired with an analog audio cable if their battery is dead, which you can do with the Bose.

Sennheiser PXC 550-II Wireless

The Sennheiser PXC 550-II Wireless are better headphones than the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless. They have better controls, a much more accurate sound profile, and feel more stable. On the other hand, the Bowers & Wilkins feel more premium, have much longer battery life, and very similar ANC performance.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 have a unique and sleek design. They have a similar shape to the previous Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless model, but with a few minor changes. The headphone's arm's hinges are now fully covered, hiding the cable, which is nice. However, the backplate of the headphones looks a bit plasticky and not as premium as the previous model. Nevertheless, these headphones are quite unique and have a high-end design.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.7 lbs
Clamping Force
1.2 lbs

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are quite comfortable headphones. They aren’t too heavy and the padding is noticeably softer and plushier than the Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless, which was one of the biggest issues of the headphones’ design. The headband is also well-padded and distributes the weight of the headphones well. The cups have an exceptional range of motion, so most people should find the right angle for them to not have any gaps in their fit. Unfortunately, the cups are a bit on the shallower side. On the upside, the cups are detachable and replaceable.

7.7
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control Adjustable
Talk-Through
On/Off
Additional Controls Bluetooth Sync

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's control scheme is great. You have many physical buttons that offer most common headphone functions. You can play/pause or take/end calls with the middle button. Volume control is on both sides of the middle button. To skip tracks, double tap the middle button twice, while going backwards is with a triple tap. You also have a button on the left cup for ANC control, which lets you cycle through High, Low, Auto, and Off. You can also hold that same button to enter the talk-through mode. The buttons are very clicky and you also get a voice prompt, which is nice and clear.

6.5
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 5.8 °C

Like most closed-back over-ears, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 trap a bit of heat under the ear cups. This will make you sweat more than usual and won’t be suitable for sports, as these aren't designed for this use.

5.9
Design
Portability
L 8.3" (21.1 cm)
W 6.5" (16.5 cm)
H 2.2" (5.6 cm)
Volume 119.00 in³ (1,950.05 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 aren't very portable headphones. The cups do rotate to lay flat, making it easier to slide them in a bag, but they don’t fold into a more compact format. If you're looking for a pair of similarly-performing wireless headphones that are easier to carry around, consider the Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless, which have an on-ear design with a slightly smaller overall footprint.

8.0
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 9.0" (22.9 cm)
W 7.3" (18.5 cm)
H 2.8" (7.1 cm)
Volume 184.00 in³ (3,015.21 cm³)

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 come with a nice hard case that protects the headphones well against scratches, minor water exposure, and physical damage from falls. It has a nice texture and feels quite high-end. The interior is even molded and reduces the wiggle of the headphones inside the case.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are very well-built headphones but don't feel as high-end as the Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless or their successor, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless. They have a lighter and cheaper feel, in part due to their plastic backplates. The cups are swappable and replaceable, which makes them more durable, but they aren't as easy to remove as the magnetic ones on the PX model. On the upside, the arm hinges are made from woven carbon fiber composite, according to the manufacturer. Although it's solid, it doesn't feel as durable as the previous model's metal arms. That said, the hinges completely hide the cable going through the headband, which is good.

7.0
Design
Stability

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are decently stable on your head. They clamp enough to stay in place for a casual listening session, but they won’t be a great option for sports. Head movement may make them sway off your head quite easily. On the upside, their wireless design gets rid of the risk of getting a cable stuck or hooked on something, yanking the headphones off your head.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box
Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
4.98 dB
Treble Amount
-2.77 dB
5.9
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.98 dB

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's frequency response consistency is sub-par. On the upside, the ANC system of the headphones seems to check for consistent bass, but they don’t seem to perform as consistently in the treble range. This means that most people won’t hear voices, lead instruments, and sibilants the same way as someone else. You might even experience differences in sound just by placing the headphones in a different position on your head.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
6.6
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
5.58 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
5.36 dB
Mid-Bass
6.89 dB
High-Bass
5.69 dB

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's bass performance is decent. It's quite well-balanced and flat, but it's noticeably over our target curve. This results in a slightly boomy bass with extra thump and punch. Fans of bass may prefer this with bass-heavy genres like EDM and pop.

7.8
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.96 dB
Low-Mid
0.54 dB
Mid-Mid
0.46 dB
High-Mid
-3.68 dB

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's mid range is also decent. The response is quite good and follows our curve well. Vocals and lead instruments sound accurate, but the dip in high-bass negatively affects their intensity and projection.

5.4
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
6.53 dB
Low-Treble
-4.01 dB
Mid-Treble
1.64 dB
High-Treble
-5.96 dB

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 have a disappointing and bad treble performance. It lacks quite a lot of detail and brightness. This, mixed with the overemphasized bass, results in a more dark sounding profile. On the other hand, some sibilants (S and T sounds) might sound too sharp and piercing for some.

Note that their frequency response consistency in the treble range is pretty bad, meaning they fail to deliver a constant audio throughout reseats and will perform differently according to your head and ear shapes and sizes.

6.0
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.72 dB
Dips
2.13 dB
8.0
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.24
Weighted Phase Mismatch
10.04
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.73
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.71

The stereo imaging of these headphones is very good. The group delay graph shows that it's under the audibility threshold, which results in a tight bass and treble ranges. Also, our unit’s L/R drivers were fairly well-matched, but had a small difference in frequency and phase. This won’t be very audible for most, but could result in holes in the stereo image and some inaccuracies. However, note that these results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.

4.8
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
4.93 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
5.87 dB
PRTF Distance
8.93 dB
Openness
1.9
Acoustic Space Excitation
3.7

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's soundstage is sub-par, but can feel quite large for closed-back headphones. There’s a lot of interaction with the pinna, which gives the impression of a large soundstage. However, it might sound unnatural as they're closed-back headphones and won’t bring the soundstage to the front of the listener’s head.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No
7.2
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.438
WHD @ 100
0.189
Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 4.2
Codec
aptX, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
High
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Integrated
Isolation
7.9
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-22.58 dB
Noise Cancelling Yes
Bass
-13.23 dB
Mid
-22.7 dB
Treble
-32.74 dB

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's noise isolation performance is very good. Their ANC has the edge over their successor, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless, when it comes to bass-range noise like the deep rumble of a bus engine, although the ANC still offers a passable performance in this regard. However, the ANC blocks out ambient chatter in an office setting more effectively, and is able to reduce the noise coming from the A/C system.

6.8
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
40.77 dB

Their leakage performance is decent. Most of the leakage is from treble frequencies, making the leakage quite thin-sounding. However, thanks to their closed-back design, they won’t leak as much as open-backs. People surrounding you shouldn’t hear what you’re listening to if you're at a moderate volume, but might be disturbed if you’re blasting your music.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
5.3
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
239.73 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
6.81 dB
HFE
3,517.32 Hz
Weighted THD
27.547
Gain
-20.29 dB

The recording quality of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7’s integrated microphone is sub-par. Recorded speech sounds noticeably muffled and lacking in detail, even in very quiet environments. Speech is still intelligible, but the audio quality is quite disappointing. It might also be sensitive to pops.

5.9
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
8.78 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
5.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
6.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The microphone's noise handling is poor. It struggles to separate ambient noise and actual speech, meaning the other person on the line could have trouble understanding you if you're in a moderately loud environment like a busy street.

Active Features
8.6
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
37.8 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
37.8 hrs
Charge Time
1.7 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Standby mode
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's battery life is outstanding. With only a bit more than 1.5 hours of charging, you can get over 30 hours of battery life with the ANC on. The manufacturer also advertises 5 hours of continuous playback with only a 15-minute charge time. The PX7 also enter a standby mode as soon as you take them off your head. Unfortunately, if their battery is dead, you can't use them wired with the included audio cable, as they need power to function.

6.5
Active Features
App Support
App Name Bowers & Wilkins Headphones
iOS Yes
Android Yes
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
Adjustable
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's companion app is quite bare-bones. It gives you access to a few settings like ANC controls and a slider for their ambient mode. You can also see the list of connected devices and can reset the headphones to their default settings inside the app. Other than that, it doesn’t offer much and can’t customize their sound profile, which is disappointing. If you're looking for a pair of similarly performing wireless headphones with a more comprehensive companion app, check out the Shure AONIC 50 Wireless.

Connectivity
8.2
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
280.00 ft (85.34 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
229 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
219 ms
PC Latency (aptX HD)
222 ms
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
94 ms
Android Latency
68 ms

Update 11/21/2019: We had previously listed the PX7 to have 61ms of latency with aptX(HD), as we thought it was aptX Adaptive showing up as HD on our testing rig since it is backwards compatible. This was a reading mistake, and the 61ms was an error, which was pointed out by a user. After getting this feedback, we remeasured the latency, with 3 different dongles, and got results around 220ms with aptX(HD). The PX7 still support aptX Adaptive but we don't test for this. The review and text have been updated.

These headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, meaning you might even experience better results than what we’ve tested. They're also able to connect to two devices simultaneously, which is great at the office if you want to switch between a computer and a phone. However, they don’t support NFC pairing for a quicker and easier pairing procedure.

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7's default latency is average for Bluetooth headphones, which means some people might not notice a delay when watching video content, and some others might. It's also compatible with AAC and aptX Adaptive, but we don’t currently test for these codecs, but aptX Adaptive apparently has around 50 to 80ms of latency.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
8.9
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
USB Type A
Detachable Yes
Length 4.20 ft (1.28 m)
Connection
1/8" TRS
Analog/USB Audio Latency
41 ms

Update: 06/11/2021: We have changed USB Audio to 'USB Type A' to reflect the source port instead of the headphones' port. When using their USB cable, the USB-A connector can be connected to any device with a USB-A port. The scoring of this box hasn't changed.

You can use these headphones wired with the included analog 1/8” audio cable or the USB charging cable. However, these headphones need power to function, meaning you must have battery life left to use them, even when using them wired. Unfortunately, there’s no in-line microphone on the 1/8” TRS cable, meaning you won’t be able to use the integrated microphone when wired.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio Only
Wired USB
Audio Only
Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PS4 Wired USB
Audio Only
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
Audio Only
PS5 Wired USB
Audio Only
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio Only
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 don’t have a base/dock.