Verdict
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e are even dear than their predecessors with a more ordered noise - cancelling public presentation and enhanced intelligent quality . They ’re not the best at randomness - cancelling but the wireless performance , battery biography , call quality and solace levels all impress . For those in need of excellent sound on their journeying , these are a superb over - auricle pair .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
ingest inspiration from its utterer , Bowers & Wilkins has updated itsPx7 S2with a new model in the Px7 S2e .
The ‘ Es ’ stands for develop , but the change for Px7 S2e have brought it closer to thetop tier Px8with an upgraded digital signature processing to give audio a hike .
Rather sensibly , Bowers & Wilkins has not bumped up the damage like many other earphone brands , and side - step any form of built - in spatial sound recording . I liked the Px7 S2 but are the Px7 S2e even good ?
Design
Arguably on the design front , not much as change from the PX7 S2 to the Px7 S2e . The shape remain the same , the all-embracing headband is still here as are the oval earcups – and yet for whatever reason , I find the Px7 S2e correspond better on my straits than the premature model .
This is especially apposite as far as the noise - cancellation is relate . Where the previous framework permit outside speech sound to leak out through whenever I plow my head , the signified of closing off is skilful with the S2e . When turn my principal on the Tube now there ’s no leaking inwards of external noise , which makes for a much expert seal . Otherwise , everything else is likely exactly the same .
They are headphones that can be fold flat to sit in the carry case but not tumble inwards . They stay on a very graceful and streamlined duet ; the sinister version come with white trimming that emphasises its minimalist visual aspect . There ’s more selection in terms of colours with white ( or greyish ) and blackness join by bring in ruddy , immature and blue options .
Comfort levels stay high , and there ’s the preference from physical clitoris , all of which are in the same property as before and make control the earpiece a very tactile experience . Though I still wish the multi - function button was raised a little higher to make it more obvious .
There ’s no 3.5 millimetre larboard but the S2e do ship with a USB - C cable and another that cease in a 3.5 millimeter connecter for plug into a wired author .
Features
Bowers & Wilkins does n’t tend to chase figures as far as noise - cancelling is concern but it does state that the lineament is competitive enough . Its the healthy quality that ’s the precedence . If it ’s ANC that you ’re after then theBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphonesor theSony WH-1000XM5are both good options .
What you do get with the Px7 S2e is not spoilt – in fact it ’s very respectable . On a plane it ’s not up to the Sony ’s levels but it get free of the cabin noise easily enough , and it ’s confine up well on public transport . It ’s much good than the Px7 S2 on the Underground thanks to closing up those leaky gaps , and in oecumenical it ’ll hush most places you venture into though not to the level of Bose .
The Transparency mode work like a charm , letting vocalization through intelligibly and course , and in term of trickle outside noise in , it does so without sound , well , noisy .
The battery life has n’t interchange so it ’s still 30 hour in total , as is the fast - charging stats with a 15 - minute flush boost the Px7 S2e ’s toughness by seven minute . The battery drain I carried out over three hours ( with volume around 50 % ) saw the headphone drop only 3 % when paired with an Android phone . I imagine with an AAC connection the barrage falls a piece quicker than on an aptX Adaptive one .
Call character on full - sized headphones will always be better than a true radio or on - ear pair , but the S2e ’s performance is as in force as you could get . Voice plectron - up is good , the person on the other end said I sounded like myself and the racket - cancelling keep background intrusions to a lower limit .
I ca n’t call up any issue with the wireless performance , which is in league with other Bowers & Wilkins headphone , the Px7 S2e cleave steadfast to their mission of keep an unbroken sign from your gimmick to the headphones . That ’s aid and abet by their support for aptX Adaptive if you have an Android gadget . There ’s also aptX HD , aptX , AAC , and SBC bet on your twist ’s capabilities .
The Bowers & Wilkins Music app serves as your only means of customize the performance of the headphones but in true statement there ’s not much personalisation . you may customise treble and bass from -6dB to 6dB but there ’s no custom EQ uncommitted .
The habiliment sensor functionality extend three stratum of pluck : low , normal , and high , and the execution does seem to be better than it was initially on the Px7 S2 . The S2e respond a footling quicker and do n’t seem to be befool by me moving my point from pull up stakes to right hand . I ’d recommend the normal scope but the high background proves the most reactive .
Other means of customisation include the Quick Action push button , which you could exchange from Environment Control ( fundamentally noise - cancellation ) or enable your machine ’s vocalisation assistant . take note that there is n’t a built - in functionality for the like of Alexa or Google with these headphones .
Otherwise the USP of the app is in collate some of your pet streaming services into one space . There ’s support forQobuz , Deezer , and Tidal among a few others , while unsupported services can be play through their aboriginal apps . The Music app is a courteous one to use , the more curated access to recommending euphony does sense like you ’d get a broad range of caterpillar track than with a serving that principally serves up your own tastes , though it ’s worth mention that these playlist and recommendations come straight from the euphony services you ’ve join to the app .
Sound Quality
The Px7 S2 were a fine go pair of over - ear , tender a well modulated strait that was both expressive and natural . What do I make of the Px7 S2e ? Well , more of the same .
The Px7 S2e still employ the same usage - design 40 mm drive units , which are angled to carry a more natural and “ immersive ” sound to your auricle . The changes Bowers & Wilkins claim that it ’s made are to do with the DSP ( digital signal processing ) to provide added detail , dynamism and spaciousness .
All of that ring true . queue up Hard Life ’s Skeletons and when comparing the same track on the Px7 S2 , the soundstage is much wide than it was before , pee the previous headphones seem more narrow and compact . Instruments sound boastful , there ’s a wider spread in term of where voices and instruments are placed within the soundstage , which has the total effect of giving them more room to breathe .
Another plus of the bigger soundstage is that the tier of detail seemed to have been upped . The S2e voice a little clearer , which I ideate is in part due to the better signified of detachment between individual element .
Before on the Px7 S2 , Karen O ’s voice in Y Control feel a trivial sandwich between the guitar and drums in the midriff of the soundstage . Now that there ’s more room and more quad to discover her vocals among other elements in the track , it not only feels more spacious but more defined and clearer too . There same is true for Esperanza Spalding ’s spokesperson in I Know You cognize – the Px7 S2e seem more able-bodied to pick out her voice and contribute it closer to the ears than their forerunner could .
The character of the headphones ’ sound does n’t appear to have altered too much . There ’s a slither more astuteness to the soundstage , high frequency take down that sound clearer ( again , perhaps down to that more spacious soundstage ) in GoGo Penguin ’s atomize ; while low frequency notes in Bodyrox ’s dance track Yeah Yeah have more depth and richness , the Px7 S2e flex its bass muscles with a bit more punch to give bassy track more energy . It all adds up to a upright sound .
They ’re a dab hand at pass the difference between quiet and brassy too , Joe Hisaishi ’s A Symphonic Celebration album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra sounds a little more expressive in travel that transmission line between meretricious and muted and vice versa than the ( still admittedly unspoilt ) Px7 S2 . The end result is that the Px7 S2e progress on their telling predecessor with an even better performance .
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Should you buy it?
The Px7 S2 were excellent for the money but the Px7 S2e are even better .
While the noise - cancellation is more logical , if ultimately you desire the best noise - cancellation then options fromBoseandSonyare available .
Final Thoughts
ThePx7 S2improved on what came before and so have the Px7 S2e . They are a more expansive , clearer and detailed listen ; as well as being able-bodied to cancel noise with more eubstance than the erstwhile model .
There is n’t the same storey of energy as theSony WH-1000XM5or the smoothness communicate by theSennheiser Momentum 4 Wirelessif that ’s what you ’re looking for ; but the poise and elegance of the Px7 S2e ’s speech sound is a tangible treat to ear . The likes of theSonos AceandDyson OnTraccould check a few lessons in terms of the loose - flowing and musical auditory sensation on offering here .
They ’re a posh update on an already impressive yoke of earpiece and when you add in their excellent wireless performance , long electric battery life , first-rate grade of ease and call quality , the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e are one of the finest over - ear headphones at their price .
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FAQs
The barrage living is the same as it was on the Px7 S2 , which is 30 hours .
