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If you’re in the market for luxury over-ears, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e, currently down to $249.43 (their lowest price ever), might catch your attention. Right off the bat, these headphones are pretty stylish. They come in three colors—forest green, ocean blue, and cloud grey—and have a chic, semi-matte finish on aluminum earcups, with memory foam earpads wrapped in faux leather. They’re surprisingly comfortable even during long listening sessions, which is great if you’re someone who often wears headphones for hours on end.
The controls are intuitive but not perfect. You’ve got physical buttons on the right earcup and a Quick Action button on the left earcup for toggling noise cancellation modes or activating Pass-Through (basically, letting you hear your surroundings without taking the headphones off). However, if you’re hoping to use the Quick Action button to summon your voice assistant, you’ll have to reassign the ANC controls through the companion app—kind of a hassle, considering other brands make it simpler.
On the sound front, the B&W Px7 S2e packs custom 40mm dynamic drivers that are said to deliver crisp, detailed audio. And, if you’re using a device that supports AptX Adaptive and have a high-res streaming service, you’re in for an even better ride with its 24-bit audio capability. That said, Apple’s not on board with AptX just yet, so iPhone users are not going to get the full high-res experience due to codec limitations. They are effective at cutting down low-frequency sounds (think airplane engines) and muting the chatter of a busy café, but they’re reportedly not as powerful as something like the Bose QuietComfort 45, which is cheaper at around $199 (if you’re open to going the used route).
According to this PCMag review, its ANC adjusts in real-time based on head movement, which means you might hear slight positional shifts as you turn your head. For some, it’s a minor annoyance; for others, it could cause discomfort due to an ear pressure effect. Battery life is pretty decent, with up to 30 hours on a full charge. And if you’re always on the go, a quick 15-minute charge reportedly gives you around seven hours of playback. As for extras, you get a USB-C charging cable and a USB-C-to-3.5mm cable for wired listening (though, no adapter is included, so you might need to dig one up if needed). The included hard-shell case is a nice touch for protecting your investment.
