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There’s a moment in many great recordings where the world just … drops out. Where the silence speaks volumes. Because it’s not silence. It’s subtraction. It’s the intentional absence of sound as a multiplier of mood. But achieving atmospheric recalibration requires dedicated hardware to place you in a space. That’s why Bowers & Wilkins comprehensively re-engineered the latest generation of its Px7 wireless over-ear headphones to actively suppress external distractions without dulling music’s emotional immediacy.
The Px7 S3 is a Bluetooth headphone with a lower profile and lower distortion. It’s richer dynamics wrapped in streamlined design language. It’s immediately recognizable and thoroughly renewed—from acoustic architecture to an active noise cancellation algorithm fed by an eight-microphone matrix.
The goal is quiet authority. And to achieve that goal, Bowers & Wilkins re-imagined heightened response in a slimmer silhouette. Wrapping rather than clamping the head, the reshaped armature has more pliant memory foam in the headband and ear cushions for superior comfort during marathon sessions. More svelte, less Cyberman. Despite the trimmer figure, the openings are wider and physical controls are still tactically positioned on the earcups to allow volume up, volume down and play/pause, as well as cycling through noise-cancelling options—Off, Pass-Through, and On—and launching Voice Assistant.
New voice coils, suspension and magnets back 40mm biocellulose drive units in a reinforced chassis, now powered by a dedicated, discrete headphone amplifier. The drivers are subtly angled in the fabric-lined earcups to ensure consistent waveform delivery, enhancing stereo imaging and that elusive “air,” the dimensional truth. The goal is to turn data into drama, treat frequency curves as character arcs.
Previewed briefly in a New York hotel suite in mid-April, the Px7 S3 did exhibit more nimble energy, more gravitas in the groove. Despite the more intentional output, battery life remains 30 hours with ANC, and a quick 15-minute charge adds seven. We’re looking forward to spending more time with them to flesh out our impressions, as we have the B&W Pi8 earbuds, among other models.
Supporting the sonic spaciousness is an upgrade to Bluetooth 5.3 featuring aptX Adaptive/Lossless. And LE Audio with LC3/Auracast will come via OTA update. Also rolling out later this year, the Px7 S3 will be the first Bowers & Wilkins portable audio product to feature spatial audio, using a proprietary DSP. Finally, the Music app offers a new five-band EQ for those who love to personalize playback.
The Px7 S3 will be available in Canvas White, Anthracite Black, and Indigo Blue. Included in the carrying case are USB-C to 3.5mm analogue audio and 24-bit / 96 kHz-capable USB-C to USB-C cables.
While final pricing and North American retail details are pending, you can visit Bowerswilkins.com for a “notify me” button to register and receive notifications on the Px7 S3. Also teased as coming later in 2025 are the Px8 S2, the sequel to B&W’s flagship headphones that we regard highly.
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