Bowers & WilkinsPx7 S3 Over-Ear Headphones, High-Resolution Sound, Comfortable Fit, Bluetooth, Active Noise Cancelling & Transparency Mode, 30-Hour Playtime, Quick Charge Support, Anthracite Black

Coming from a musical background, sound quality is my biggest weighted factor when evaluating headphones. These are above any others I’ve tried in this price range (Bose QC Ultra, Sony XM6, Apple APM). The app isn’t as feature rich as Sony’s app, but it’s 5-band EQ is all I needed to get the perfect sound (though, it’s honestly near perfect right out of the box!). Sound stage is a tiny bit bass forward, but it doesn’t take anything away from the clear, articulate highs. My tip - boost the mids just a tad in the app and you’ll have a perfect EQ for modern music and everyday listening.Build quality is also important to me. Once you pick these up, then hold a new pair of Sony or Bose for the same price, you can never look back. They feel like plastic toys in comparison. The only other pair of headphones that match the build quality here would be the AirPod Max’s, but I prefer the design and look of these PX7 S3s. A mix of leather, aluminum, and fabric - they look elegant and refined. Heavier than the Sony and Bose, lighter than the Apple. Perfect middle ground in my opinion. Not uncomfortable whatsoever.BIGGEST DRAWBACK, and really my only complaint is the Active Noise Cancellation. It’s just not on the same tier as Apple, Sony, and Bose. They really are the leaders in this category. Does the ANC here suck? Absolutely not. It’s just not the best if you want complete isolation. If this is your biggest weighted criteria when buying new cans, it’s the only time that I would not recommend the PX7 S3s - go with the competition. For me, I have a pair of AirPod Pro 2s that will suffice if I need more ANC.But if you want a solid build, with long battery life, real physical buttons, outstanding sound quality, and a straight forward app that allows you to EQ even further, and if your budget is up to $500 - these are VERY hard to beat.

Great detailed sound, decent ANC but not on the level of Sony/Bose/Apple. I find the ANC good enough; I don't really need the ANC tech that shuts out the entire world - and when I do I have an old pair of Sony xm4 earbuds that do it just fine. You will really only know if the ANC is for you if you try it, but Bowers' goal was clearly more to create a good listening environment; less to screen out all noise. You'll hear your music on a plane just fine. You won't be deaf to the rest of the universe.I refunded a Sony xm6 pair and got these - am very happy. The bigger, deeper earcups are more comfy to me, and while I've heard some say the clamping force is excessive, I wanted to voice a contrary opinion and say I actually prefer it - the Sonys rely on gravity and the headband starts irritating the top of my head within 30 minutes; these I could wear all day.In terms of sound, I prefer these to the Apple, Bose and Sony offerings at this price point. I get better clarity, a wider soundstage and generally a more detailed and immersive experience. I'm not a huge spatial audio aficionado, so the present lack of spatial audio and promise of adding it in a future update isn't really a concern for me, but a good stereo field provides plenty of detail. On classical recordings, I can hear so much detail that I'm catching page turns and chair creaks I've never noticed in my favorite recordings.These phones are bass-heavy. If that's an issue, you've been warned. It doesn't distort or ruin the sound, but it's powerful.The USB-C, 3.5mm and bluetooth audio connections all work well, though I might recommend a 3rd party USB-C cable if you're streaming audio from a gaming handheld with vibration - the included cable is firm enough that it transfers vibrations from the console to your ear, meaning you will hear a buzz when your Switch/SteamDeck/etc vibrates.

Spent the better part of last night breaking my new headphones in., throwing different genres of music through them.They excel from instrumental/ fusion jazz to dance / modern bass heavy music. I believe it was close to 5 hours of listening and the ear cups are very plush and comfortable along with the upper head band. The are not extremely heavy, they feel of quality versus the plastic feeling of my Sony xm3’s. All in all they did a great job with the design.While $450 is an investment and not chump change, if your in need of an upgrade for these check the box with their tight bass, somewhat compressed mids and nicely rounded highs. I have not tried the new Sony xm6’s but may audition them just to have a comparison.Really, the only weakness if I had to pick one would be with the app, I wish equalizer had more than 5 bands. I feel 7-10 bands would be ideal and allow me to open up the mids just a wee bit more .I’m curious if once the break period has passed, if the mid tones don’t open up that little bit, time will tell, but I do believe these will satisfy my needs very easily and without compromise.Grab a pair !