With the launch of its new Px7 S3 headphones, 1966-founded British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins offers a much-anticipated upgrade to its 2023 predecessor model. The new gadget is an elaborate reimagination, with specs that will put it not only on the radar of everyday users but also of frequent travellers in search of a smart and compact audio solution to take on the road.
It’s not so long ago that we swapped our in-ear headphones (by a not-to-be-named brand) for Bowers & Wilkins’ Pi8, which launched in 2024, and marked a departure from a previous model in both sound quality and design. The contrast between our old earbuds and our new ones couldn’t have been more stark: excellent sound and noise cancellation properties paired with a sleek, pebble-like case quickly turned the Pi8 into one of our favourite travel companions (and as such, we had to include them in a recent gift guide for tech-savvy travellers). Seeing our newfound admiration for the brand, we were keen to see what they would come up with next – luckily, we didn’t have to wait all too long.
When the Pi8 McLaren Edition, made in collaboration with iconic British luxury car manufacturer McLaren, premiered just a few weeks ago, we heard more was on the way. And quite literally, too, as we got to be among the first to road-test the brand-new Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, which are available in stores and online as of today, 24 April. Though it’s only been two years since the award-winning predecessor model, Px7 S2e, launched, a number of improvements and upgrades mean the new headphones are, for all intents and purposes, an entirely new product (so much so, in fact, that with the exception of the cone material, which has remained the same, every other component is new).
So what updates do the Px7 S3 hold in store, you ask? Well, there’s the combination of headphone amplifiers and newly developed drive units that result in a richer, more authentic acoustic performance, for one. The brand, trusted by some of the world’s leading musical talent to deliver its ‘True Sound’ quality for an optimised listening experience, also promises to roll out spatial audio, an exclusive sound procession technology, later this year, which will further elevate acoustic quality to be more immersive and adaptive to a specific environment. And for those looking to share the experience, another update set to be rolled out in the future is Bluetooth® LE Audio compatibility (offering the potential for superior sound quality compared with regular Bluetooth®), complete with AuracastTM broadcast functionality, meaning users will be able to broadcast a single audio source to multiple gadgets simultaneously – ideal for truly synchronised movie watching.
We’ve found the sound quality to be clear and amazingly detailed, having used the Px7 S3 for the past few weeks: background sounds from some of our favourite songs from over the years somehow seemed gently pushed to the front for greater impact, without causing an acoustic imbalance, and even the most high-pitched notes (yes, including Mariah!) struck us defined and somehow more material. Perhaps even more notable than the sound they produce is the noise the headphones keep out. A collection of eight microphones placed around the periphery of each ear cup functions as a smart and sophisticated system that can respond to the exact direction from which ambient sound is coming while ensuring voice clarity is optimised during calls. It’s a much welcome mix of sound control qualities for busy and loud environments, making them perfect for the airport.
Speaking of which, there are other features likely to have you take the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 on your travels, with their impressive battery life leading the way. A single full charge gets you a whopping 30 hours of usage, including noise cancellation, meaning you could travel from the London to Sydney, and subsequently connect from Kingsford Smith Airport to Polynesia’s Cook Islands, without needing to recharge once – we travelled the exact route last year, and it took us just under 30 hours door to door. That said, if delays and cancellations strike, a mere 15 minutes of charging provides up to seven hours of additional listening time, which is likely to get many users through an entire week of usage. Both a 3.5mm analogue and a USB-C cable also come with the gadget, allowing you to alternatively plug the Px7 S3 into your computer or mobile device, instead… convenient, if all else fails.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that improvements on the technological side, ranging from a better battery to optimised sound, would result in a bulkier pair of headphones, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the gadget is flatter than its predecessor, with a new headband and redesigned arm mechanism to ensure the ear cups sit closer to users’ heads. Even the light but sturdy carry case the Px7 S3 come in (and which features interior padding for further protection) has been slimmed down, and fits into just about any bag travellers might want to take into the cabin with them on a flight. Just an unobtrusive loop or strap at the end of the zip going around its sides would’ve offered a way to secure the case to a user’s backpack, for instance, so they don’t have to carry it in their hands.
Perhaps this added layer of practicality was sacrificed in the name of an admittedly stunning minimalist aesthetic, featuring three colours (Anthracite Black, Indigo Blue and Canvas White), an embossed logo on the case and speaker covers that feature a satiny finish, which – against the rougher texture of the speakers themselves – appears smooth and elegant. This contrast is repeated in the headband, whose textured upper shields a soft, vegan-friendly leather inner that feels soft to the touch, and has meant that we’ve been able to wear our headphones for hours without a hint of discomfort.
It’s easy, of course, to be enthused by a new gadget and impressed by ever-improving stats. In the tech world, where manufacturers are on a never-ending chase of upping one another with just a little more battery life, storage or speed, and a mentality of new products having to be rolled out annually to retain a level of buzz around each brand, it’s refreshing to see so elaborately and generously updated version of a product. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 aren’t just another launch to warrant publicity, but a genuinely optimised gadget in what was an award-winning series to start with. With so much going for the headphones, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them on many a head in 2025 and beyond.
Photography courtesy of Bowers & Wilkins
