Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Carbon Edition review: A silent competitor

This is the PX7 Carbon Edition. A pair of wireless noise-cancelling Bluetooth 5.0 headphones that — as its name would suggest — comes with carbon fiber. Unlike in say, a car, the use of carbon here isn’t meant to address performance. Instead, here it’s all about the features, comfort, and sound quality that are staples of the B&W brand name.

It’s worth noting that all PX7 variants (Black, Space Grey, and Carbon) have a retail price of $399 and feature carbon fiber construction. What the “Carbon Edition” gets you is an unpolished, more granular texture than you can obsess over.

Price: $399 at Bowers & Wilkins

Specs:

• 43.6mm Neodymium drivers
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Noise-cancellation
• EQ app
• USB Type-C fast charging
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Physical play/pause/volume up/down buttons
• ~30 hours battery life

Let’s get straight to it. I think the PX7 is one of the best sounding noise-cancelling headphones on the market, right up there with Sony’s cult-favored WH-1000XM4. The PX7 has a better audio profile and is more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time than Sony’s cans. But, it lacks quality-of-life features like the touch sensitive controls (which Sony pulls off fairly well), ability to fold for storage (you can only lay the PX7 flat), and NFC connectivity (not essential, but useful).

Of course, the PX7 has a trick or two worth mentioning. What I and many others already enjoy with all versions of AirPods: automatic play/resume when worn or taken off. It’s a small feature, but it’s thoughtful, works well, and very handy because you don’t have to touch an additional button to start listening.

I think the PX7 is one of the best sounding noise-cancelling headphones currently on the market in 2021. The ear cup seal is excellent and works well on different ear/head shapes.

Their excellent build quality is apparent when you first pick them up, with no flexing or bending anywhere. Only precise lines, metal accents, carbon fiber construction, and lots of memory foam. The attention to detail and comfort with the PX7 headphones makes them a bit pricier ($399) than the Sony WH-1000XM4 ($349), but are more comfortable to wear for longer listening. Of course, the PX7’s pricing is paltry in comparison to the eye-watering AirPods Max ($549).

But, where the PX7 doesn’t have the edge, it makes up for it by accomplishing its purpose: being immersed while listening to music. Every undulation in a song, the highs, the lows, and mids, are all equally represented. Whether I’m listening to Jhene Aiko or Future, I feel like I’m immersed in a warm soundstage, without any environmental distractions. It’s a great place to be.

Of course, when you invest in audio hardware, you want to be sure that the audio files you’re playing are up to par. For example, you could listen to raw audio files off your Mac/PC all day, paying attention to audio levels, and stick true to that. Or, you could be using Tidal HiFi, Apple Music, or Spotify Premium like most people.

While it may rub hardcore audiophiles the wrong way, the reality is that music streaming services are how most people in 2021 get their music. It’s just one of the primary methods of how I determine the listening experience.

The PX7 has four noise-cancellation modes: off, low, high, and auto. I hardly ever switch off the NC entirely, either sticking with low or high modes. In my experience, the auto mode is not as effective as other modes, because it makes adjustments on the fly, using your environment as the gauge for how much noise to filter.

The problem is, you notice these slight changes and they temporarily remove you from the immersion. Walking through city streets, Bower & Wilkins suggests the “low” setting, while if you’re traveling on a train or plane, to opt for the “high” setting. I think this is sound advice on B&W’s part, because crossing a street while virtually not being able to hear anything else can potentially be dangerous.

The PX7 does have an ambient noise mode, where you can increase/decrease the amount of external stimuli you let into your listening experience. But I find the external audio cues to be way too distracting to be truly useful. I’d rather turn noise-cancelling off, or just pause the music. So, mind your surroundings!

Mind your surroundings in public, the noise-cancellation is great . The ambient noise feature… not as much.

B&W offers a companion EQ (equalizer) app, which I tested on both iOS (iPhone Xr) and Android (Pixel 5). Neither version is particular fast, especially on startup, but I haven’t noticed any crashes or glaring bugs. If you do plan on buying the PX7 Carbon, I’d recommend downloading the app because it allows you to set custom sound profiles, tweak the default EQ levels, and update firmware. That’s important in terms of long-term ownership.

Battery life has been great in my time using the PX7, which is rated around 30 hours. I find that number to be pretty accurate, considering it takes days to reach less than 30 percent charge, after hours of listening with the “high” noise-cancellation setting.

Also, since the PX7 uses Type-C connectivity and supports quick charging, you can squeeze in 4–5 hours of additional life, while only being charged for 15 minutes. Although that’s to be expected in 2021, it’s still a neat feature.

Final Verdict

Overall, I’m really pleased with Bowers & Wilkins PX7. They’re not trying to be over-the-top, but still maintain a signature look that is unique in a sea of similarly priced and equipped headphones. Every time I’ve cautiously stepped out to run an errand during this pandemic, I’m excited to put them on because they’re so comfortable.

But, if for whatever reason they’re not your cup of tea, or the design isn’t to your liking, then the market leader is in stock and less expensive, so consider that in your purchasing decision, too. What I think makes the PX7 stand out is its immense comfort and audio quality. And you can only get that by paying up.

FTC: Product sent in for review by B&W reps.