ZDNET's key takeaways The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are available for $449 in Anthracite Black, Canvas White, and Indigo Blue.
These headphones provide a listening experience and design profile unlike any other headphones in the same price range.
Although these are the best sounding and looking headphones at this price, they fall behind their competitors at noise cancellation. View now at Bowers & Wilkins View now at Crutchfield more buying choices
When shopping for a new pair of headphones, it's common for the average consumer to avoid luxury brands, either because they omit popular features, cost too much money, or the brand's marketing doesn't align with their lifestyle.
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These brands typically prioritize sound quality, style, and build materials over software features and noise cancellation, making them unfit for commuting, errand-running, or working at a desk. Think about it this way: would you buy a Rolls-Royce when looking for a practical, everyday vehicle?
However, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 is a surprising product by a luxury brand meeting the needs of the everyday person while offering better sound, build quality, design -- and even battery life -- than some headphones within the same price range. If you're looking for new cans, should you pay $449 for the latest headphones everyone is buzzing about, or try your hand with Bowers & Wilkins? Here's my advice.
If there's one generalization I can confidently make about our friends across the pond, it's that they know good music. Listening to one of my favorite British bands, the 1975, with the Px7 S3, felt like a dream. While listening to the band's well-produced She's American, the Px7 S3's 40mm bio-cellulose drivers delivered deep, punchy bass, clear vocals, and highly detailed instrumentals.
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Higher-end brands like Bowers & Wilkins have higher mountains to climb in the sound department compared to consumer brands like Sony or Bose, and the Px7 S3 surmounted them with ease. Out of the box, there's a slight emphasis on the bass, but not enough to overpower the midrange.
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