Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 301165-06-00-308
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2
What Buyers Say
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 301165-06-00-308
The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 headphones receive overwhelmingly positive feedback for their exceptional sound quality, build materials, and comfort. Reviewers consistently praise the detailed, immersive audio with excellent instrument separation and balanced bass, though some note the ANC is slightly behind Bose and Sony. A few users mention the high price and minor comfort issues with the headband, but most agree the premium experience justifies the cost.
Pros
- Exceptional sound quality and detail
- Excellent build quality and premium materials
- Very comfortable for long listening sessions
- Great instrument separation and soundstage
- Good battery life
Cons
- High price point
- ANC not as good as Bose or Sony
- Headband comfort issues for some users
- Strong clamping force for some
- Bass not as punchy as competitors
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 are widely praised for their excellent, balanced sound quality that rivals the wired M50x, with rich detail, tight bass, and clear highs. Users highlight the solid Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, support for LDAC and AAC codecs, multipoint pairing, and exceptional battery life of over 50 hours as major advantages. While comfort is generally high, many note that the headband clamping force is strong, and the earpad and headband padding use a faux leather that tends to peel and flake over time, sometimes within a year. Build quality concerns, including fragile plastic hinges and a cheap-feeling headband, are recurrent complaints, though the overall value for sound performance is consistently rated very high.
Pros
- Excellent balanced sound quality
- Long 50+ hour battery life
- Stable Bluetooth 5.0 and LDAC support
- Multipoint device pairing
- Comfortable for long sessions
Cons
- Fake leather padding peels and flakes
- Strong headband clamping force
- Fragile plastic hinge joints
- Short included cables
- No active noise cancellation
Scores
Specifications
| Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 301165-06-00-308 | Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | ||
| Form Factor | over-ear | over-ear |
| Open/Closed | closed | closed |
| Foldable | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Weight | 0.31 kg★ | 0.45 kg |
| Ear Cushion | Leather | professional-grade earpad |
| Headband | Aluminum, Leather | professional-grade headband material |
| Audio | ||
| Driver Type | dynamic | dynamic |
| Driver Size | 40 mm | 45 mm★ |
| Drivers | — | 1★ |
| Freq Min | — | 15 Hz★ |
| Freq Max | 24 kHz | 28 kHz★ |
| Impedance | — | 38 Ω |
| Sensitivity | — | 99 dB★ |
| Hi-Res Audio | ✓ | ✓ |
| Codecs | aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive | AAC, LDAC |
| Noise Control | ||
| ANC | ✓★ | ✗ |
| ANC Type | proprietary active noise cancellation | — |
| Transparency | ✗ | ✗ |
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | 5.2★ | 5.0 |
| Multipoint | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wired Connector | 3.5mm | 3.5mm |
| Detachable Cable | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cable Length | — | 1.2000000476837158 m |
| Range | — | 10.100000381469727 m★ |
| Battery | ||
| Battery Life | 30 hrs | 50 hrs★ |
| Charge Time | — | 3.5 hrs★ |
| Fast Charging | Yes★ | 10-Minute Charge for 3 Hours of Audio |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
| Microphone | ||
| Microphone | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mic Count | 8★ | 2 |
| NC Mic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boom Mic | ✗ | ✗ |
| Detachable Mic | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Features | ||
| Voice Assistant | Siri | Amazon Alexa |
| Touch Controls | — | ✗ |
| App | Bowers & Wilkins Music | A-T Connect |
| Gaming Mode | — | ✓★ |
Pros & Cons
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 301165-06-00-308
- Strong mic (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong social proof (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong build (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong sound (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Below average comfort (15th percentile)15th %ile
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2
- Strong sound (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong connectivity (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong battery (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Strong social proof (84th percentile)84th %ile
- Below average comfort (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average anc (32nd percentile)
Pricing
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 301165-06-00-308
No current pricing available
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2
Verdict
Scores 89 overall, wins 7 of 7 usage categories and 6 of 38 specs.
