To be honest, I didn’t notice much difference between the default settings and the TrueSound mode. I think this is a testament to the audio performance of the device out of the box. But if you feel you need to change something, a full 5-band equalizer is available.
Bowers & Wilkins says it has “significantly improved” the Px7 S3’s active noise cancellation (ANC). Two additional microphones have been added to this model, so there are now a total of eight units, evenly spaced across each earcup. ANC has always been good for company headphones, but it’s never come close to the superior global blocking capabilities of Bose or Sony. There are notable improvements here, but TV audio, human voices, and the constant noise of airplanes, fans, and sound machines are still noticeable.
Other improvements to the Px7 S3 include subtle changes to the earpiece design. Bowers & Wilkins shrunk the headphones and perfected the headband. These two updates create a slimmer silhouette and improve overall comfort. We still see the combination of metal, leather and textured fabric of the Px7 S2 and Px7 S2e, with the only notable cosmetic change being a new ribbed ring around the ear cups. There is no doubt that the company has created a refined look, but it would be nice to see major design changes after three consecutive models looked almost identical.
Bowers & Wilkins claims that with the Px7 S3 you get 30 hours of battery life per charge. As before, the company does not specify whether ANC is enabled or disabled. However, the company has a history of underestimating runtime measurements and the Px7 S3 continues this trend. After 15 hours of what I would consider “normal” use, mostly with ANC on, but several times with ambient sound on for calls, I still had over 60% left in the tank. Longer than advertised battery life is never a bad thing. So remember that you are likely to exceed the company’s claims in this regard.
What don’t I like about the Px7 S3?
The first criticism of the Px7 S3 is the price. At $449, this model costs $50 more than its predecessors in the Px7 series. Of course, everything is more expensive these days due to constant migration and other financial uncertainties, but it’s worth considering that Bowers & Wilkins will have to pay more for its upgrades this time around.
The next issue I have with the Px7 S3 is the placement of the controls. On the Px7 S2e, the buttons are located on the edge of the earcups, a common placement among competitors. On this model, however, Bowers & Wilkins has moved the controls to the edge of the smaller panels, where the headband connects to the headphones. This makes the bar or rim thinner, making the keys harder to find with your thumb. This may seem innocuous, but it’s a change that has affected the overall experience for me, who tests headphones all the time.
Bowers & Wilkins tends to focus on the essentials with their headphones. That means you get great sound quality, powerful ANC and some audio customization, but that’s about it. The same goes for the Px7 S3 as you won’t find any advanced features here that companies like Sony and others can use for your convenience. There’s no automatic pause when you start talking, nor audio profiles that can change based on your location. It also lacks voice recognition for the phone assistant and doesn’t offer advertised spatial audio support. While a lot of that might dampen the $449 price tag, I’d say the sound is so good that you’ll probably be satisfied despite the limited features.
Final verdict on the Px7 S3
Bowers & Wilkins has been using the “if it ain’t broke, tweak it a little” approach to its Px7 line for a while now, but the S3 version is a stronger upgrade than the previous version. However, the company’s updates are largely internal improvements, with further improvements to the already excellent sound profile and small improvements to ANC. There are some exterior changes as well, but I’d like to see the company make more progress in this area the next time it sees fit to “tweak” this model a bit.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review
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