This is about lavish headphones. Sony has long been a standout in this genre and is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 1000X series with these very headphones. They are called by slightly different names, sometimes 1000X The Collexion, sometimes WH-1000XX, here we use the full name Sony WH-1000XX The Collexion. During the ten years that Sony’s headphones in the series have existed, Sony has held its ground well, but the competition, especially in recent years, has intensified. Bowers & Wilkins with its focus on premium materials, noise reduction and truly high-resolution, detailed sound as in these Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is exactly the competitor that Sony is targeting with the new headphones,
Design, design and ergonomics
Sony WH-1000XX The Collection
This is about lavish headphones. Sony has long been a standout in this genre and is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 1000X series with these very headphones. They are called by slightly different names, sometimes 1000X The Collexion, sometimes WH-1000XX, here we use the full name Sony WH-1000XX The Collexion. During the ten years that Sony’s headphones in the series have existed, Sony has held its ground well, but the competition, especially in recent years, has intensified. Bowers & Wilkins with its focus on premium materials, noise reduction and truly high-resolution, detailed sound as in these Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is exactly the competitor that Sony is targeting with the new headphones,
Design, design and ergonomics
Sony WH-1000XX The Collection
While Sony just released these anniversary headphones, they still continue to sell the WH-1000X M6 that was launched just a few months ago. The reason for that is that The Collexion does not replace previous headphones, but has a different focus. Above all, ergonomics and materials are prioritized in The Collexion, while the previous headphones are more practically oriented. There really is a clear difference and these headphones don’t feel at all as plasticky as the M6 does. Instead of plastic, we get metal and fake leather in all visible parts. For the ergonomics, I don’t think it makes a big difference, but since The Collexion can’t be folded, they are a bit more stable than the 1000X M6.
Rating: 4
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
Ergonomics is of course something that is often personal, it should suit your head shape, for example. In order for the headphones to fit as many people as possible, we get stepless and compliant adjustment of the size, and just like Sony, B&W has metal and faux leather combined with woven details in the visible parts. The headphones are not foldable, so they are at least as stable in construction as Sony’s, even slightly better. When we test, the angle of the ear cups themselves can be adjusted slightly better than Sony’s and this may be one of the reasons why Bowers & Wilkins is slightly better at adapting, even if the difference is not that great. During the test, the B&W headphones are better at maintaining the fit while I move or, for example, chew while listening.
Rating: 5
Winner Design, design and ergonomics: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
The App and Use
Sony WH-1000XX The Collection
Sony’s headphones have three buttons on the left cover. They are used for on/off, for noise reduction and the third to activate, for example, the Music Upmix function or a mode that can simulate weak background music so you can concentrate better. These buttons are customizable so you can remove modes you don’t use. To change the volume, I can swipe up or down on the outside of one earbud and double tap to pause or resume playback. I swipe to the side to switch to the next song. The advantage of this touch control is that you don’t have to search with your fingers for buttons, finding the large surface of the earphone is easy. However, the precision is not as good as with physical buttons.
Other settings can be found in Sony’s app, and we have previously pointed out that it is very messy. Often when I open the app I’m also asked to connect the headphones first even though they’re already in use with the phone, so it’s an unnecessary extra step. The app then lists functions in a multi-step drop-down menu where it can sometimes be very difficult to find what you are looking for quickly.
Rating: 3
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
The app that comes with the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is much more well thought out than Sony’s and easier to find. However, B&W has significantly fewer functions tucked in here, so it makes it easier to get the app to be clear. In any case, here is the most important thing, we can update the software in the headphones and manage the equalizer, quickly switch between noise reduction, off, on and hear-through. I can also do this using the buttons directly on one of the earpieces. On the left earpiece I have the button for noise reduction and on the opposite are the physical buttons for, for example, changing the song, pausing or changing the volume. I sometimes fumble to find these buttons but I learn pretty quickly and then it’s smooth sailing.
Rating: 4
Winner The app and usage: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
Music sound
Sony WH-1000XX The Collection
Sony has done everything to provide good sound in its headphones. For Android, they have support for high-resolution audio via LDAC, and in the iPhone, not only AAC is used as usual, but DSEE Ultimate, which is Sony’s way of trying to reproduce compressed audio. There is still a noticeable difference when we switch between listening to music in headphones via an iPhone or an Android. The details are of course clearer in the high-resolution transfer and become more flat and one-dimensional via AAC in the iPhone. Sony has been criticized for a long time for not offering an option for high-resolution transfer from the iPhone, as competitors do, for example Apple’s own Airpods Pro Max2.
Rating: 3
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
Of course, B&W also has high-resolution sound, but in the form of aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless in Androids that support it. Unlike the Sony, the B&W headphones in the iPhone are not limited to AAC because they support connection directly via usb-c to, for example, Apple Music and Lossless quality. Even when listening wirelessly to iPhone with AAC Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 good sound and the advantage of Sony’s DSEE Ultimate is not obvious. When we listen with an Android, however, it’s clear that Bower & Wilkins is doing something very right. Here, the details become tangible to such an extent that it is difficult not to be emotionally touched. B&W clearly prioritizes the music sound and they do it in a way that I discover completely new details in my favorite songs.
Rating: 5
Winner Music Sound: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
Call sound
Sony WH-1000XX The Collection
Call sound is probably the rating category where the two headphones are most equivalent. I make a number of calls from various more or less noisy environments. There will be conversations from the subway, walking on the sidewalk among other people who are also talking and in quieter environments. Many times when I myself think that the messy environment around me will affect the conversation, I get a response from the person I am talking to that, no, they had not even noticed the disturbing sound. So the Sony is good at focusing on my voice and removing other sounds.
Rating: 4
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
The reproduction of my voice when making calls is good with very little impact that can otherwise drag down the experience in cheaper headsets. Now, this is not a cheap headset, so expectations are rightfully high. Disturbing traffic and others talking nearby during my call have little or no impact on the call and throughout the audio reproduction is good, without tinny or stuttering.
Rating: 4
Winner Call Audio: Tie
Noise reduction
Sony WH-1000XX The Collection
During the test, I have carried both headphones with me on several flights and there they have performed surprisingly equally. I have noticed quite clearly that the noise reduction is different effective in different environments and on airplanes in particular they are quite equivalent. When I put the Sony headphones on in a normal office environment and without playing music compare how much sound still gets through, the Sony headphones are noticeably better. In many contexts, the overall experience with music on at the same time is similar, but it is Sony’s slight advantage that still justifies the rating here.
Rating: 5
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
In many contexts, the overall experience but noise reduction is similar between these two headphones when we compare. On an airplane, for example, it doesn’t make much of a difference in Sony’s favor, but as soon as I press play and experience the music sound in B&W combined with the still very good noise reduction, the overall experience becomes something that quickly surpasses the Sony headphones.
Rating: 4
Winner Noise Reduction: Sony WH-1000XX The Collexion
Overall rating:
Sony WH-1000XX The Collection: 19
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: 22
WINNER: B&W have focused on the best music sound and it is noticeable that they have left very little to chance. Details we wouldn’t otherwise notice are suddenly brought to the fore. At the same time, it doesn’t mean they compromise any other important area and the extra money these headphones cost is money well spent.