The ability to hear and experience music as the recording artist and sound engineers truly intended is at the heart of Bowers & Wilkins’ approach to premium over-ear headphone design. That’s why the brand’s new range of Px7 S2, Px8, and Px8 007 Edition headphones should be on everyone’s wish-list. For the recording engineers at London’s world-famous Abbey Road Studios, Bowers & Wilkins’ flagship 801 D4 loudspeakers have been trusted as the reference monitors for over four decades. This means that some of the most iconic albums and movie soundtracks of all time were first heard on Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers. Proudly perched in front of the mixing desk, these loudspeakers have enabled engineers and artists to fine tune the artist’s ‘True Sound’. That core philosophy is transferred directly to Bowers & Wilkins premium headphones such as the Px7 S2 and Px8. When the finished track reaches your ears, you can rely on that reference-quality True Sound – with the finer details and lifelike dynamics both artists and engineers worked tirelessly to achieve. Here’s everything you need to know about the Hear True ethos embedded within the DNA of Bowers & Wilkins headphones.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2- Trusted by Artists
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 active noise cancelling headphones were unveiled in collaboration with the Mercury Prize winning icons, the British band Wolf Alice. The upgraded noise cancellation tech now benefits from six high-powered microphones, shutting out unwanted distractions from the outside world. The Px7 S2 can also deliver hi-resolution (24-bit) audio thanks to a new acoustic platform, while the new 40mm drive units are angled inside each headphone earcup. This ensures consistent distance relative to the listener’s ear from every point across the surface of each driver, which produces a more natural and immersive sound. Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis says: “What you’re making in the studio is potentially going to last forever. You’re really considering that because it’s going to define you to a certain extent.” “When listening to a record you like to think the artist has really had a hand in every aspect of that process. You want to hear what they were trying to convey in terms of the idea. Some of those things we would have spent a long time on in the studio, the subtleties, and nuances, for them to be as clear as possible is great because it’s the truest representation of your idea.”
Bowers & Wilkins Px8- A new reference for headphones
Bowers & Wilkins has never made a better wireless headphone than the Px8. That’s a bold statement. The same industry-leading noise cancelling experience offered by the Px7 S2 is built upon by the all-new bespoke 40mm Carbon Cone drive units, inspired by its award-winning 700 Series loudspeaker range. Like with the Px7 S2, they are also angled within the earcups to enable a more accurate and immersive soundstage. High-resolution sound is delivered both wired (3.5mm and USB-C) and wirelessly thanks to Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive technology, as well as powerful Digital Signal Processing technology, capturing the intricacy of the choices made by artists and sound professionals alike. “My ears are always open and ready to receive music. A lot of choice goes into records. A lot of micro-choices and decisions have been made to create the sound,” says Moses Boyd, who collaborated with Bowers & Wilkins on the Px8 launch.“From the cymbals to the snare, to the microphones to where you put them, to what rooms you record them in. The worst thing is making all those choices and hearing it out of a phone speaker. When you put [the headphones] on they disappear, and it feels like you’re in the space where the music was recorded. How the artist chose to record it is really important.”
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 007 Edition
For the discerning headphone connoisseur, there’s the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 007 Edition. The partnership between these two iconic British brands celebrates 60 years of James Bond music. The Midnight Blue Nappa leather finish is inspired by the dinner jacket worn by Bond in his first ever on-screen appearance in 1962’s Dr. No. Bowers & Wilkins flagship 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers have been used at Abbey Road Studios in the recording of James Bond film scores including Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). Abbey Road Studio One also played host to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the recording of Bond 25, an album featuring brand new arrangements of all 25 iconic James Bond themes. You can discover more about the making of this special edition model below: You can follow Bowers & Wilkins in social media via the @BowersWilkins handle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
