Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 £379
Apologies to anyone looking for a bargain this month, but there has recently been a flurry of new, premium-priced active noise-cancelling
(ANC) wireless headphones. So if you want to invest in the best, the Px7 S2 offers everything you’d expect from the British Hi-fi stalwarts. Beautifully made from memory foam, sumptuously soft leather, metal and high quality plastics, they feel expensive – as they should – but there’s also a reassuring robustness. The wide headband is ultra-comfortable and I’ve been working in them for hours without complaint.
Carefully angled inside each ear cup are 40mm drive units to focus the sound more accurately, while Bluetooth 5.2, aptx Adaptive, SBC and AAC means 24bit hi-res audio is well catered for. Four microphones create excellent noise cancellation, if not as impressive as the Sony (see left), and when it comes to sound quality, they’re a class apart, with the sort of expansive soundstage and level of detail that has me daydreaming at my desk and missing train stops. With Francesca Dego’s new recording of Mozart Violin Concertos (Chandos), the headphones handle the most delicate and dramatic passages with consummate ease. In fact, no recording I played felt strained. If sound quality and wireless convenience are the most important factors, you won’t be disappointed. bowerswilkins.com