AirPods Max vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 - headphone BATTLE!
Summary
TLDRIn this comparison, the reviewer pits Apple's AirPods Max against Bowers & Wilkins' PX8, two premium noise-canceling headphones. The AirPods Max, known for their high price and Apple branding, face off against the PX8's renowned audio quality. Despite the Max's Dolby Atmos feature, the PX8 wins on sound, offering a warmer, fuller experience without harshness. The PX8 also boasts better battery life, a practical case, and USB-C charging, contrasting with the Max's lack of a case and proprietary Lightning port. While the Max excels in transparency mode, the overall verdict favors the PX8 for a more convenient and premium listening experience, unless Apple's ecosystem is a priority.
Takeaways
- đ§ The AirPods Max and Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are premium noise-canceling headphones, with the former priced at $549 and the latter at $599.
- đ The PX8 offers longer battery life at 30 hours compared to the AirPods Max's 20 hours, and both support fast charging with different methods.
- đ» Connectivity for both headphones is via Bluetooth 5, with the PX8 supporting Bluetooth 5.2 and offering a wider range of codecs for high-resolution audio.
- đ” In terms of sound quality, the PX8 is favored for its warmer, fuller sound, while the AirPods Max are criticized for a harsher, brighter sound signature.
- đ¶ The AirPods Max supports Dolby Atmos, but the reviewer found the PX8's soundstage to be superior even without this feature.
- đ Transparency mode is a strong point for the AirPods Max, providing better external sound clarity, which is beneficial during phone calls.
- đ€ł Design preference is subjective, but the PX8 is lighter and more compact, making it more comfortable for long-term wear compared to the heavier AirPods Max.
- 𧳠The PX8 comes with a hard case for protection and additional cables, while the AirPods Max's 'smart case' is criticized for its lack of protection and scuff-prone material.
- đ The AirPods Max uses a Lightning port for charging, unlike the PX8's USB-C, which is more common and convenient for most users.
- đ For those deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Max offers seamless device switching and features like Spatial Audio, which the PX8 does not match.
Q & A
What are the two high-end headphones being compared in the script?
-The two high-end headphones being compared are the AirPods Max by Apple and the PX8 by Bowers & Wilkins.
What is the main reason the AirPods Max are considered premium headphones?
-The AirPods Max are considered premium headphones due to their price, build quality, and the fact that they are made by Apple.
What are the main differences in battery life between the AirPods Max and the PX8?
-The AirPods Max have a battery life of 20 hours, while the PX8 offers 30 hours of battery life.
How do the charging methods differ between the AirPods Max and the PX8?
-The AirPods Max use a Lightning cable for charging, whereas the PX8 uses a USB-C charging method.
What is the weight difference between the AirPods Max and the PX8?
-The AirPods Max weigh 386 grams, while the PX8 is lighter at 320 grams.
Which headphones have more microphones for active noise canceling?
-The AirPods Max have eight microphones for active noise canceling, while the PX8 has four.
How does the sound quality of the PX8 compare to the AirPods Max according to the script?
-The PX8 is said to have a warmer, bigger, and fuller sound compared to the AirPods Max, which are described as being too bright and harsh.
What is the reviewer's opinion on Dolby Atmos for music on headphones?
-The reviewer considers Dolby Atmos for music on headphones to be an utter waste of time, as it sounded muddy and narrow on the AirPods Max.
What is the reviewer's opinion on the transparency mode of the AirPods Max and the PX8?
-The AirPods Max have a superior transparency mode compared to the PX8, making them better for telephone calls.
What is the reviewer's view on the design and build quality of the AirPods Max and the PX8?
-Both headphones have a premium feel and are well-built, with the AirPods Max having a slightly better build quality due to Apple's design approach.
How does the case for each headphone compare, and which one is considered better in the script?
-The PX8 comes with a hard case that is well-designed and protects the headphones, while the AirPods Max come with a smart case that is criticized for not being protective and for its material that scuffs easily.
What is the reviewer's final recommendation between the AirPods Max and the PX8?
-The reviewer recommends the PX8 over the AirPods Max for their sound quality, convenience, design, comfort, and overall ownership experience, unless the user prioritizes the Apple ecosystem features.
Outlines
đ§ Headphone Showdown: AirPods Max vs Bowers & Wilkins PX8
The paragraph introduces a comparison review between Apple's AirPods Max and Bowers & Wilkins' flagship PX8 headphones. The focus is on their premium status, price, build quality, and sound performance. The AirPods Max, known for their association with Apple and high price, are pitted against the PX8, which comes from a brand with a reputation for audio excellence. The reviewer aims to determine where one should invest their money if considering headphones in the over-ÂŁ500 range, and what one can expect in terms of sound quality from such high-end consumer headphones.
đ In-Depth Analysis: Sound, Noise Cancellation, and Design
This paragraph delves into the sound quality, noise cancellation, and design aspects of both the AirPods Max and PX8 headphones. The reviewer finds the PX8 to have superior sound, describing it as warmer, fuller, and less fatiguing compared to the AirPods Max, which were criticized for their harsh treble. Noise cancellation on both headphones is deemed satisfactory, but the AirPods Max excel in transparency mode, making them better for phone calls. Design preferences are subjective, with the AirPods Max being heavier and the PX8 being more compact and comfortable for long-term wear. The build quality of both is praised, with the AirPods Max having a slight edge due to Apple's minimalist design approach. The case comparison heavily favors the PX8, with its robust and well-designed case, while the AirPods Max's 'smart case' is criticized for its lack of protection and poor build quality.
đ Battery Life and Charging: A Clear Winner Emerges
The final paragraph addresses the battery life and charging methods of the two headphone models. While both provide over 20 hours of battery life, which the reviewer considers adequate, the AirPods Max face criticism for not having an off switch, leading to battery drain when not in use. The PX8, in contrast, can be fully turned off, preserving battery life. Charging is another point of contention, with the AirPods Max using Apple's proprietary Lightning port, whereas the PX8 uses the more universal USB-C. The reviewer suggests that the AirPods Max should have adopted USB-C charging to align with the industry standard. In conclusion, the PX8 is recommended over the AirPods Max for their superior sound, convenience, design, comfort, and overall ownership experience, unless one prioritizes Apple's ecosystem features like Dolby Atmos and spatial audio.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄAirPods Max
đĄBowers & Wilkins PX8
đĄNoise Canceling
đĄTransparency Mode
đĄDolby Atmos
đĄBuild Quality
đĄBattery Life
đĄCharging Method
đĄDesign
đĄSmart Case
Highlights
Review comparing AirPods Max and Bowers & Wilkins PX8, two premium noise-canceling headphones.
AirPods Max positioned in the premium category due to price, build quality, and being an Apple product.
PX8s are the latest flagship headphones from Bowers & Wilkins, known for their expertise in high-end audio.
Pricing comparison: AirPods Max at $549 and PX8 at $599.
Battery life comparison: AirPods Max offers 20 hours, while PX8 provides 30 hours.
Charging method difference: AirPods Max uses Lightning, PX8 uses USB-C.
Weight comparison: AirPods Max is 386 grams, and PX8 is 320 grams, making PX8 lighter.
Connectivity specifications: Both use Bluetooth 5, but PX8 has an upgrade to Bluetooth 5.2.
Speaker driver technology: AirPods Max uses an Apple Dynamic driver, while PX8 uses a dynamic full-range carbon driver.
Mic comparison: AirPods Max has eight mics for ANC and three for calls, PX8 has four for ANC and two for calls.
Accessories: AirPods Max includes a USB-C to Lightning cable and a smart case, PX8 includes a hard case and multiple cables.
Sound quality: PX8s are described as warmer and less harsh compared to the brighter and sometimes fatiguing AirPods Max.
Dolby Atmos music test: PX8s outperformed AirPods Max, providing a larger sound stage and better dynamic range.
Noise-canceling performance is good on both, but transparency mode is superior on AirPods Max.
Design and comfort: PX8s are lighter and have a more compact design, potentially more comfortable for long-term wear.
Case comparison: PX8 comes with a premium hard case, while AirPods Max's smart case is criticized for its lack of protection.
Battery life management: AirPods Max cannot be fully turned off and uses a proprietary charging method, unlike PX8's USB-C.
Overall recommendation: Despite the higher price, PX8s are recommended for better sound, convenience, and overall experience.
Apple ecosystem benefits: AirPods Max offer seamless integration with Apple devices and features like Dolby Atmos and spatial audio.
Transcripts
right you've asked for it so today I'm
going to review or compare rather the
airpods max versus The Bowers and
Wilkins px8
there are definitely more budget noise
canceling headphones on the market
compared to what you'd call Premium but
the airpods max have always sat in that
latter category that's because of their
price their build quality and let's be
honest because they're made by Apple but
how do they compare against a brand who
really know what they're doing at this
level these are the px8s they're the
latest Flagship headphones from Bowers
and Wilkins no they're not the double 07
version and they're not the recently
released and gorgeous looking McLaren
version I want to know how these stack
up against these so if you've got the
budget to spend on headphones like these
where should you put your money equally
if you're just curious to see what you
get when you spend over 500 pounds on a
pair of consumer headphones I think
you'll find this interesting let's
rattle through the pricing and the specs
firstly pricing 549 599 battery life 20
hours 30 hours battery charging method
lightning USBC charging time from these
you get 1.5 hours from a five minute
charge and on these you get seven hours
from a 15 minute charge weight 386 grams
320 grams connectivity Bluetooth 5
Bluetooth 5.2 speaker driver in these
it's an apple Dynamic driver and in
these I need to refer to this it's a
dynamic full range carbon driver mics
will you get eight mics for active noise
canceling on these and three for phone
calls on these you get four for active
noise canceling and two for phone calls
with these you get a USBC to lightning
charging cable and the smart case with
these you get a hard case a USBC to USBC
charging cable that can also be used for
audio and also a USB C to 3.5 millimeter
audio cable we'll go straight into sound
and I'll put these on my neck because
it's hard carrying two pairs of
headphones all the time basically when I
do sound tests with headphones there's a
couple of things to bear in mind the
first thing is that I do it completely
out of the box I don't do any kind of EQ
or any kind of treatment whatsoever I
just leave them as the manufacturer
intended and secondly I normally use my
iPhone as the source of the music again
I need to keep these tests consistent
and lastly please remember that sound is
incredibly subjective well I'll just get
straight to the chase the px8s sound
better than the airpods max the first
thing you notice straight away is that
the airpods max are much much brighter
and not in a good way it's almost too
harsh really compared to the px8s
there's loads of top end going on on
these and it's just a little bit tiring
after a while whereas the px8 as I
mentioned in my original review have
this lovely big warm rounded sound a
great example of this was on my
headphone killer track Breathe Again by
Pop Evil if you haven't heard that check
it out basically it's a song with loads
of stuff going on loads of guitars drums
lots of compression and a bad pair of
headphones will make an absolute meal of
it now the airpods max don't sound
terrible with that song but they do lack
that rounded goodness the top end's just
a bit too much and it makes the entire
track sound muddy and a bit of a mess
whereas the px8s deal with it really
really well it sounds big full powerful
just as I would guess Pop Evil intended
but one of the most fascinating
comparisons I did was with Dolby Atmos
now remember Dolby Atmos only works on
the airpods max it doesn't work on the
px8 so when I played never really over
by Katy Perry which is mixed in Dolby
Atmos I heard a very different version
of it on these compared to these and
again cutting to the chase it just
sounded so much better on the px8 it
sounded bigger wider louder which is
just weird when you consider that Dolby
Atmos is meant to give you this massive
Sound Stage but on the airpods max it
sounded muddy narrow and it lost all of
its dynamic range whereas on the px8 it
sounded fantastic The Sound Stage was
absolutely huge all of the dynamic range
was there and it didn't sound muddy like
it did on these but switching back to
normal non-derby Atmos music it's the
same story with pretty much any track
you try between these two headphones the
px8s just sound warmer bigger Fuller and
more importantly because they don't have
that really harsh top end that the
airpods max have they don't fatigue they
don't get tiring after a while in the
past I've sung the Praises of the
airpods max but now I've experienced
proper premium headphones these don't
sound very good it's also worth noting
that you can connect these to your
laptop via that USBC to USBC cable that
comes in the box and that gives you
access to 24-bit high resolution
streaming with a compatible audio
service obviously but you can't do that
with the airpods max this is limited to
Apple's AAC codec which isn't bad but it
pales in comparison to the number of
codecs that you can get with these so
when it comes to sound the px8s are a
clear winner and I'm sorry Dolby Atmos
for music on headphones at least is an
utter waste of time as I've said
recently if you spend over 250 let's say
300 pounds on a pair of noise canceling
headphones the noise canceling it's self
is generally very good neither of these
headphones disappoint in that regard so
noise canceling fine the big difference
is transparency mode and transparency
mode is when you let the outside world
in so you can be aware of your
surroundings as always the airpods max
smash the competition and although the
px8s aren't bad when it comes to
transparency mode they're not a patch on
the airpods Max and this really makes
its presence felt during telephone calls
now I don't use headphones like these
for telephone calls but whenever I do if
I have to do it in a pinch I will always
go with the airpods Max and the reason
for that is that transparency mode you
can just hear yourself much better on
these the px8s are good for taking
telephone calls but if that is a massive
consideration for you and if you really
really need very good transparency mode
for whatever reason then the airpods max
can't be beaten yet moving on to design
and again a bit like sound it is a very
subjective thing the first thing to bear
in mind is that the airpods max are much
heavier than the px8s they feel heavier
on your head they're heavier to hold as
well these are a much more convenient
pair of headphones when it comes to
wearing them for long periods of time
they also feature a much smaller design
again subjective Etc but these don't
look quite as overbearing as these some
of you might like this design from Apple
and some of you might prefer the more
refined design from bows and Wilkins and
when it comes to build quality they both
feel fantastic the airpods max just pip
it mainly because Apple has their kind
of traditional No Frills very simple but
very very well thought out design
there's lots of aluminum going on here
there's a bit of aluminum on these as
well but there's more aluminum on the
airpods max I do think they both look
and feel very premium and they do
justify their price tag when it comes to
that side of things next we need to talk
about the case and you probably know
where this is going but regardless this
is the px8 case it's quite big and
that's because like so many new
headphones these days the px8s don't
fold up properly they just kind of twist
around and as a result you get a massive
case but having said that it's still
fairly thin and most importantly of all
it's nice and tough and inside you get
this fantastic flap which is magnetized
and you can put all your cables and
stuff in it's just a big but
fantastically designed and very premium
feeling case now the airpods max they
don't come with a case even though Apple
calls this their smart case it's neither
smart nor a case it's this which has
been laughed at it's been thrown around
by me constantly and it deserves all of
that stuff it's made of this horrible
material as well which scuffs really
easily and looks horrible but anyway you
put the headphones in there and it
doesn't protect them and that means when
you buy the airpods max you'll probably
need to buy a case as well which raises
the overall cost of them and probably
puts them in the same ball Mark as the
px8 so there's no competition this is a
stupid idea by Apple I don't know why
they did it I'm going to throw it again
because you seem to like it the next
thing is the battery and it's bad news
for the airpods max again and it's
nothing to do with the battery life
itself I've always said over 20 hours is
absolutely fine so there's no problem
there although you do get an extra 10
hours from the px8 but there are two
issues with the airpods max which I
cannot avoid when it comes to the
battery side of things the first thing
is that you can't turn them off there's
no switch to turn off the airpods max
like I mentioned a moment ago you put
them into that stupid case and they go
into a low power mode but they never
completely turn themselves off and the
problem with that is that they run out
of battery when left unattended for a
certain amount of time but the other
headphones I have in the studio and
there are lots of them can all be turned
off and because of that they last
forever the next issue is the charging
method so the airpods max are charged
via lightning which is Apple's
proprietary Port the px8s are charged
via USBC now I know that you get a
lightning camera obviously with the
airpods max for charging and obviously
lots of people have lots of lightning
cables because they have iPhones but
every other pair of headphones on the
market these days including the px8s use
USBC for charging airpods Max should
have USBC charging like every other pair
of headphones on the market and you
should be able to turn them off they are
the only pair of headphones in the
studio that I have to constantly charge
and once again because of that case and
the charging method the px8s like pretty
much every other pair of headphones I've
pitched against the airpods max are a
nicer more convenient pair of headphones
to live with if you're comparing these
two pairs of headphones I'd find
yourself that extra 50 pounds and buy
yourself the px8s the sound the
convenience the slightly better design
and comfort and just the overall
ownership experience makes that 50
pounds more than worth it these are a
fantastic premium pair of headphones and
they do show the airpods max how you do
it the only reason you'd go for the
airpods max over the the px8s is if you
really want all of the Apple ecosystem
stuff and that includes things like
Dolby Atmos which I know I rubbished
earlier but if you like that you can
only get that with these also spatial
audio which is fantastic and also all of
the clever device switching stuff and
automatic pairing that you get with the
airpods Max and things like the iPhone
the Mac the Apple TV Etc you don't get
that with these but if you strip that
stuff back and just look at these purely
as a pair of Premium noise canceling
headphones there's no competition the
px8 is absolutely smash the airpods max
if you've still got some time and you
want to see me dig more deeply into the
Bowser Wilkins px8 keep watching for a
link to that full review
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