Bowers Wilkins unveils Px8 S2 flagship over-ear headphones

Bowers Wilkins on Wednesday unveiled the Px8 S2, its new flagship over ear headphones, saying the model sets a new benchmark for the brand’s performance and design. The company launched the headphones on September 24, offering them for sale through its website and select retailers in two finishes, Onyx Black and Warm Stone, with regional pricing reported at 629 in the United Kingdom, 729 in Europe, and 799 in the United States, while Australian pricing was reported around AU1,289.

Bowers Wilkins said the Px8 S2 builds on the acoustic architecture of recent models and replaces the original Px8’s biocellulose drivers with 40 millimeter carbon cone drivers intended to reduce coloration and distortion and to deliver greater detail and dynamic precision. The headphones use a revised chassis and motor, and include bespoke digital signal processing and a dedicated DAC and amplifier for wired USB C playback, which the company said enables true 24 bit, 96 kilohertz output.

The Px8 S2 also introduces a refreshed physical design. Bowers Wilkins described a quieter luxury aesthetic featuring Nappa leather earcups, aluminium armatures with exposed cabling, and memory foam cushions. The firm...