3Rank 03 of 8 · Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Bowers & Wilkins Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
Strong passive isolation from deep cushions, replaceable earpads and headband padding, aptX Lossless, and both wired options — the sensible office choice at €279.
8.8BPR score
- €279Price
- ANC 8.4/10, average 83–84% noise reduction (SoundGuys)Measured ANC performance
- 3 of 8in Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- 8.8BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
SoundGuys called it "an unexpected ANC heavyweight", and it is the pick for the one environment ANC cannot handle.
Measured performance is ANC 8.4/10 with an average 83–84% reduction in perceived loudness, and isolation 6.7/10. Peak attenuation reads 43.4 dB at 15,400 Hz — but peak passive isolation is 44.4 dB at the same frequency, which is the clearest illustration in this entire ranking of why peak dB figures should never be presented as "the ANC". At 15 kHz the earcup is doing all the work.
That is also why this is the office recommendation. Speech sits above the frequency range ANC can cancel, so open-plan noise is a passive-isolation problem — cushion depth, clamp and seal quality. At 300 g with deep cushions, this headphone seals better than the thin-cushion designs here.
The repairability point is genuinely unusual. The earpads and headband padding are replaceable, which is what actually fails on a headphone used daily for five years. Given that Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 will require user-replaceable batteries from February 2027 in categories it covers, expect serviceability to become a marketing axis — B&W is early.
Codecs are comprehensive: SBC, AAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. Both 3.5 mm and USB-C audio. Two 40 mm biocellulose drivers per side. Battery claimed at 30 hours with 15 minutes giving seven hours — no independent measurement exists.
The tuning is noticeably bassier than rivals, which is a preference rather than a fault, and there is no IP rating.
Pricing needs checking. LowBeats gives an RRP of €429; B&W's own German store displayed €299.99 when we checked; street price is €279. That spread is unusually wide even by European standards.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Measured peak ANC
- 43.4 dB at 15 400 Hz (passive peak 44.4 dB at the same frequency)
- ANC score
- 8.4/10; average 83-84% perceived loudness reduction
- Passive isolation
- 6.7/10
- Battery
- 30 h claimed; 15 min charge gives 7 h. No measured figure found
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless
- Bluetooth
- 5.3, multipoint 2 devices
- Weight / drivers
- 300 g / 2 x 40 mm biocellulose
- Wired
- 3.5 mm AND USB-C audio
- IP rating
- None
- Repairability
- Replaceable earpads and headband padding
- Price
- EUR 429 RRP (LowBeats); EUR 279 street
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- Strongest passive isolation case here — the right choice for an open-plan office
- Replaceable earpads and headband padding
- aptX Lossless plus aptX HD and aptX Adaptive
- Both 3.5 mm and USB-C audio
- 83-84% average reduction in perceived loudness measured
- Two 40 mm biocellulose drivers per side
- €279 street against a €429 RRP
Worth knowing
- Peak ANC figure of 43.4 dB is essentially passive isolation at that frequency
- No measured battery figure from any outlet
- Noticeably bassier tuning than rivals
- 300 g, heavier than the Sony and Bose
- No IP rating
- Price varies wildly between B&W's own store, RRP and street
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones.
| Product | Score | Measured ANC performance | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony WH-1000XM6Top score | 9.3 | ANC 8.7/10 — beats 90% of over-ears (SoundGuys) | €315 |
| Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3This product | 8.8 | ANC 8.4/10, average 83–84% noise reduction (SoundGuys) | €279 |
| Category average8 products analysed | 8.3 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why is this the office recommendation when its ANC score is lower?
Because the noise in an office is speech, and ANC does not cancel speech. Cancellation works on constant low-frequency sound; above roughly 1-2 kHz the wavelength is too short for the system to sense and counter, and short unpredictable sounds like voices cannot be anticipated at all. Everything above that range is handled by the earcup seal. Deep cushions and firm clamp beat a better ANC score for this specific purpose.
How much does replaceable padding matter?
It is what usually kills a headphone. Earpads compress, crack and lose their seal after two to four years of daily use — and once the seal goes, so does most of your isolation above 1 kHz, which is the majority of what you were paying for. A headphone with replaceable pads can be restored for €30 instead of replaced for €300.
From the same ranking
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The same protocol, the same key parameter, the same set of sources.
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