Best Over Ear Headphones · head-to-head

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 is cheaper at $449. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 or Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2?

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 wins 1 of the 1 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0.

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Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2
US price $449
BrandBowers & WilkinsAudio-Technica
Released2025-042022-04
ANC Yes No
Driver (mm)
Battery hr 30 64
Bluetooth 5.3 5.0
Codecs SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless SBC, AAC, LDAC
Wired option Yes Yes
Weight (g) 300 307
Release 2025-04 2022-04

Sources — Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: headphonecheck.com (verified 2026-06-15). Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2: headphonecheck.com (verified 2026-06-15).

What's the difference between the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.

  • ANC: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 true vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 false
  • Battery hr: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 30 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 64
  • Bluetooth: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 5.3 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 5.0
  • Codecs: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 SBC, AAC, LDAC
  • Weight (g): Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 300 vs Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 307

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3

All four whitelisted reviews of the exact Px7 S3 (SoundGuys, What Hi-Fi, TechRadar, Engadget) survived verification; every quote and the single measured figure were confirmed as literal text, none dropped. All four praise the premium build and comfortable, lighter 300g fit, and all agree the reworked ANC is improved but still trails Bose. Only SoundGuys published lab data (an average 83-84% reduction in perceived loudness); the other three are qualitative listening reviews. (4 sourced reviews, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Premium build quality and refined, handsome design; Comfortable, lighter 300g fit; Detailed, dynamic and entertaining sound quality.

Flagged: ANC improved but still not class-leading; trails Bose; Limited/basic feature set; spatial audio missing at launch; Price has crept upward / expensive for the category.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2

Three whitelisted outlets recommend the ATH-M50xBT2 as a strong no-ANC pick. Only SoundGuys published measurements: 64 hours 51 minutes of battery at 75dB(SPL) and an Isolation / Attenuation sub-score of 3.4. What Hi-Fi and MusicRadar are listening-based reviews with no published measurements, and both praise the sound, build and value. Note the age spread: What Hi-Fi's review dates from October 2021 and MusicRadar's from August 2023, so only the SoundGuys page has been revised recently. The panel splits on isolation, on comfort, and on how heavy the bass is. (3 sourced reviews, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Sound quality is balanced and powerful enough for both studio monitoring and casual listening; Good value at the price; Long battery life — SoundGuys measured 64 hours 51 minutes, MusicRadar lists improved battery life as a pro.

Flagged: No active noise cancellation; Bass can feel heavy or thick — before run-in and over the cable per What Hi-Fi, "a bit too much" at times per MusicRadar; Wired mode is a pass-through that bypasses the onboard electronics, so EQ and the ear-cup controls do not work passively.

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