Early review: Bowers & Wilkins' new flagship Px8 S2 headphones

British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins announced today the launch of its new "flagship statement headphones," the Px8 S2. The wireless headphones feature active noise cancellation, premium materials like Nappa leather and machined aluminum, and a $799 price tag.

I've been testing the Px8 S2 ahead of its official launch, and I'll have a more in-depth review coming soon. In the meantime, I've got all the details on these reference class cans, which truly look incredible, including an early verdict on whether these wireless headphones justify the intimidating price tag.

For now, let me say this: Damn, do they look good.

Introducing the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 were preceded by the award-winning Px7 S3 ($699) and the reference-quality Px8 headphones ($749). We favorably reviewed the former, and now the S2 pre-empts the latter.

Bowers & Wilkins is known for audiophile-worthy devices, and with a $799 price tag, these headphones aren't for the casual music listener. If you don't know how to activate high-res audio on your device, or if you didn't spend several long years waiting for Spotify to finally roll out lossless audio, these headphones will be wasted on you.

A company representative told me the headphones were designed to be true high-fidelity, reference-class headphones that offer the highest possible resolution (24-bit / 96 kHz high-resolution sound, to be precise) . The goal — to recreate the original sound of your music as it was meant to be heard. In a press release, Bowers & Wilkins promises they're the "best sounding headphone the brand has ever created."

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: Incredible design and comfort

The British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins has a reputation among audiophiles, but the brand is also known for its elevated design. The iconic Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin speaker used to be sold in Apple stores, and former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive was reportedly a fan. So, it would be odd if the new Px8 S2 headphones weren't beautiful. But they're not just attractive — they're gorgeous. And, unless I hallucinated at a recent Bowers & Wilkins demo event, they should eventually be available in an even-more-handsome brown.

Honestly, unboxing the headphones at home only left me more enamored with the design. (I promise I'll talk about the sound soon, OK?) I personally prefer audio products like the Apple AirPods Max or Panasonic Techncis AZ100, which use durable materials like aluminum, steel, memory foam, and leather. The Px8 S2 has a truly premium design that features fine, full-grain Nappa leather and aluminum. When you adjust the headphones, the durable aluminum arms look incredible coming out of the leather headband, as does the exposed braided cable that connects to the earcups.

These headphones have a lot of elegant little details that reveal themselves the more you use them. When the light catches the Bowers & Wilkins logo on the earcups, you realize that they have microdetailing that makes them look almost pixelated — a detail that's only apparent when you zoom in extra close on photographs of the headphones. Even the carrying case feels fancy.

Compare the handsome design of the Px8 S2 to the all-plastic design of Sony's flagship XM6 headphones, and the latter feel dangerously flimsy. It's going to be hard for me to go back to the XM6s, which have been my daily driver lately.

The metal components do make the Px8 S2 heavier, but I haven't had issues with fatigue so far. In fact, they're quite comfortable. (My partner said the earcups feel like "little hugs on my ears," which says it all, doesn't it?) I'll report back in my full review on whether weight has been an issue with long-term wear.

What do $799 headphones sound like?

There's no denying that these wireless headphones sound incredible. Of course, you have to plug them in to appreciate their true lossless audio benefits, but that's standard. Wired or wireless, they sound phenomenal, which is no surprise. For $799, they better sound amazing. Radiohead, Florence and the Machine, and Michael Jackson all sounded as good as they ever have. I'd rate them alongside the Panasonic Technics AZ100 earbuds in terms of elite audio products, and they're a clear step up from the likes of Sony.

That said, in terms of ANC, Bowers & Wilkins can't quite compete with Sony or Bose, which make the best noise-cancelling headphones I've tested. While their design provides a lot of passive noise-cancellation, Sony's sound engineers have the advantage in cancelling noise. When it comes to spatial audio, these headphones are at an even bigger disadvantage — because they don't have it. Not only that, but like the original Px8, they don't offer LDAC support either.

So, why don't $799 headphones have these two now-standard audio features? Regarding spatial audio, a Bowers & Wilkins rep told me the brand isn't as concerned with this. If you're chasing true reference class sound, adding spatial audio to music that wasn't engineered that way isn't exactly on target, is it? That's fair enough.

But those are two caveats to know before investing in these expensive cans.

Are the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 headphones worth it?

If you're a true audiophile and Bowers & Wilkins fan, they may be worth the investment, but $799 is a lot of money. Truly, I can't afford them. The vast majority of people will be better off with the best headphones from Beats, Sony, or Bose. But then again, the Px8 line wasn't made for the vast majority of people. Is it British elitism, in a good way?

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: By the numbers

Finally, let's break down the key specifications and features of the Px8 S2:

• Drivers: 2 40mm dynamic full-range carbon drivers

• Active noise cancellation: Yes

• Spatial audio: No

• Multipoint pairing: Yes

• Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless technology

• Bluetooth codecs: aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX Classic, AAC, SBC

• Ports: USB-C (no 3.5mm audio jack)

• Microphones: 8

• Weight: 0.68 pounds

• Carry case dimensions: 177 mm x 60 mm x 234 mm

• Colors: Onyx Black, Warm Stone