Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: How I'd justify spending $300 more for headphones

Jada Jones/ZDNET

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Sony's WH-1000XM6 headphones are much than solid, garnering manufacture praise for their awesome sound cancellation, extended bundle features, and attraction to sonic detail. I can't contradict Sony's prowess successful the user headphones market, truthful overmuch truthful that I gave the XM6 a ZDNET Editors' Choice grant bac May.

Also: I tested Sony and Bose's champion headphones for months - however my buying proposal has changed successful 2026

Though Sony's audio show is among the champion successful the sub-$500 category, if you walk $300 more, you'll extremity up with Bowers & Wilkins' Px8 S2 headphones, different beardown limb successful the industry, albeit considerably much premium successful areas Sony can't compete. If your headphone fund reaches $800, you mightiness wonderment which brace suits you best. I've tried both, and here's my take. 

Specifications

You should bargain the Sony WH-1000XM6 if...

Jada Jones/ZDNET

1. Noise cancellation is your apical priority

Sony's WH-1000XM6 present immoderate of the champion sound cancellation successful the industry, with responsive adaptive sound simplification algorithms and superb low-frequency sound reduction, specified arsenic from a level motor oregon an aerial conditioner. The sound cancellation of this tier makes the XM6 headphones a large enactment for commuters, bureau workers, oregon anyone who wants a beardown noise-canceling bubble.

The Px8 S2 person Bowers & Wilkins' best-performing ANC, but it's not astir arsenic intuitive arsenic Sony's. You'll get decent sound cancellation, but not beardown capable to importantly minimize inheritance chatter, large engines, oregon thoroughfare noise. The Px8 S2 athletics heavy earpads made from high-quality materials, which supply further passive isolation, but noise-canceling bundle and noise-reduction algorithms aren't Bowers & Wilkins' specialties. 

2. The astute features entreaty to you

Sony's XM6 see a database of intelligent features, including Gemini Live, Speak-to-Chat, Head Gestures, and audio modes based connected your determination and habits. The XM6 besides enactment the LC3 Bluetooth codec, opening opportunities for Auracast connectivity. Sony's headphones are compatible with Windows Swift Pair, diagnostic a 10-band EQ, connection ambient euphony successful the companion app, and see respective immersive dependable modes.

Also: How I stock audio from my Android telephone to aggregate earbuds (and wherefore it's a large deal)

On the different hand, the Px8 S2's bundle acquisition is overmuch simpler, with a greater absorption connected audio technologies than connected astute features. Still, the Px8 S2 enactment the must-haves, specified arsenic deterioration detection, adaptive sound cancellation, and Bluetooth multipoint. 

3. You worth practicality implicit complexity

Sony's adaptive sound cancellation works swiftly, accounting for dynamic biology changes, specified arsenic abrupt large noises and wind, and tin besides set spot based connected your location. These features, on with further enactment for much wide disposable higher-quality Bluetooth codecs, let the XM6 to integrate wirelessly with a wider scope of mobile devices and execute good successful a scope of environments.

The XM6 diagnostic respective options to maximize their show with a smartphone, making them amended suited for improved show portion connected the go. Their precocious noise-canceling features marque them amended suited for dynamic, unpredictable environments, and their foldable plan makes them casual to store.

In comparison, the Px8 S2 enactment a big of higher-quality AptX codecs, including Classic, Adaptive, HD, and Lossless, but these codecs are harder to find successful smartphones successful the US. Instead, AptX codecs are much wide supported successful turntables, portable euphony players, talker systems, and receivers, underscoring Bowers & Wilkins' person relation with hi-fi audio alternatively than mundane user audio.   

You should bargain the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 if...

Jada Jones/ZDNET

1. You privation a premium brace of headphones

The Px8 S2 are a brace of well-made headphones featuring high-quality materials, including genuine Nappa leather connected the earcups and headband, aluminum yokes and hinges, and representation foam receptor pads for comfort. They besides diagnostic a caller braided plan on the headband yokes, with brushed aluminum finishes for a sleek, high-end look and feel.

Review: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2

Bowers & Wilkins slimmed the Px8 S2's plan compared to its predecessor, shaving disconnected astir 10 grams of value to 310 grams. Despite utilizing heavier, much durable metals, the Px8 S2 are astir 50 grams heavier than the XM6, which is inactive considerably lighter than the AirPods Max 2. Sturdier materials supply a tighter clamping unit successful the Px8 S2, but they're little apt than integrative to suffer structural integrity implicit time.

The XM6's exterior is mostly plastic, with a polyurethane coating connected the receptor pads and headband. These materials are easier to cleanable but are prone to cracking, peeling, and flaking aft a fewer years of dense deterioration and tear. On the agleam side, they're comparatively inexpensive to replace. 

2. You privation the superior audio experience

Bowers & Wilkins fitted the Px8 S2 with high-quality interior audio components, including 40mm c drivers for accrued clarity and item with debased distortion. As a result, the Px8 S2's soundstage is wider than the XM6's, minimizes distortion astatine higher volumes, and has much noticeable instrumentality separation. 

Additionally, the Px8 S2 supports wired hi-res audio up to 24-bit/96 kHz via USB-C, but besides enactment a wired transportation via 3.5mm jack.

On the different hand, Sony focuses connected minimizing audio degradation successful compressed files via wireless technologies, offering users its LDAC codec and DSEE Extreme upscaling technology. Sony's XM6 bash not enactment wired USB-C audio, but bash enactment a wired transportation via a 3.5mm jack.

Writer's choice

Sony's WH-1000XM6 and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 connection chiseled experiences, champion suited to antithetic users, contempt some being noise-canceling headphones. It's tricky to prime 1 implicit the different without considering however each 1 excels successful antithetic usage cases. Still, arsenic idiosyncratic who works from location and usually drives successful a car alone, I similar the Px8 S2 for its plan and dependable profile. I son't person to interest astir damaging the headphones, arsenic they seldom permission my house, and I perceive successful a quiescent environment, truthful sound cancellation isn't a apical priority.