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Tech head-to-head

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2evsSony WH-1000XM5

Sony WH-1000XM5 edges Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e, 8.2 to 7.6. The 5 axes split 3-2, widest on Ease of use at 2.0.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Bowers & Wilkins

7.6

Built and tuned for listening first; cancellation and app depth are where the money did not go.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony

8.2

The all-round reference: strongest cancellation on the list with app control nobody else matches.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Ease of use, Sony WH-1000XM5 ahead 8.8 to 6.8. They come closest on Durability, 8.4 to 7.6. Left of center is Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e, right is Sony WH-1000XM5.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e versus Sony WH-1000XM5 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e run left from the axis labels, bars for Sony WH-1000XM5 run right. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e: Performance 7.8, Value 5.6, Durability 8.4, Ease of use 6.8, Design 9.2. Sony WH-1000XM5: Performance 9.2, Value 7.4, Durability 7.6, Ease of use 8.8, Design 8.2.Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e (left)Sony WH-1000XM5 (right)PerformanceBowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e — Performance 7.8 out of 107.8Sony WH-1000XM5 — Performance 9.2 out of 109.2ValueBowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e — Value 5.6 out of 105.6Sony WH-1000XM5 — Value 7.4 out of 107.4DurabilityBowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e — Durability 8.4 out of 108.4Sony WH-1000XM5 — Durability 7.6 out of 107.6Ease of useBowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e — Ease of use 6.8 out of 106.8Sony WH-1000XM5 — Ease of use 8.8 out of 108.8DesignBowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e — Design 9.2 out of 109.2Sony WH-1000XM5 — Design 8.2 out of 108.2Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Leads on Durability and Design.

  • Music is the first reason you are buying and cancellation is the second
  • Physical buttons beat a touch panel for you, in gloves or otherwise
  • Fabric, foam, and metal matter more to you than a feature list

Take the Sony WH-1000XM5

Leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use.

  • Long-haul flights and open-plan offices in the same week
  • An Android phone, where LDAC actually opens
  • You want the EQ and ambient blend under your own control

What each one gets wrong

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

  • You want a multi-band equalizer, since the app offers two tone controls
  • Packing small matters — the cups swivel flat but do not fold inward
  • Aircraft cabin drone is the specific problem you need solved

Sony WH-1000XM5

  • You need them to fold flat into a small bag
  • A hinge-free plastic frame worries you for a daily commuter

Specs, side by side

SpecBowers & Wilkins Px7 S2eSony WH-1000XM5
TypeOver-ear, closedOver-ear, closed
CodecsSBC, AAC, aptX AdaptiveSBC, AAC, LDAC
BatteryUp to 30 hrs with ANC onAbout 30 hrs with ANC on
Quick charge15 min for about 7 hrs—
Folding—Cups swivel, no fold

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e or Sony WH-1000XM5 — which should I buy?
Sony WH-1000XM5 leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use. If Durability and Design matter more to you, take the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e instead.
Is 0.6 a real difference?
Barely. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e averages 7.6 and Sony WH-1000XM5 averages 8.2, and the total is the plain average of 5 axes, so 0.6 is what one axis moving 3.0 looks like after averaging. The axis split, 3-2, tells you more.
Which one ranks higher in "When music comes first, build decides the pair"?
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e sits at #1 in "When music comes first, build decides the pair", Sony WH-1000XM5 at #4.