Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 or Sony WH-1000XM6?

The premium Bluetooth headphone market continues to evolve, and both Sony and Bowers & Wilkins have kicked off the season with compelling updates. Priced identically at $449, the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 bring refined tuning, upgraded features, and elevated comfort to the table. But which one is the right choice for your listening needs? Let’s compare these two flagship models across design, features, noise cancellation, and sound performance to help you decide.

What’s In The Box

Design & Build Quality

In terms of design, these two headphones take noticeably different approaches.

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 boasts a modern and refined look, with glossy color options like Indigo Blue that give it a bold and polished aesthetic. Its slim profile folds flat for storage, and the build feels luxurious. That said, the clamping force is a bit tight — ideal for those who want a secure fit but possibly fatiguing for longer sessions. Instead of touch controls, B&W opts for discrete tactile buttons that are hidden within the frame. While this results in a cleaner look, the control learning curve is a bit steeper.

Meanwhile, the Sony WH-1000XM6 combines the best elements of previous XM models. With the lightweight comfort of the XM5 and the collapsible design of the XM4, the XM6 achieves an ergonomic balance. It features responsive touch controls on the right earcup along with a few tactile buttons for core functions. The clamping force is more relaxed than the Px7 S3, making it a go-to choice for extended wear. Sony’s understated design won’t turn heads, but its comfort-focused refinements are undeniable.

Features & Functionality

Both headphones use Bluetooth 5.3 and offer up to 30 hours of battery life, with fast-charging support for an extra boost when you’re on the go. You also get both wireless and wired playback options.

Where they differ is in software and customization. The Bowers & Wilkins Music App provides a 5-band EQ and control over noise cancellation, but it’s relatively limited. Thankfully, the Px7 S3 is tuned so well out of the box that many won’t feel the need to tweak it.

Sony’s Headphones Connect app goes much further, making the WH-1000XM6 the more versatile pick for tech-savvy users. You get custom EQs, listening modes (Standard, Background, Cinematic), and smart features like Speak-to-Chat, Quick Attention, and Auto Pause. These extras add tangible value, especially if you’re toggling between music, calls, and ambient awareness frequently.

Noise Cancellation

Sony continues to set the benchmark for ANC performance, and the WH-1000XM6 delivers immersive noise cancellation that quiets even bustling city environments. Whether you’re commuting or working in noisy spaces, the isolation is deeply effective. The XM6 also gets loud without distortion, making it easy to dive into your favorite tracks without distraction.

In contrast, the Px7 S3 offers respectable noise cancellation, but it doesn’t quite match Sony’s elite performance. Its ANC is more of a bonus than a centerpiece. However, the Px7 S3’s volume output and tight seal still provide a solid listening cocoon for most situations.

Tech Specs

Listening Review

When it comes to the most important aspect — the sound — the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and the Sony WH-1000XM6 present two distinctly satisfying interpretations of high-end Bluetooth audio. Whether you prefer analytical precision or immersive ambiance, each headphone brings its own sonic personality to the table.

Soundstage & Imaging

The Sony WH-1000XM6 excels in soundstage width and spatial imaging, delivering a broad, panoramic sonic experience. Music feels like it’s happening around your head rather than between your ears — a quality that enhances genres like ambient, orchestral, or live recordings. Thanks to Sony’s immersive audio capabilities and precision tuning, the imaging feels highly three-dimensional. You can hear the positioning of every instrument with laser-sharp clarity, making it easy to distinguish subtle details like reverb tails or stereo pans. The depth and separation here give the XM6 an expansive, open-headphone feel — something rare in closed-back wireless models.

On the other hand, the Px7 S3 delivers a more intimate and vertically expressive stage. While it lacks the wraparound effect of the Sony, it compensates with excellent front-to-back layering and a slightly more concentrated center image. The sense of space isn’t claustrophobic, but it does feel more focused and tunnelled in comparison. What’s impressive is how much height and depth it can still achieve, creating an almost stage-like sensation in front of you. The result is great for vocal-forward tracks and dynamic instrumental mixes where focus and intensity are key.

Bass Frequencies 

The Px7 S3 offers a low-end response that feels deliberately restrained yet deeply satisfying. Bass notes are textured and well-articulated, giving you a clear sense of what is hitting — not just that something is. There’s punch and drive in hip-hop and EDM tracks, but also finesse in genres like jazz and folk, where upright basses and kick drums come through with realistic tonal quality. The sub-bass is clean and doesn’t muddy the midrange, and the overall balance keeps the bass present without dominating the mix. This is a more naturalistic take on bass — perfect for listeners who want clarity over boom.

In contrast, the WH-1000XM6 walks a fine line between energy and control. The bass here is rounder and more boosted, with greater presence in the sub-bass region. It lends itself especially well to electronic genres, modern pop, and cinematic scores where low-end rumble can enhance immersion. Yet despite this weight, it’s surprisingly well-behaved — the bass doesn’t bleed into the mids and adapts to genre demands without losing articulation. It’s powerful but refined, offering emotional impact and body without sacrificing intelligibility.

Midrange Frequencies

This is where both headphones shine in very different ways.

The Px7 S3 presents a midrange that’s front-and-center, creating an immediacy that makes vocals and acoustic instruments feel incredibly present. It doesn’t aim for absolute neutrality — instead, it introduces a bit of tonal character that makes the sound engaging and musical. There’s texture in every vocal line, and instruments like strings or electric guitars sound vivid and nuanced. This forward midrange lends itself beautifully to singer-songwriter tracks, small jazz ensembles, and anything where vocal clarity and emotional expression matter.

The WH-1000XM6, by contrast, opts for a slightly more recessed midrange in its default tuning — but one that integrates smoothly with the rest of the frequency spectrum. The beauty of the XM6’s mids lies in its adaptability: with different listening modes and EQ options, you can push the mids forward or pull them back depending on your preferences. In Standard mode, vocals are crisp and layered, with just the right amount of warmth to sound natural. This makes the XM6 highly versatile — ideal for both casual listening and critical evaluation of complex recordings. Its ability to reveal detail in large ensembles is particularly impressive, maintaining separation between instruments even in dense mixes.

Treble Frequencies 

The Px7 S3 delivers a treble that feels lively and exciting, with good extension and bite. It emphasizes clarity and sparkle, which gives the sound a fresh and immediate energy. This tuning works wonders for detailed tracks — cymbals shimmer, strings glisten, and synthesizers cut through cleanly. The upper treble rolls off a little more abruptly than in the XM6, which slightly reduces the sense of air at the very top, but it also helps prevent listening fatigue at higher volumes. What you get is a crisp, articulate top end that keeps the overall sound signature bright but never sibilant.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 treble is more refined and slightly more extended, lending a smoothness that feels effortless. It doesn’t have quite the same sparkle as the Px7 S3 out of the box, but the detail retrieval is superb. Treble-heavy tracks maintain their clarity without any hint of brittleness, and the top end feels natural, with realistic decay and air. When you switch to ambient or cinematic listening modes, the treble takes on more emphasis and space, enhancing the atmosphere and giving more high-frequency sheen. This makes the XM6 excellent for long listening sessions or cinematic content that benefits from extra dimensionality.

Overall Tonal Character

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 has a slightly V-shaped tuning with a forward midrange, punchy yet disciplined bass, and bright highs. Its overall tonal balance leans toward clarity and energy, making it an exciting headphone that feels alive and expressive — perfect for audiophiles who like to dissect mixes and analyze the performance of each instrument.

The Sony WH-1000XM6, by contrast, delivers a more neutral and smooth signature with room for customization. It’s versatile across genres and excels at immersion, making it ideal for users who want consistency across various types of content — from commuting playlists to movie nights and podcasts.

Final Thoughts

If you’re after cutting-edge ANC, immersive spatial audio, and customizable features, the Sony WH-1000XM6 is an easy recommendation. It’s a complete package for daily commuters, remote workers, and audio enthusiasts alike.

However, if your priorities are detailed tuning, premium design, and a refined listening experience with less reliance on software tweaks, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 delivers a dynamic, forward-facing sound that’s incredibly satisfying for focused listening sessions.

Both headphones are exceptional — but your lifestyle and preferences will determine which one hits the right note

The Sony XM6 and the B&W Px7 S3 are both available at Audio46. 

Quick Comparison Chart: Px7 S3 vs WH-1000XM6