Over-Ear
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
85Outstanding
$800
Full review dataBowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Dan Clark Audio Drop Ether CX: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 85. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 - Outstanding overall at around $799.
Over-Ear
Dan Clark Audio Drop Ether CX
54Average
$900
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 leads on 7 of 7 measures.
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
- Dan Clark Audio Drop Ether CX
HearWiki score
85
54
Sound
9.5
6.9
Noise cancelling
8.0
-
Battery
8.5
-
Calls
7.0
-
Value
5.5
-
Price (USD)
$800
$900
Specifications
Px8 S2Drop Ether CX
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $800
- $900
- HearWiki score
- 85
- 54
- Released
- 2026
- 2020
- Availability
- Sold new
- Discontinued
- Driver
- 2× 40 mm dynamic
- planar magnetic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- planar
- Driver size
- 40 mm
- -
- Drivers per side
- 2
- 1
- Frequency response
- -
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 23 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 92 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- -
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless
- -
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- -
- Battery life
- 30 h
- -
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 30 h
- -
- Quick charge
- 15 min → 7 h
- -
- Wireless charging
- No
- -
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- -
- ANC type
- hybrid
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- -
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- Yes
- -
- Controls
- buttons
- none
- Voice assistant
- Yes
- -
- Weight
- 310 g
- 440 g
- Foldable
- Yes
- -
- Detachable cable
- Yes
- -
- USB-C
- Yes
- -
- Connector
- USB-C
- XLR
- Microphones
- 8
- -
What reviewers said
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
Dan Clark Audio Drop Ether CX
The Dan Clark Audio Drop Ether CX is a wired, closed-back planar magnetic headphone engineered for very low distortion and technical clarity. Its stock tuning leans neutral-to-bright with modest bass, but it responds exceptionally well to EQ, rewarding listeners with detailed, dynamic sound when paired with sufficient power. The open-sounding presentation and strong imaging make it a compelling choice for analytical listening, though its XLR connection and lack of onboard controls demand a dedicated setup.
- Pro:Exceptionally low distortion and clean technical performance
- Pro:Responds very well to EQ, allowing tailored sound
- Pro:Open, spacious presentation for a closed-back design
- Con:Stock tuning lacks sub-bass and treble energy
- Con:Bass quantity is modest without EQ
- Con:Requires powerful amplification to perform fully
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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