Over-Ear
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
85Outstanding
$800
Full review dataBowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 vs Dan Clark Audio Noire X: 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 Noire X
79Great
$1,100
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 6 of 7 measures.
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
- Dan Clark Audio Noire X
HearWiki score
85
79
Sound
9.5
8.7
Noise cancelling
8.0
-
Battery
8.5
-
Calls
7.0
-
Value
5.5
7.6
Price (USD)
$800
$1,100
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Half a step newer
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 (2026) against Dan Clark Audio Noire X (2024). The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Hybrid against None.
- Px8 S220262 yr newer
- Noire X2024
What differsPx8 S2Noire X
- ANC type
- Hybrid
- None
Platform
Specifications
Px8 S2Noire X
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $800
- $1,100
- HearWiki score
- 85
- 79
- Released
- 2026
- 2024
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 2× 40 mm dynamic
- 62 mm planar magnetic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- planar
- Driver size
- 40 mm
- 62 mm
- Drivers per side
- 2
- 1
- Impedance
- -
- 13 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 90 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
- No
- ANC type
- hybrid
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- -
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- Yes
- -
- Controls
- buttons
- -
- Voice assistant
- Yes
- -
- Weight
- 310 g
- 403 g
- Foldable
- Yes
- -
- Detachable cable
- Yes
- Yes
- USB-C
- Yes
- -
- Connector
- USB-C
- 6.35 mm
- Balanced connection
- -
- Yes
- Microphones
- 8
- -
What reviewers said
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
Dan Clark Audio Noire X
The Dan Clark Audio Noire X is a premium closed-back planar headphone that delivers a refined, detailed, and dynamic sound with notably strong imaging for its design. It pairs a lightweight, sturdy build with a neutral-ish, versatile tuning that benefits from a capable amplifier to reach its full potential. While it offers excellent treble control and overall clarity, it may require careful system matching and has minor ergonomic quirks.
- Pro:Detailed and resolving planar sound
- Pro:Excellent imaging for a closed-back design
- Pro:Lightweight and robust construction
- Con:Needs a capable amplifier to sound its best
- Con:Potential treble peak for some listeners
- Con:Finish and folding mechanism could be improved
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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