JBL Reflect Aero: One-minute review

The JBL Reflect Aero may look like most sports headphones on the shelves with their circular frame fringed with wing tips to help keep them in place when you’re exercising. However, there’s more to these headphones than meets the eye.

The one obvious thing that sets them apart from other workout headphones is their waterproofing. With an IP rating of IP68, these wireless earbuds aren’t just water-resistant. You can dive down 1.5 meters in salt or fresh water with them on for 30 minutes, and they’ll keep on blasting those tunes (although you do have to account for the fact that Bluetooth signals don’t travel well in water).

But wait, there’s more. JBL doesn’t stop there. It also packs the headphones with other premium features like active noise cancellation, touch controls, in-ear detection, and up to 8 hours of battery life (24 hours total with the charging case). That’s already a lot for that sub-$150 / £150 price without factoring in their great sound quality and the fact that you can actually customize their touch gestures to offer volume control.

Even though they're only a year old, the JBL Reflect Aero are still one of the best waterproof headphones sets you can get on the market right now.

JBL Reflect Aero: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $149 / £119
• Where is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and the UK

The JBL Reflect Aero are surprisingly affordable for what they offer. These true wireless earbuds will set you back just $149 / £119.

Granted, that price tag isn’t in the budget range, but it still puts these earphones in the mid-range market, making them more affordable than the Sony WF-1000XM4, Apple AirPods Pro 2, and even the Beats Fit Pro. To be fair, those three models deliver superior sound and better ANC. But, none of them are submersible and have an app with a 10-band EQ so you can really customize the sound.

All things considered, the JBL Reflect Aero are definitely the best value out of all those headphones. They’re a terrific proposition not just for swimmers and active users, but also budget-minded consumers seeking some premium features.

• Value: 5 / 5

JBL Reflect Aero: Design

• Ear tips not the best for smaller ears
• Touch controls are amazing
• JBL Headphones app expands functionality

Design-wise, the JBL Reflect Aero aren’t that different from other sports earphones. In fact, they look very similar to the Beoplay E8 Sport earphones from Bang & Olufsen, except those are a little clunkier and definitely not suited for smaller ears, and the JBL Reflect Aero have that nice honeycomb pattern on the side that faces your ears. 

So, we won’t get into the nitty-gritty of the design and focus instead on the details that set them apart. Their charging case, for example, comes with a strap that lets you wear it around your wrist or secure it to your backpack so they don’t pop out when you’re on the move.

Perhaps the best aspect of the JBL Reflect Aero’s design is the touch controls, which we have to commend for being responsive and customizable, with helpful sound prompts. You can even program two of those touch gestures to control the volume – something that the popular AirPods Pro line didn’t offer until the release of the second generation, months after the JBL Reflect Aero hit the streets.

To make these more inclusive of different ear sizes, these earphones come with not just silicone tips in three sizes but also three different-sized wing tip pairs. Unfortunately, those ear tips could stand to be a little smaller. Their smallest size might still be a little too big for users with small ears (or ear canal openings).

The JBL Reflect Aero come with app support, that app being the JBL Headphones (not to be confused with JBL Portable, which is for JBL speakers). You certainly do not have to download the app to use the earphones, but it’s well worth having. Not only does it expand their functionality, but also allows you to personalize their sound using the 10-band EQ, which lets you significantly customize those frequencies.

• Design: 4 / 5

JBL Reflect Aero: Performance

• Ambient Aware is good, ANC only ok
• Very good sound quality, bass a little weird
• Mic has less low-end and no background noise rejection

There’s a lot to unload in terms of the JBL Reflect Aero’s performance as they do most things well. The Ambient Aware feature (JBL’s transparency mode), for example, is great. We’ve found that it lets you hear enough of your surroundings to have a conversation with another person while music is still playing at about 50% volume. 

You can also pair two devices at the same time, so you can easily switch between your phone and your laptop, for example, when you’re getting a call on your phone while watching a movie on your laptop. There’s also the very reactive in-ear detection that’s very good at detecting when you’ve taken an earbud off or put it back on. Meanwhile, the mic sounds good for making phone calls – so you can rest assured that the person on the other end is hearing you clearly.

As far as sound quality (with the in-app EQ off), the vocals come through clearly and uncolored (not filtered). The high end in general sounds very clear and detailed, if a little on the bright side.

The rest are just ok, decent at best. The active noise cancellation is nothing to write home about as it doesn’t really block out higher frequency sounds – anything that’s in the mids or highs. The only way it works well is when you’ve got music playing at a louder volume.

While you can connect to two devices at once, you can only listen from one input at a time. Plus, you also have to stop or pause one source, wait a couple of seconds then play the other one, which can be inconvenient when you’re in a rush. The mic is also limited in its frequency range so there’s less low-end, and it doesn’t have background noise rejection.

As far as the sound goes, the mids sound a little recessed. In Gemma Hayes’ “Hanging Around,” the guitars sound polite when they should be more in your face as it is a rock song. They just don't hit as hard as they should. The low end is a little weird. In Taylor Swift’s “Maroon” and Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” the low end comes out thick and powerful. Yet in Japanese Breakfast’s “Paprika,” the bass sounds anemic. 

Our guess is that the bass frequencies are inconsistent as if there’s a valley in the frequency curve somewhere in the low end. And, because the bass in “Maroon” and “Happier Than Ever” is distorted and getting into the mid-range a little, it’s not being affected by that dip. On the other hand, because the low end in “Paprika” is pure bass, it’s losing a chunk of it due to that dip.

Be warned: if those silicone ear tips do not fit properly in your ears, these headphones will sound terrible. The overall sound isn’t going to sound full and rich, with the mid-range sounding recessed, the bass being very restrained, and the high end not delivering the same level of detail. Be sure that those ear tips completely plug your ears before playing music or watching videos.

We’re pointing out those shortcomings to make it clear that the JBL Reflect Aero don’t sit at that premium, audiophile level, which means they’re not going to have the most superior sound or the most high-end features. However, that only really matters to folks who are much more discerning or used to pricey headphones.

As they stand, the JBL Reflect Aero are great sounding, feature-rich earbuds that, despite a few quirks, make good workout companions – especially if water is involved. With their IP68 rating, these can be fully submerged for up to 30 minutes without any effect on performance. Having tested this ourselves, we can confirm that only do they survive being submerged in water, but they also continue to play music. And, so long as your phone is nearby, and you’re not doing deep dives, you can swim laps with these on. Let’s see other earbuds do that.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Should I buy the JBL Reflect Aero?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

JBL Reflect Aero: Report card

• First reviewed November 2022

How we test

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

JBL Reflect Aero: One-minute review

The JBL Reflect Aero may look like most sports headphones on the shelves with their circular frame fringed with wing tips to help keep them in place when you’re exercising. However, there’s more to these headphones than meets the eye.

The one obvious thing that sets them apart from other workout headphones is their waterproofing. With an IP rating of IP68, these wireless earbuds aren’t just water-resistant. You can dive down 1.5 meters in salt or fresh water with them on for 30 minutes, and they’ll keep on blasting those tunes (although you do have to account for the fact that Bluetooth signals don’t travel well in water).

But wait, there’s more. JBL doesn’t stop there. It also packs the headphones with other premium features like active noise cancellation, touch controls, in-ear detection, and up to 8 hours of battery life (24 hours total with the charging case). That’s already a lot for that sub-$150 / £150 price without factoring in their great sound quality and the fact that you can actually customize their touch gestures to offer volume control.

Even though they're only a year old, the JBL Reflect Aero are still one of the best waterproof headphones sets you can get on the market right now.

JBL Reflect Aero: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $149 / £119
• Where is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and the UK

The JBL Reflect Aero are surprisingly affordable for what they offer. These true wireless earbuds will set you back just $149 / £119.

Granted, that price tag isn’t in the budget range, but it still puts these earphones in the mid-range market, making them more affordable than the Sony WF-1000XM4, Apple AirPods Pro 2, and even the Beats Fit Pro. To be fair, those three models deliver superior sound and better ANC. But, none of them are submersible and have an app with a 10-band EQ so you can really customize the sound.

All things considered, the JBL Reflect Aero are definitely the best value out of all those headphones. They’re a terrific proposition not just for swimmers and active users, but also budget-minded consumers seeking some premium features.

• Value: 5 / 5

JBL Reflect Aero: Design

• Ear tips not the best for smaller ears
• Touch controls are amazing
• JBL Headphones app expands functionality

Design-wise, the JBL Reflect Aero aren’t that different from other sports earphones. In fact, they look very similar to the Beoplay E8 Sport earphones from Bang & Olufsen, except those are a little clunkier and definitely not suited for smaller ears, and the JBL Reflect Aero have that nice honeycomb pattern on the side that faces your ears. 

So, we won’t get into the nitty-gritty of the design and focus instead on the details that set them apart. Their charging case, for example, comes with a strap that lets you wear it around your wrist or secure it to your backpack so they don’t pop out when you’re on the move.

Perhaps the best aspect of the JBL Reflect Aero’s design is the touch controls, which we have to commend for being responsive and customizable, with helpful sound prompts. You can even program two of those touch gestures to control the volume – something that the popular AirPods Pro line didn’t offer until the release of the second generation, months after the JBL Reflect Aero hit the streets.

To make these more inclusive of different ear sizes, these earphones come with not just silicone tips in three sizes but also three different-sized wing tip pairs. Unfortunately, those ear tips could stand to be a little smaller. Their smallest size might still be a little too big for users with small ears (or ear canal openings).

The JBL Reflect Aero come with app support, that app being the JBL Headphones (not to be confused with JBL Portable, which is for JBL speakers). You certainly do not have to download the app to use the earphones, but it’s well worth having. Not only does it expand their functionality, but also allows you to personalize their sound using the 10-band EQ, which lets you significantly customize those frequencies.

• Design: 4 / 5

JBL Reflect Aero: Performance

• Ambient Aware is good, ANC only ok
• Very good sound quality, bass a little weird
• Mic has less low-end and no background noise rejection

There’s a lot to unload in terms of the JBL Reflect Aero’s performance as they do most things well. The Ambient Aware feature (JBL’s transparency mode), for example, is great. We’ve found that it lets you hear enough of your surroundings to have a conversation with another person while music is still playing at about 50% volume. 

You can also pair two devices at the same time, so you can easily switch between your phone and your laptop, for example, when you’re getting a call on your phone while watching a movie on your laptop. There’s also the very reactive in-ear detection that’s very good at detecting when you’ve taken an earbud off or put it back on. Meanwhile, the mic sounds good for making phone calls – so you can rest assured that the person on the other end is hearing you clearly.

As far as sound quality (with the in-app EQ off), the vocals come through clearly and uncolored (not filtered). The high end in general sounds very clear and detailed, if a little on the bright side.

The rest are just ok, decent at best. The active noise cancellation is nothing to write home about as it doesn’t really block out higher frequency sounds – anything that’s in the mids or highs. The only way it works well is when you’ve got music playing at a louder volume.

While you can connect to two devices at once, you can only listen from one input at a time. Plus, you also have to stop or pause one source, wait a couple of seconds then play the other one, which can be inconvenient when you’re in a rush. The mic is also limited in its frequency range so there’s less low-end, and it doesn’t have background noise rejection.

As far as the sound goes, the mids sound a little recessed. In Gemma Hayes’ “Hanging Around,” the guitars sound polite when they should be more in your face as it is a rock song. They just don't hit as hard as they should. The low end is a little weird. In Taylor Swift’s “Maroon” and Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” the low end comes out thick and powerful. Yet in Japanese Breakfast’s “Paprika,” the bass sounds anemic. 

Our guess is that the bass frequencies are inconsistent as if there’s a valley in the frequency curve somewhere in the low end. And, because the bass in “Maroon” and “Happier Than Ever” is distorted and getting into the mid-range a little, it’s not being affected by that dip. On the other hand, because the low end in “Paprika” is pure bass, it’s losing a chunk of it due to that dip.

Be warned: if those silicone ear tips do not fit properly in your ears, these headphones will sound terrible. The overall sound isn’t going to sound full and rich, with the mid-range sounding recessed, the bass being very restrained, and the high end not delivering the same level of detail. Be sure that those ear tips completely plug your ears before playing music or watching videos.

We’re pointing out those shortcomings to make it clear that the JBL Reflect Aero don’t sit at that premium, audiophile level, which means they’re not going to have the most superior sound or the most high-end features. However, that only really matters to folks who are much more discerning or used to pricey headphones.

As they stand, the JBL Reflect Aero are great sounding, feature-rich earbuds that, despite a few quirks, make good workout companions – especially if water is involved. With their IP68 rating, these can be fully submerged for up to 30 minutes without any effect on performance. Having tested this ourselves, we can confirm that only do they survive being submerged in water, but they also continue to play music. And, so long as your phone is nearby, and you’re not doing deep dives, you can swim laps with these on. Let’s see other earbuds do that.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Should I buy the JBL Reflect Aero?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

JBL Reflect Aero: Report card

• First reviewed November 2022

How we test

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

Editor's Note

• Original review date: October 2022
• Launch price: $99 / £89 (approx. AUD$156)
• Regular price now: $63 / £63 / AU$105

Update: February 2024. The 1More Sonoflow retains a place in our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones even following the arrival of the affordable Sony WH-CH720N, thanks to being regularly available for an even lower price. We still rate how good they are all-round, and especially the nice long 50 hours of battery life with ANC. 1More has since released the Sonoflow SE, which we haven't had a chance to test yet, but offers you an even cheaper option. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

1MORE Sonoflow: two-minute review

The 1MORE Sonoflow are the first over-ear headphones that feature noise-cancellation from this likeable, affordable audio tech brand, and they are emphatic proof that you can get a great pair of wireless headphones capable of ticking most of the boxes for under $100/£100.

1MORE has been a firm favorite at TechRadar for years. We awarded the 1MORE Triple Driver in-ear headphones five stars in our review a few years ago, and they remain one of our top picks in our best earbuds guide. The brand has also ventured into the true wireless earbuds space and, back in 2018, released the 1MORE Triple Driver over-ear headphones.

Again though, the 1MORE Sonoflow are the brand’s first pair of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones. They adopt a no-frills approach – the design of the headphones and their accompanying app is very simple. However, all of the essentials are here. They sound great, noise-cancellation is good, there’s a fantastic 70 hours of battery life (that’s 50 hours with ANC on), and we found them to be remarkably comfortable to wear all day.  

Although there are no ground-breaking new features, the 1MORE Sonoflow are solid all-rounders at a price we feel makes them better value than several of the best noise-cancelling headphones and best over-ear headphones you can buy today. With this in mind, they’re bound to have wide appeal for those looking for a great-sounding pair of over-ears. Read on for our full 1MORE Sonoflow review.

1MORE Sonoflow review: price and release date

• Released in September, 2022
• $99 / £89 (approx. AUD$156)

One of the big draws of 1MORE products is that they’re inexpensive, and at $99 / £89 (approx. AUD$156) the 1MORE Sonoflow over-ear headphones continue the tradition. At this price we wouldn’t call them cheap over-ear headphones, like the Sony WH-CH510, which cost $59 / £50 / AU$89, but they’re within what we’d consider the best budget headphones bracket and have a similar price tag to some of our good value favorites. 

Take a look at our JBL Tune 750BTNC review, cans which cost $130 / £120 / AU$200 at launch and have a similar comfortable design and strong ANC. However, the 1MORE Sonoflow definitely beat the JBL product in terms of battery life, offering 70 hours with ANC off compared to only 22 hours. They’re also similar to the Urbanista Miami, which cost $149 / £129 / AU$269, but with the Sonoflow you’ll get better ANC and audio. 

They’re obviously significantly cheaper than the best headphones you can buy today, like the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones, which cost more than three times as much, at $350 / £349 / AU$549. These perform better than the 1MORE Sonoflow in most respects, which you’d expect. But then again this all comes down to personal preference. If you don’t have the budget for high-end headphones and don’t need audiophile-grade sound, the 1MORE Sonoflow headphones do represent better value. 

1MORE Sonoflow review: features

• App a bit sparse compared to rivals
• Touch controls could be more intuitive
• Incredible battery life

Pairing the 1MORE Sonoflow with an iPhone is incredibly easy, as was getting the app working within seconds. We also tested them with an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset and the Bluetooth connection was stellar throughout. 

The accompanying 1MORE Sonoflow app isn’t bad, but it’s bland in terms of design and sparse when it comes to features, especially compared to rivals with incredibly customizable and slick apps such as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless – although of course, these are more expensive.

However, the basics are here. You can switch ANC on and off or select transparent mode, which works well for having conversations without taking the headphones off. There’s also an Equalizer, although you can’t fully adjust or tune the headphones with a five-band EQ tab. Instead, there are 12 custom presets to choose from, including ‘Bass Booster’ and ‘Classical’. These might provide enough customization for most listeners, but will be disappointing for those who want more control.

In the app you’ll also find a ‘Soothing Sounds’ section, but these are played on short 10 second loops, which means it’s really jarring when they end and begin again – hardly soothing. There’s also an option called ‘Experimental Features’ where you’ll find multipoint pairing, which works well (but is hardly 'experimental' in 2022, no?) and other than a few supplementary expected features, such as a firmware upgrade option and an FAQ section, that’s about it from the app. 

There are button controls on the earcups, including three buttons in total on the front and rear of the right earcup. Each button does a few different things, which is confusing to remember at first. Luckily, it didn’t take long for us to learn them but the experience wasn’t as intuitive as it is with other headphones. There’s also no option to customize the functions. Then again, if you like physical buttons over capacitive on-ear touch controls, these might be more appealing. 

An annoying feature that we really noticed, having tested so many pairs of headphones, is that there are no sensors onboard to detect when you take them off, to pause the music accordingly. This won’t be an issue for some people, but we’ve become used to taking out an earbud or slipping off an earcup and having the music pause, and that doesn’t happen here. 

One of the main selling points of these over-ears is their impressive battery life. They boast a huge 70 hours with ANC off and a still amazing 50 hours with ANC on. We found these estimates from 1MORE to be spot on during our testing. When you do need to charge them up, you’ll find a USB-C charging cable in your carry case. We loved that a five minute charge could deliver more than 4.5 hours of extra listening and 1.5 hours of charging gets them completely full. 

In terms of rivals, this makes them one of the best pairs of noise-cancelling headphones for battery life we’ve ever tested. One of our current favorite pair of over-ears, the Sony WH-1000XM4 have 30 hours of battery life with ANC on. They’re only beaten by the newer and excellent Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones, which boast 60 hours of battery life, and that’s with ANC on.

• Features score: 3.5/5

1MORE Sonoflow review: design

• They look more premium than they should
• Incredibly comfortable
• Some might find the design boring

The 1MORE Sonoflow over-ear headphones come in a compact and premium-looking zip case with a hard shell to protect them on the move. Handily, the spots where the earcups fit are labelled, which makes folding them up in a hurry much easier.

The headphones have a simple design, quality hinges and there’s a matte-like finish to the plastic casing. The cups are made from a super soft memory foam and we love that there’s a bright red fabric lining on the inside. 

The headphones are incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time. This is thanks to those soft earpads, the adjustable cups, the lightweight design (they’re only 250g) and a cushioned headband. Refreshingly, we find we can truly keep these cans on all day long, and that is rare. 

Granted, some people might find this design a bit boring – they don’t stand out as much as higher-end over-ears, like the Bose Headphones 700 or the Apple AirPods Max – but we think the minimal aesthetic makes them look more luxe than they should at this price. 

Assuming you like how they look, the only major downside here is that there’s no water resistance rating, so we’d be very wary about recommending them for fitness or outside if it looks like rain. No, this isn’t unusual for a pair of affordable noise-cancelling over-ears, but an IP rating is still a feature we’d have liked to see.

• Design score: 4/5

1MORE Sonoflow review: sound quality

• ANC is good
• Sound is great (especially for the price)
• The EQ presets are fun to use

The noise cancellation on offer from the 1MORE Sonoflow headphones is really impressive for the price. That’s the key here. These aren’t the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy, but for under £100/$100 you’re getting a great experience and we think most people would be impressed by how well they perform. 

During our testing we found that most ambient sounds and lots of standard low frequency noises are drowned out completely. Some high-pitched noises will still get through and we found the steady rumble of a fan in our office remained, as did a loud conversation on the bus that was close by. But there was a huge difference in how bothersome these noises were when ANC was on compared to when it was off. So even though they might not be the best at noise-cancelling, they should suit most office environments and commutes, cutting back most of the lows and mids you’ll hear throughout the day. 

The same can be said for the sound quality. No, the 1MORE Sonoflow won’t compete with headphones three or four times the price, but that’s not what most people need. During our testing, we were impressed with the powerful bass and detailed, crisp highs on offer here – thanks to the Sonoflow’s dual 40mm drivers. 

What’s more, the (albeit limited) EQ presets did affect music from genre to genre. For example, turning on ‘Bass booster’ during an Âme techno track was seriously impressive, providing thumping bass. Overall the bass was great with the headphones and, crucially, didn’t distort even at high volumes. 

Selecting ‘Classical’ while listening to Hildur Guðnadóttir’s beautiful strings added a rich and expansive quality to the sound. In fact, classical music sounded excellent with a strong and clear sense of definition. These presets might seem basic to some people, but others will really enjoy playing around with them. 

There’s support for Sony’s LDAC hi-res audio format. But you need a device that supports it as well as audio that offers a hi-res bit rate. There are also SBC and AAC codecs – good news for iOS users –which, again, is a decent range for the price. But there’s no aptX Adaptive, which some people – especially Android users – might consider a dealbreaker. 

• Sound quality score: 4/5

1MORE Sonoflow review: value

• Look and feel more premium than they are
• Battery life is phenomenal at this price
• Better sound is available, but for much more money

Like all 1MORE products we’ve tested, the Sonoflow over-ear headphones are excellent value for money. In many respects they feel more high-end than they should. We think this is thanks to their matte finish, sturdy case and minimal design, which doesn’t give away its budget price.

You will find a more premium experience from an app elsewhere, and although we highly rate the ANC and sound on offer here, other headphones do it better, but, crucially, not for this price. 

The battery life is obviously excellent and the comfort levels are high, so these headphones will be ideal for most people who want good sound but need to know they’re dependable enough for all day wear, and these certainly are.

• Value score: 5/5

Should you buy the 1MORE Sonoflow?

Buy them if…

Don't buy them if…

Also consider…

If our 1MORE Sonoflow review has you wondering whether to add them to your online shopping cart or to check out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.

• First reviewed: October 2022
• How we test: explore TechRadar's review guarantee

Editor's Note

• Original review date: October 2022
• Still B&W's flagship wireless headphones
• Launch price: $699 / £599 / AU$1,150
• Official price now: $699 / £599 / AU$1,150

Update: February 2024. We still love the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 for its particular brand of headphones luxe style – nearly unmatched sound quality (even today) paired with an ultra-classy and premium design, which is now available in a new burgundy and gold finish, if you want to get really royal about it. We still recommend the B&W PX8 as the choice for design connoisseurs in our guide to the best wireless headphones, and their sound quality hasn't been beaten at this price, but they still have the same small concerns that their noise cancellation and battery life are quite average, for a non-average price. In the case of ANC, you may want to consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for offering best-in-class noise stopping with sound that's closer to the PX8 than its rivals. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8: two-minute review

Sonically, the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are now the wireless over-ear headphones to beat. There, we said it. If that's all you need to hear, we wish you well. But if you want to know why we said "sonically" rather than "across the board", and why this is a four-and-a-half star review rather than the full five, read on. 

The B&W PX8 are a shiny new addition to our best over-ear headphones guide, no doubt. But let's get it right: the PX8 are expensive. There are good, tangible, understandable reasons for this – a new carbon cone 40mm drive unit replaces the bio-cellulose driver in the more affordable Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and the die-cast aluminum arms, diamond-cut bright metal detailing and Nappa leather trim elevates the build to high-end territory – but for some, anything priced hotter than the AirPods Max is too rich for the blood given the current financial climate. We hear you. 

But we have also heard the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 headphones and, cost of living crisis or no, they're exceptional.

Bowers & Wilkins admits the brief was simple: achieve the best possible wireless over-ears and hang the cost. The UK-based audio specialist has fulfilled the brief beautifully. To put these headphones on is to experience a pride of ownership rarely felt, even at this level – I didn't feel it with the slightly odd-looking AirPods Max, for instance. And despite the outlay, the sound quality for the money here is sublime.

Any issues? A few. None of them pertains to sound – that is where these cans truly shine; know that now – but these are why we knocked half a star off the rating in this otherwise glowing review. The cheaper Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (launched in August 2022) boast a whopping 60-hour battery life even with ANC deployed, and you only get 30 hours here – although, that's the same as you'll get from the Sony WH-1000XM5 (which launched in May 2022 – we like to save you the hassle of checking). Also, the ANC cannot be customized, the EQ tweaks are limited to treble and bass, and there are no big extra features. 

But that's where the negatives end. Elsewhere, the Bowers & Wilkins Music app now corrals your streaming services into one place (provided these are Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud or Qobuz, although B&W hopes to work with Apple Music in the future) and because this one app now rules the roost, it creates a B&W ecosystem whereby whatever's coming through your cans could simply transfer to your Zeppelin, Formation Wedge or other supported B&W speakers when you walk through the door. 

As regular TechRadar readers know, in this house, sound is king. And the sonic performance here is detailed, agile, spacious, musical and nothing short of delightful. If you can afford them and you want the best-sounding wireless cans on the market, you will not be disappointed in the PX8.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: price and release date

• Released on September 28, 2022
• $699 / £599 / AU$1150

The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 are available now, for £599 / $699 / AU$1,150 / €699.

Expensive, we know, but this is top-tier B&W territory…

OK, so there's no escaping the fact that this makes the PX8 more expensive than the Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser's Momentum 4 Wireless (at $349 / £300 / AU$549) and the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM5, which retail for $399 / £380 / AU$550. 

And considering the Sennheiser over-ears boast double the stamina of the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 (and the XM5, while we're on the subject) that pricing starts to look a little ambitious…

Only, it's not. Why? Because the sound quality makes them an exceptional buy, that's why. 

Bowers & Wilkins review: features

• Excellent Music app support for full, multi-room ecosystems
• Simple, dependable physical on-ear controls
• ANC and transparency profiles cannot be customized

While the Bowers & Wilkins PX8's spec sheet is good rather than excellent (the ANC profiles comprise on, off, or pass-through, while the EQ tabs involve bass and treble tabs only, so anyone hoping for full five-band EQ settings is out of luck) what the PX8 do, they do very well indeed. 

There's wearer detection and auto-standby (which sends them into low power state after 15 minutes of inactivity) both of which can be turned on or off, and the left quick action button can be customized depending on whether you want to scroll through ANC profiles or access your voice assistant of choice.

A nice touch here is the ability to set the streaming quality (using your mobile data or Wi-Fi) and also the wearer sensor, the latter at low, normal, or high. If the PX8 fail to pause when you lift an ear cup to talk to a colleague, switch it to high. Find them pausing unexpectedly during use? Switch it to low. 

Perhaps we might have hoped for more than the 'standard' 30-hour battery life, although this is better than both the Bose QuietComfort 45 and Bose Noise Cancelling 700, which offer between 24 and 30 hours. Also, a quick 15 minute charge gets you seven hours playback – a claim we tested and found to be true. 

There's a traditional approach here when it comes to on-ear controls, but they work beautifully, with volume, playback and power buttons on the right ear cup and a 'quick action' button on the left, which we use to quickly switch ANC. On this, the ANC here is good, nixing all but the noisiest of buses and aeroplanes overhead as we walk into the office. 

The transparency mode is a more subtle affair entirely and seems a little reticent to actively filter in ambient sounds quite so eagerly as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, say. That said, there is a marked difference in sound pass-through – you will hear the outside world – but we would have dialled it up a tad, if it were possible.

The big ace up B&W's sleeve is its Music app, which now greets you with "spaces" and can group your Bowers & Wilkins products accordingly for multi-room audio when you get home, similar to that offered by Apple Home or Amazon's Alexa app. 

The B&W PX8 come toting Bluetooth 5.2 plus support for aptX Adaptive (one of the best Bluetooth codecs available today) as well as aptX and aptX HD, and the six mics in total (four for ANC, two for call-handling) make for clear phone calls during our testing. 

• Features score: 4/5

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: design

• Beautiful metal accents (especially on the tan colorway)
• Drivers are angled to the wearer's ear
• Clamping force is perfect 

For flair and beauty, Bowers & Wilkins has hit a home run with the PX8. These are cans to be seen in – as we said in our hands-on review, the PX8 would look right at home around the neck of a bright young thing on a business-class flight to Milan. Adjusting the headband is a smooth, silent experience, and the soft ample ear cups rotate to lie flat around our neck on the rare occasion they're not being worn over your ears. 

Yes, the PX8 echo the current inclination towards designs with cups that rotate to lie flat but do not fold up, including the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 (over the older, foldable Sony WH-1000XM4, say). 

And also as you'd expect, these cans come with a hard-shell, fabric covered carry case, but this one is particularly nice since the supplied cables (USB-C to USB-C for charging, USB-C to 3.5mm if your device has such a port) have their own little compartment with a magnetized lid, situated in the dead space beneath the arc of the headband. 

The comfort levels are fantastic across the course of our listening too, with ample padding on the underside of the headband and a clamping force that's as perfect as we've ever felt; not too tight but reassuringly secure. 

All in all (and at the risk of overstating ourselves) we really really like the premium look and feel of these headphones.

The earcups are fairly chunky, but inside the drivers are at an angle, so that they're parallel to your ears, not to the outside of the earcups. This is designed to help with timing and precision in the sound.

• Design score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: sound quality

• Supreme agility and musical clarity
• Beautifully expansive and detailed
• Weighty but lithe bass

Switching all ANC profiles off, we stream Tom Petty's Free Fallin' on Tidal and the gentle, pensive guitars sound as three-dimensional and energetic as we've heard in a wireless design. Petty's vocal is central and detailed through an agile and expansive midrange. Backing vocals that come in on "Ventura Boulevard" are distinctive, layered, and given extra room to be impactful. 

Plucked strings in Sukhwinder Singh's Haule Haule and snaking percussives have us tapping our feet and are just two of the expertly handled musical strands within the PX8's cohesive, vibrant mix. Our playlist continues to Bol Na Halke Halke by Mahalakshmi Iyer and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and if you get a chance, we urge you to listen to it. Hear how the intro snakes from behind your left ear to over near your right, scraping your cerebellum and occipital lobes en route. Note also the dynamic build from near-silence to a cacophony of flutes, drums, strings and Iyer's bell-like vocal through the sparkling treble.

They're just as expressive and weighty through the low end, too. Stream Stormzy's Mel Made Me Do It and the unusual backing track comes alive. Yelps, drum snaps, statements about "not flying economy" and jangled rhythmic sonic articles spring forth from the juicy grime riff, but it's all underpinned by a regimented, crisp performance through the bass.

How do they compare to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless? Well, given the price gap ($350 / £300 / AU$550 versus $699 / £599 / AU$1150) it's hardly fair – the PX8 are double the price. But we do it anyway, purely because the Momentum 4 Wireless are a five-star proposition at the level. 

The extra energy, depth, emotional oomph and overall immersion in excellent-quality music place the PX8 in a different league – which is understandable and this statement is not intended to put the Sennheiser headphones down. What we're saying is, if your budget stretches to this level, the sonic gains are worth it in the sound-per-pound stakes. The sound here is exceptional – but you do have to pay for it. 

• Sound quality score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 review: value

• High-end sound and build at a high-end fee
• ANC could be better for the level though 
• Standard rather than excellent battery life

Look, this is not budget-friendly territory (remember, the PX8's sibling, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 will set you back a more palatable $399 / £379 – aka $300 / £220 cheaper) and the minor omissions from the PX8's spec-sheet do impact the value here given their high-end pricing. 

Which omissions are we referring to? The lack of five-band EQ tab (you only get to customize the bass and treble), the fact that the three ANC profiles are limited to on, off and pass-through (and are not tweakable), the good rather than excellent battery life… at this level, it is our job to nitpick. 

The PX8's two strongest suits are glorious looks and exemplary sound quality. If these two features are of paramount importance to you, the PX8 represent some of the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy – but you do have to pay top dollar for the privilege of ownership. 

• Value score: 4/5

Should you buy the Bowers & Wilkins PX8?

Buy them if…

Don't buy them if…

Also consider…

If our Bowers & Wilkins review has you considering whether to buy them or to scope out other wireless over-ear headphones, take a glance at these three competing cans at the level.

• First reviewed: October 2022
• How we test: explore TechRadar's review guarantee