With the PX5, Bowers & Wilkins sells one of the best on-ear headphones with active noise cancellation that are currently available. This is not only because of the great sound and an effective ANC, but also because of the particularly high wearing comfort.
So far, there are not many on-ear headphones that offer active noise cancellation. Most recently, ntv.de had a splendid copy in the editorial office with the Beats Solo Pro, which was convincing in terms of both sound and ANC filtering. A very strong competitor is the Bowers & Wilkins PX5, which was an ear candy in the test and also has other advantages that the Solo Pro cannot offer. The suggested retail price is 299 euros, but you can get the PX5 from just 220 euros.
First of all, there is the particularly noble style of the British, which has nothing in common with the plastic charm of the Beats headphones. The temples are made of carbon fiber, the outside is covered with nylon, the shells are exchangeable and covered with real leather. The design is not only very chic, but also extremely robust – it is almost impossible to break the PX5. Then you forgive him for not being able to fold him up compactly, but just to turn the shells to put the headphones around his neck or to stow them in his also pretty transport bag.
Comfortable seat, easy control
In principle, the PX5 is a scaled down PX7. In the winter at ntv.de, he not only demonstrated his musical ability, but also delighted with generous shells that leave a lot of space for the ears. Of course, this is not the case with the PX5 due to its design, but it is exceptionally comfortable for on-ear headphones. That means you can wear it painlessly for one hour with sensitive eavesdroppers.
Luckily, the operation, like that of the big brother, is wonderfully uncomplicated using the large buttons on the right shell and a clear argument against touch surfaces. There is a separate button on the left for ANC. If you take off the headphones, the playback pauses and resumes automatically when it is back on your ears.
Fine sound, effective ANC
In terms of sound, the Bowers & Wilkins PX5 plays in the top league. It offers powerful, warm bass, crystal-clear highs and a defined center. The sound is pleasantly airy and opens a wide stage. The many details that the headphones reproduce are also striking. For this purpose, he also masters the aptX HD Bluetooth transmission and plays high-resolution material from the computer via USBC cable. His tuning is not entirely neutral, but tends to emphasize the mids a bit. But this is a successful mix that works well with every style.
The noise suppression is effective and generates only a minimally noticeable background noise. An activated ANC hardly influences the sound either. There are four modes: off, low, high or automatic. You can easily switch them using the button on the left shell. If you want to hear the surrounding noises, press them twice.
Good mileage, lousy app
You can set how much you hear announcements on the train, for example, in the app. In addition to the firmware update, that's the only thing you need it for. Otherwise it is superfluous because it does not even offer a simple equalizer. In addition, from time to time she doesn't recognize the headphones, which is annoying. Fortunately, you don't need the app to pair with your smartphone.
There is nothing wrong with the runtime. The headphones last up to 25 hours on one charge. In an emergency, the battery is sufficiently charged within 15 minutes that you can listen to music again for around five hours.
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