Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 vs Apple AirPods Max: Which premium headphones are top of the pops?

Can B&W's latest over-ears give Apple's impressive cans a run for their money?

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The arrival of any new Bowers & Wilkins product is always notable at What Hi-Fi?.

The British brand is responsible for some of the finest hi-fi products ever made. So when its Px7 S3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones arrived recently, it only made sense to pit them against the highly rated rival pair from Apple.

Both the B&W Px7 S3 and AirPods Max are what we would class as premium headphones with price tags to match. Both were awarded five stars when we reviewed them individually, and they represent some of the best wireless headphones you can currently buy at this lofty level.

But that doesn't help you to decide which ones you might want to own, does it? That's why we have sat down with both pairs and directly compared them on everything from design and build to sound quality and noise-cancelling.

So, which pair of premium headphones most deserves to be on your head?

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 vs Apple AirPods Max: price

To paraphrase the great Tom Jones, it's not unusual for Apple to charge a premium for its products; and the AirPods Max are no different.

In India, they currently sell for ₹56K (they have had ₹3K knocked off their original asking price). And, while the Px7 S3 would certainly not be what you'd call cheap, they launched at £399 (₹40K*) and are, therefore, a good deal more affordable than the AirPods Max.

WINNER: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 vs Apple AirPods Max: build & design

You might think that the price difference would be noticeable in the build quality and materials used, and that is true to an extent, but both pairs of headphones are very nicely made indeed.