O holy fright

B&W’s most opulent headphones yet promise positively godlike sound… but don’t look at the scary price

- Tom Morgan-Freelander

£599/go.stuff.tv/PX8

Tapper’s delight

The metal buttons feel crisp every time you press one, and the textured finish on the play/pause control makes it easy to find.

With leather everywhere, cast aluminium arms holding the cups in place and a headband that's stuffed with memory foam, these headphones ooze luxury. They also apply quite a bit of pressure on your head, which creates a good seal for noise isolation but can cause fatigue after a while.

The PX8s are a delight to listen to. All parts of the frequency range flow neatly together, with none of the dips, peaks or gaps in the upper-mids found in lesser cans. Complicated arrangements are given room to breathe, with an expansive soundstage and impeccable detail.