Bose and Bowers & Wilkins are among the iconic names in the audio industry. In 2019, they both released their premium wireless noise-canceling headphones: the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 and the Bowers & Wilkins PX7. We deep dive into their features and quality to find out how they fare against each other and help you choose between the two.
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Bose 700 vs Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Noise Canceling Headphones Comparison Chart
| Model | Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 | Bowers & Wilkins PX7 |
 |  | |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Dimensions | 2โณ x 6.5โณ x 8โณ | 3.1″ x 6.9″ x 8.7″ |
| Weight | .55 lbs | .67 lbs |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Yes | Yes |
| ANC Levels | 11 | 3 (Automatic, High, Low) |
| Runtime | Up to 20 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| Quick Charging | 15 minutes for up to 3.5 hours of playtime | 15 minutes for up to 5 hours of playtime |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Audio Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, APTX |
| Microphones | 8 | Unspecified |
| Touch Controls | Yes | No |
| Voice Controls | Yes | No |
| Sweat and Water Resistant | No | No |
| Color Options | Black, Luxe Silver, Soapstone | Silver, Space Gray |
Design
The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 sport a more high-end look that balances modern and classic, but the Bose are more portable
Both the Bose and Bowers & Wilkins are beautifully-designed and thoughtfully-built using high-quality materials. The PX7 have larger, deeper earcups though for better comfort, although they can feel pretty tight at first use. As for their headphone case, the Bose 700 are slightly more portable as they are a little slimmer and smaller than the B&W.
The Bower & Wilkins feel more premium with their fiber composite arms than the Bose whose arms are made from plastic. However, the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 are slightly lighter, something you’ll appreciate if you use your wireless headphones for long hours.
Noise Cancellation
The Bose 700s have superior active noise-cancellation to the Bowers & Wilkins PX7
The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 have less cabin pressure and can block off sound better than the Bowers & Wilkins PX7. There are only three ANC settings for the PX7, whereas the Bose 700 can be adjusted in 11 different ANC settings to suit your needs.
The highest ANC setting of the Bose 700 work perfectly when you’re on the plane and want to block off the hum of the engines. When you still need to hear your surroundings, you can easily adjust the 11 ANC levels to your preferred setting. Take note though that you need to use the Bose app to use all the 11 ANC settings as the physical controls on the earcups only let you adjust between 0, 5, and 10.
Meanwhile, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 only have three ANC settings: automatic, high, and low. Its Adaptive Noise Canceling technology automatically detects the external sound and automatically adjusts the sound that you hear. A downside to the PX7 is how turning the ANC function on affects the sound quality, unlike with the Bose 700 that still provide crisp audio with ANC on.
Sound Quality
Both have stunning audio quality. The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 have slightly deeper bass, but using its ANC feature can affect their sound quality.
The sound quality of Noise Canceling Headphones 700 deliver Bose’s classic brighter signature. You can expect warm bass and slightly scooped mids from the Bose, but if you want slightly deeper bass, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 can deliver that better. Both noise-canceling wireless headphones do not let you adjust their EQ, but this can be addressed through using your smartphone’s settings.
For users who often use their wireless headphones for calls, you are better off with the Bose 700. Their adaptive mic system boasts four microphones on each earcup that pick-up the and cancel the external sound and isolate your voice when talking on the phone. Whoever is on the other line will be able to hear your voice clearly. If you make a lot of calls while on the go, the Bose 700′ won’t disappoint.
The same cannot be said for the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 as they have poor mic quality. Many users report not being heard by the caller on the other line, even in a quiet setting. The PX7 also pick up noise during calls. In addition, turning the ANC mode of the PX7 affects the audio quality and flattens the sound. If you often use ANC while listening to music, this can significantly affect your listening experience.
Set up and Controls
The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 have touch controls and support smart assistants
With Bluetooth 5.0, pairing these noise-canceling headphones to your device is smooth and painless. However, the Bowers & Wilkins is a step easier as you don’t have to set up an account in the app to be able to start using them. As for the Bose, you can’t use the wireless headphones unless you do.
Both the Bose and Bowers & Wilkins have physical control buttons housed in their earcups that let you manage tracks and adjust ANC easily. Where they differ is the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700’s right earcup has a responsive touchpad for touch controls. Another upside for the Bose is its capability to use a smart assistant such as Siri, Alexa, or Google. The Bower & Wilkins PX7 don’t support this and no announcements have been made on whether they will update their firmware to support this.
Additional Features
The Bower & Wilkins PX7 have longer battery life and have motion-detect sensors
On paper, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 can last up to 30 hours of playtime. However, with the ANC on, they only last somewhere around 20 hours, almost the same as the Bose 700.
Another difference between the two wireless noise-canceling headphones is the PX7 have motion-detect sensors that can tell when you lift an earcup to listen to something/someone. They automatically pause the music when the earcup is lifted and play it again when you put them back on.
Verdict
The Bose 700 have better noise-cancellation capabilities, but the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 have slightly better sound when the ANC is turned off
Although it’s a tough call, we have to give it to the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 as we’re comparing noise-canceling headphones. They simply have superior noise-cancellation features and using the ANC won’t make the audio suffer. Although some might prefer the deeper bass and great instrument separation that the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 deliver, using the ANC function compromises their audio quality. Among other reasons why we recommend the Bose 700 are their capability to support smart assistants, better portability, and excellent mic quality for phone calls.
FAQs
Bowers and Wilkins is better than Bose when comparing their entire catalog of products. However, in this comparison, we chose the Bose 700 headphones over the PX7 due to its better noise-canceling features.
Yes, they are a great brand. Their speakers are considered top tier in the audiophile community.
Yes, the Bose 700 is a great noise-canceling headphone that is worth the money. While it is not the best, it is still up there.
The Bose 700 is lightweight, easy to use and has very good noise canceling. It’s also pretty to look at so it can be considered a fashion can.