Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) vs Bowers & Wilkins - Px8
Between the AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) and Px8, the AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) comes out ahead in spatial audio, while the Px8 wins on weight and battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) scores 65.7 and the Px8 scores 67.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (65.7 vs 67.4). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are spatial audio.
Pick the Px8 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are weight, battery life, multipoint.
Both ship with comparable driver size, active noise cancellation, ldac, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Why Bowers & Wilkins - Px8 wins
- ▲Weight — 64.00 g less. 320 vs 384.
- ▲Battery life — 50.00% more. 30 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bowers & Wilkins - Px8 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 320 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bowers & Wilkins - Px8 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 40 mm | 40 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 10 Ω | 32 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 105 dB | 111 dBlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bowers & Wilkins - Px8 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 20 h | 30 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bowers & Wilkins - Px8 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3lead | 5.2 |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | false | truelead |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) or Px8?+
Px8 lasts 30 hours vs 20 hours.
Do AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) or Px8 have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) or Px8?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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