Bowers & Wilkins Px8 vs Sennheiser HD 505

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Bowers & Wilkins

8.3

Recommended

Sennheiser HD 505

Sennheiser

8.3

An affordable on-ramp to the legendary Sennheiser house sound

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

What Reviewers Agree On

Best sound quality in a wireless ANC headphone
Premium Nappa leather and aluminum build
aptX Adaptive for high-quality Bluetooth audio

Deal Breakers

Extremely high price ($699 MSRP, often $500-550 on sale)

Sennheiser HD 505

What Reviewers Agree On

Delivers the classic balanced, midrange-forward Sennheiser house sound with a wider soundstage than the HD 600-series

Pros & Cons

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Pros

Best sound quality in a wireless ANC headphone
Premium Nappa leather and aluminum build
aptX Adaptive for high-quality Bluetooth audio

Cons

Extremely high price ($699 MSRP, often $500-550 on sale)

Sennheiser HD 505

Pros

Detailed Comparison

Sound Quality

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Audiophile-grade sound that outperforms every wireless competitor.

The best-sounding wireless ANC headphone — period. Detail, imaging, and dynamics are outstanding
Bio-cellulose drivers deliver natural, accurate sound across the frequency range

Sennheiser HD 505

The HD 505 carries the signature balanced, midrange-led Sennheiser tuning into an affordable open-back, adding a touch more bass warmth and a wider soundstage than the HD 600-series. The main critique is a treble lift around 6-8 kHz that some listeners find bright.

Sennheiser tuned the HD 505 to capture the best virtues of several HD 500-series models with no undesirable changes from the broader lineup.
It presents Sennheiser's signature balanced sound — the tuning targets a more analytical output rather than beefy bass or tight treble.

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Exceptionally light (237g) and comfortable for long listening sessions, with gentler clamp than older Sennheisers

Modular HD 500-series design with user-replaceable earpads and a detachable, twist-lock cable for easy repair and longevity

Easy to drive — runs loud from a simple USB-C dongle or laptop jack, though it scales with a dedicated amp

Strong value as an entry point into open-back audiophile listening at a $250 launch price

Deal Breakers

The older HD 6XX / HD 600 sits at a similar street price and is still widely called the better-value pick
A treble peak around 6-8 kHz can sound bright or slightly fatiguing on hi-hats and cymbals for some listeners
Open-back design leaks sound both ways — useless for commuting, offices or any noisy environment
Build is functional plastic rather than premium, which some buyers expect more of at this price

Delivers the classic balanced, midrange-forward Sennheiser house sound with a wider soundstage than the HD 600-series
Exceptionally light (237g) and comfortable for long listening sessions, with gentler clamp than older Sennheisers
Modular HD 500-series design with user-replaceable earpads and a detachable, twist-lock cable for easy repair and longevity
Easy to drive — runs loud from a simple USB-C dongle or laptop jack, though it scales with a dedicated amp
Strong value as an entry point into open-back audiophile listening at a $250 launch price

Cons

The older HD 6XX / HD 600 sits at a similar street price and is still widely called the better-value pick
A treble peak around 6-8 kHz can sound bright or slightly fatiguing on hi-hats and cymbals for some listeners
Open-back design leaks sound both ways — useless for commuting, offices or any noisy environment
Build is functional plastic rather than premium, which some buyers expect more of at this price

The midrange is the standout — for Sennheiser, 'normal' midrange means it is better than 99% of headphones on the market.

Imaging is precise and the sound stretches out to the sides rather than feeling like speakers smashed against your ears.

The 505's voicing keeps the spirit of the legendary HD 600 but with a wider soundstage — a serious-performing way into the hobby without spending a ton.

Treble does its job keeping things clean and energetic, but gets a little bright around 6-8 kHz on hi-hats and cymbals — a glare the HD 600 doesn't have.

There is a subtle papery or dry quality to acoustic guitars, likely an elevation somewhere between 4-6 kHz.

Versus the HD 550, the 505 is broadly in line up to ~8 kHz but the 550 has even more bass below 80 Hz — about a 5% sound difference overall.

Sennheiser is not known for thumpy, hard-hitting bass — the lower mids and subbass come in fairly nicely, but bass-focused listeners may want more.

The HD 505 takes EQ well — boosting it in an equalizer keeps bass and subbass prominent while staying clear and well-separated from other frequencies.