The catch
Sony WH-1000XM5
XM5 turns off when USB charging starts, which rules out powered playback. It cannot offer the same documented USB listening-and-charging desk route.
Side by side
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: Sony works unpowered, Px7 plays and charges over USB
Quick verdict
When a low battery usually catches you at a computer with a usable USB audio port, Px7 S3 is the one, since it can listen and charge there. When the fallback you need is a headphone jack with no battery power, WH-1000XM5 is the one. Sony’s analog mode works passively, without ANC. Px7’s analog connection needs power and occupies USB-C. Bluetooth drops on both during their documented wired listening routes.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
The best pick for a low battery differs between the desk and the aircraft seat
Say you forgot to charge before sitting down at a laptop with USB. Px7 can keep playing while the same cable supplies power, but the Sony XM5 shuts down once charging starts. On a flight with only an analog headphone output, it reverses. Sony plays passively after its battery empties, and Px7 still needs charge. That is why a general battery winner would mislead you. Work out where a forgotten charge is most likely to cut you off. You need a compatible source and cable, and passive Sony playback has no ANC.
Where this comes from
Two separate failure conditions run through the documented power and input paths. It does not assume an aircraft offers USB audio or usable charging power.
The catch
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
The analog cable still needs battery power and takes up the charging socket. The USB convenience at a desk does not carry over to an analog aircraft seat.
Sony WH-1000XM5
- Why pick it
- When charging isn’t available, you still need analog playback. Its passive mode keeps going without ANC.
- Automatic ANC adjustment appeals to you for changes in glasses or fit, and Bluetooth is what you mostly use at the desk.
- The catch
- XM5 turns off when USB charging starts, which rules out powered playback. It cannot offer the same documented USB listening-and-charging desk route.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Why pick it
- A USB listening session on your computer has to carry on while the same cable charges the battery.
- You care about physical Bluetooth volume buttons, and you can accept that they stop working in analog mode.
- The catch
- The analog cable still needs battery power and takes up the charging socket. The USB convenience at a desk does not carry over to an analog aircraft seat.
We may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases. How we make money
What this page compares
Sony XM5 and Bowers Px7 S3 for a low-battery desk, wired travel and phone interruptions. Find out when USB charging helps and when the analog cable gets in its way.
A buyer who wants an ANC pair for work and travel could pick either the still-sold XM5 or the Px7 S3. Neither folds inward. They react in opposite ways to a low battery at a computer and at an analog source, and that makes the decision meaningful.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
I usually run low on battery next to a USB computer
Over the compatible USB connection, Px7 can play and charge. XM5 powers off when it charges.
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Caution
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Better fit
My backup source is an analog jack and I have no charger
Passive analog without ANC works on Sony. Px7 still needs power.
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Better fit
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Caution
I assume that having separate sockets allows powered analog while charging
Sony clearly limits operation during charging. The analog lead on Px7 takes up USB-C.
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Caution
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Caution
On Bluetooth, I like physical volume buttons better
Buttons come with Px7, plus a separate restriction in analog mode.
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Good
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Better fit
I need a pair that folds inward
That storage mechanism is missing on both.
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Caution
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Caution
In practice
Differences you will notice
The best pick for a low battery differs between the desk and the aircraft seat
Say you forgot to charge before sitting down at a laptop with USB. Px7 can keep playing while the same cable supplies power, but the Sony XM5 shuts down once charging starts. On a flight with only an analog headphone output, it reverses. Sony plays passively after its battery empties, and Px7 still needs charge. That is why a general battery winner would mislead you. Work out where a forgotten charge is most likely to cut you off. You need a compatible source and cable, and passive Sony playback has no ANC.
How we worked this out
Two separate failure conditions run through the documented power and input paths. It does not assume an aircraft offers USB audio or usable charging power.
Having two sockets does not automatically mean both connections can work together
Sony has separate analog and USB-C sockets, which can look more flexible than the shared socket on Px7. Its instructions still forbid powered playback while charging. Px7 makes the physical conflict plain, since the analog lead occupies USB-C. Do not buy either for an analog-plus-charging setup just because the connector diagram suggests it. At a desk, the useful workaround is switching Px7 to its documented digital USB route. With Sony, charge before the session or use its unpowered analog fallback without ANC.
How we worked this out
Physical connectors are checked against operating restrictions and not taken as evidence of simultaneous functionality.
USB convenience can clash with staying reachable for your family
If you work on a laptop, you may want a phone call from school to cut into the audio. Px7 does that in its Bluetooth multipoint workflow, but plugging in USB disconnects the wireless devices. Sony analog also takes Bluetooth away. If that interruption matters, pick a wireless session or keep a visible or independent phone alert and do not rely on the headphones. The USB benefit of Px7 is still valuable for focused listening, but do not mistake it for a simultaneous wired-and-wireless call mixer.
How we worked this out
The documented scope of Bluetooth handoff and the wired exclusions set against an important incoming-call requirement.
Plug in your setup
Which headphones suit the way you listen?
Start with how you listen. Charging over USB is not the same as playing audio over USB, and some headphones need power even on a cable. These answers are placeholders until you apply your own.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Passes these checksPlays over Bluetooth.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
Passes these checksPlays over Bluetooth.
Battery figures are maker claims for the stated mode. They do not reflect measured travel time. Volume, codec, calls and battery age all change runtime. Closed earcups can still leak some sound. Weight alone does not predict comfort. USB audio needs a compatible source and cable. This check does not judge sound quality, mic quality or amplifier power.
Option A
Sony, WH-1000XM5
WH-1000XM5
When charging isn’t available, you still need analog playback. Its passive mode keeps going without ANC.
- Best for
- When charging isn’t available, you still need analog playback. Its passive mode keeps going without ANC.
Facts we checked
- Low-battery computer session: Starting USB charging turns the headphone off
- Empty-battery analog: Playback without power or ANC
- Charging port during analog: Separate USB-C and analog sockets, powered use during charging prohibited
- Bluetooth while wired: Unavailable with supplied analog cable
Option B
Bowers & Wilkins, Px7 S3
Px7 S3
A USB listening session on your computer has to carry on while the same cable charges the battery.
- Best for
- A USB listening session on your computer has to carry on while the same cable charges the battery.
Facts we checked
- Low-battery computer session: USB audio and charging from a capable computer
- Empty-battery analog: Battery charge and power-on required
- Charging port during analog: Analog lead occupies USB-C
- Bluetooth while wired: Disconnected by analog or USB audio
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Sony WH-1000XM5 | Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-battery computer session | Starting USB charging turns the headphone off | USB audio and charging from a capable computer | When the computer and cable support that route, Px7 spares you a break in listening. |
| Empty-battery analog | Playback without power or ANC | Battery charge and power-on required | Once the source offers only an analog output, the advantage flips. |
| Charging port during analog | Separate USB-C and analog sockets, powered use during charging prohibited | Analog lead occupies USB-C | The number of sockets alone does not prove charging and listening at the same time. |
| Bluetooth while wired | Unavailable with supplied analog cable | Disconnected by analog or USB audio | A parent waiting for a call should not assume multipoint handoff survives wired listening. |
| Bluetooth volume interface | Touch sensor | Physical volume buttons | Choose whichever interface you like better. Analog volume is set at the source on both. |
| Storage mechanism | Turns flat, no inward fold | Turns flat, no inward fold | A strict inward-fold requirement is met by neither. Check the case against the bag space you have. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Sony WH-1000XM5
- The frame rotates flat and does not fold inward. Calls over analog go through the source microphone, and Bluetooth is disabled in that mode.
With Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Bluetooth is disconnected during USB listening. Keep another way to notice important phone calls while on the wired session.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
I usually make up for a missed charge at a compatible computer
Go with Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. The USB listening-and-charging path on Px7 handles that interruption.
I need an analog travel fallback that needs no battery
Go with Sony WH-1000XM5. Passive playback comes with XM5, without ANC.
A frame that folds inward is required
Neither model fits. Both rotate flat and neither folds inward.
Decision guide
Before you buy
A pair has to cope with forgotten charging both at home and on a flight. Px7 can keep playing while charging from a capable USB computer. XM5 takes a different route with passive analog playback, and plugging in its charger ends powered operation.
What this page can’t tell you
- No matched test of sound, ANC, comfort or calls has produced a winner.
- Counting connectors or reading a USB-C label does not prove that an undocumented operating mode exists.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the headphones we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony WH-1000XM5 |
|
| |
| Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 |
|
|
Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Sony WH-1000XM5
When charging isn’t available, you still need analog playback. Its passive mode keeps going without ANC.
Automatic ANC adjustment appeals to you for changes in glasses or fit, and Bluetooth is what you mostly use at the desk.
See price & reviews on AmazonBowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
A USB listening session on your computer has to carry on while the same cable charges the battery.
You care about physical Bluetooth volume buttons, and you can accept that they stop working in analog mode.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
We may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases. How we make money