These New Bowers & Wilkins x McLaren Headphones Cost More Than Your Phone

Bowers & Wilkins and McLaren’s latest collab: what’s new?

This is the third headphone born from the Bowers & Wilkins and McLaren partnership, and it leans more into performance than ever. The Px8 S2 McLaren Edition builds on the standard Px8 S2 platform but adds upgraded drivers and sharper noise cancellation, wrapped in a very McLaren colour scheme. 

• Evolution of the Px8 S2 wireless flagship
• Jointly developed with McLaren Automotive and the McLaren Formula 1 Team
• Focus on performance with upgraded Carbon Cone drivers
• Advanced ANC designed to cut noise without blurring detail

Bowers & Wilkins is using this model as the “performance” chapter of its McLaren line, not just a paint job. The key upgrade sits in those 40mm Carbon Cone drivers, with reworked chassis, voice coil, suspension and magnet systems. Each driver is angled inside the earcups so sound hits your ears more evenly, which should improve imaging and stereo placement when you’re listening to high-res tracks on services that support 24-bit audio. 

If you’re just starting to look at premium headphones, you might want to compare this to more mainstream picks first – our best headphones in the UAE guide is a good baseline before you jump to this price bracket. 

Design: McLaren styling, Nappa leather and Papaya accents

If you know McLaren, you know Papaya. The Px8 S2 McLaren Edition leans into that, but in a more low-key way than a bright orange supercar. 

• Anthracite Grey finish with signature Papaya accents
• McLaren Speedmark details on headband and earcups
• Elliptical logo plates with diamond-cut edges
• Soft Nappa leather on headband and ear cushions

The headphones come in Anthracite Grey with Papaya hits integrated into the trim, echoing McLaren’s racing and road-car palette. Subtle Speedmark logos on the headband and earcups remind you this is tied to Woking, but it’s not screaming for attention on the Metro.

Nappa leather on the headband and cushions should help comfort for long listening sessions or a DXB–LHR flight, while the diamond-cut logo plates add that “yes, this was expensive” detail when you see them up close. 

If you like the Papaya theme, you might also enjoy how far McLaren goes with paint and interiors on cars like the one-off Artura Spider ‘Geo-Hex’ commissioned in Dubai. 

Sound and ANC: Carbon Cone drivers and aptX Lossless

On the audio side, Bowers & Wilkins is pushing both hardware and wireless tech. The focus is on keeping detail and stereo accuracy while still cutting out cabin and city noise. 

• 40mm bespoke Carbon Cone drive units with redesigned internals
• Drivers angled towards the ear for more precise imaging
• Advanced ANC tuned to reduce noise without dulling the sound
• Qualcomm aptX Adaptive (up to 24-bit/96kHz) and aptX Lossless support

The Carbon Cone drivers are customised for this headphone, with reworked chassis, voice coils, suspension and magnets. Combined with the angled placement, the aim is to give a more “speaker-like” presentation in a closed-back wireless design.

ANC is described as advanced enough to cut unwanted sound while preserving clarity, which should matter on flights and in office environments where cheaper ANC cans often smear the music. Wireless audio is handled by Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, paired with B&W’s own digital signal processing to reach up to 24-bit/96kHz quality when your source supports it.

If you’re more price-sensitive and don’t need the McLaren badge, there are far cheaper options with solid ANC in our best headphones under 100 USD / 500 AED in the UAE guide. 

Battery life and app features

Bowers & Wilkins hasn’t cut back on endurance or controls here. The Px8 S2 McLaren Edition is set up for all-day use and a quick top-up when you forget to charge. 

• Up to 30 hours of listening on a single charge
• 15-minute quick charge for up to seven extra hours
• Configurable through the Bowers & Wilkins Music app
• New five-band EQ to save custom sound profiles

Through the Bowers & Wilkins Music app, you can tweak noise-cancelling strength, check battery levels, change how the Quick Action button works and adjust wear sensor sensitivity.

A recent app update adds a five-band EQ, so you can set and save your own sound profile rather than relying only on presets. Battery life is claimed at up to 30 hours, with a 15-minute charge giving about seven extra hours of playback – handy if you’re about to board and realise the headphones are nearly dead. 

If you care a lot about endurance and value, some of the models we’ve tested – like the CMF Headphone Pro and several open-ear designs – offer strong battery life at much lower prices; you can see more of those in our recent headphone and earbud reviews. 

Price, availability and UAE angle

This is very much a premium, “I like McLaren and I like hi-fi” purchase, priced well above most mainstream ANC headphones. 

• Global pricing: £729 / €829 / $899
• Available from 19 November via B&W’s website and select retailers
• No official AED price yet, but expect it to sit above most mainstream ANC models in the UAE
• Targets fans of McLaren’s F1 team and McLaren car owners as much as audio enthusiasts

Bowers & Wilkins lists the Px8 S2 McLaren Edition at £729 / €829 / $899, with sales starting 19 November through its own site and selected partners. The press release doesn’t quote an AED figure, but it’s safe to say this will land in the “luxury” tier in the UAE, above heavy-hitters like Bose’s noise-cancelling range or many of the picks in our best headphones in the UAE guide and even some deals like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones offer in the UAE. 

Rather than chasing value, this model is aimed at buyers who care about a matching ecosystem: McLaren car, McLaren F1 merch, and now McLaren-flavoured headphones that fit into that world.

The partnership behind the product

The Px8 S2 McLaren Edition also acts as a showcase of how deep the B&W–McLaren tie-up runs. It isn’t a random logo slap. 

• Partnership started in 2015 with in-car audio systems for McLaren supercars
• B&W systems now feature across McLaren’s supercar and Ultimate Series range
• Collaboration recently expanded to cover McLaren Automotive and the McLaren F1 Team
• Uses tech related to B&W’s 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers in McLaren’s W1 supercar

Since 2015, Bowers & Wilkins has been building the audio systems in McLaren’s supercars, including the new W1, using technologies like the Continuum Cone from its flagship 800 Series Diamond speakers.

The partnership has since evolved into a long-term deal where B&W is the official audio partner for McLaren Automotive and the McLaren Formula 1 Team. The Px8 S2 McLaren Edition is positioned as another expression of that partnership – a way for fans who may never park a McLaren in their garage to at least get something tuned by the same audio team. 

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