It’s the 60th anniversary of James Bond’s cinematic debut in 1962’s Dr. No, and to commemorate the event, British audio giant Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has released a special 007-themed edition of its flagship Px8 noise-canceling wireless headphones. The can be preordered for $802 exclusively on the 007 Store website and will begin shipping by late October. After October 26, you’ll be able to buy these cans from a select group of other retailers.
The Px8 007 Edition cost just over $100 more than the already pricey $699 standard Px8, so you may well be wondering what you get for that extra investment. Sadly, you won’t find any clever Q-created spy gadget features like exploding earcups, or the ability to emit a deafening high-pitched squeal. Instead, the 007 Edition come dressed in a stylish and unique Midnight Blue color — an homage to the tuxedo that Sean Connery wore in 1962 when he brought the world’s most famous spy to life.
The cans also have three other distinctive hallmarks: a 007 logo is printed on the top edge of the right earcup, the iconic gun-barrel graphic from the opening sequence of every Bond film has been silkscreened on the inside of the ear cushions, and the power button has been given a subtle red color treatment.
But other than these purely cosmetic changes, and a presumably limited number of available units (B&W hasn’t said how many will be made), there are no differences between the James Bond version and the regular Px8.
Both models feature a custom set of 40-millimeter “ultra-high-resolution” carbon cone drivers that are angled within each earcup, a design that the company says will produce lower distortion and better resolution. On the materials front, the cans have been built with die-cast aluminum and Nappa leather trim for the ear cushions and headband. plus you get a choice of black or tan finishes.
Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec combined with B&W’s digital signal processing (DSP) is said to deliver 24-bit audio with “outstanding quality.” They offer active noise cancellation technology, with four mics dedicated to blocking unwanted sounds, and battery life is rated at 30 hours, with a fast-charge time of 15 minutes for an additional seven hours of playing time.
It’s a hefty price to pay for a set of wireless headphones, but if you have the means, and there’s a 007 fan in your life, these might just make the perfect gift.
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