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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    5. Xbox One Compatibility
    6. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless vs Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Beats Solo3 2018
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Jan 12, 2024 09:31 PM

SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Jan 16, 2024 02:58 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Picture

Variants

  • Solo3 Wireless (Black)
  • Solo3 Wireless (Gloss Black)
  • Solo3 Wireless (Gloss White)
  • Solo3 Wireless (Gold)
  • Solo3 Wireless (Red)
  • Solo3 Wireless (Rose Gold)
  • Solo3 Wireless (Silver)
  • Solo3 Wireless (Ultra Violet)
  • PX5 (Blue)
  • PX5 (Space Grey)

Our Verdict

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless

Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless

The Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless are better mixed usage wireless on-ears than the Beats Solo3 Wireless. The Bowers & Wilkins have an easier-to-use and more comprehensive control scheme, are better-built, block out more ambient noise, and feature a companion app with more options. However, the Beats have a more neutral sound profile and last slightly longer on a single charge. They also offer full audio and microphone compatibility on a wired connection thanks to their 1/8" TRRS cable.

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Gloss Black
Solo3 Wireless
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Gloss White
Solo3 Wireless
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Gold
Solo3 Wireless
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Red
Solo3 Wireless
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Rose Gold
Solo3 Wireless
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Silver
Solo3 Wireless
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Ultra Violet
Solo3 Wireless
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

6.8
6.9

Noise Isolation 
 

5.1
8.3

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Design Picture 2
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

On-ear
On-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.0
7.0

Comfort Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Comfort Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.47 lbs
0.59 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.1 lbs
0.8 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

6.5
8.1

Controls Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Controls Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

iOS
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Decent
Good

Feedback  

Decent
Good

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
Mute/Unmute

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
Presets

Talk-Through 
 

No
On/Off

Additional Controls  

No
Bluetooth Sync
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

7.9

Breathability After Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

2.3 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

6.4
6.1

Portability Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Portability Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Portability Picture

 

4.25"
7.7"

 

6.13"
6.8"

 

2.63"
1.8"

Volume  

68.5 in³
94 in³

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

7.5
6.5

Case Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Case Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Soft case
Soft case

 

4.5"
9"

 

6.1"
6.5"

 

2.6"
2.4"

Volume  

69.1 in³
140 in³
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

7.5
8.5

Build Quality Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

7.5
6.0

Stability Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Stability Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Angled Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Side Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Front Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Rear Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Top Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless In The Box Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

2.93 dB
2.24 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-1.6 dB
-3.07 dB
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

7.5
7.5

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.5 dB
0.49 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

6.5
4.8

Bass  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

4.97 dB
7.35 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
10 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

3.71 dB
4.21 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

5.45 dB
8.15 dB

High-Bass 
 

6.62 dB
10.13 dB
Show Text 

Mid Accuracy 
 

8.3
7.3

Mid  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.22 dB
3.63 dB

Low-Mid 
 

2 dB
5.7 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-2.56 dB
1.39 dB

High-Mid 
 

-0.02 dB
0.51 dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

8.2
7.0

Treble  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.45 dB
4 dB

Low-Treble 
 

1.69 dB
1.64 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

1.43 dB
4.43 dB

High-Treble 
 

-7.57 dB
-7.45 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.4
6.9

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.7 dB
2.2 dB

Dips 
 

1.31 dB
1.19 dB
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

8.8
7.8

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.16
0.17

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.83
1.1

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.29
2.12

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

4.21
15.75
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.3
3.0

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

3.43 dB
2.58 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

1.99 dB
1.25 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

2.63 dB
3.59 dB

Openness 
 

4.8
1.7

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

4.6
2.5
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Virtual Soundstage
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

8.5
7.2

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.148
0.474

WHD @ 100 
 

0.066
0.186
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown
1.1 (1B084)

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Unknown
Bluetooth 5.0

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
aptX HD, 24-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

No EQ
No EQ

ANC 
 

No ANC
High

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

5.1
8.3

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-13.32 dB
-22.97 dB

Noise Cancelling  

No
Yes

Bass 
 

-0.69 dB
-16.61 dB

Mid 
 

-9.04 dB
-18.67 dB

Treble 
 

-30.84 dB
-33.61 dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

6.0
7.8

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

44.97 dB
34.69 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

Yes
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

6.2
5.6

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

369.71 Hz
315.41 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.96 dB
6.23 dB

HFE 
 

3,466.89 Hz
2,560 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

28.322
0.851

Gain 
 

33.03 dB
21.05 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

5.9
6.4

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Speech + Pink Noise  

Speech + Subway Noise  

SpNR 
 

10.65 dB
16.81 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.4
8.6

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

42 hrs
37.8 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

42 hrs
37.8 hrs

Charge Time 
 

1.5 hrs
1.6 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

No
Standby mode

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
No

Charging Port  

micro-USB
USB-C
Show Text 

App Support 
 

5.0
6.5

App Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless App Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Beats
Bowers & Wilkins Headphones

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

No
Yes

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
No

ANC Control 
 

No
Presets

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

7.0
8.0

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.2 + W1 chip
5.0

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
2 Devices

NFC Pairing 
 

No
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

242 ft
158 ft

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

179 ms
226 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
219 ms

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A
221 ms

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

134 ms
126 ms

Android Latency 
 

154 ms
49 ms
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Wired 
 

9.5
9.8

Cable Picture  

Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless Cable Picture
Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
USB Type A

Detachable  

Yes
Yes

Length  

4.2 ft
3.9 ft

Connection  

1/8" TRRS
1/8" TRS

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

0 ms
8 ms
Show Text 

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio Only

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
Audio Only

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Xbox One Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock
Show Text 

Check Price

Gloss Black
Solo3 Wireless
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Gloss White
Solo3 Wireless
Searching
Finding store
 
Gold
Solo3 Wireless
Searching
Finding store
 
Red
Solo3 Wireless
Searching
Finding store
 
Rose Gold
Solo3 Wireless
Searching
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Silver
Solo3 Wireless
Searching
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Ultra Violet
Solo3 Wireless
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Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless

Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless

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  1. Comparison

Beats Solo3 2018 vs Bowers & Wilkins PX5 Wireless: Main Discussion

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