Why I put away my Bose QuietComfort headphones shortly after testing this alternative

• The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are available in Onyx Black and Warm Stone for $799.
• They excel in the design and sound categories, thanks to their high-quality internal and external build materials
• Unless you value exceptional details in design and sound, a $799 asking price may be hard to justify.

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Few headphones perfectly blend design, sound quality, and everyday utility. Sony's headphones sound great, Bose's headphones have great design qualities, and Apple's headphones perform remarkably well with other Apple devices. 

Conversely, brands like Focal, which offer headphones with exceptional sound quality and minimal digital features, have a $1,200 asking price and weaker noise-canceling capabilities. Still, to many people, the consumer-friendly sound of the most popular headphones isn't good enough -- they want an elevated sound without compromising the most valuable software features.

Also: I replaced my ...