The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are hands - down thebest wireless earbudsI’ve take heed to this year — and for $ 400 , they better be . These premium earbuds are compact and durable , with all the good look and comfort one have a bun in the oven from a flagship product . The companion app is easy to use , and the bud have strong ANC .
But the Pi8 ’s claim to fame absolutely hold out in its character reference - grade level-headed caliber . No matter what you ’re listening to , it will sound fantastic – even podcasts . The highs , mids , and lows are well - balanced with a spacious soundstage . The earbuds are a must - have for the audiophile in your biography .
That ’s not to say that the Pi8 is without its flaws . The call quality could be in force , and the battery liveliness is n’t as long as that of its competitors . But if you ’re looking for earbuds designed to have you find out euphony the way euphony producers and sound railroad engineer do , the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds make it happen .
Shot of Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds with charging case and box©Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds offer excellent audio at a premium price
Pros
©Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC
Cons
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Design and Fit
Despite its charging case ( 1.6 ounces , 2.6 x 1.1 x 2 inches ) , which is a act larger than other premium earbuds , the Pi8 earbuds are on the small side . At 0.24 snow leopard , they are most as idle as some of my all - sentence favorites , theSony WF-1000XM5(0.21 ounces ) , and almost as thick .
The Pi8 is a pretty pair of earbuds mix shining and mat charge plate with a thin vent separating the two . The superlative of the Pi8 are shiny and have Bowers & Wilkins in the center , while the rest of the housing is matt dark with four amber - colored connectors , a detector , and a mic release . It ends with one of the smallest silicone polymer ear tips I ’ve seen . Bowers & Wilkins packages three additional hint to ascertain a proper fit . My recap pair of the Pi8 came in Anthracite Black , which is lovely , but mankind , I wish I got either the Jade Green or Midnight depressed editions , as they calculate stunning . And for fans of white gadgets , the earbuds are also available in Dove White .
See Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 at Amazon
©Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
The Pi8 are n’t just pretty , they ’ve get a piece of enduringness built in with an IP54 rating , which means the earbuds have ingress aegis against junk and water . And by pee , I intend twinkle sprays or mayhap some elbow grease . Do n’t go dunking these in water ; you ’ll be pitiful and $ 400 piteous . The Pi8 is more long-wearing than the XM5 , which is only rated IP4 ( tripping water sprayer ) .
With my weird , tiny ears , I never thought I ’d see the day I ’d have to swap out ear wind for larger ones , but here we are . The Pi8 ships with the extra little capitulum bakshish on default . They were too small , forcing me to shift to the small gratuity . From there , I was golden . The seal was strong enough that I tackled the beast , my elliptical car , and they stick put . I finish up well wearing the Pi8 for six hours unbowed .
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Controls
Unlike other flagship earbuds , the Pi8 has just a few tap control to learn . dramatic play / break and answering calls are performed by a quick unmarried tap while skim forward on a track , and terminate a call involve a twofold tap . You need to press and support the right bud to get at the voice assistant . To change over between Passthrough and ANC , press and hold the odd bud .
My only squawk is that you must practice the app for the initial pairing . Once the free Music|Bowers & Wilkins app is instal , you need to hold either bud for three seconds . It ’s a low quibble , but sometimes folks want to dive into listening instead of dealing with a companion app . But as far as companion apps go , this is n’t a unfit one .
The port is white , with an adjustable counterweight with a Passthrough and participating noise - cancel musical mode . The app also let you aggregate several streaming services , include Tidal , Deezer , Pandora , TuneIn , NTS , and Soundcloud , concede access and control to the services via the app . you may also get a two - month devoid test of Qobuz . Although it would be nice to have a breakthrough my buds boast for such an expensive brace of earbuds , Bowers & Wilkins will replace lost buds if one go missing .
©Photo: Charles Anthony Davis/DreamSmith LLC
Photo : Bowers & Wilkins
Regarding connectivity , the Bluetooth 5.4 - compatible earbuds also have multipoint capabilities and can tie in with two separate devices .
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: ANC
Bowers & Wilkins mix three microphones into each earbud . Two of the mics are designed to cancel out ambient noise , while the remain one is there to amplify voice for conversation . compound with a honest stamp , the mics can implement some powerful alive dissonance cancellation . Is it as good as theBose QuietComfort Budsor the Sony WF-1000XM5?No , but the Pi8 ’s ANC still does a bang - up business of maintain the noise of New York City at bay .
I walked around my neighborhood with ANC enabled . I could pick up most of the conversations around me without any music playing , just at a quiet volume . And when the caravan pass overhead , I hear every crick , crack , and bump . Turning on the medicine immediately drowned out any outside NYC boom . Back home , the Pi8 ’s ANC could only submerge out my television if the volume was set to four . Compare that to the XM5 ( volume 6 ) and the QC Ultra ( intensity 7 ) . Overall , you could apply the Pi8 ’s ANC to dull noise rather than whole tongueless ambient noise . However , there are very few earbuds that can claim that feat .
The Pi8 has a passthrough mode for let the outside world in . This is handy when exercising outdoors or when you want to ride out onward of your surroundings .
©Photo: Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Performance
Reference earbuds ? Whew , Bowers & Wilkins , that ’s a boastful claim . The companionship enunciate that while it ’s unlikely a studio engineer would grab a pair of wireless bud to lord workplace . However , these earbuds bring the most precise carrying out Bowers & Wilkins can squeeze from a wireless machine . That means fans of enhanced bass and twofold need not enforce . I prefer a flat tuning as it lends itself comfortably to skipping genres at will . And since I keep my playlists on shamble , these earbuds were seemingly made for me .
So , how does Bowers & Wilkins do it ? The response lies in the strobile drivers . The company has created mini adaptation of its carbon cone drivers , typically in speaker or headphone . The Carbon Cone drive building block is sloshed and therefore behaves more accurately at higher frequencies because it does n’t bend as much as a ceremonious cone would . Plus , with its lightness the cone machine driver can respond faster to dynamic changes in your music resulting in a more sinewy and realistic audio . I quickly learn that the resulting 12 mm carbon strobilus driver are telling , offering a lovesome , balanced carrying out regardless of genre . As with all my testing , I used Tidal with Hi - Fi and Master character tracks .
To recoil things off , I started with Jamirquoi ’s “ clock time Wo n’t Wait ” and was immediately grooving to racy basso , a lively guitar , sleek horns , and perky pleximetry . The soundstage is spacious , with everything having its quad , even the spacey sound effects that call up out occasionally . skillful of all , I did n’t need to push the volume high than 50 - 60 % , depending on the environs , to achieve a full skunk of New York City .
©Photo: Bowers & Wilkins
The vocals on Doechii ’s “ ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL ” sound downright ethereal , the lilting treble poise by a spunky countertenor and a fervent tenor . And I have to say , I was so take on with how Snoh Aalegra ’s “ DO 4 passion ” that I listened to the track four sentence before I let it go . The strings sounded so full , work up into a gorgeous crescendo that gives way to a onwards - facing keyboard and a strong , plaintive song backed with beautiful choral backgrounds . These are easily one of the best wireless earbuds I ’ve listened to this year .
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Call Quality
While the Pi8 earbuds excel in music and podcast audio timbre , their call quality needs improvement . I called several people with the buds and even participated in a few picture conference . However , out of three calls and two picture conferences , only one make good results . My caller apace remark that I go repress in all the other calls and conferences .
It was my major complaint , as I sometimes had to strain to hear people clearly . However , after a software update , I got better termination , but not much .
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Battery Life
Bowers & Wilkins estimate the Pi8 will last 6.5 hours with ANC enabled . The company does n’t list an estimate for using the earbuds sans ANC . However , I shoot 8 hours without racket canceling . The charge case brings an additional 13.5 hours of electric battery life history to the mix , bring total battery life to 19.5 time of day with ANC and 21.5 hours without . As a unswerving supporter of fighting noise canceling , I squeezed 6 hours and 35 transactions out of the Pi8 streaming music , watching episodes of “ Invincible Fight Girl , ” and taking margin call before I catch the low - battery warning .
That ’s not too shabby , but it ca n’t match the WF-1000XM5 ’s staying power , which endure 8 hours with ANC enabled and 12 hours without . The commove slip adds another 24 hour , for a total of 32 hour of ANC and 36 hours without noise canceling .
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Verdict
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 has flaw – pathetic call quality , want of find my buds boast , and proficient , but not groovy , dynamic racket cancellation . But the Pi8 has few competitor with its book of facts - grade drivers for stellar musical audio timber . Plus , they ’re durable , thickset , and sleek - looking for , exactly what you ’d require from a pair of flagship earbuds . As a commentator , I can say that these will be my main earbuds for at least the first quarter of 2025 . It ’s up to the other flagship to make me put them down .
Bowers & WilkinsBowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbudsEarbudsPi8wireless earbuds
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , skill , and acculturation intelligence in your inbox daily .
News from the hereafter , delivered to your present tense .
You May Also Like
©Photo: Bowers & Wilkins
©Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC
©Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC
