Price: £349
Our rating: 9/ 10
We like:
- Absolutely insane sound
- Unique transmitter case
- Simple and solid to use
We don’t like:
- Very high price point
- Bulkier than some in-ears
- Noise cancelling is OK, not the best
What is the Bowers and Wilkins Pi8?
Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 are the latest high-end earbuds from the iconic British audio brand, famed since the 1960s for large, expensive speakers and a no-holds-barred approach to audio quality.
The Pi8s have been re-engineered from top to bottom from Bowers and Wilkins’ last set of earbuds (the Pi7s) with everything from the touch sensor to the antennae system upgraded here to stand proudly among the best wireless earbuds.
There are also cool tech extras,such as being able to use the case as a ‘retransmitter’ so you can listen to in-flight entertainment through the buds, rather than the horrible headphones you get on planes.
With the competition hotter than ever to be the best noise cancelling headphones, can the Pi8s take on big-name rivals like Apple and Sony? One thing is for sure: these earbuds are among the most gorgeous-sounding ever engineered, and stand proud as a tribute to how far in-ear tech has come.
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How we test wireless ear buds
We test ear buds against five key metrics. To rate the sound quality, we listen to a range of music from classical to drum & bass and heavy rock. We also make calls to check the clarity of the drivers and the microphones.
To rate comfort and usability, we wear the ear buds all day while working and exercising to make sure they stay in, feel good and are intuitive to use.
To rate the noise cancellation, we gauge their ability to dampen unwanted noise in the office, on the street and in the London underground. We’re looking for a clear signal with plenty of detail, without having to increase the volume in noisy environments.
To gauge battery life, we run the ear buds flat with continual regular use, time how long they take to recharge and then repeat the process again.
Finally, we look for any special programmes that the ear buds can carry out in conjunction with a smartphone or other peripherals.
Sound quality: 10/10
Bowers and Wilkins enlisted the engineering team from its excellent over-ear headphones to improve the sound on the Pi8s, compared to previous B&W buds, and the results do not disappoint.
The drive units for the Pi8 are all-new designs, using a 12mm Carbon Cone diaphragm similar to the company’s Px8 headphones, backed with an amp and DAC.
Music is absolutely electrifying. Bass and drum sounds are beautifully separated from the rest of the music, and voices sound breathtakingly real: it’s so good that I naturally found myself switching to ‘real’, non-synthesised music just to bask in the sound.
The sound quality on calls is just as crisp, with the Pi8s’ redesigned mics picking up your voice effectively even in rain and wind.
Design and comfort: 8/10
Bowers and Wilkins took a ‘tear it up and start again’ approach to the design of these headphones, with the design of the Pi7s requiring the ear bud to be rotated in the ear, making them not exactly the most comfortable option out there.
Here, the headphones pop naturally into the ear (they come with a generous four choices of tip, so it’s easy to find your fit) and despite being bigger than some earbuds out there, they tend to stay put even when jogging.
Everything here screams high quality, from the large gold contacts for charging the earbuds to the premium-feeling plastics used in the buds and case. Touch controls on the earbuds themselves have also been upgraded here, and work effectively and instantly. At this price, you expect a premium feel, and everything from the case to the buds delivers it.
Noise cancellation and EQ: 7/10
The noise cancellation here is probably the least good part of the Pi8s, which (like many headphones in this category) can’t match up to the hush-generating superpowers of noise-cancelling masters such as Bose.
That’s not to say these are bad (they deal effectively with everyday annoyances such as bus and train rumbles, but the noise cancelling here is only good, rather than superb).
The pass-through mode works well, and wearers are amply catered for when it comes to adjusting sound, with a traditional and pleasingly tactile five-band EQ adjuster in the app, along with B&W’s ‘True Sound’, which disables any presets that might be interfering with the fidelity of the music.
Battery life and recharging: 8/10
One of the neat features of the case here is that it can be charged wirelessly on any standard wireless recharging pad, which takes away the pain of having to remember to plug it in via the supplied USB-C cable.
Battery life is pretty standard for devices in this category: the Pi8s will do six and a half hours with the active noise cancelling switched on, and then there’s two further charges in the case, 13.5 hours of playback time, making 20 hours in total.
In ‘real world’ use, these comfortably last multiple days without complaint (you get audible warnings at 20 percent and five percent to remind you to top up).
Connectivity: 10/10
The Pi8s do a couple of clever tricks that other headphones can’t match, and which should be catnip to both travellers and audiophiles.
Among the clever secret powers is the ability of the charging case to work as a retransmitter. There’s a couple of ways you can use this, but for me the ‘killer app’ is that you can plug it into the in-flight entertainment system on a plane and listen in high quality.
There’s a few neat extras here for fans of no-compromise digital music, with support for aptX Lossless for Android users meaning you can listen to music at CD quality and above.
There is also the ability to attach the case to an iPhone or Macbook via USB-C to transmit music at lossless 24bit 96Khz. You can find lossless or hi-res digital music on streaming services such as Apple Music, Tidal and Qobuz, and the Pi8s come with a free 60-day Qobuz trial.
It’s a niche function, but sounds breathtaking, hammering home B&W’s commitment to delivering superb sound.
Specifications
Telegraph verdict: 9 out of 10
No bones about it, these are extremely expensive earbuds, but for some listeners they will more than justify the asking price. I found myself making excuses such as needless trips to the supermarket to be able to listen to them while testing: the music performance is just that good.
Clever extras such as the retransmitter help you to try to forget these are £100 more than Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, and £200 more than Apple’s Airpods. But for anyone who is a music obsessive, or who’s curious about hi-res audio, these are a hauntingly beautiful listen, in a gorgeous package, and a welcome return to form for B&W.
FAQs
What is the release date of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8?
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 came out on August 21, 2024.
What is the price of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8?
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 cost £349, and being very new, it’s less likely to be able to pick them up at a discounted price online than with some rivals.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 versus Bose QuietComfort Ultra: what is the difference?
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra sit in roughly the same price bracket as the Pi8s, but overall the Pi8s are better for sound quality, while the Bose headphones deliver market-leading noise-cancelling.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 versus Sony WF-1000XM5: what is the difference?
Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 earbuds, which came top in my guide to the best wireless headphones, deliver incredible music performance, but the B&Ws pip them to the post for sound quality, as well as delivering a few neat audiophile extras (albeit for a slightly higher price).
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