Review – Ten years ago (has 10 years?), I reviewed the first headset of Bowers & Wilkins—— C5. They sound good, but my ears are uncomfortable. I can’t really enjoy them for more than an hour.Fast forward to now-B&W launched their first wireless Headphones, PI5 and PI7 (comment here). Oh my goodness, what a difference 10 years can make.
What is it?
PI7 in-ear true wireless headphones are premium headphones from Bowers & Wilkins. Available in white or charcoal colors-all with golden accents.They called True wireless This means that there are no wires connecting them to each other. This headset uses a 24-bit design, with Qualcomm aptX Adaptive (more on that later), a hybrid driver with a separate amplifier (more on that later), adaptive noise reduction (ANC), and calls using six microphones Quality and smart charging shell with wireless charging. There are many things to unravel here, and I will introduce each feature throughout the review process. Contains 3 sizes of silicone earplugs to choose from.
glasses
- Adaptive noise reduction
- Hybrid (armature and dynamic speaker) driver
- High-resolution 24-bit audio with aptX Adaptive
- Excellent call quality
- Applications for various settings and firmware upgrades
Design and features
When the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 earphones arrived, I just knowledge Considering my history of using headphones, they sound good. However, I don’t know how much inspiration they will have. Spoiler alert: I like these things.
Let’s start with the fit. PI7 earphones are as comfortable to me as the original C5 earphones. I have worn them for many working days without any discomfort, not taking them off during meals and rest. B&W only offers three sizes of silicone earplugs, but one of them fits my ears perfectly-very unusual for me. Just push in your ears and twist slightly until the headset feels safe. Once inserted, they will not feel loose or require constant adjustment. If you really need to adjust, please be careful not to touch the outer surface of any headset, these multi-function buttons may inadvertently skip tracks, turn off ANC, or activate the voice assistant.
These multi-function buttons are touch sensitive and can perform various functions according to how the PI7 headset is used. Unfortunately, they cannot be customized or turned off (my preference).
The PI7 headset is very suitable for making calls. Each headset has 3 microphones (six in total) for call quality and noise reduction. The call quality of many high-end headsets has failed-not that. People I have spoken to say that my voice sounds clear and undistorted.
Create excellent quality-a typical feature of Bowers & Wilkins products. The earphones are made of lightweight plastic with aluminum trim. I have white headphones, so time will tell if they can stay clean. They feel very strong, but surprisingly, this situation feels a little lacking. Although the earphones magnetically snap firmly into the case and make a satisfying click, it doesn’t feel as good as the earphones themselves. At this price, although I prefer the metal case, I suspect it is made of plastic. This is a game-changer: audio retransmission.
What is audio retransmission?
Bowers & Wilkins did something I don’t remember anyone else did.When the case is hard-connected to any audio source via its USB-C to mini plug AUX cable, it will re-transmit music using Bluetooth wireless To the PI7 headset. Although it is mainly designed to wirelessly connect to airline audio systems on airplanes (a great feature), I found another use. I thought, “What if I connect an old iPod Classic that I haven’t used for many years to the PI7 case? So I did. I plug the mini plug end of the cable into the headphone jack of the iPod Classic and the USB-C end into the case. Several In a few seconds, I can listen to music from iPod Classic with PI7 earphones!
So how does it perform? Perfect, there is a shortcoming. I set the iPod volume to maximum, the volume is not loud enough to suit my taste, but this is me.The good thing is that I am listening to long forgotten music wireless An ancient playlist from the iPod. I am in awe of this feature.
The protective case can be charged wirelessly (Qi standard), or it can be charged with the included USB-C to USB-C cable, and the charging speed is faster. Personally, I almost never charge anything, but it’s nice to know it’s there. The shell has a single light source that can display different colors, indicating what B&W calls the “operating state” of the shell. I won’t introduce all the different indicators, but the colors will show information about charging, pairing, and hardware reset (if necessary). The battery life is adequate, but not very good. The headset is rated for 4 hours per headset, 4 recharges, and the charging box requires a total of 16 hours before recharging.
The case size is moderate and fits in a pocket without too much protrusion. The flat sides make it easy to grasp when opening the lid with one hand.
If you are an Android user, B&W provides Google FastPair. This allows PI7 headsets to be paired almost immediately by simply opening the lid. This is similar to how Apple paired AirPods Pro for the first time. Unfortunately, my iPhone does not have Google FastPair, but the connection is still fast, simple and reliable.
The adaptive noise reduction (ANC) of PI7 headphones is one of the best headphones I have ever heard. It is as good as or better than Apple’s ANC used in AirPods Pro headsets (highly praised because Apple’s ANC implementation is top-notch). ANC usually represents positive Noise reduction, but B&W took it a step further by making it “adaptive.”
Historically, ANC is usually on/off, sometimes used in conjunction with environmental settings-the surrounding noise can be heard so you can stay in the world while enjoying music. Ambient is great for conversations while still wearing headphones. B&W magically combines the environmental background with noise cancellation, allowing you to enjoy complete silence in any background hustle and bustle similar to drones, but you can still hear sounds and traffic noises to ensure safety. They call it environmental delivery. You must hear it to appreciate it. It’s amazing.
You can adjust the degree of isolation you want to use Ambient Pass-through through the slider in the downloadable B&W Headphone app (iOS and Android). There is also an automatic noise reduction switch in the app. This switch will automatically increase or decrease the ANC level according to the amount of environmental noise around you. This is another nice feature that most (or any) other high-end headphones don’t have.
Speaking of environmental noise, the B&W Headphone app provides six different audible natural backgrounds to provide a calming effect that can be dialed at any time-perfect for a busy day. These sounds can be set as timers. Yes, this is a gimmick, but it is a cool gimmick.
Now we understand the number one reason why people buy expensive headphones-sound quality. In a word: stunning. Bowers & Wilkins may not be the first to enter the field of wireless headsets, but they are clearly observing and learning from the mistakes made by others. Regardless of the price, PI7 headphones are one of the best headphones I have ever used.
They come with 24-bit Qualcomm aptX Adaptive audio support, as well as SBC and AAC. aptX Adaptive is the latest and highest resolution Bluetooth codec. Remember, aptX must It can work normally on music sources and earphones/headphones.It supports resolution of depending on 24-bit resolution and 48kHz sampling. However, Apple uses what they call AAC (their higher resolution Bluetooth version).Provided by AAC depending on 16-bit resolution and 44kHz sampling rate. This is very close in quality to the slightly higher resolution of aptX, so I have no complaints about music using PI7 on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Please note that 16-bit resolution is not the rate at which Apple wirelessly transfers from Apple Music-it is much lower. Most importantly, all my music sounds great on PI7 regardless of the source.
There are several reasons for the sound quality of PI7 headphones. The first is that B&W uses a hybrid speaker setup. There is a dynamic speaker and an armature speaker inside each earphone. Dynamic speakers look like miniature speakers you can see everywhere. Their power is fuller bass. The armature does not look like a traditional speaker. They originate from the self-service listening industry and perform well in the mid-to-high frequency range. This explanation is very simple, but provides an idea of the advantages and disadvantages of the speaker design of the headset. Secondly, each individual earphone comes with a dedicated amplifier——Each speaker. There are 2 amplifiers in each headset!
The combination of dynamics and armatures is not new or innovative, but B&W managed to achieve the best results of both. The combination of the mid-to-high frequency of the armature speaker and the bass of the dynamic speaker provides a listening experience that can be enjoyed for hours or even days. Over time, they sound better and better.
My eclectic tastes in music range from Abba to Sinatra to Eno-usually mixed. Frank Sinatra is passionate about good sound quality, and his albums from the 50s to 60s still sound better than most modern music recorded with better equipment today! Hearing his voice on PI7 will make him in the room with you. Yes, this is a bit exaggerated, but for closed headphones that are tucked deep into the ears, the sound field is great. This is not an easy feat. Just talk about Abba, but their recording is original, the cleanest recording you have ever heard. Listening with PI7 headphones can show the best experience that Abba provides. “Knowing Me, Knowing You” has a kind of excitement that you rarely hear on other headphones. Music is the main reason anyone buys earphones and earphones, and PI7 earphones are clearly born for music.
what do I like
- Audio retransmission
- Adjustable active noise reduction
- Great audio
- Clear phone quality
What will i change
- expensive
- The case is not as sturdy as headphones
Final thoughts
This is an overused cliché, but Bowers & Wilkins scored a home run in the first attempt to use PI7 in-ear true wireless headphones.Yes, they are expensive, but if you want some of the best audio in headphones, with excellent call quality, long-term comfort, ANC and That magical audio retransmission function, then the price seems more reasonable. My friends are tired of hearing my praise for these headphones. This is how I like them!
Price: USD 399.99
Where to buy: Bowles and Wilkins and Amazon (PI5)
source: The sample of this product is made by Bowles and Wilkins
