Professional’s Score
Professionals
- Nice sound high quality
- Revolutionary good case
- Helps AAC, aptX Adaptive/Lossless
Cons
- Costly
- Battery life is just common
Our Verdict
They’re costly, however B&W’s expertise with high-end hi-fi ensures that the Pi8 earbuds present glorious sound high quality. It additionally contains an progressive ‘smart’ charging case that may act as an aptX transmitter for Apple units and wired audio sources.
Value When Reviewed
$399
Greatest Costs At this time: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
$399
$399
It’s been fairly a number of years since Apple units stopped supporting the high-quality aptX codec (compressor/decompressor) that’s now used with many Bluetooth headphones and earbuds. That’s most likely as a result of Apple’s long-running – and severely costly – authorized battle with Qualcomm, the corporate that bought the aptX expertise again in 2015.
Regardless of the cause, because of this Apple’s AirPods should depend on the older AAC codec for Bluetooth audio, though many audiophiles really feel that aptX offers higher sound high quality – particularly for listening to the high-res audio codecs that at the moment are accessible on Apple Music and different streaming companies. It additionally implies that homeowners of Macs, iPhones and iPads, don’t all the time get the very best quality when utilizing headphones and earbuds from different producers that do help aptX (resembling our Greatest Wi-fi Earbuds).
The Pi8 earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins do help AAC, so you may merely join your Apple units to the earbuds utilizing the usual Bluetooth settings in your Mac, iPad or iPhone. Nevertheless, the Pi8 additionally helps each aptX Adaptive and the most recent aptX Lossless, so Bowers & Wilkins has provide you with an progressive resolution that enables Apple customers to get pleasure from aptX audio high quality as effectively.
Relatively than a standard charging case, the Pi8 features a ‘smart’ case – first launched with its Pi7 earbuds a number of years in the past – that may cost the earbuds, however will also be used as an aptX transmitter as effectively. Admittedly, the $399/£349 price ticket of the Pi8 is much more costly than the AirPods Professional, however B&W’s high-quality sound and the versatile good case be sure that the Pi8 can earn its preserve.
The Pi8 additionally will get a whole redesign, with a extra curved form to the earpieces that’s designed to suit extra comfortably, and likewise to angle the sound immediately into your ear canal so as to obtain the most effective sound high quality. The earpieces are nonetheless a bit on the big measurement, however B&W does embody ear-tips in 4 sizes that will help you get a superb match. The scale of the earpieces additionally permits them to accommodate a brand new set of high-quality 12mm drivers, that are bigger than these utilized in many earbuds, together with a bigger battery as effectively. The Pi7 may solely final for 5 hours on a single cost, even when noise-cancellation was turned off, however the Pi8 now lasts for six.5 hours with noise-cancellation turned on (in comparison with six hours for the AirPods Professional), whereas the good charging case helps you to prime that as much as a complete of 20 hours.
And, as talked about, B&W’s good case has one other massive benefit – one which we’ve by no means seen with Bluetooth earbuds from another producer. As you’d anticipate, the USB-C port on the again of the good case can be utilized to recharge its inner battery. Nevertheless, it will also be used to just accept a wired audio enter from quite a lot of totally different units, and might then act as an aptX transmitter in order that the earbuds can obtain high-quality wi-fi audio streamed through the good case.
Bowers & Wilkins contains two cables with the Pi8 – an ordinary USB-C cable and a second cable with a 3.5mm connector – which give quite a few helpful options. The three.5mm cable permits you to join the good case to a wired audio machine, resembling an in-flight leisure system on a aircraft, or perhaps a file turntable for those who’re a vinyl fan. You may as well use the USB-C cable to attach the good case to a USB-C port on a Mac, iPhone or iPad after which use the case to transmit wi-fi audio to the earbuds utilizing aptX quite than plain outdated AAC.
The sound high quality is nice with each AAC and aptX, although, and the Pi8 works a deal with with the high-res model of Come Collectively by the Beatles on Apple Music. The graceful bass riff within the introduction attracts you in right away, with a agency, deep sound, and the Pi8 holds the sustained notes in order that they construct up the strain earlier than dipping down and gliding together with a extremely infectious rhythm. This model can be combined for Dolby Atmos, and there’s a pleasant sense of motion as Ringo’s percussion skips frivolously backward and forward, however then the Pi8 rolls up its sleeves because it heads into the refrain and lands the chopping guitar riff with actual energy.
We do suppose that the noise-cancellation on the AirPods Professional works a bit higher at blocking high-frequency sound, resembling the numerous hubbub and noise of a busy airport. Nevertheless, the Pi8 does a extremely good job of eliminating low-frequency sounds, such because the rumble of engine noise in an airplane cabin, so it is going to nonetheless be a sensible choice for lengthy journeys by prepare or aircraft. And, for those who don’t actually fear about technical particulars resembling AAC and aptX, then B&W is planning a inexpensive mannequin referred to as the Pi6, which is able to omit the good case and prices round $249/£219.
Do you have to purchase Bowers & Wilkins Pi8?
The excessive value of the Pi8 earbuds implies that they are going to primarily enchantment to audiophiles who need the very best sound high quality. They do sound nice, although, and the power to make use of the good charging case as an aptX transmitter for Apple units and wired audio methods is a real innovation.